Apple granted patent for a ‘ring input device with pressure-sensitive input’

Apple has been granted a patent (number US 11733790 B2) for a “ring input device with pressure-sensitive input.” It’s one of several granted patents and patent filings involving an “Apple Ring.”

About the patent

In the patent Apple notes that many types of electronic devices are presently available that are capable of receiving input to initiate operations. Examples of such devices include desktop, laptop and tablet computing devices, smartphones, media players, wearables such as watches and health monitoring devices, smart home control and entertainment devices, headphones and ear buds, and devices for computer-generated environments such as augmented reality, mixed reality, or virtual reality environments. 

Many of these devices can receive input through the physical touching of buttons or keys, mice, trackballs, joysticks, touch panels, touch screens and the like. Some devices can also detect and receive input from objects such as a finger or stylus in close proximity to, but not physically touching, the device. To provide the convenience of being able to receive input at greater distances without having to be in close proximity to an object, many of these devices can also communicate wirelessly with other electronic devices, for example via Bluetooth or Wifi.

However, Apple thinks that because finger rings are routinely worn and are often small, electronic finger rings can be employed as unobtrusive, everyday communication devices. An Apple Ring could be “readily available to communicate wirelessly with other devices capable of receiving those communications.”

Summary of the patent

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “A ring input device, and more particularly to pressure-sensitive input mechanisms within the ring input device that detect pressure to initiate an operation, is disclosed. Because finger rings are often small and routinely worn, electronic finger rings can be employed as unobtrusive communication devices that are readily available to communicate wirelessly with other devices capable of receiving those communications. Ring input devices according to examples of the disclosure can detect press inputs on its band to generate inputs that can then be wirelessly communicated to companion devices.”