Apple patent lets iPhone be part of VR reality display

San Francisco

APPLE on Tuesday was awarded a patent on a headset that could let iPhones be part of augmented or virtual reality displays. The patent titled "Head Mounted Display Apparatus For Retaining A Portable Electronic Device With Display" depicts a large eyeglass-style frame into which a smartphone could be seated.

A smartphone would essentially become a screen set directly before the wearer's eyes, with the option of picture-in-picture if a person wants to watch what is happening around him or her. Coupling the headset device with an iPhone "temporarily integrates the separate devices into a single unit", according to the patent, which Apple filed for in late 2008.