Last week the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple two new Apple Watch patents. One of them builds on a February 2023 granted patent theme of smart watch bands. Our report covering that was titled "Apple invents a Fabric Apple Watch Band with an Electrochromic feature that allows users to set 3 colors in 3 band zones." A set of patent figures from that patent are presented below.

Identification of Watch Bands

The first of two granted patents issued last week is titled "Identification of Watch Bands." The patent relates to identification of a band for use with an electronic device. The identification can serve as an input to initiate actions performed by the electronic device. For example, a type, model, color, size, or other characteristic of a band can be determined and used to select a corresponding action performed by the electronic device.

The new Apple Watch band identification capabilities described in Apple's granted patent provides a simple and elegant solutions that allow an electronic device to readily identify a band.

More specifically, a selection of a certain band can influence operation of the electronic device in a variety of ways. For example, the electronic device can respond to the identification of a particular band by performing particular functions, such as changing an aspect of a user interface or altering settings of the electronic device. Such functions can be readily executed by the electronic device upon identification of the band, such that user input is not required. Accordingly, a user's experience with the electronic device can be enhanced based on the user's selection of a particular band.

Apple's patent FIG. 6 below illustrates a flow chart of a process for detecting a band; FIG. 8 illustrates a front view of a portion of a watch having first and second band portions; FIG. 9 illustrates a front view of the watch of FIG. 8 having first and second band portions.

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For full details, review Apple's granted patent 11860588.

Devices Having Matter Differentiation Detectors

Apple's second granted patent from last week covers systems, devices, methods, and apparatus directed to the configuration and operation of a device that includes one or more human tissue detectors and/or object proximity detectors.

One aspect of the patent relates to differentiating the types of matter that are proximate to a device. For example, in the context of a wearable device (e.g., electronic watches, smart watches, health monitors, audio devices, gaming devices, AR/VR devices, and so on, attached to a wrist, arm, thigh, neck or other body part of a user by one or more of bands, straps, cuffs, and so on), the systems, devices, methods, and apparatus may be used to differentiate when the device is likely proximate to human tissue versus when the device is likely proximate to something else (e.g., a wood, polymer (e.g., plastic), glass, and/or ceramic material or surface).

In some cases, the matter differentiation may be performed by emitting a first beam of electromagnetic radiation having a first IR wavelength through a back of the device (like in Apple Watch), and emitting a second beam of electromagnetic radiation having a second IR wavelength through the back of the device. The first and second IR wavelengths may be selected such that the first IR wavelength has a first human tissue reflectance factor, and the second IR wavelength has a second human tissue reflectance factor.

For example, the first IR wavelength may have a higher human tissue reflectance factor than the second IR wavelength, such that the first IR wavelength reflects from human tissue more readily and is absorbed by human tissue to a lesser degree than the first IR wavelength. The first and second IR wavelengths may also be selected such that the first and second IR wavelengths both have a high reflectance factor for other materials or surfaces, such as wood, polymer (e.g., plastic), glass, and/or ceramic materials or surfaces.

In some of the described embodiments, the first beam of electromagnetic radiation may be emitted through the back of the device, and an amount of electromagnetic radiation having the first IR wavelength, that is reflected or backscattered back toward the device, may be measured.

The second beam of electromagnetic radiation may also be emitted through the back of the device, and an amount of electromagnetic radiation having the second IR wavelength, that is reflected or backscattered back toward the device, may be measured.

A ratio of the first amount of electromagnetic radiation to the second amount of electromagnetic radiation, or difference between the first and second amounts of electromagnetic radiation may be determined, and the ratio or difference may be compared to a threshold, or to various ratios or differences that have been computed for different types of matter. The type of matter to which the device is likely proximate may then be determined using a result (or results) of the comparison.

In the context of a seat, the matter differentiation described herein may be used, for example, to determine whether a person is likely sitting in the seat.

In the context of a button, the matter differentiation described herein may be used, for example, to determine whether a user is pressing the button.

In the context of AirPods, AirPods Max, or a gaming device (e.g., an HMD, pair of smartglasses or XR glove), the matter differentiation described herein may be used, for example, to determine whether the AirPods, AirPods Max, or gaming device is being worn.

Apple's patent FIGS. 9A and 9B below show example plan views of skin-facing sensors (or sensor systems) that may be included in the device.

FIG. 10A shows an example plan view of a Fresnel lens positioned over a group of sensing components including the emitters and photodetector.

FIG. 10B shows an example plan view of a set of Fresnel lenses, with each of the Fresnel lenses positioned over a respective sensing component of a group of sensing components;

FIG. 11A shows an example plan view of an LCF positioned over a group of sensing components including the emitters and photodetector.   

FIG. 11B shows an example plan view of different LCFs positioned over different sets of the sensing components.

Apple's patent FIG. 18 above shows an example plan view of a device in which multiple groups of proximity sensors are distributed about the back cover of the device's housing or backside of another device.  

Examples of input devices include audio sensors (e.g., microphones), optical or visual sensors (e.g., cameras and/or other electromagnetic radiation sensors (e.g., visible light or IR photodetectors), proximity sensors, touch sensors, force sensors, pressure sensors, mechanical devices (e.g., crowns, switches, buttons, or keys), vibration sensors, thermal sensors, self-mixing interferometry sensors, orientation sensors, motion sensors (e.g., accelerometers or velocity sensors), location sensors (e.g., global positioning system (GPS) devices), magnetic sensors, communication devices (e.g., wired or wireless communication devices), electroactive polymers (EAPs), resistive sensors, strain gauges, capacitive sensors, electrodes, and so on, or some combination thereof.

The sensors may also or alternatively be used as a device on/off wrist detector, a biometric sensor, a heart-rate monitor, a respiration-rate monitor, a blood pressure monitor, a blood oxygenation monitor, and/or a blood glucose monitor.

Due to the fact that the granted patent also relates to devices like XR Gloves, an HMD or smartglasses, this is obviously covering future applications. Also the Apple Watch back sensors also appear to be adding possible new features, especially FIG. 18 that carries multiple groups of sensors that don't exist today.

For full details, review Apple's granted patent 11857298.