There's plenty of speculation today on Apple blogs and news sites about a patent application by the company that's just been published, for a 3D remote control that's not entirely dissimilar to Nintendo's Wiimote. Although presumably dissimilar enough to deserve its own patent. Anyway, the theory is that it could be used to interact with a virtual world, if Apple chooses to launch one.
That’s not pure speculation - another Apple patent recently came to light for an online 3D shopping environment. However, the new remote patent could as much be used for an Apple games console - something else that’s been rumoured every so often in recent years. The patent specifically refers to moving a game character or shifting a field of view.
Anyway, the patent describes a remote control with a photosensor, accelerometer or gyroscope inside, which could detect absolute and/or relative position to an image. Intriguingly, the patent also hints that the technology could be incorporated into “any portable, mobile, hand-held or minature consumer electronic device”, which immediately brings iPhone and iPod to mind.
Of course, many patents never turn into commercial products, but next time there’s speculation about Apple launching its own virtual world, remember this story!
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