Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to biometric information, and more specifically to determining biometric information using radar-based systems. More specifically, the use of radar is in context with biometrics relating to measuring respiratory and/or cardiovascular functions of the human body. Whether Apple's latest patented technology will be used to advance a current feature on introduce a new Health biometric function in Apple Watch is unclear at present.  

In Apple's patent background they note that an electronic device may include a radar system having a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter may transmit a signal to a target object and the receiver may receive a reflection of the transmitted signal from the target object. As such, the radar system may detect a movement or vibration of the target object based on the reflected signal. However, in some cases, the reflection of the transmitted signal may be ambiguous, discontinuous, experience interference, or may otherwise be interpreted by the electronic device with error. Moreover, these erroneous behavior may be amplified when detecting smaller movements or vibrations, such as breathing and/or heart rate of a live object.

Systems and Methods for Radar-Based Biometric Signal Extraction

According to Apple's patent, a live object, such as a human body, may generate fine grain motions or vibrations. For example, a respiratory and/or cardiovascular function of a human body may induce the fine grain motions or vibrations on human skin. "Fine grain" motions or vibrations may refer to small displacement motions or vibrations on the order of a few millimeters (mm) or a few centimeters (cm) (e.g., 0.5 mm or less, 1 mm or less, 2 mm or less, 5 mm or less, 1 cm or less, 2 cm or less, 5 cm or less, and so on).

For example, the fine grain motions or vibrations may include movements such as those associated with a rate of breathing, a rate of heartbeat, coughing, sneezing, tremors, seizures, and/or other movements or vibrations of the human body, or any combination of the above.

An electronic device, which Apple defines broadly (Apple Watch, HomePod, a Mac, iPhone or iPad+) may detect such vibrations of the human body using the systems and methods described in this patent application.

The electronic device may include a transmitter that may transmit a plurality of signals toward a live target. The electronic device may also include a receiver that may receive reflections of the plurality of signals reflected from the live target.

In this case, a live object is referring to a human body that may generate fine grain motions or vibrations. For example, a respiratory and/or cardiovascular function of a human body may induce the fine grain motions or vibrations on human skin. “Fine grain” motions or vibrations may refer to small displacement motions or vibrations on the order of a few millimeters (mm) or a few centimeters (cm) (e.g., 0.5 mm or less, 1 mm or less, 2 mm or less, 5 mm or less, 1 cm or less, 2 cm or less, 5 cm or less, and so on).

For example, the fine grain motions or vibrations may include movements such as those associated with a rate of breathing, a rate of heartbeat, coughing, sneezing, tremors, seizures, and/or other movements or vibrations of the human body, or any combination of the above.

Apple's method may include receiving multiple signals back-scattered from a live target, generating multiple target maps, each target map including a subplurality of signals of the multiple signals based on a distance range, azimuth range, elevation range, doppler dimensions range, or any combination thereof, receiving multiple biometric time-series data associated with the live target for each of the multiple target maps and fusing the multiple biometric time-series data to determine an output biometric time-series data associated with the live target.

Moreover, the electronic device may transmit and receive the signals consecutively to determine the vibrations of the human body over a period of time. For example, the electronic device may determine biometric information, such as the respiratory and/or cardiovascular function of the human body, based on determining the differential phases and/or the frequency modulations of consecutive back-scattered signals.

Apple's patent FIG. 1 below is a block diagram of an electronic device; FIG. 7 is a diagram of the radar system of the electronic device of FIG. 1 transmitting signals to and receiving reflections from a human body; FIG. 8 is a block diagram of processing stages for determining motions and/or vibrations of a live object using a statistical biometric processor.

Apple's patent FIG. 10 above is a block diagram of processing stages for determining motions and/or vibrations of a live object (human) using multiple statistical biometric processors; and FIG. 12 is a block diagram of processing stages for determining motions and/or vibrations of a live object using a spectral processing technique, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

While Apple's patent application US 20230089242 A1 will be better appreciated by those in the medical field, all could review Apple's patent filing here.

Apple Inventors

• Babak Mamandipoor: Radar Systems Algorithms Engineer
• James Curran: Sensing and Positioning Engineer
• Joseph Hakim: Wireless Systems Architect