Apple Granted Augmented Reality Patent

Apple has been awarded a patent for an Augmented Reality display system.

Published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, and spotted by AppleInsider, US Patent #8,400,548 was first filed back in January 2010, and describes a system combining a devices camera, multi-touch screen and internet connection, in order to superimpose virtual images on top of a live video feed.

The proposed system also enables users to interact with the overlaid information, adding annotations or images, or sharing the video feed to another device.

The patent also includes examples of a split-screen view, which simultaneously shows live and computer-generated views in separate windows on the same display – or synchronised between two separate devices.

Its unclear what role the patent could play in Apples future plans, or whether it will ever see the light of day, but its interesting – especially given that it was filed more than three years ago – to compare the patent with what Google is currently developing with its wearable Glass devices.