- Apple has been granted a new patent on a “ring input device with pressure-sensitive input.”
- This patent envisages a smart ring with a fixed central ring layer and a rotating outer layer.
- The patent focuses on the ring working primarily as a notification device and input mechanism.
Smart rings are an emerging category of wearables with the potential to give the best smartwatches a run for their money. A smart ring makes a lot of sense for people interested in just a health tracking unit without lugging around yet another display on their person. You could even pair a smart ring with a classic analog watch, and it would be a better style statement than wearing a run-of-the-mill smartwatch. It seems Apple also agrees with some of these ideas, as the company has patented a smart ring, indicating that it could be thinking about making one.
As spotted by AppleInsider, Apple has been granted a patent on a “ring input device with pressure-sensitive input.” In this particular patent, Apple is exploring mechanisms to have the ring act as a notification device and as an input mechanism rather than be a “smart ring” in the conventional sense. This ring patent proposes a fixed center ring and a rotating outer ring.