Future iMacs may be able to project images onto nearby services : Tech Live Trends

Apple has been filed for a patent (number 20230205271) that hints at an iMac with rear-facing projectors. It’s dubbed “Housing Structures And Input-Output Devices For Electronic Devices.”

About the patent filing

In the patent filing, Apple says that such an iMac would be equipped with a stand that would support the computer’s housing so that its display is overlapped by the front wall and may be viewed by a user. Projectors on the back of the all-in-one could project images onto nearby surfaces. 

What’s more, Apple says that sensors, 3D image sensors, cameras, and other components could operate through the iMac’s housing walls. The front and rear of the computer could be made of glass, transparent polymer, or other transparent materials.

Summary of the patent filing

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “An electronic device may have input-output devices such as sensors, displays, wireless circuitry, and other electronic components mounted within a housing. The housing may have opposing front and rear walls. A display may be formed on a front side of the device and may be overlapped by a front housing wall such as a glass layer. 

“Sensors and other components may be formed on a rear side of the device and may be overlapped by a rear housing wall. The rear housing wall may have a glass portion or other transparent structure through which projectors project images onto nearby surfaces and through which image sensors and other optical sensors receive light. The housing may be supported by a stand. An electrical component in the stand may interact with an electronic device on the stand. Wireless circuitry in an external item may wirelessly couple to wireless circuitry within the housing.”