back to article Facebook granted patent for 'artificial reality' baseball cap. Repeat, an 'artificial reality' baseball cap

Facebook has been awarded a US patent titled "Artificial reality hat," which consists of a display screen that hangs from the brim of a cap, as if it were a havelock worn backward. And the social ad biz applied for this patent fully aware of the failure of Google Glass, augmented reality eyewear that Google announced rather …

  1. Pascal Monett Silver badge
    Gimp

    "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

    Well I have to admit that, technically, it sure seems to be true.

    It's Facebook, so I feel icky about even thinking this, but somebody got a good idea - for once.

    The question now is how is this going to pan out on the market ? What contraption will see the light of day that keeps heating elements away from the wearer's skull ?

    1. Chris G

      Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

      "What contraption will see the light of day that keeps heating elements away from the wearer's skull ?"

      Perhaps using a hardhat with the suspended liners they have would help to keep a cool head, plus there may be space enough for added electronics.

      If the Zborg are thinking of Glasshole™ type usage, I imagine there will be outward facing cameras recording the environment to go with the eyeball tracking so that related ads can be tailored to the items in the real world that cause pupil dilation or whatever it is that gives away interest.

      The other similarity to Glasshole™ behaviour will be fully engaged wearers walking into traffic, lamposts, other people etc.

      Plus we have similar concerns about spying on the environment if they have forward/outward facing cameras.

      1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

        Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

        I was thinking top hat. A nice stovepipe hat can actually act as a chimney. Put a few louvres in the side, and keep the heat generating electronics at the very top - and you can have a nice through-draft to keep both head and gizmos cool.

        But I prefer your hardhat idea. Because that way, when the user walks into a lamppost, their noggin is protected. Plus they usually have a peak on them to hang the goggles off, and are in bright colours - so that other people are warned that a wearer is approaching.

        Is it 'Snow Crash' where the techies who adorn their bodies with all sorts of wearable gear in order to be permanently online are called "Gargoyles"?

        I also propose a change of acronym. Facebook Artificial Reality Tat Hat. As in, "Hey Hiro, see you're wearing your fart hat today..."

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

          > But I prefer your hardhat idea

          Already been done: Microsoft have a hard-hat mounted version of their Hololens augmented reality glasses.

          1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
            Holmes

            Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

            Sueball from Farcebook incoming!!!

            Icon, because I like his hat ---------->

        2. Charlie van Becelaere

          Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

          "I also propose a change of acronym. Facebook Artificial Reality Tat Hat. As in, 'Hey Hiro, see you're wearing your fart hat today...'"

          Very nice. I was thinking of Augmented+Simulated Sight Hat.

          1. Mark 85
            Pint

            Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

            Very nice. I was thinking of Augmented+Simulated Sight Hat.

            I can't upvote that one enough. So have a pint or two ------------->

        3. Kibble 2
          Mushroom

          Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

          > "I was thinking top hat. A nice stovepipe hat can actually act as a chimney. Put a few louvres in the side, and keep the heat generating electronics at the very top - and you can have a nice through-draft to keep both head and gizmos cool."

          The top hat idea might work in areas that are normally cool, but in desert places outdoors in the summer, e.g. Arizona, the environmental heat would probably fry the electronics.

    2. Howard Sway Silver badge

      contraption ... that keeps heating elements away from the wearer's skull ?

      Presumably, some kind of liquid coolant system will need to be plumbed in, then a compressor to run the cooling system, along with a decent sized battery pack to keep the compressor going all day, and what the hell, we've now got all this power so let's turn the wearer into a mobile wifi hotspot.... hmm, gonna need a few more extra bits of scaffolding to hold all this stuff together.....

      1. iron Silver badge
        Joke

        Re: contraption ... that keeps heating elements away from the wearer's skull ?

        The FART hat can use the 5G from your Covid vaccine, simples.

    3. Cuddles

      Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

      "What contraption will see the light of day that keeps heating elements away from the wearer's skull ?"

      There are already baseball caps with propellers and/or beer holders attached, so there are options for both air and liquid cooling systems. And since you're already going to look like a right twat if you wear one of these things, there aren't really any further downsides from adding the cooling.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

        So attaching "thing" to hat is already a done deal. Yet Farcebook got a parent for hanging a different "thing" from a hat? Maybe the whole of Australia can sue farcebook for the cork thing they have prior art for?

    4. KBeee

      Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

      Not really. The problem with AR glasses is they tell the world you're a prat. These FARTs do the same.

      1. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
        Boffin

        Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

        Having that stitched onto the front of the cap will be optional extra.

    5. DevOpsTimothyC

      Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

      It's Facebook, so I feel icky about even thinking this, but somebody got a good idea - for once.

      This is not a good idea it's a different description of what was already there. The VR headsets from the 90's could be described as a hat with VR (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtuality_(product)).

      Knowing US law as soon as you have something that goes over the head you can probably call it a hat which them means almost any VR headset would fall foul of this patient

      1. My-Handle

        Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

        as you have something that goes over the head you can probably call it a hat which them means almost any VR headset would fall foul of this patient

        I think it works the other way. If anything that goes over the head can be described as a hat, then the patent can be easily invalidated by the plethora of prior art.

        1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

          Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

          "I think it works the other way. If anything that goes over the head can be described as a hat, then the patent can be easily invalidated by the plethora of prior art."

          Yeah, but someone with money and can afford to go to court has to do that first. And then, if it really is a slam-dunk, go on to sue the US Patent Office for assigning a patent that was blatantly invalid and not doing due diligence.

    6. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

      I had considered a motorcycle helmet with built-in gadgetry

      (but I'd just build it for me)

      prior art: space helmets

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: "hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses"

        ...or any other helmet mounted visor-based heads-up display as used by air forces around the world.

  2. Pete 2 Silver badge

    The next step

    > hats solve the problem presented by AR glasses.

    They also permit future options such as a "hat" that drills through your skull and creates a direct brain interface.

    Whether the user wants that, or not.

    1. tonique
      Gimp

      Re: The next step

      The next step? Could be an AR codpiece.

      1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
        Devil

        Re: The next step

        tonique,

        Are you proposing that Facebook will be buying Pornhub next, in order to produce their interactive virtual reality codpiece? After all, I think we can all agree that Facebook sucks...

        1. tonique

          Re: The next step

          Maybe not. But perhaps a spin-off site called Codbook? (Also usable for fish dishes.)

      2. W.S.Gosset

        Re: AR codpiece

        Lowtech DIY version for males, offering Shared Augmented Reality to people you're talking to:

        Just hold a magnifying glass in front of your groin.

        1. Horst U Rodeinon
          Devil

          Re: AR codpiece

          They could brand that device the TSAR - Toobin Shared Augmented Reality

    2. Snake Silver badge
      Happy

      Sigma Man

      Alpha and Beta males have been long identified but recently "Sigma" was added - the man who doesn't follow the herd. As usual, I'm Sigma - I don't wear hats, they don't fit my skull.

      So I'm immune to Facebook's newest assimilation technology. Yay me!! :P

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Outside of the US, nothing screams 'asshole' quite like a baseball cap. So yeah, having an advance warning system that's visible from a distance built into the device seems like quite a good idea.

    1. Pete 2 Silver badge

      > nothing screams 'asshole' quite like a baseball cap

      doubly so when the user wears one indoors

      1. werdsmith Silver badge

        Triple so when they wear it Holden Caulfield style.

        1. HelpfulJohn

          Which style would that be? Note, please, that not all of us follow USAlien politics, sports, T.V., movies or mass entertainment so we may not be aware of your more domestically well-know "celebrities". Indeed, some of us don't even follow local ones.

          I'm assuming the wearer is wearing the hat with the sun-blocking eye-shade protecting his neck from becoming red, which, while contrary to the prime purpose of protecting one's eyes, is not entirely stupid in warmer regions of the planet.

          With the addition of good sunglasses, it is not really a stupid idea at all, though a thin, flexible fabric like a handkerchief would serve the purpose without depriving the wearer of the eye-shade.

    2. Natalie Gritpants Jr

      Ahem, big fan of the baseball cap here, but only in strong sunlight. I twist them around so the peak points at the sun and gives maximum shade to my face/ears/neck depending on which way I'm facing. Plus, it's ironic when I wear one.

      1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

        I wear a cricket hat in strong sunlight, which has a 360° brim. Thus saving me all that tedious hat-twisting effort in order to achieve optimal sunshade angle. As a bonus feature, it also doubles as a frisbee.

        1. W.S.Gosset

          I live in subtropical Australia so in strong sunlight I wear a roof. Thus saving me all that tedious hat-wearing effort. As a bonus feature, it also doubles as an umbrella.

          1. My-Handle

            I'm wearing one now. In many ways, it's even better than an umbrella. It doesn't turn inside out in a stiff breeze.

            If you get one with walls, you can keep the wind off you as well.

      2. HelpfulJohn

        When I worked, I was in an office with many, many badly tuned fluorescent lighting tubes. I could hear their assorted hums and the flickering, combined with the poor spectrum of radiant energies and, I think, the varying brightnesses, caused me headaches.

        I found that dark glasses, sunglasses, helped a lot. What helped even more was something advertised in a sporting-goods shop as a "tennis visor". The green, translucent eye-shade blocked a lot of the harshness from the lamps.

        I had entered the sporty shop thinking I might find a baseball-style peaked cap to wear to aid in preventing the pains but the shop assistant advised me to try that visor, instead. His advice was excellent.

        Previously to this, I had never even considered entering such an establishment, which only shows that our internal biases, prejudices and ignorance may sometimes be to our personal detriment.

        I am sure the tennis visor would be useful in direct sunlight, too, were I ever to venture out of my little house to encounter so dangerous a thing.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Down

      > Outside of the US, nothing screams 'asshole' quite like a baseball cap.

      Inside the US, nothing screams 'asshole' quite like someone making wide-ranging generalizations about baseball caps.

      Independently of Facebook's stupid VR cap.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Thumb Up

        It's just as well I'm not in the US then.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Facepalm

          > It's just as well I'm not in the US then.

          Yes, because if you were in the US, you'd be called out on the mind-boggling stupidity of your baseball cap comment.

          You just called baseball players from all over the world 'assholes'. For no reason. Just because they're wearing their team's ballcap on the field - which is a requirement of the sport.

          In case you didn't know - most likely you don't - baseball is a sport that's played quite extensively outside the US: Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand. Just to name a few. Maybe you recognize the names of some of these countries.

          Not to mention the Norwegian Navy and the German Navy. They also wear baseball caps as part of their uniforms. According to you, they are 'assholes'.

          So yes, it's good that you're not in the US. That kind of comment doesn't travel well here.

          1. ShadowSystems

            At ST, re: baseball hats.

            I'll add my reason as to why the comment was rather distasteful. My mum is in chemo to treat her cancer, has lost all her hair, & wears such a hat to protect herself from the sun. According to the poster of the comment she's an asshole. Thanks poster...

          2. werdsmith Silver badge

            You just called baseball players from all over the world 'assholes'. For no reason. Just because they're wearing their team's ballcap on the field - which is a requirement of the sport.

            The entire baseball uniform is a comedy clown outfit to non-baseball cultures.

          3. genghis_uk

            <sense of humo(u)r failure detected>

            The OP didn't call all baseball cap wearers assholes, you just assumed they did and took offence (offense)

            The comment said that, outside America, a baseball cap is a _good indication_ that the wearer is an asshole.. i.e. not all wearers are, but the probability is against them - equally not all assholes wear them (but it would be nice if they did so you could spot them easily).

            Apparently ironic use of generalisation for humour does not travel well either...

    4. This post has been deleted by its author

  4. Roger Kynaston
    Black Helicopters

    prior art?

    Hats, including baseball caps, have been around for a good while. Wearable computing has been around for less time but is not new so why does putting some ad slinging hardware represent a new way of doing things that needs protecting by a patent?

    1. Steve Evans

      Re: prior art?

      I'm not sure anyone has done it before, but I certainly wouldn't call it innovative.

      Just standard fare for the US patent office... Approve patent, let very expensive lawyers sort it out later.

    2. JetSetJim
      Mushroom

      Re: prior art?

      Prior art indeed.

      That last link, to me, shoots this patent squarely in the face as prior art, although would need to examine filing date and date of this picture to determine who might have had the idea first... (EDIT: quick check has FB filing in 2019, "hacked-hat" in 2012, so he's in the clear!)

      1. Falmari Silver badge

        Re: prior art?

        Would heads up displays on visors in helmets not count as prior art?

        Also it looks more like augmented reality rather than artificial reality

        1. JetSetJim

          Re: prior art?

          Indeed, I'm shocked that this has been granted (although not shocked when considering other things granted in the past!).

          I wouldn't expect this to survive a challenge, except perhaps on very specific narrow claims that are buried in the patent somewhere but don't leap out at all as obvious.

          There are claims for:

          a) eye-tracking (used in military pilot HUDs, IIRC)

          b) facial expression tracking (an obvious extension?)

          c) body tracking of whatever is in field of view of device (as per (b))

          d) local environment sensors (duh, in a phone)

          e) authentication methods (hat won't work for everyone, but phones do this so prior art should cover this)

          f) Notifications (isn't that what a HUD is partly for?)

          g) neural input sensors in the hat (probably lots of prior art for that)

          h) bone conduction output for audio (exists already)

          i) computing power in the hat structure to deal with all these sensors (duh)

          j) flip-away display (obvious extension to existing stuff)

          Can't be arsed to read further into the detail beyond the claims.

          1. RuffianXion

            Re: prior art?

            The only things this hat will be tracking are your location and browser history.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Big Brother

              Re: prior art?

              The unique aspect to this Facebook hat is that it is permanently glued to your head and you're unable to look away from the adverts served up to the screen by Facebook. Occasionally you're allowed to send a message to friends and family to let them know that you haven't been kidnapped (but are being tortured).

              The face recognition / eye-tracking system will detect and intercept any attempt to send a help message by blinking Morse code.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: prior art?

            Maybe Facebook are so disillusioned with the patent process, they were worried someone would get a patent on it, so got in there first?

  5. lglethal Silver badge
    Trollface

    Artifical Reality Hat?

    So we can call their wearers ARse Hats, right?

    1. Flywheel

      Re: Artifical Reality Hat?

      Or FARHTS ..

    2. chivo243 Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: Artifical Reality Hat?

      I was just thinking we could call the gizmo an ASS-Hat, who else would wear one?

  6. Tom 7

    Being British

    I'm patenting the Brunel World Domination Hat which by its mere size will take out all the local Wifi and render your AR to R.

    1. hplasm
      Joke

      Re: Being British

      Excellently tall for good signal, the stovepipe hat.

      But - where's the Fox Hat?

      (No not the MAGA one...)

  7. I Am Spartacus
    Facepalm

    Advanced FARidiot alert

    When you see someone wearing one of these reversed, with the glass over their necks.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Cool!

    21st Century, AR-enabled Meshbacks! Yehaw! "My Facebook says you're not from around here are you, boy?"

  9. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells Silver badge

    Has anybody found a use case for OR yet? ( Obscured Reality )

    The only one I can think of is a map overlay while walking, which really is overkill.

    1. lglethal Silver badge
      Go

      Augmented Reality can be good in some industrial applications (checking installations and the like), but yeah its very, very niche. And I have yet to hear of a single good use case for normal people (No the pokemon thing was not a good use case...).

    2. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
      Happy

      Obscured Reality was invented by Douglas Adams, with the JooJanta Peril Sensitive Sunglasses.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    UK Law......one more opportunity to ignore it!!!....and be spied on at the same time!!!!

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-cctv-using-cctv-systems-on-your-property/domestic-cctv-using-cctv-systems-on-your-property

    Quote: "If your CCTV system captures images of people outside the boundary of your private domestic property – for example, from neighbours’ homes or gardens, shared spaces, or from public areas – then the GDPR and the DPA will apply to you."

    Glassholes and FARHat users will need to register with the authorities!

    This is a GOOD THING!! It extends Cressida Dick's CCTV network to god knows where....I hate to think! And the lovely Cressida gets a double dose of good fortune -- first if the user does register, she gets another known spy in the community, and if the user doesn't register it's more work for the plod arresting miscreants!!!

    P.S. All of the above applies to most Amazon Ring implementations as well. Go Cressida!!!

    1. werdsmith Silver badge

      Re: UK Law......one more opportunity to ignore it!!!....and be spied on at the same time!!!!

      Ring doorbell users don’t give a shit. The law is mostly interested in appealing to owners to see if they captured any relevant images when there’s been an incident. The law don’t give a shit about this bit of GPDR either.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: UK Law......one more opportunity to ignore it!!!....and be spied on at the same time!!!!

        And GDPR requires camera operators to give notice (i.e. display a warning sign) to people who remain on public land but will be captured on camera before they come into the field of view.

        I would hazard a guess that 99.999% of domestic cameras and 99.9% of commercial cameras fail in this respect.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: UK Law......one more opportunity to ignore it!!!....and be spied on at the same time!!!!

        How does this all square with the fact I can take photos and record video in a public place?

        Honest question.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: UK Law......one more opportunity to ignore it!!!....and be spied on at the same time!!!!

          The original link referred to CCTV - so fixed cameras rather than hand-held ones. I suppose the rules may be different?

          1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

            Re: UK Law......one more opportunity to ignore it!!!....and be spied on at the same time!!!!

            Could get interesting in those places you think are public but are actually private land with no demarcations. eg in front of big expensive buildings, particularly in parts of London where security or door staff have been know to come out and object to people taking photos. Not to mention shopping centres where, again, security have been known to object to photographers.

  11. mihares

    It can be any hat

    So it’s kind of a template hat — a Facebook Artificial Reality Template hat, which shall be abbreviated to FART hat.

    But aside of that, can you begin to imagine how much of an apocalyptic dork would you look like wearing something like that?

  12. Fr. Ted Crilly Silver badge

    !

    FARseholes, you saw it here first folks ;-)

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'm struggling to pronounce my B's. Face's ass all Cap?

    Guessing, the screen's will have a dead single pixel to identify the user, even when they aren't even wearing one.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Facepalm

    "hat-based form factor"

    That's the first time I've ever seen those words used together in that order - and I sincerely hope it's the last.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    You can thank Facebook for that vision of the future

    I can't really decide if this vision is better than a boot stamping on a human face forever. Or if they are that different.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Trademark the name “Koff”

    The FAR Koff

  17. Nick Pettefar
    Headmaster

    Talking Through Your Hat

    I can’t quite see how it will fit onto my fez though.

  18. Kristian Walsh Silver badge

    Artificial Reality Cap?

    Surely we have these already? They were the red ones with “Make America Great Again” written on them.

    Anyone I ever saw wearing one seemed to be living in some kind of artificial reality...

    1. Winkypop Silver badge

      Re: Artificial Reality Cap?

      Well done sir!

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    this is beyond me to comment

    so.

  20. Patched Out
    Holmes

    Better get my patent in now then.

    I'm going to patent the FAR Cap Cooler. A spinning propeller on top of the cap to cool the electronics. I think I'll call it "iBeanie".

  21. batfink

    Style Question

    Do I assume that with the Top Hat version, you get a monocle rather than the ski goggles?

  22. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge

    Perfect format

    Baseball caps with loud logos are already used to indicate strong beliefs in an alternate reality.

  23. Robert Moore
    Coat

    AR Fedora

    What an awesome idea. The wearers could then use it to walk around a world where I am not mocking them for calling it a Fedora when it is clearly a Trillby.

    As the owner of two real Fedoras (Fedori?) this annoys me no end.

  24. BobC

    AR hardware should work independent of hat selection.

    Since shaving my head 30 years ago, I've accumulated quite the collection of hats (including helmets), with one worn most hours of most days, switching as needed due my whim, or my environment or the hat's cleanliness.

    Any hat-based AR capability must not be tied to any one physical cap. I should be able to wear my AR goggles with any of my hats, or without a hat.

    Getting the goggle weight off the bridge of the nose is a noble goal. But integrating the entire device into a hat an extreme solution.

    How about instead designing "hat suspension systems" for AR goggles? Where, when I choose not to wear a hat, I can use the default interface of nose bridge and/or straps.

  25. Cybersaber

    What could The House That Zuck Built want from this? This is advertising gold. Tracking what users look at, how often items grab their attention, how long - this is gold for them to re-sell data about you. No wonder they want this so bad...

  26. Mark White

    The AR Hoodie?

    A hood (soft or reinforced), attached to a top (t-shirt, sweat shirt or other object commonly worn on the top half of the body) with an AR display taking up some to all of the open area of the hood. The hardware can be stored in the hood, neckbank or top. Additional inputs such as a rear facing camera or a hole in the head are supplemental and should be patented before Facebook decides sticking a camera on the back of a hat is another possible revenue stream.

    Don't forget, coming soon™ the AR balaclava, handy for avoiding police and cracking safes whilst keeping your identity secret.

  27. Stratman

    One problem

    The likely wearers of the device will be like "Hey bruv, why iz the glasses on the back of me 'ed, innit?"

  28. Aussie Doc
    Holmes

    Optional sensible title here

    So, they make a few 'testers' for the community.

    Call it the CE (Community Edition), if you will.

    Then have it stamped on the front in large letters: FARCE-HAT.

    Legit profit!!!

  29. bernmeister
    Holmes

    The mind boggles

    Seriously, a hat mounted system with a belt mounted power pack could be powerful enough to do more than VR. I seem to remember a similar system recently described as a servicing aid giving VR access to schematics, diagrams and tutorials.

  30. HelpfulJohn

    Should the surface area of the hat be sufficiently large, it may even be lined with solar cells as an additional albeit minor charging source.

    Also, a transparent set of rotating vanes could be used as an additional cooling device.

    The skin of the hat could be used to carry some of the electronics while the brim could be the source of the micro-lasers that form the images. Some of the skin might even be used to house antennae for wi-fi and 7- or 8-G.

    I am assuming that the read wire is both a power lead and a data-line to a back-pack device like a laptop with shoulder-straps so the main power and processing would not be done by the hat itself but the above suggestion could add functionality to the system.

    Army types could even build the additional logics and other bits into hardened helmets.

    This isn't so stupid an idea as it first appears. It may even gain Farceboke some much-needed income, especially should they be able to monetise it as yet another advertising platform.

  31. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No interest at all in AR/VR, just watching the fuckwits around me in real life is so entertaining.

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