Apple has been granted another patent (number 20200192423) for “smart bands” for the Apple Watch. This one is dubbed “wearable bands with embedded circuitry.”
A smarter watch band is likely to play a crucial role in the Apple Watch’s future as a personal technology device as they begin to incorporate technology and gain additional importance for wearable computing. bands will include additional sensors, battery volume, and other components.
In the past it’s been rumored that Apple plans to introduce interchangeable smart watch bands that add various functionality to the smartwatch without added complexity, and without increasing the price of the smartwatch itself. It’s possible that future Watch bands will include additional sensors, battery volume, and other components.
There are a number of ways Apple could incorporate technology into Watch bands, including even a modular approach. For example, you could swap out one Watch bands for another with built-in battery, extending the Watch’s usability.
Here’s the summary of the patent: “An electronic device such as a wearable electronic device may have a band. The band may form a stand-alone device or a strap for a wristwatch unit or other device. Electrical components may be mounted on flexible printed circuit substrates. A substrate may be encapsulated by elastomeric polymer material or other material forming the band.
“The elastomeric polymer material may form cavities that receive the electrical components. Components such as light-emitting diodes may be mounted to the flexible printed circuit substrates so that the light-emitting diodes are located in the cavities. Reflective sidewalls in the cavities may reflect light from the light-emitting diodes outwardly through a thinned portion of the band. Light-diffusing material in the cavities may be formed from clear polymer with light-scattering particles.”
