We’ve been hearing rumors of a gesture-based interface for the Apple TV since Apple acquired PrimeSense, the company behind motion sensors for the Microsoft Kinect. We’ve also seen Apple applying for many patents regarding the same in the past but, we expected all of them to just disappear into the heaps of patents Apple frequently avails but never uses.

However, this non-tactile gesture-based UI might indeed become a reality, as indicated by the brush-ups Apple has been doing recently. Last month, Apple reassigned the patents for the PrimeSense motion detecting hardware to its name. And a couple of days back, Cupertino was granted a new patent for a software built to work alongside this hardware.

This is what we know about the patent named “Three dimensional user interface session control”. Apple’s sensors will use infrared rays to track your hand movement in 3D, meaning in x-axis (when you move you hand to right or left), y-axis (raise or lower your hand) and even z-axis (towards or away from the sensor).

Users will be able to make simple hand gestures like waving to interact with the interface. One example illustrated in the application shows a swipe-up movement to unlock the device (image on top).

The artwork portrays a computer in the center but can be used by the Apple TV, the Apple television set or even the future Macs and iPhones. The patent gets a bit detailed about how the interface would work in various scenarios. If you’re interested, you can go through this detailed analysis by Apple Insider.

Unlike the patents that we usually see, the fact that Apple is actively refreshing and adding to this technology is some clue that they’re indeed moving on with this concept. Maybe we won’t see an Apple TV with 3D gesture control this year, but it would surely be something to look forward to in the later versions of our favorite set-top box.

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Once again an Apple patent is under the microscope, as Apple Insider caught up with an application submitted by the Cupertino engineers. Titled “Browsing Remote content using a native interface”, it re-imagines how the remote app works with Apple TV.

Instead of the mere navigation buttons in the current remote app, the proposed UI would be a dynamic one. It shows a menu of icons corresponding to your Apple TV channels, which you can browse through and select the favorite ones to stream.

Once the content stars playing, Apple TV sends meta info like trivia, cast, credits, etc. to the app, which can be enjoyed by the user. If you find something interesting here, you can even push it for everyone to see, and it will form a sidebar or pop-up on the TV.

The above mentioned features deal with real-time interactions between your Apple TV and the app, and forms the Active mode of the app. However, the new app comes with a Passive mode, which is what is more interesting.

In the passive mode, the user can get out of the ‘now playing’ details and browse the app again. These won’t show up on your Apple TV and hence, won’t disturb others watching with you. You can search for a better movie or add videos to queue, renew subscriptions or just about anything the app allows.

The patent also proposes for interactions via iCloud, so that you can access the TV even when you’re not within the house. Remember how Apple TV was reported to be the center of Apple’s smart home? Now, lets imagine the passive mode, remote access and iCloud, all working together. Imagine you reaching outside your house. Open the remote app, enter passive mode, access the Smart Home hub and open the garage. Meanwhile your wife is watching Netflix over Apple TV, and she doesn’t know a thing.

Though the patent doesn’t mention much about the passive mode, we believe this mode is what forms the core of the application. The active mode is just a modified piece of software and doesn’t require to be protected. Whereas, the passive mode would likely become the backbone of Apple TV multitasking between content delivery and home automation, which Apple certainly doesn’t want its competition to copy.

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So apparently, it wasn’t enough for Apple to innovate home computing, digital music and mobile technology. Sure, Apple TV has created a stronger connection between our monitors and the vast cloud of internet data, but this latest news could forever transform how we watch and interact with content in all forms. According to our friends at Patently Apple, the tech giant now has its sights set on virtual reality. Apple was granted a patent that details a way to literally connect people straight into their computers, using a mixture of touch screens, VR gloves and next generation sensor technology.

Although it’s only one patent, it covers a massive range of applications, including interactive gaming, 5D technology, video conferencing, and even the possibility of using an individual’s palm as a signature to start a car or turn on the television. The possibilities are staggering, and whenever this patent turns into an actual device, it could well change the entertainment landscape as we know it.

According to the patent, Apple expects this new tech may someday take the place of keyboards. On top of that, the screen the 5D monitor is made out of could potentially be any sort of material at all. One idea Apple suggested is a screen made of Kevlar, giving users the ability to shoot live ammunitions at the screen. Not something you’ll be doing in your living room, but if applied on a shooting range it could actually analyze where the bullets landed and with what amount of force.

And it won’t stop there. In fact, no screen may even be necessary. According to the details of the patent, this 5D tech could track simple resistance changes in the air, such as temperature or magnetic force. Break that down for a second, and think about manipulating programs just by moving your hands. It’s the game changer to top all game changers, as only Apple could come up with.

[images: Patently Apple]

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