A Future Samsung Galaxy Watch may offer a new Health Feature focused on monitoring a user's Hydration Levels while they're exercising
In August 2021, Patently Apple posted a report titled "One of the next Health Features that may be coming to Apple Watch relates to Tracking Hydration Levels of a user." In February 2024, we posted another patent report on this subject matter titled "An Apple Watch patent reveals the integration of new 'Perspiration Sensors' that are designed to automatically start when exercising."
On Thursday, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) officially published a patent application from Samsung relating to a future Galaxy Watch providing a feature for determining a user's Dehydration levels, similar in nature to Apple's February 2024 patent referenced above.
Samsung's patent describes a possible future Galaxy Watch that includes one or more sensors, an output interface, and one or more processors. The one or more processors identify whether the user is exercising based on first sensing data acquired through the one or more sensors. When it is identified that the user is exercising, the one or more processors provide, through the output interface, information for guiding the moisture intake recommendation before the current body moisture amount of the user reaches the reference body moisture amount based on the second sensing data acquired through the one or more sensors and the first body water analysis algorithm.
When it is identified that the user is not in exercise, the one or more processors provide information for guiding the moisture intake recommendation through the output interface when the current body moisture amount of the user reaches the reference body moisture amount based on the second sensing data and a second body water analysis algorithm different from the first body water analysis algorithm.
Here, when it is identified that the user is exercising, the one or more processors may acquire the current body moisture amount of the user by applying the first body water analysis algorithm to the second sensing data acquired through the one or more sensors, and when it is identified that the user is not in exercise, the one or more processors may acquire the current body moisture amount of the user by applying the second body water analysis algorithm to the second sensing data acquired through the one or more sensors.
Here, the one or more sensors may include an impedance sensor, a photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor, and an Electro Dermal Activity (EDA) sensor. The second sensing data, the PPG gyro sensor, and the EDA gyro sensor may include the third sensing data, the fourth sensing data, and the fifth sensing data, respectively. In this case, when it is identified that the user is exercising, the one or more processors may obtain the body moisture amount of the user by applying the first weight, the second weight, and the third weight to the third sensing data, the fourth sensing data, and the fifth sensing data, respectively. When it is identified that the user is not exercising, the one or more processors may obtain the body moisture amount of the user by applying the fourth weight, the fifth weight, and the sixth weight to the third sensing data, the fourth sensing data, and the fifth sensing data, respectively. In this case, the first weight may be equal to the fourth weight, the second weight may be a sign different from the fifth weight, and the third weight may be different in sign from the sixth weight.
In addition, when it is identified that the user is exercising, the one or more processors may acquire the second sensing data every first period through the one or more sensors, and when it is identified that the user is not in exercise, the one or more processors may acquire the second sensing data every second period through the one or more sensors. In this case, the first period may be shorter than the second period.
Samsung's patent FIG. 5 below is an exemplary view illustrating that a body water analysis algorithm is differently applied according to a state of a user. WIPO patent graphics are usually in the language of the original patent, being Korean.
Further to patent FIG. 5 above, Samsung notes the watch processor may identify whether the user's current body moisture amount reaches the reference body moisture amount or whether the current body moisture amount of the user reaches the reference body moisture amount by using different body water analysis algorithms.
Specifically, the processor may identify whether the current body moisture amount of the user reaches the reference body moisture amount by applying the second sensing data and the first body water analysis algorithm while the user is exercising. On the other hand, the processor may identify whether the current body moisture amount of the user has reached the reference body moisture amount by applying the second sensing data and the first body water analysis algorithm in the state in which the user is exercising.