Apple Inc. has filed a patent, hinting it is considering the development of its own virtual reality eye goggles.
The patent was revealed on Thursday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), according to The Register.
The company originally filed the patent in December 2013.
The application was given the name "Head mounted display," and describes a head-mounted goggle system that could let users watch TV shows and movies from their phone or tablet, CNET reported. These capabilities provide the user with a more integrated and private viewing experience.
Apple's filing does not provide information on particular hardware components of the headset. However, the company said the device would have an outside cover and a large amount of hardware, which suggests the headset will be closed, more similar the Oculus Rift than Google Glass, The Register reported.
"In some embodiments, the google system may include data processing circuitry operative to adjust left and right images generated by the optical processing components to display 3-D media, or account for a user's eyesight limitations," Apple wrote in the filing.
Design aspects were also revealed in the filing, Digital Trends reported. Users will be able to adjust the goggles for eye alignment, and the headset may feature prescription adjustment for "the user's eyesight limitations."
The patent was reported to have been under development as early as 1997.
The filing does not necessarily mean that Apple is definitely planning to sell a virtual reality headset in the near future. However, the filing could signify that the company is interested in entering the virtual reality market, The Register reported.
Apple has been reportedly seeking to expand its iOS platform into new markets lately. Old rumors say that the company is planning on developing a branded television for its Apple TV platform, and recent reports say that Apple is in the late stages of creating a wrist-mounted iWatch device.
