The idea (patent number 20230109787) describes how some features of video chats might be "cumbersome and inefficient," which is something that undoubtedly millions of individuals who were compelled to work from home due to the epidemic can relate to. Apple claims that it is a waste of time and energy when simple tasks on a video conversation require many key pushes and mouse clicks.
Apple has been developing a system that would use various motions to quickly do tasks during FaceTime calls in order to remedy this. It would integrate smart software with a sophisticated camera system already present in your MacBook or iPad.
For instance, making a "shh" gesture with your finger against your lips might blur or pixelate a portion of a selected item on the screen (perhaps your background), offering you a faster way than currently to blur your FaceTime background. You may also pinch your fingers together or apart to zoom in or out on a specific area of the screen. These kinds of little actions could have a significant impact.
Analog to Digital
One of the patent's more intriguing concepts would enable you to transfer text and illustrations from a paper notepad to a digital display. For instance, the camera on your laptop might record a sketch you are making on a piece of paper. The digital equivalent of this sketch would then be created and displayed for everyone participating in the video call.
Then, you could make changes to this digital drawing that you couldn't make with just a pen and paper, and those modifications would be visible to everyone on the call.
Apple's Continuity Camera feature's Desk View component can already record what you're doing at your desk, making it ideal for creating walkthrough tutorials and livestreaming artistic work. It's not difficult to assume that Apple was thinking of Desk View (or something similar) when it developed the concepts detailed in this patent.
Together, it appears that Apple's patented system aims to eliminate the tediousness of video chats and, through some brilliant technological wizardry, to connect the analogue and digital worlds. Your video calls might be improved and a little bit more accessible in both situations.
Since this is only a patent, it is impossible to predict when or even if it will be implemented in Apple's products. Nevertheless, it's nice to see Apple identifying the need for improvement in video conversations and developing some suggestions for how to make them a little more tolerable going forward.
