The long list of rumours about Apple working on a smartwatch, has turned slightly more concrete, with the latest bullet point suggesting a new patent for “wrist-worn electronic device” referred to as “iTime,” granted to the Cupertino.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has published documents for patent number US 8,787,006 explained to be “the invention pertains to an electronic wristwatch,” by Apple in the patent summary.
The wrist-worn wearable device will sport a small touchscreen and come in a thinner, fully integrated smartwatch design with support for both arm and wrist gestures. The touchscreen module, which is “independently useable apart from the electronic wristband” like the iPod Nano, will have to be docked into the “receptacle area” in the wrist strap filled with sensors, to turn it into a smartwatch.
There isn’t any mention of formal name for the device in the patent, but the device, believed to be the much-awaited iWatch, is referred to as iTime in an image in the patent.
Apple’s patent filed on July 20, 2011, reveals that the wearable will come with a square-shaped display and feature accelerometers, Bluetooth transceivers, GPS modules, a haptic device, a “printed circuit substrate” and Wi-Fi radios. The smartwatch will sync with iPhone and iPads via a “piconet.”
Cupertino, in the patent, describes how the users can control the smartwatch with arm movement gestures, instead of swipes or taps on the touchscreen. Gesture combinations including shake, bounce and tap can be assigned for specific device controls like “a horizontal movement” might be the gesture for declining incoming call and “a vertical movement” might be the gesture for accepting incoming call.
The widely expected “iWatch” device is rumoured to be launched with very similar functionalities described in the patent. Recent rumours point to a wearable featuring possible fitness tracking functions and features.
Apple’s iWatch, rumoured to enter mass production stage this month, is expected to hit the shelves in different sizes possibly in September this year, alongside the next generation iPhone 6.
