The development of Apple Glass, including so far we’ve only heard rumors, is still in progress in Cupertino. At least this is the impression we have of the number of published patents which, without directly mentioning glasses, study and propose the most interesting technologies.
Mobile screen and Fresnel lenses, two key points of Apple Glass’s success
In augmented reality glasses like the ones we’ve come to expect from Apple, there are two key things to consider that the engineering team at Cupertino must resolve before they can launch the product. The first of these points is the weight. If the lenses, and the product in general, weigh too much, using it for long periods of time can become very uncomfortable. The second is the user’s feeling of dizziness. Two key points that Apple solves, or at least explore a possible solution
The first patent entitled “Motion blur compensation through display actuation” explores the use of a mobile screen. A screen that in a very similar to camera sensor stabilization The iPhone can be moved slightly to avoid a blurry feeling.
In general, to avoid this feeling of blurry images, screens of this type retain information on the screen for a very short time. This solution, however, causes the lighting to be dim. With the system offered by Apple the little one the movements of our head are mechanically neutralized so that the screen can offer us its maximum brightness.
Two additional patents to improve two key points of future glasses: weight and sharpness.
The other key point of glasses in this class is weight. A weight which, in addition, degrades in terms of comfort because it is concentrated in the front part. From the lenses themselves to the sensors and other components, everything the weight ends up falling on our nose and our face in general. Balance and center of gravity can be somewhat balanced by adding weight to the rear of the device, but the result will be an increase in overall weight, so it’s a resource to be used with great caution.
With lenses being one of the heaviest components in this class of eyewear, Apple is exploring a stylish way to make them much lighter. In the “Overhead Display Device with Fresnel Lenses” patent, Apple explores exactly that: using Fresnel lenses in Apple Glass. This class of lenses, named after their inventor, is common in headlights and is characterized by a very marked relief on the glass
This technique allows you to increase the aperture and reduce the focal length without increasing bulk and weight as they would with a conventional lens. As we see in the following image, the combination of two of these goals would allow Apple significantly reduce the weight of future Apple Glass achieve, at the same time, the necessary optical requirements.
The truth is that there are many patents related to the development of the future Apple Glass. Rumors still situate us several years after its launch, but everything seems to indicate that Apple’s interest in its development is only increasing.
