Apple applies for smart ring patent

Since the Apple Ring or iRing will be a computing accessory, it will feature a touch screen, a processor chip, miniscule chargeable battery and a wireless transceiver. The document titled as “Devices and methods for a ring computing device” could be the next product in the wearables category.

Apple has actually designed a smart ring.

Apple could hit the world of wearable devices with a smart ring, at least if a recently-published patent application ever rings true with an actual product. What’s more, it could be as little as a ring, as indicated by another innovation from the Apple Watch creator. More so, the illustrations also show the ring having a haptic feedback motor which informs the user whether the action has been completed or not. In fact, Apple’s application suggests using a keyword to trigger voice dictation, suspiciously similar to Watch’s “Hey Siri” feature and an always-on iPhone 6s version powered by Apple’s M9 motion coprocessor. And you could do it in the palm of your hand, saving you the awkwardness of acting like you are in a B-movie sci-fi flick. We could see the ring controlling smart home gadgets like lights, garage doors, and blinds, too. Unless you don’t mind wearing a really big ring, the small screen size would be a limiting factor. After all, getting electronics to downsize into a ring that looks good isn’t easy. manufacturers have a hard enough time with smartwatches now.

Another interesting idea is that the device could do away with needing a passcode should a user enable that feature. Smartphone. Smartwatch. Smart ring.

The ring will be created to interact with the thumb while the primary finger to wear it on will be the index finger of both hands.

The ring would be used to control other electronic devices such as tablet computers, Apple says in a patent application made public today by the US Patent & Trademark Office. “The users may configure their devices to share other information, messages, or money”, the report read. As an example cited by Apple, “the user may say ‘by shaking hands with Steve I agree to give him $20, ‘ which is recorded and converted to text and/or computer instructions, such that when the user shakes hands with Steve, and the user’s ring is detected by an external device or a second ring worn by Steve, $20 is paid to Steve”.