(Phys.org) -- Like Google, Apple has plans to win recognition as wearable computing leaders. Patently Apple reports on a patent that was filed by Apple in January last year but made known earlier this week. The patent application is causing a stir over what Apple has in mind to compete with Google over the latter’s highly anticipated Project Glass heads-up display. The Apple patent in question, titled “Display resolution increase with mechanical actuation,” speaks of multiple “embodiments,” but the concept appears to relate to raising the quality of a display placed over a wearer’s eye.
The patent drawings show a very odd-looking bowl over a person’s head extending out to eyewear over just one eye. The implication beyond the obtuse patent text is clear that Apple is fixed on competing with Google for the coming generation of heads-up display wearers, and, in competing, is to use its key ammunition, its own brand recognition that Apple provides high quality visuals whether on its desktop, tablet, phone or, now possibly, on video glasses. The inventor is listed on the patent application as Edward Craig Hyatt.
Those bloggers watching Apple and writing about the patent news agree that the text is obtuse, ambitiously general, and hard to pin down, as a patent application for ideas that could take any form of multiple “embodiments.” Nonetheless, it can be said that the goal of Apple seems to be to improve the resolution of images seen through a head-mounted display.
According to the patent application, “There are provided apparatuses and methods for increasing the pixel density of a digital display through mechanical actuation. In some embodiments, a display device is described having a processor configured to provide an image for display and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores the image and is configured to map the image to a pixel matrix. A display controller is coupled to the memory and configured to sample portions of the image and to store the portions of the image into planes. Each sampled portion comprises a different set of pixels of the pixel matrix. A display is coupled to the display controller and is configured to display the contents of the sampled planes. In particular, the display controller is configured to sequentially provide the sampled planes to the display for sequential display. At least one actuator is coupled to the display to displace the display for the displaying of the sampled planes, so that pixels of each plane are displayed in a unique location from the pixels of other planes.”
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More information: Patent: appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220120188245%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20120188245&RS=DN/20120188245
Abstract
There are provided apparatuses and methods for increasing the pixel density of a digital display through mechanical actuation. In some embodiments, a display device is described having a processor configured to provide an image for display and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores the image and is configured to map the image to a pixel matrix. A display controller is coupled to the memory and configured to sample portions of the image and to store the portions of the image into planes. Each sampled portion comprises a different set of pixels of the pixel matrix. A display is coupled to the display controller and is configured to display the contents of the sampled planes. In particular, the display controller is configured to sequentially provide the sampled planes to the display for sequential display. At least one actuator is coupled to the display to displace the display for the displaying of the sampled planes, so that pixels of each plane are displayed in a unique location from the pixels of other planes.
