On Thursday, the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) published a patent application from Apple that relates to their Apple Health app coming to iPad with the addition of a new "scratchpad" control for use with Apple Pencil.

Currently, the Apple Health app is available on Apple Watch and iPhone. In a patent filing by Apple published on Thursday by USPTO, we learn that they're working on an iPad version that will introduce an iPad specific "Scratchpad" control for use with Apple Pencil.

In Apple's patent FIG. 9A below we see the iPad's dashboard user interface with the addition of a new scratchpad control #902;

(Click on image to Enlarge)

In Apple's patent FIG. 9C below, the Scratchpad region #906 includes scratchpad area #906a, edit affordance #906b, and hide affordance #906c. Scratchpad area 906, which is empty in FIG. 9B, can display data that has been entered into the scratchpad. Additionally, while finger contacts, finger tap gestures and finger swipe gestures could be used on the iPad's scratchpad, Apple Pencil can be used for input.

The other focus of Apple's Health App for iPad relates to Sleep data, sleep sessions, mid-sleep awakening events. In fact, all of Apple's 11 patent claims are dominated by all things related to sleep.

Apple's patent points #274 to #288 dives deep into all-things related to sleep in Apple's patent application 202200472 titled "User interfaces for managing Health Data" that you could review here.

Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.

Apple Inventors

Tito Lloyd Balsamo: Design Manager in Apple’s Health Special Projects group.

Allison Styer: Senior Design Manager (11 years with Apple)

Elizabeth Lytle: Human Interface Design Producer for Health