Apple has been granted a patent (number 20170293727) for a “user device” for “intelligent blood pressure monitoring.” The patent mentions Macs, iPhones, and iPads as the user device.
Apple’s Health app seems a likely candidate for software implementation. But whether this invention involves the use of an Apple Watch or a separate blood pressure monitor is less clear, though the latter seems unlikely.
Here’s Apple’s summary of the invention: “In some implementations, a user device can assist a user with intelligent blood pressure monitoring. For example, the user device can present notifications and/or reminders that prompt the user to take blood pressure measurements at a prescribed time or according to a prescribed schedule.
“The user device can automatically determine that the user should or should not take a blood pressure measurement based on the user’s context and suggest an alternative time for taking the blood pressure measurement. For example, the user’s context can include the user’s physical and/or psychological state inferred based on sensor data, application data, and/or other detectable information. In some implementations, the user device can automatically monitor the user’s blood pressure and take blood pressure measurements based on user context triggers.”
Of course, Apple files for — and is granted — lots of patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Many are for inventions that never see the light of day. However, you never can tell which ones will materialize in a real product.
