Patent shows magnetic smart gloves for Apple Glasses can provide precise control capabilities

       One of the problems with the current generation of VR headsets is that they require the use of hand controllers. While existing systems can be used to determine the relationship between the hand and the headset, they cannot accurately calculate the position of the user's individual fingers. Apple's long-rumored AR and VR work, including "Apple Glass," could use smart gloves to interact with the system, using magnetic fields to determine the position of the user's individual fingers.

　　Additionally, handheld controllers may not allow users to grab other objects, which may be required in some AR applications. This may be especially true for Apple Glasses, which are rumored to rely on controller-free interactions in the future.

　　In a patent titled "Magnetic sensor-based proximity sensing" granted to Apple by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday, Apple says it can create smart gloves that can accurately locate the user's fingertips. Apple claims this can be achieved through magnetic induction. This uses interference in the magnetic field to measure the position and positioning of a magnetic source, or to measure the position of a sensor from a magnetic source. In the glove, Apple suggests that a coil-based magnetic field generator with a specific modulation can be placed on the back of the hand. Magnetic sensors attached to each fingertip can demodulate the magnetic field, which helps determine how far away it is from the magnetic source.

　　By using multiple magnetic sources, such as two on the back of the hand and one on the palm, the system can also feasibly calculate the 3D positioning of each fingertip. There are sensors on the fingertips that can detect the magnetic source on the back of the glove. There is a lot of space left on the glove to add other components, including touch sensors, actuators for tactile feedback, temperature sensors and heaters. Batteries and communication systems with other parts of the VR system can also be included.

　　Apple files numerous patent applications every week. While the existence of patents indicates areas of interest for Apple's R&D work, they do not guarantee that the concepts will appear in future products.