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A Samsung Smart Ring patent published last week provides some insight into one of the major focused health features it may support

1 covvr Samsung Smart Ring

In late 2015 our "Patently Mobile" site covered one of Samsung's earliest patent filings for a future smart ring. Patently Apple covered two more patents on Samsung's ring in 2022 and 2023. The latter patent introduced one major focus of their smart ring would revolve around heath sensors. More importantly, Samsung presented the graphic noted above at their Galaxy S24 Unpacked event stating that this would be revealed this fall and support Samsung's Health app.

On Thursday, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a patent application from Apple that relates to a future smart ring.

Samsung's patent filing states that an electronic device, in the form of a smart ring, includes an output device, a biometric sensor including a light emitting unit that emits light to a first part of a subject and a light receiving unit that receives light emitted by the light emitting unit, and a processor operably connected with the output device and the biometric sensor, wherein the processor may be configured to obtain a perfusion index based on a photoplethysmogram (PPG) signal obtained through the biometric sensor; measure oxygen saturation by using the PPG signal when the perfusion index corresponds to a first reference; and output guide information instructing an occlusion operation for a second part different from the first part of the subject through the output device when the perfusion index corresponds to a second reference lower than the first reference.

The patent also covers a method of operating an electronic device (smart ring) that includes obtaining a photoplethysmogram (PPG) signal of a first part of a subject through a biometric sensor of the electronic device; then obtaining a perfusion index based on the PPG signal, measuring oxygen saturation by using the PPG signal when the perfusion index corresponds to a first reference; and outputting guide information instructing an occlusion operation for a second part different from the first part of the subject through the output device when the perfusion index corresponds to a second reference lower than the first reference.

Samsung further notes that a biometric information measurement system includes an electronic device including a biometric sensor configured to obtain a biometric signal by contacting a first part of a body, and an external device including a fastening member configured to be coupled to a second part different from the first part of the body and a driving module configured to control movement of the fastening member, wherein the electronic device may be configured to measure oxygen saturation by using the biometric signal when a perfusion index of the biometric signal corresponds to a first reference, and instruct an occlusion operation to the external device when the perfusion index corresponds to a second reference lower than the first reference, and wherein the external device may be configured to move the fastening member to compress the second part of the body through the driving module in response to an instruction of the electronic device.

Samsung's patent FIG. 3A below illustrates an electronic device #300 that may be a ring-shaped wearable device worn on a finger.

According to various embodiments, the ring may include an outer ring member #310, an inner ring member #320 arranged along an inner circumferential surface of the outer ring member, a cover member #330 arranged along an outer circumferential surface of the outer ring member, a display #340, and a sensor module #350.

Further, the display may be configured to provide visual information (e.g., text, image, video, icon, and/or symbol, and the like) to a user and/or receive a user input (e.g., touch input).

The ring may additionally or selectively include an audio output module  outputting auditory guide information and/or a haptic module outputting tactile guide information.

2 Samsung smart ring patent figs 3 and 8b

In Samsung patent FIG. 8B we see that the ring could use a Galaxy Watch to output more information gathered from the smart ring.

The ring may also obtain a PPG signal and measure first biometric information. According to an embodiment, the first biometric information may include oxygen saturation. For example, in an embodiment, the electronic device may obtain the PPG signal while the measurement device performs the occlusion operation and use the PPG signal for the first biometric information measurement.

Lastly, the ring includes a sensor module that may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

Samsung's international patent filing was made in September 2023 and published last week in both the U.S. and Europe.

10.0x35 Patently Mobile

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