The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 50 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover a surprise invention revelation. Apple's newly granted patent covers an invention relating to health data, and more specifically to an iPhone that computes health data. In the future an iPhone user will be able to place their finger across the face side camera and obtain health data. According to Apple, "electrical measurements may be used to measure heart function, compute an electrocardiogram, compute a galvanic skin response that may be indicative of emotional state and/or other physiological condition, and/or compute other health data such as body fat, or blood pressure.

Apple's Patent Background

It may be beneficial for a user to have information about his or her health data, including fitness data and wellness data. For example, health data may indicate emergency conditions or to enable the user to maximize fitness or wellness activities. Traditionally, health data is provided to users by health care professionals. However, it may be beneficial for users to have more access to health data

An iPhone that Computes Health Data

Apple's invention and now granted patent discloses systems, apparatuses, and methods related to an electric device that computes health data. An electronic device may include a camera, an ambient light sensor, and a proximity sensor. The electronic device may use one or more of the camera and the proximity sensor to emit light into a body part of a user touching a surface of the electronic device and one or more of the camera, the ambient light sensor, and the proximity sensor to receive at least part of the emitted light reflected by the body part of the user. The electronic device may compute health data of the user based upon sensor data regarding the received light. In some implementations, the electronic device may also include one or more electrical contacts that contact one or more body parts of the user. In such implementations, the health data may be further computed based on an electrical measurement obtained using the electrical contacts.

In some implementations, the electronic device may utilize the camera to determine the user's body part is misaligned with the camera, the ambient light sensor, and the proximity sensor for purposes of detecting the information about the body part of the user. In such implementations, the electronic device may provide guidance to correct the misalignment.

In various embodiments, a mobile personal computing device may include a camera, an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, and a processing unit communicably coupled to the camera, the ambient light sensor, and the proximity sensor. The processing unit may be configured to: use at least one of camera and a proximity sensor to emit light into a body part of a user touching a surface of the mobile personal computing device; use at least one of the camera, an ambient light sensor, or the proximity sensor to receive at least part of the emitted light reflected by the body part of the user and generate sensor data; and computing health data of the user, utilizing the processing unit, using at least the sensor data regarding the received light.

In some embodiments, a method for using a mobile personal computing device to obtain health data may include: using at least one of camera and a proximity sensor to emit light into a body part of a user touching a surface of the device; using at least one of the camera, an ambient light sensor, or the proximity sensor to receive at least part of the emitted light reflected by the body part of the user and generate sensor data; and computing health data of the user, utilizing the processing unit, using at least the sensor data regarding the received light.

In one or more embodiments, a method for guiding use of a mobile personal computing device to obtain health data may include: detecting, utilizing a camera, a profile of a body part of a user contacting the camera; determining, using the profile, if the body part is misaligned with a combination of the camera, an ambient light sensor, and a proximity sensor for purposes of obtaining health data for the user; and providing guidance to correct the misalignment.

Apple's patent FIG. 2 noted above illustrates an iPhone being utilized to obtain health data; FIG. 3 illustrates the view of FIG. 2 while the example system is providing guidance to obtain health data; FIG. 4 illustrates the view of FIG. 2 while the example system is providing the obtained health data; FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an example method for using an electronic device to obtain health data. This method may be performed by the system of FIG. 1.

More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the electrical contacts 107a and 107b may be positioned to contact the user's index finger and/or a thumb. For example, as shown a finger of the user may contact a top electrical contact 107a while a palm of the user contacts a bottom electrical contact 107b. However, it is understood that this is an example and the electrical contacts may be configured to contact other body parts of the user (such as an ear, a cheek, and so on) without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

In some implementations, the electrical contacts 107a and 107b may be positioned to contact the index finger of the user and an additional body part of the user such that electrical measurement obtained using the electrical contacts corresponds to an electrical characteristic across the user's chest.

For example, as shown a finger of the user's left hand may contact a top electrical contact 107a while a right palm of the user (connected to each other through the user's chest) contacts a bottom electrical contact 107b. Positioning the electrical contacts to contact user body parts such that the electrical measurement obtained using the electrical contacts corresponds to an electrical property across the user's chest. Such a measurement may enable information related to health data (such as an electrocardiogram) to be obtained that might not otherwise be possible absent such positioning.

By way of illustration, electrical measurements may be taken via the electrical contacts 107a and 107b (which may respectively be configured as positive and negative terminals) that may be used to detect electrical activity of the user's body. Such electrical measurements may be used (in some cases along with analysis of the received light) to measure heart function, compute an electrocardiogram, compute a galvanic skin response that may be indicative of emotional state and/or other physiological condition, and/or compute other health data such as body fat, or blood pressure.

Apple's granted patent 9,723,997 was originally filed in Q1 2015 and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

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