“On July 17, 2014, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple titled ‘Infrared Sensors for Electronic Devices.’ This is a new application and not one that is a continuation patent,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple. “I say this because the iPhone having infrared sensors really isn’t new. The feature that shuts off the iPhone’s touchscreen when a user’s ear touches the display isn’t new. So what is new?”
“What’s new in this filing is that Apple wants to combine sensors and add new ones like a bolometer and a new dimension to their existing infrared sensor so that it could measure blackbody light,” Purcher reports. “This will better measure the temperature of external objects such as a user’s head or hand.”
“This will provide consumers with the ability to use new ‘motion commands’ that don’t require touching the display,” Purcher reports. “And considering that the invention could be used in conjunction with ‘portable devices such as wrist-watch devices, pendant devices, or other wearable or miniature devices,’ motion commands to control various features on an iWatch would be rather cool.”
Read more in the full article here.
That makes a lot of sense. I wonder what apps would work nicely with motion controls. Any ideas?
Sarah, I think scrolling on an iPhone or iPad without having to touch the screen would be a motion control method. Same with a book if you want to flip the page.
Aah motion controls where they would be useful rather than on phones where to be usable the phone is inevitably in danger of being stolen or lost, so almost totally useless then for the most part.
Maybe such sensors work through clothing, so the device could be stitched into clothing or worn as a pendant concealed under the outer layer.