The U.S. Patent Office recently published a Samsung patent application that relates to a possible future Galaxy Ring being able to detect biometric information of a user, such as a fingerprint, that could unlock other devices like a Galaxy smartphone.

According to an embodiment, a wearable device may comprise a housing including a first surface configured to contact a first body part of a user while the wearable device is worn on the first body part, and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The wearable device may comprise a first sensor module, including a light emitter configured to emit light toward the first surface and a light receiver spaced apart from the light emitter and configured to receive reflected light that is at least a portion of the light emitted by the light emitter and reflected, configured to detect biometric information of the user.

The method may comprise identifying a motion of the user through a motion sensor of the wearable device, based on identifying the second body part positioned in the groove. The method may comprise identifying whether a first motion among the motion of the user corresponds to a first gesture belonging to a preset gesture group through the motion sensor. The method may comprise receiving information related to a second motion immediately following the first motion through the motion sensor, based on identifying the first motion corresponding to the first gesture.

The method may comprise identifying whether the second motion corresponds to a second gesture belonging to the preset gesture group, through the motion sensor, based on receiving the information related to the second motion. The method may comprise performing an event for executing a function corresponding to a combination of the first gesture and the second gesture of an external wearable device through a communication module of the wearable device, based on identifying the second motion corresponding to the second gesture.

A second sensor module #410 may obtain the user's biometric information (e.g., fingerprint), based on emitting light toward the user's finger located on a fingerprint authentication region #401 provided by a second cover member #432, and receiving at least a portion of the light reflected from the user's finger – as presented below in patent FIG. 4. The ring's processor may be configured to perform an event for fingerprint authentication based on the biometric information obtained through the second sensor module.

The second cover member may be configured to provide a fingerprint authentication region for the user's fingerprint authentication by being exposed to the outside. Since the second cover member overlaps the second sensor module, when the user's fingerprint is located on the fingerprint authentication region provided by the second cover member, the second sensor module may detect the user's fingerprint.

For more information, review Samsung's patent application 20250076982. The lead inventor is noted as Hongki.Kim: Samsung Electronics Principal Engineer.