Six years ago Patently Apple posted Apple's Patent behind the Apple Watch Series 4 Feature known as 'Fall Detection.' There's been a few other patent reports on this feature over the years (01, 02, 03 and 04). This week Apple filed a patent that extends Fall Detection to future versions of Vision Pro headsets, smartglasses and even smart contact lenses.  

Apple's patent application generally relates to systems and methods of tracking biometric data in response to detecting a movement of the electronic device, and more particularly to tracking and recording pupil dilation and/or signs of unconsciousness in response to detecting specific movements of the electronic device.

In respect to Apple's patent FIG. 7A above they note that the HMD device captures one or more images of the left eye #702 and the right eye #704. In some examples, the left eye and the right eye have one or more characteristics.  In FIG. 7A, the HMD captures images that indicate that both eyes are closed. In some examples, the HMD determines that the eyes are closed when more than 51%, 75%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 99%, or 100% of the eye surface is covered by the eyelid.

In some examples, detecting that the eyes are closed after the aforementioned movement is indicative of a loss of consciousness, and therefore the second biometric data satisfies the one or more second criteria. In some examples, the electronic device may also detect a change in blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variance, breathing, or other changes in biometric data that indicates a loss of consciousness, satisfying the one or more second criteria.

In FIG. 7A, the HMD detects that the user's eyes have been closed for a threshold amount of time (e.g., 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 5 minutes). In FIG. 7A, the threshold bar #706 indicates that the amount of time that the user's eyes have been closed exceeds the time threshold “t”. After detecting that the user's eyes have been closed for a threshold amount of time, the HMD initiates an emergency response.

The emergency response includes initiating communication with an emergency contact (e.g., a predetermined contact, and/or emergency services (e.g., 911). For example, the HMD may send a message (e.g., text message, email, voicemail, or other forms of messages) or initiate a call with the emergency contact and/or emergency services.

In FIG. 7B above, indication #712 includes an option #714 that is selectable to cancel the emergency response (e.g., cancel the phone call, cancel the transmission of the message, or transmit an additional message to indicate that there is no longer an emergency).

In some examples, the HMD uses one or more machine learning and/or artificial intelligence models to summarize the media items captured from the one or more image sensors.

In some examples, the HMD uses machine learning and/or artificial intelligence models such as large learning models to describe the contexts of the media items (e.g., using large language models to determine the events of the media items).

In some examples, HMD may summarize and/or describe the one or more media items as text to be transmitted in the emergency response to the emergency contact and/or to emergency services.

In some examples, the one or more models may take key components of the one or more media items to be transmitted as part of the emergency response. For example, the HMD may summarize the one or more media items taken from the three-dimensional environment (e.g., the staircase and the position of the HMD while viewing the staircase), shown in FIG. 7B, to indicate that the user fell down the stairs. For more, review Apple patent application 20250103695.

A Few of Apple's Listed Inventors

• Ioana Negoita: Engineering Manager
• Ian Perry: Software Engineer
• Tim Psiaki: Senior Engineering Manager