United States Patent and Trademark office publishes new Apple filing

Apr 24, 2014 16:55 GMT  ·  By

Apple’s iWatch could not only sport health sensors, but also an environmental sensor array, complete with a built-in thermometer, according to a new patent application published by the USPTO in the company’s name.

A new patent filing by Apple Inc. that seemingly relates to the impending iWatch has surfaced on the official web site of the United States Patent and Trademark office (USPTO), bearing the title “Electronic Devices With Environmental Sensors.”

The untrained eye can get lost in the patent jargon, but anyone can make an idea of what each invention relates to by scrolling down to the “background” and “summary” sections, which usually describe the general idea without omitting crucial aspects.

Case in point, the background states, “This relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to electronic devices with environmental sensors,” while the summary reveals that Apple is proposing “An electronic device [...] with electronic components such as environmental sensors.”

“An environmental sensor may include multiple sensor components such as a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor and a sound sensor (microphone),” the description continues.

“The sensor components may be mounted within an enclosure that at least partially surrounds the sensor components. The enclosure may have an opening that allows sound and/or other environmental materials such as air to enter the enclosure and interact with the sensor components,” reads the documentation.

There are a couple of indications in the text suggesting that Apple has this sensor array in mind for the iWatch. For starters, the patent wording actually includes a reference to wrist-worn gear. The relevant paragraph is excerpted below, complete with an emphasis on our behalf.

“Electronic devices [...] may be cellular telephones, media players, other handheld portable devices, somewhat smaller portable devices such as wrist-watch devices, pendant devices, or other wearable or miniature devices, gaming equipment, tablet computers, notebook computers, desktop computers, televisions, computer monitors, computers integrated into computer displays, or other electronic equipment.”

Apple also states that the enclosure for this suite of sensors “may include a rigid support structure and portion of a printed circuit such as a flexible printed circuit.” Reports from the Far East have long noted that the company has been tapping FPCB suppliers for an upcoming wrist-worn device.

The iWatch may still be far off, though many analysts expect the device to launch sometime this year, most likely in the third quarter. The unveiling could share the stage with another major announcement, such as the next-generation Apple TV.