Apple awarded patent on interactive holographic display technology

The first light-field video camera will essentially record moving holographs. We don’t know when that camera will come out, and we also don’t know if there will yet be a good way to display those holographs. But we’re getting a step closer to it.

Apple Insider found a new patent awarded to Apple for an interactive holograph display. According to the filing, it would project infrared light through a non-linear crystal, which would convert the signal into a three-dimensional image.

Users would then be able to interact with the floating image. A sensor would detect any missing light—from, say, a hand in the projection area—and the processor would figure out how to adjust the position.

This wouldn’t be the first such display. Microsoft showed off a working version of a similar concept back in 2011, as shown in the video above. We also don’t know what kind of inputs it could accept. Video? Photos? Some kind of hybrid? It brings up lots of questions, and could unlock tons of possibilities. Check out Apple Insider’s coverage for more specifics on the patent.

(Via DPReview)