New Apple Patent Details Novel Handoff Method for Its Upcoming XR Headset

Apple headset render via Antonio DeRosa

(Photo: Apple headset render via Antonio DeRosa) It’s no secret that Apple has worked hard on an extended reality (XR) headset for many years. The device, rumored to be Reality Pro, has been repeatedly delayed due to myriad engineering challenges. Now it’s rumored to be launching sometime in 2023. As proof that it’s getting close, the company recently submitted a new patent filing in Europe for its upcoming headset. The patent details how to perform handoff and continuity in an extended reality environment, allowing you to pass tasks between Apple devices such as an iPad and an iPhone. The patents indicate how it would work with Apple devices and a headset.

The patent was filed on Feb. 22 in Europe, according to Patentlyapple. As 9to5Mac notes, patent filings can be vague to throw people off, but this one is clear. “Multi-device continuity for use with extended reality systems” begins with a rudimentary explanation of how continuity would work. This technology lets you start creating or editing a document on one device, such as an iPad. You can then transfer that document to a MacBook or iPhone and pick up where you left off. The document exists in the cloud and is accessible by all devices. With a headset, the process essentially involves looking at the device to initiate the transfer.

In this drawing, the shape in the lower right-hand corner is the XR device being “aware” of other devices around it.

Per the patent filing, “a user drafting an email on their smartphone can place the smartphone in the field of view of an XR device (e.g., a tablet device or a head mountable system) and continue drafting the email in an XR environment created by the XR device. “This assumes Apple’s device has outward-facing cameras and microphones, along with a transparent display so you can see your surroundings. This also raises the question of how you would even edit a document on a headset. We can guess that Apple’s headset can project a virtual keyboard. Or it may be gesture-based or voice-controlled.

The patent describes a similarly simple method for “handoff” involving a “smart speaker.” The patent says you could start playing a song on your phone, then send it to the speaker with a gesture. The XR device would be aware of all devices in the environment. It would then use this information to “facilitate smooth and continuous transfer of control and/or content between the devices and/or the XR device.”

What is described in the document certainly sounds very Apple because it’s intuitive. However, these examples don’t sound particularly useful in the real world like many virtual reality scenarios. We doubt anyone would prefer to edit a document wearing a headset and using a virtual keyboard instead of a laptop. Also, why are we wearing a headset if we’re listening to music? Maybe Apple will make it more compelling than it sounds on paper. We’ll find out soon enough, as the device is expected to be unveiled at WWDC in June.

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