Apple’s submitted a fistful of new patents that could point to the next generation of Apple TV with Nintendo-Wii-style motion-sensitive smarts top of the agenda.
One of Apple’s latest patents describes a “remote control system that can distinguish stray light sources”, a pretty complicated way of referring to a Wii-style remote capable of identifying light from a transmitter among the many other light sources in an average home.
Apple’s patent describes IR emitters mounted near your television and a method to allow the Apple TV remote to measure its own motion from those sensors and recognise the differences between the light from them and other light sources including reflections.
Patently Apple speculates that Apple could combine it’s recent 3D patents (which use a magnetic compass) to bring 3D motion-sensitive controls to the Apple TV. It’s a development we’d love to see, especially since Apple TV is starting to look a little tired these days.
Due TBA | £TBA | Apple (via Patently Apple)
