Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to wearable devices, and in particular to wearable devices that include interferometric sensors, such as self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensors, and to wearable devices that use such sensors to sense various physical phenomena. The focus of the sensor system is to provide users with respiration information such as respiration rate, respiration quality, information about nasal congestion, information about snoring, airflow velocity and more. The patent also introduces a new wearable device in the form of a health mask.

In Apple's patent background they note that wearable devices such as smart watches, smartglasses, virtual and/or augmented reality headsets, and the like, may include various sensors, which may sense physical phenomena such as movement, environmental conditions, and biometric data about a user. The data from sensors in a wearable device may be used to provide valuable information to a user, such as information about the activity and/or health of the user.

Additional sensors in wearable devices may provide more robust information to a user and/or control or unlock additional applications of the wearable device. Given the wide range of applications for sensors in wearable devices, any new development in the configuration or operation of the sensors therein can be useful. New developments that may be particularly useful are developments that provide additional sensing capability while maintaining a small form factor.

Wearable Device Including Optical Sensor Circuitry

Apple's invention covers systems, devices, methods, and apparatus that are directed to the configuration and operation of sensors for wearable devices. The sensors may include interferometric sensors such as SMI sensors. The sensors may be positioned and oriented within the wearable device to sense physical phenomena related to one or more anatomical structures of a user, such as movement of an anatomical structure adjacent to a nasal passageway of the user.

Processing circuitry of the wearable device may determine respiration information about the user based on SMI signals from the SMI sensors. The wearable device may be a head-mounted device such as eyewear, a virtual and/or augmented reality headset, a nose clip, or a face mask, and the SMI sensors may be positioned and oriented over the nose of the user.

The wearable device may be operated to detect when it is appropriate to emit electromagnetic radiation (e.g., when electromagnetic radiation will not be directed towards the eyes of the user) and enabling or disabling electromagnetic radiation from the SMI sensors when it is appropriate to do so.

In a first aspect, a head-mounted device may include a housing and a set of one or more SMI sensors disposed in the housing. Each of the set of one or more SMI sensors may be configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward an anatomical structure adjacent a nasal passageway of a user and generate one or more SMI signals including information about movement of the anatomical structure. Processing circuitry may be communicably coupled to the set of one or more SMI sensors and configured to determine respiration information about the user based on the one or more SMI signals.

The respiration information may include one or more of respiration rate, respiration quality, information about nasal congestion, information about snoring, airflow velocity, and airflow volume. The processing circuitry may further be configured to detect a facial movement of the user based on the one or more SMI signals. A display may be communicably coupled to the processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may change a user interface shown on the display based on the detection of the facial movement from the user.

In another aspect, a wearable device may include a housing, a set of one or more SMI sensors disposed in the housing, and processing circuitry communicably coupled to the set of one or more SMI sensors. Each of the set of one or more SMI sensors may be configured to emit electromagnetic radiation towards an anatomical structure of a user and generate one or more SMI signals including information about the anatomical structure. The processing circuitry may be configured to determine if it is appropriate to emit electromagnetic radiation from the set of one or more SMI sensors, enable the emission of electromagnetic radiation from the set of one or more SMI sensors when it is determined to be appropriate to do so, and disable the emission of electromagnetic radiation from the set of one or more SMI sensors when it is not determined appropriate to do so. The processing circuitry may determine if it is appropriate to emit electromagnetic radiation from the set of one or more SMI sensors based on the one or more SMI signals, and/or based on a proximity signal from a proximity sensor disposed in the housing.

In another aspect, a method of operating a wearable device may include generating, from a set of one or more SMI sensors of the wearable device, one or more SMI signals including information about movement of tissue near a respiratory pathway of a user, and determining, by a processing system of the wearable device, respiration information about the user based on the one or more SMI signals. The respiration information may include one or more of respiration rate, respiration quality, information about nasal congestion, information about snoring, airflow velocity, and airflow volume. The tissue may be bone or soft tissue. The respiratory pathway may be a nasal passageway.

Apple's patent FIG. 3 below illustrates a wearable device #300 being worn by a user in the form of eyewear (smartglasses) and thus may include a frame #302, a pair of lenses #304, and a number of sensors #306, which may be positioned and oriented in nosepieces #308 coupled to the frame  such that they are over or near the nose of the user. An enlarged view of the nosepieces #308 is included. The sensors may be positioned and oriented so that they emit electromagnetic radiation towards an anatomical structure adjacent a nasal passageway of the user.

The sensors (#306) may be SMI sensors or include at least one SMI sensor along with one or more other types of sensors, such as a proximity sensor. The sensors may be operated to detect movement of an anatomical structure of a user, determine respiration information about the user, detect intentional and/or unintentional facial movements of the user, and operate appropriately to avoid irritating a user.

The smartglasses (#300) may include a display, which may be projected or otherwise provided on one or both of the lenses #304. In some aspects, the glasses may not include a display (see FIG. 4 below). Further, the glasses may include processing circuitry to operate the sensors.  Additional circuitry, additional user input elements such as buttons, microphones, speakers, and cameras, and/or additional structural elements may be included on the glasses.

Apple's patent FIG. 4 above illustrates a wearable device #400 being worn by a user in the form factor of a face mask, and thus may include a cover #402, a number of straps #404 coupled to the cover and configured to attach the cover over the nose and/or mouth of the user, and a number of sensors #406 disposed in the cover.

The sensors #406 may be positioned and oriented to be over or near the nose of the user. In particular, the sensors may be positioned and oriented to emit electromagnetic radiation towards an anatomical structure adjacent a nasal passageway of the user. In various aspects, the sensors may be in direct contact with the skin of the user or there may be an air gap between the sensors and the skin of the user. The sensors 406 may be SMI sensors or include at least one SMI sensor along with one or more other types of sensors, such as a proximity sensor.

Apple's patent FIGS. 5A and 5B above illustrate a wearable device #500 being worn by a user that carries a form factor of a virtual and/or augmented reality headset.

The sensors #506 may be operated to detect movement of an anatomical structure of a user, determine respiration information about the user, detect intentional and/or unintentional facial movements of the user, and/or operate appropriately to avoid irritating a user.

For full details, review Apple's patent application 20240000337.

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