A newly granted patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, titled “Electronic Devices with Color Sampling Sensors”, outlines Apple’s conceptual approach to a more personalized and color-coordinated smartwatch experience.
The patent details the use of optical sensors like cameras, proximity sensors, and ambient light sensors beneath the Apple Watch display. These sensors could emit a sequence of red, green, and blue light towards an external object, such as the user’s clothing or watch band, and measure the RGB reflectance levels to obtain a color sample.
Control circuitry inside the Apple Watch would then apply specific algorithms to match the sampled colors with a predetermined list of watch band colors or within a particular color gamut for clothing. The ultimate goal would be to reflect these matched colors on the Apple Watch face background, providing a unified and aesthetically pleasing look for the wearer.
Although the technology described in the patent may not make its way into Apple Watch models in the immediate future, it offers an intriguing glimpse into Apple’s ongoing commitment to innovation. The company continues to research new types of sensors for its smartwatches, which already include a myriad of health and wellness features such as heart rate tracking, irregular heart rhythm notifications, ECG capability, blood oxygen measurement, and fall detection.
CEO Tim Cook has previously emphasized that Apple is still in the “early innings” with the Apple Watch, hinting at groundbreaking capabilities currently being tested.
Recent reports have also indicated significant advancements in noninvasive blood glucose monitoring technology, although its incorporation into the Apple Watch remains several years away.
