Apple has filed additional documentation regarding its smart ring, expanding on previous patent filings. The latest content reveals more about the ring’s capabilities and potential uses. A significant aspect of this patent is the integrated use of the ring with other Apple devices. The ring could enable more precise hand controls, such as operating the Apple Vision Pro headset.
The patent text outlines a system where “one or more electronic devices” can collect user commands to manage various electronic devices. This suggests the smart ring could serve as a sophisticated controller for Apple’s ecosystem, enhancing user interaction across their devices.
“A user can provide commands by gestures, taps, pressure, or physical buttons, with a primary device controlling what appears on a screen, audio coming out of speakers, and/or haptic feedback.”
Apple might have streamlined its previous patents by removing redundant elements, especially following the launch of the Vision Pro, which utilizes eye and hand controls. Nevertheless, Apple emphasized the enhanced precision the smart ring could provide.
This suggests that while the Vision Pro offers advanced interaction capabilities, the smart ring could further refine and improve the user experience by offering even more precise control over Apple devices.
“For example, a ring’s circuits can be used to capture real-time readings of location (spatial position in three dimensions), orientation (angular position), and motion (change in position as a function of time).”
One detail that may become important in the future is Apple’s definition of “head-worn devices,” which could expand the possibilities for use beyond the Vision Pro. The patent states that
“The construction may be shaped like a pair of glasses, goggles, a helmet, or other enclosure configured to be worn on the head.”
Additionally, the patent details several expected functions of the smart ring, such as autonomously measuring body data. This data could be shared with other connected devices as needed.
The smart ring market is primarily represented by two major players: the Oura Ring and the recently introduced Samsung Galaxy Ring.
