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Apple Wins Patent For Head-Mounted Display Tech
redletterdave writes "It appears that Google is no longer alone in exploring the realm of wearable tech solutions. Apple was granted a patent on Thursday in relation to 'peripheral treatment for head-mounted displays.' While Google Glass places a piece of smartglass right above the user's eye, Apple's solution uses two peripheral lights to show two different images to each eye 'to create an enhanced viewing experience for the user.' Apple's patent also attempts to address the biggest problems with head-mounted displays (HMDs), particularly tunnel vision and motion sickness."
Its a good thing the Military has been using this technology since the 70's or Apple would be trying to ban the importation of any device using anything that even resembled their solution based on nothing more than the same of the corners.
It looks to me like they stole technology from the F35 helmet system.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
They haven't been alone for some time now - that is to say, since before they even mentioned what they may or may not have been working on.
Google's glasses aren't HMDs, though.
The Rift would be an HMD that'd warrant a further look;
http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=138&t=14777
As for Apple's patent - it's pretty much 'ambilight for HMDs'. There's a wee bit more to it, of course, but if painting with the same broad brush that Apple uses when asserting their patents, the aforementioned description fits the bill.
You dont understand! Apple is using TWO displays, unlike the one used by the military in helicopters. TWO! Clearly patent worthy.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
It looks to me like they stole technology from the F35 helmet system.
Unless Apple has a real time machine in the Reality Distortion Field, this is unlikely.
Filed: October 13, 2006
The F35 helmets are not fully functional yet and BAE has been contracted to fix them as VSI's original design is inadequate.. VSI didn't have a working model until 2010.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Apple is using TWO displays
Huh?! TWO displays??
Shining two beams of lights does not make "TWO displays"
And?
Since when has logic, common sense and reasoning been a mitigating factor in the granting of patents?
The patent system is just another abusive business tool used to stifle competition.
It only works on people with heads that have rounded corners.
Sorry, but gray text on gray background is making my eyes bleed.
You think Google is innovating with the goggles?
I'm sorry, but you obviously have no idea what is being claimed here. Here is what the patent summary says:
If you would actually read the patent you'd notice that Apple is well aware of other head mounted display technologies (they list them in the patent). As the title says, this is a "Peripheral treatment for head-mounted displays" to prevent motion sickness and increase the length of time such a device can be used.
The military has been using side projection techniques for quite a while and if that's not enough for you lumus http://www.lumusvision.com/ has actually built a product (about 5 years ago) and not just sat around shouting "we are so smart we could do this if we tried so give us a patent"; and world augmented reality has been commercialised by Google for a long time. I honestly don't understand what brain dead iFanatics they have working at the patent office, and how hypocritical apple can be when they steal such vital truly genius tech while aggressively suing over things as simple as 'slide to unlock'.
Rocket Surgeon.
I know that you are joking, but the military has been using dual eye displays for quite some time.
The patent is for a way of "lighting" the fringe of the phyxical glass display and giving it a colored hue. Typically an HMD does not present a display that covers the full field of view of the physical glass that it is projected onto, so the image is projected in the center of the field of view and the periphery contains no image. The patent claims that this is uncomfortable and distracting to the user so they are patent the idea of providing a colored hue to the periphery of the physical surface so that it blends nicely with the computer driven display.
Of course, they are not patenting a specific method for accomplishing this despite the fact that each HMD would present its own issues and engineering challenges in accomplishing this. They make claims like it increases comfort and "may decrease" the occurence of motion sickness. The figures in the patent are total bullshit put in to make the patent look more impressive and complex than it really is.
The figures in the patent are total bullshit put in to make the patent look more impressive and complex than it really is.
If I publish a scientific paper, and in my paper I back it up with a lot of bullshit figures
Not long after the publication someone else will discover my bullshit figure and I will suffer all the negative consequences that I deserve
On the other hand, if I file for a patent, and back up my patent filing with a lot of bullshit figures
When my patent is granted, I got my patent and enjoy all the patent royalties that it generates.
As long as my patent does not infringe on others patent, legally speaking, nobody can do anything
That is what is wrong with the patent system
And that is why the patent office must either go through a total overhaul or shut down altogether
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
They do nothing!!!!!
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Please! Please start an innovation consortium and develop this technology together. Than to each his own products based on whatever vision you might have. This way, we all benefit: the companies invest in innovation and unleash all the R&D prowess they both have, technology gets developed faster for lower prices and the general public can see nice products everywhere.
And with the money you save on laywers, you can release them in all nice hip colours.
(PS there is even more advantages: the patent offices can stop wasting time on obvious developments, Apple's image gets a little better, the judicial system gets time for real criminals and patent trolls are left alone in the rain)
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