Whereas Apple has made it clear that its upcoming Imaginative and prescient Professional headset doesn’t require any sort of handheld controller, a latest Apple patent software signifies the Cupertino agency is learn how to make an Apple Pencil-like accent that can supply digital brush suggestions solely seen by the Imaginative and prescient Professional consumer.
Whereas the Apple Pencil lineup has grown to a few considerably complicated fashions (Which iPad does this mannequin work with? Which one costs by way of USB-C? Can this one cost itself from the iPad?), they’ve all been considerably related in dimension. Nevertheless, the “Pencil” on this newest patent software’s illustrations resembles a a lot bigger and chunkier stylus. This will likely replicate Apple’s need to not make a writing implement accent however purpose for a handheld controller-like accent as an alternative.
“With one illustrative configuration… [the device] is a handheld controller having an elongated marker-shaped housing configured to be grasped inside a consumer’s fingers,” says the newly-revealed patent software, referred to as “Pc System with Handheld Controllers.”
“A handheld controller with a marker-shaped housing might have an elongated housing that spans throughout the width of a consumer’s hand and that may be held like a pen, pencil, marker, wand, or instrument,” the patent software description continues.
Apple could also be aiming to develop a stylus that can be utilized not solely with the Imaginative and prescient Professional but additionally with different Apple units. The patent software signifies that the machine may very well be used as a controller for mobile telephones, tablets, laptop computer computer systems, a wristwatch, and different digital units.
Nevertheless, let’s get again to how the machine can be used with the Imaginative and prescient Professional. The patent software signifies it may act as a marker with a wide range of digital suggestions.
“The pinnacle-mounted machine or different machine might have a show configured to show digital content material that’s overlaid onto real-world content material,” the patent says. “[A] handheld controller [could have] a tip portion onto which a computer-generated paint brush head is overlaid.”
The controller may function an “inertial measurement unit with an accelerometer for gathering data on controller motions akin to swiping motions, waving motions, writing actions, drawing actions, shaking motions, rotations, and many others.”
The controller may additionally embrace wi-fi communication potential, which may supply “monitoring options akin to energetic or passive visible markers that may be tracked with an optical sensor in an exterior digital machine.”
As is common for patent purposes like this, Apple’s software is reasonably broad, describing solely a “handheld controller [which] might have a housing with an elongated shaft extending between first and second tip parts.”
The patent software is credited to 5 inventors: Stephen E Dey, Erin M Bosch, Yuhao Pan, lan P Colahan, and Christopher Ok Ewy.