A new Apple patent describes the functions of the company’s future smart ring. «The ring device will control electronics and gadgets.
According to the patent application published by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the ring can be configured to control multiple electronic devices in the user’s environment. This includes not only Apple devices, but also a variety of home and office devices.
«For example, the ring device and/or host device may store… a kitchen map with locations of various kitchen appliances, an office map with locations of a desktop computer, an office speaker, and an office lamp, a bedroom map with locations of a lamp, a laptop computer, and a bedroom speaker, and so on», — the application states.
Apple does not specify how the control will be performed. It is known that the ring will understand gestures and other data related to the location of the user’s body. The document refers to sensors that will allow body tracking. The ring can also receive a microphone.
«During operation of the companion device, the user may enter data in the form of gestures, touch, tap, voice input, pointing, gaze input, other input methods that relate to the user’s body position (e.g., the location, orientation, and movement of one or more fingers and/or other body parts), and/or other».
The company claims that the devices will be within immediate reach of the user. Due to the constant wearing «of the ring, the device can be easily brought close to near-field communication tags in the user’s environment» — meaning that some action is possible when approaching other devices. There is also a slide where the ring is somehow used while typing on a keyboard.
The user will not be limited to a single ring: «The devices may be worn on any or all of the user’s fingers (e.g., index finger, index finger and thumb, three fingers of the user on one of the user’s hands, some or all fingers on both hands, etc.)».
It should be understood that not all of these features will be available in the device. Usually, such patent applications cover the widest range of possibilities. However, we can understand how Apple will position the ring and what it will do.
Source: Apple Insider