Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information on patent filings that suggest new functional gestures for upcoming versions of Apple Watch
The Apple company. AAPL has reportedly explored integrating a wide range of sensors into its Apple watchwith particular attention to non-health-related features.
What happened: Apple has considered incorporating sensors such as anemometers, bolometers, heat flow sensors, solar radiation sensors, thermometers and water sensors into future iterations of the Apple Watch, AppleInsider reported, citing two patent applications recently revealed and published Thursday.
These sensors, which are not primarily focused on health, could potentially offer a variety of new features and applications for the Apple Watch. For example, the anemometer could be used to calculate a user’s power output when operating in windy conditions, as well as for weather sensing and forecasting.
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Both patent applications, “Electronic Devices with Anemometers” and “Electronic Devices with Multifunction Environmental Sensors,” highlight the potential difficulty of integrating environmental sensors into devices with limited space, such as the Apple Watch.
The proposed sensors, however, all work in a similar way, potentially overcoming this space constraint.
The two patent applications are attributed to a total of four inventors, three of whom are listed on both.
More gestures coming? A third patent application titled “Interacting with an Electronic Device Through Physical Motion” reveals several new methods for controlling the Apple Watch. For example, users can respond to a text message or answer a call by holding their palms flat with fingers extended and moving their hand from side to side horizontally, similar to the “Blackjack” hand signal for get up.
Additionally, you can use a clenched fist to select a button or accept a suggested text response. Additionally, a combined gesture of shaking the hand and rotating the wrist can help users scroll through suggested replies or choose between answering a call or sending it to voicemail. To avoid accidental actions, a countdown timer can be implemented. For example, to answer a call you may need to clench your fist, rotate your wrist, and hold the pose for a few seconds.
Because matter: This development comes after Apple stopped selling smartwatches equipped with blood oxygen monitoring in the United States. The decision came after a federal appeals court reinstated a ban on Apple Watches with blood oxygen sensors in January.
The ban came after a health technology and consumer electronics company, Masimo Corp. MASI had sued the Cupertino, California-based tech giant, alleging infringement of 10 of its patents, which include technologies related to monitoring blood oxygen levels and heart rate.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and has been reviewed and published by Benzinga Editors.
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