Apple has been granted a patent for a system allowing its Apple Watch smartwatch to measure a user’s respiration rate, reports Patently Apple.
The system works via photoplethysmography, a process in which a light sensor is used to measure blood circulation under the skin. Apple’s invention actually employs two sensors for photplethysmography, with each sensor helping to cancel out signal noise – generally caused by movement – in the other’s readings.
It’s another example of the kind of sophisticated biometric technology in place in Apple’s smartwatch, which, in addition to offering smartphone-like functionality, needs to compete with other fitness-tracking wearable devices. And going forward, some of these same biometric capabilities could also be leveraged for user authentication, allowing Apple Watch users to verify their identities for things like Apple Pay purchases without having to take any specific action.
As for this particular patent, it was filed back in December of 2013, and finally approved on June 15 of this year.
Source: Patently Apple
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