Apple has won a patent for a sophisticated AR light system that could project AR content onto surfaces with or without a headset.
The system could include a custom light bulb that contains a projector that could project AR content onto a table, wall, room, etc. to allow those with or without a headset to view the AR content simultaneously.
The AR light system could comprise a controller with one or more processors, with a projector including an array of individually addressable LEDs, configured to emit light representing virtual content under the direction of the controller. A focusing lens could also be included to focus the light emitted by the array of LEDs on a surface in a room to form an image, using individual LEDs in the array to correspond to individual pixels in the image.
Two or more additional projectors could be arranged around the first projector, each comprising an additional array of LEDs to emit light for virtual content, with an additional focusing lens configured to focus the light emitted by the additional array of LEDs on a portion of a room surface to form an image, with the additional projectors offering a lower resolution.