Apple patents smart glasses that show notifications when you aren't looking at your phone
Apple describes a system where head-mounted devices use sensors to detect if you are looking at another screen, like a phone or tablet. If you are not actively viewing that external device, the notification appears on the head-mounted display instead. The system can also send instructions to other devices to suppress or force notifications based on who is currently looking at them.
In the filing’s own words
A head-mounted device may be used with an external electronic device. One or more sensors on the head-mounted device may obtain sensor data that is used to determine whether the external electronic device is actively being viewed. When the external electronic device is actively being viewed, a notification may be presented on a display of the external electronic device. When the external electronic device is not actively being viewed, a notification may be presented on a display of the head-mounted device. An electronic device may determine whether a display in the electronic device is being viewed by one or more viewers. When the display is being viewed by more than one viewer, the electronic device may send an instruction to a head-mounted device to cause the head-mounted device to present a notification.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A head-mounted device comprising: one or more sensors; one or more output devices; one or more processors; and memory storing instructions configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the instructions for: obtaining, using the one or more sensors, sensor data; using the sensor data, determining whether an external electronic device is being actively viewed; in accordance with determining that the external electronic device is not being actively viewed: presenting a notification using the one or more output devices; sending an instruction to the external electronic device to cause the external electronic device to suppress the notification; and sending an additional instruction to an additional external electronic device to cause the additional external electronic device to present the notification regardless of whether the additional external electronic device is being actively viewed.
Facts
- Company
- Apple (Apple Inc.)
- Official title
- Presenting notifications in a system with electronic devices
- Patent number
- US12724479B2
- Application number
- 18646065
- Filed
- Apr 25, 2024
- Granted
- Sep 1, 2026
- Inventors
- 2
- Claims
- 24
Classified under
G06F 3/013 Physics & computingG06F 3/012 Physics & computingG06F 3/1423 Physics & computingMore from Apple in Wearables
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.