The iWatch As Snap Bracelet? Apple Just Got The Patent.

[Aquaria]

The iWatch As Snap Bracelet? Apple Just Got The Patent.

One of the most futuristic of iWatch concepts just got a dose of validation from the patent office. Both Apple Insider and Patently Apple reported this morning on a patent application that was just published for a “an advanced wearable computer in the form of a bracelet that could double as a watch.” With this device’s multitouch display, users “can accomplish a number of different tasks including adjusting the order of a current playlist, or reviewing a list of recent phone calls. A response to a current text message can even be managed given a simple virtual keyboard configuration across the face of the flexible display.”

Unlike other, more traditional ideas of what an iWatch could be, this patent describes a wristband that uses a bi-stable spring, similar to a snap bracelet. It also contains a method by which the display adjusts to the amount of visible surface area based on the size of the user’s wrist, and deactivates unseen pixels.

One of the great usability benefits of this design is that the iWatch could sense body position and orient the focus of the visible surface towards the user. So if, for instance, you turn your wrist over, the active area of your display would move with your wrist and position the visible area of the display on your inside wrist. This solves a lot of user interface problems—and would lead to a more usable product—but it raises the notion of responsive design to a whole new level.

The patent application contains some other interesting features, including the use of both “a solar panel beneath the display” and a mechanism to capture the kinetic energy of the user’s arm motion. These both address the issue of the period between charges that many have pointed to a a key problem for Apple to solve in an iWatch.

And as much as Tim Cook has said he does not like AMOLED displays, that might indeed be the best material for these flexible, low-energy screens. This is the most radical notion of an iWatch we’ve seen yet and, who knows, it could be the closest to production.

[Rock & Roll Hall of Game]

moving forward...

and as long as this doesn't cost $200+... it'll be a top seller

[bu.]

I used to play with those things as a kid

[Bailey]

Apple says they intend to make some huge moves in TV .....now that's the best kept secret going

[Rock & Roll Hall of Game]

Not a secret... We've been waiting for a year or two