On February 7th Patently Apple posted a report titled "The Apple Watch Series 3 is the fastest-selling LTE wearable on the market today & could Vastly Improve in 2018." During Tim Cook's summary for the quarter (Fiscal Q1 2018) on the topic of Apple Watch he stated: "It was our best quarter ever for the Apple Watch with over 50% growth in revenue and units for the fourth quarter in a row and strong double digit growth in every geographic segment. Sales of Apple Watch series 3 models were also more than twice the volume of series 2 a year ago. Apple Watch is the most popular smartwatch in the world and gained market share during the quarter based on the latest estimates from IDC."

Apple launched a new Apple Watch page this month that they call "Close Your Rings." It's focused on the Apple Watch in context with exercise. Apple claims that Apple Watch is the ultimate sports watch.

Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a pair of patent applications from Apple that relate to taking Apple Watch to the next levels of fitness. The first patent application covers Apple Watch in context with Yoga while the second relates to Apple Watch in context with a Cycling session.

#1 Apple Watch: Yoga Session

Apple notes that invention generally relates to improving calorie expenditure prediction and tracking and, more particularly, to techniques for determining energy expenditure based on a user's poses and heart rate in yoga. More specifically, Apple states that their invention relates to a method for improving the accuracy of a wearable device while calculating an energy expenditure of a user practicing yoga.

In some embodiments, the method can include: detecting, by a processor circuit of a wearable device, a start of a yoga session; measuring, by a heart rate sensing module of the wearable device, a heart rates of the user, wherein the heart rate sensing module comprises a photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor and the PPG sensor is configured to be worn adjacent to the user's skin; measuring, by a temperature sensing module of the wearable device, ambient temperature; collecting, by a motion sensing module of the wearable device, motion data of the user; determining by the processor circuit, a type of yoga practiced by the user based on the measured ambient temperature and the collected motion data; selecting an energy expenditure model associated with the determined type of yoga; detecting an end of the yoga session; calculating an energy expenditure of the user based on at least the measured heart rate and the selected energy expenditure model; and outputting the calculated energy expenditure of the user during the yoga session.

Apple's patent FIG. 1 below shows a Future Apple Watch in context with Yoga exercise; FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the calculation of a user's energy expenditure during a yoga session.

Apple further notes Apple Watch will be able to detect a start of a yoga session after receiving an instruction from the user. In some embodiments, the wearable device can detect a start of a yoga session by receiving location data of the wearable device and comparing the received location data with a pre-determined location. If the received location data matches a pre-determined location, the wearable device can determine a start of a yoga session.

In some embodiments, such as FIG. 6 above, we see that the Apple Watch will be able to measure a first ambient temperature prior to the start of the yoga session, and measure a second ambient temperature within a pre-defined time period proximate to the start of the yoga session. The wearable device can determine a change of ambient temperature between the first ambient temperature and the second ambient temperature, and can compare the change of ambient temperature with a pre-defined temperature change threshold. In some embodiments, the pre-defined temperature change threshold is substantially 20 degrees Fahrenheit. In some embodiments, if the change of ambient temperature is greater than the pre-defined temperature change threshold, the wearable device can determine the user is practicing hot yoga.

In some embodiments, the Apple will be able to compare the measured ambient temperature with a pre-defined temperature threshold. In some embodiments, the pre-defined temperature threshold is substantially 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In some embodiments, if the measured ambient temperature is greater than the pre-defined temperature threshold, the Apple Watch will be able to determine the user is practicing hot yoga.

In some embodiments, the method could include measuring humidity by a humidity sensing module of the wearable device. The Apple Watch will be able to compare the measured humidity with a pre-determined humidity threshold. If the measured humidity is greater than the pre-determined humidity threshold, the Apple Watch will be able to determine the user is practicing hot yoga.

In some embodiments, the type of yoga can include power yoga, wellness yoga, hot yoga, or meditative yoga. In some embodiments, the motion sensing module can include at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer.

Apple's patent FIG. 5 shown below is a graph (#500) showing a relationship between beginning, intermediate and advanced users' energy expenditure and heart rate during a yoga session. The graph includes two axis: average fractional heart rate measurements (#502) and average percentage of VO2max measurements (#504). The graph also shows a heart rate model (#506), beginning user data points (#510), intermediate user data points (#512), and advanced user data points (#514).  

#2 Apple Watch: Cycling Session

Apple's second patent application related to Apple Watch we learn that the context is a method for improving the accuracy of a wearable device while calculating an individual energy expenditure for a user participating in a group cycling session.

In one aspect, the method can include measuring a hear rate of the user with a heart rate sensor, wherein the heart rate sensor comprises a photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor and the PPG sensor is configured to be worn adjacent to the user's skin; calculating an energy expenditure of the user based on the measured heart rate of the user; determining a group formation size and a group formation shape based on wireless-based proximity; receiving a wind speed and direction from an external source; determining the user's velocity; determining an air density based on an ambient temperature and an atmospheric pressure; determining a relative drag associated with the user based on the group formation size, the group formation shape, the user's velocity, the user's body surface area, the wind speed and direction, and the air density; calculating a load adjustment factor based on the determined relative drag; determining an updated energy expenditure based on the calculated energy expenditure and the load adjustment factor; and outputting the updated energy expenditure.

In some embodiments, the method can also include determining a cross sectional area of the user based on the user's body surface area and the user's posture.

In some embodiments, the method can also include determining a number and a relative position of nearby devices; determining a group formation size based on the number of nearby devices; and determining a group formation shape based on the relative position of nearby devices.

In some embodiments, the method can include determining a number of devices that have successfully connected to the wearable device wirelessly. In some embodiments, the method can include determining a number of devices within a pre-defined distance from the wearable device. In some embodiments, the method can include performing time of flight calculations, measuring wireless signal strength of nearby devices, or using multiple directional antennas.

In some embodiments, the method can also include deriving a maps of devices from the relative position of nearby devices; performing a matching between the derived map of devices and one or more known group formation shapes; and determining a group formation shape based on a result of the matching. In some embodiments, the known group formation shapes can include a straight line, a cluster, echelon, single paceline, double paceline, circular paceline, or V formation.

Apple's patent FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of example components that may be found within the fitness tracking device / Apple Watch; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the calculation of an adjusted energy expenditure; FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a process for determining energy expenditure

Both of Apple's patent applications covering yoga and cycling were filed in August 2017. Considering that these are both patent applications, the timing of such features coming to Apple Watch is unknown at this time.

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