Microsoft has been given a patent on "augmented reality" (AR) glasses that would enhance sports and other live events with streams of information beamed directly in front of the user – even including action replays and lyrics of songs.
The move means that it could soon join Google in offering AR systems for widespread use, after the search giant unveiled its own Google Glass project earlier this year, intended to be used all the time as the user goes about their daily life.
And the AR business is expected to be worth a lot very soon: according to the consultancy Mindcommerce, which suggests that AR revenues will exceed $3bn by 2015, that mobile commerce revenues will be doubled by 2015 with AR applications, and that mobile phone AR applications will generate $2.2bn of revenues in the same year.
Apple too has got patents for an AR system, granted in February 2010, which would work with a "handheld communication device" – though Patently Apple, which follows every patent granted to the Cupertino company, notes that it was granted a patent as far back as 2009 (and filed in 2007) for a head-mounted video player – though expectations then that "we can see that Apple's next bold move in their iPod family could very well be the introduction of an iPod video headset display" turned out to be wide of the mark.
Source: The Guardian
