We regularly come across rumors and leaks related to Apple’s mixed reality headset. The company has recently been granted new patents by the United States Patents and Trademarks Office (USPTO). They suggest Apple is now developing a wireless charging system for its rumored headset.

First spotted by Patently Apple, the patents awarded to Apple outline how a head-mounted display (HMD) or headset can be charged wirelessly using inductive coils inside the headband.

Apple’s document titled “display system” explains that the headset’s adjustable headband can house several coils hooked up to the device’s onboard battery. Here the headband comfortably serves two purposes. It can hold the headset securely on the wearer’s head and be used as an interface with a wireless charger.

In one embodiment, Apple imagines a conventional arrangement where the user charges the headset when it is not being used by hanging it from a stand by the headband. In the stand, charging coils wirelessly recharge the headset. Another embodiment of the charger imagines a charger where the headset is kept flat on a charger, as though it is on a table.

The company explains that the HMD and its charger are “cooperatively configured to align” their charging coils with each other, so they need not be aligned manually. In theory, such a statement could corroborate the inclusion of a MagSafe-like system to align the headset to its charger or dock. Apple has also laid claim to a form of wireless charging that can be used when the headset is worn and in use.

Earlier this week, innovators at the Cupertino-based firm were also granted a patent titled “electronic device with infrared transparent one-way mirror.” This document describes a one-way mirror-like finish applied to the HMD. The coating could allow several sensors and cameras to be housed inside the display without being visible outside.

Previous rumors about Apple’s HMD from reputed analysts suggest it could feature dynamic eye tracking, several cameras, high-resolution displays, and the processing power of an M1 chip. The new patents only suggest Apple’s headset is inching closer to launch, even if the specific technologies detailed in the filings never see the light of day.

Do you think wireless charging is the way forward for Apple’s mixed reality headset? Tell us in the comments section below.