Proto Wins US Design Patent for Proto M Holographic Display
2026-08-05 · via invidis
Proto has been granted a US design patent covering the industrial design of its Proto M holographic display, according to the company. The patent protects the physical appearance of the compact desktop unit rather than the technology that generates the hologram itself.
That distinction matters for anyone tracking the crowded and increasingly litigious spatial display space. Proto already holds a US utility patent covering its holographic display and image-capture method, plus patent protection in Canada and Mexico. Utility patents cover how something works. Design patents cover how it looks. Having both gives Proto a broader shield against competitors who might try to copy the product's form factor even if they build the underlying display mechanism differently.
The Proto M is the smaller, desktop-scale version of the company's larger Epic and Luma systems, which are floor-standing or wall-mounted units aimed at telepresence and AI-driven communication. Proto says target applications span healthcare, education, retail, finance and entertainment. The company introduced the Proto M in 2021 and has since moved on to a next-generation M2 model, though the announcement does not detail what has changed between the two versions.
Why it matters for operators
Holographic and volumetric displays remain a niche category compared with LED walls, LCD video walls or standard digital menu boards, but they keep showing up at trade shows as a premium option for reception areas, retail flagship stores and executive briefing rooms. For operators evaluating these systems, IP protection is a signal of a company's staying power and its intent to defend a specific product line rather than license out a generic concept.
The announcement, tied to coverage from Infocomm 2026, frames the patent as part of a push toward smaller-format holographic hardware rather than only large-scale installations. That suggests Proto sees demand for desktop or single-workstation holographic communication, a use case closer to a high-end video conferencing endpoint than to a public-facing signage deployment.
What the announcement does not say is pricing, unit dimensions, resolution, or how the M2 differs technically from the original Proto M. It also does not name specific customers or deployments using the Proto M in the field. For buyers, the patent news is mostly a statement about Proto's legal footing and product roadmap rather than a spec update, and anyone evaluating the hardware for a real deployment will need to go directly to Proto for current specifications and case studies.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from invidis for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
The patent covers the industrial design of the Proto M desktop device, complementing an earlier utility patents for the company's holographic display technology.
Proto has been granted a U.S. design patent covering the industrial design of its Proto M holographic display, expanding the company’s intellectual property portfolio as it continues to develop spatial display technology.
The newly issued patent protects the appearance of the compact desktop device rather than the underlying technology. It complements Proto’s existing U.S. utility patent covering its holographic display and image-capture method, along with patent protection in Canada and Mexico.
The Proto M is the desktop version of the company’s larger Epic and Luma systems, designed for holographic telepresence and AI-powered communication across applications including healthcare, education, retail, finance and entertainment.
According to Proto, the design patent recognizes the product’s original industrial design while supporting the company’s efforts to expand into new markets with smaller-format holographic displays. The company introduced the Proto M in 2021 and has since developed the next-generation M2.
The patent follows continued investment in the holographic display market. As reported by invidis at Infocomm 2026 , Proto highlighted growing demand for spatial displays and AI-powered holographic communication, positioning compact systems such as the Proto M as part of a broader expansion beyond large-format installations.