Apple has filed for an/or been granted various patents for smart Apple Watch bands and a “smart” ring (Apple Loop?). However, the latest patent filing (number 20220069625) involving a wearable device is for “wearable loops with embedded circuitry.”
About the patent filing
Electronic devices can, of course, include input-output components such as sensors and light-emitting components. Apple says that it can be challenging to incorporate components such as these into a wearable device. If care is not taken, the wearable device will be overly fragile, bulky, or unattractive.
The device in the patent filing seems to be some sort of tracking device (though not an AirTag) with medical features. In the patent filing, Apple talks about an electronic device with a loop, band, or string-like shape that can be looped around, tied to, hung on, or otherwise attached to a person, animal, or object.
Such devices could be used to gather information about the person or object that the electronic device is attached to. Such data may include location information, activity information, identification information, medical or biometric information, etc.. The wearer of the device could use touch input, force input, motion input, and/or voice input) to provide information.
Summary of the patent filing
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing with some technical details: “An electronic device such as a loop-shaped wearable electronic device may have a fabric cord with first and second opposing ends and a housing unit coupled between the first and second ends. The housing unit may contain circuitry such as a visual output region, sensors, communications circuitry, and wireless power receiving circuitry. The wearable electronic device may include haptic output devices for providing haptic output for a user or for changing the shape of the fabric cord.
“The fabric cord may include a conductive strand that forms a coil for receiving wireless power signals from a wireless power transmitter. The wearable electronic device may be stored in a charging case that includes wireless power transmitting circuitry for powering the wearable electronic device. Control circuitry in the charging case may change an opacity of the charging case based on a charging status of the wearable electronic device.”
