Apple fans can download the "Breathe" app for Apple Watch and display it on their iPhone if they wish. Apple states that "Watch users Taking moments throughout the day to stop, relax, and practice mindfulness can help reduce stress and improve overall health. The Breathe app on Apple Watch keeps you centered by taking you through a series of deep, calming breaths." Now Apple is working to advance this app to make it more useful for those that are health conscience or need to monitor their breathing for health reasons.

Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a patent application from Apple that relates to systems and methods that monitor a user's breathing parameters during guided breathing activities using a new monitoring device that could be used with an iPhone.

Apple's invention covers a system for analyzing breathing parameter of a user that includes an optical sensing unit that is configured to detect movement of a torso of the user and output one or more signals indicative of the movement of the torso.

The system can also include an electronic device that is configured to request for the user to breathe according to a breathing profile during a time period. The system can include a processing unit that is configured to receive the one or more signals output by the optical sensing unit during the time period and determine an adherence metric using the one or more signals and the breathing profile, where the adherence metric indicates a correspondence between movement of the torso and the breathing profile requested during the time period.

Embodiments are also directed to a system for analyzing user adherence to a requested breathing profile. The system can include a sensing unit configured to detect movement of a torso of a user and output one or more signals indicative of the detected movement of the torso.

Apple defines a “breathing profile” as one that includes one or more target breathing parameters that the user will try to achieve during breathing. For example, a breathing profile may set an overall target breathing rate (e.g., a specified number of breaths per minute) and/or a target breathing depth (e.g., how fully a user should inhale and/or exhale). Additionally or alternatively, the breathing profile may set one or more additional target characteristics for a user's breathing.

In some instance, the breathing profile may set a target breathing pattern, which represents the relative amounts of time a user is inhaling, exhaling, or holding their breath during a given breath.

One example of a breathing profile includes box breathing, in which, for a given breath, the user inhales for a first amount of time, holds their breath for a second amount of time, exhales for a third amount of time, and holds their breath for a fourth amount of time.

Apple's patent FIG. 1 below illustrates an example system #100 for determining respiratory function of the user (#101). The system can include a sensing unit #102 that is configured to measure one or more parameters of the user and an output unit #104 that is configured to provide outputs to the user.

Apple's patent FIG. 2 above illustrates an example process for determining respiratory function of a user; FIG. 3 shows an example chest movement analysis for determining respiratory parameters of a user.

In some cases, the sensing unit and the output unit can be integrated into an electronic device such as an iPhone or Apple Watch. The device #106 can be a wearable electronic device such as an Apple Watch. In other examples, the Apple Watch or other position sensing device such as a low-energy near-field tracking device can be coupled to a chest region of the user. For example, a coupling device such as a band, strap, adhesive-based device. This was further described in a patent report that we covered back in July 2023. One of the patent figures from that patent is presented below. Without this visual of the device below, it's a little difficult to understand device #106 shown on the torso of the user in FIG. 1 above.

The Companion Device

Apple notes that device #106 illustrated in FIG. 1 above can be a wearable electronic device, such as a smartwatch, or other suitable device. In some cases, the deviceF#106 can contact the user's torso by the user holding the device against their torso. In other cases, the device  can be coupled to the user's torso, for example by a coupling device – as illustrated in the patent figure above from their 2023 patent.

Accordingly, the device may move with the user's torso as they breathe or perform other actions. The device can be communicably coupled to the electronic device #108 (such an iPhone or Apple Watch).

The system 100 can measure movement of the user's torso by tracking movement of the second device. For example, the electronic device #108 and the device #106 can each include one or more antennas. The electronic device #108 and the device #106 can transmit signals, such as UWB signals, that can be used to determine distance and/or positions of the device with respect to each other.

This is a very deeply detailed patent that will only interest those that are super health conscience, in the medical field, those who have had surgeries where getting your breathing back to safe levels is required. To delve into Apple's patent application 20240268713 click here. For those using Chrome based browsers click here where text is easier to read.