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A leak in January suggested that Google could release the Pixel Watch on the 26th of May this year. While there’s no confirmation of this yet, we’re now coming across additional details about this upcoming Google wearable, courtesy of a patent application from mid-2020. This patent was officially approved on March 3, 2022, by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The patent refers to “Skin interface for Wearables: Sensor fusion to improve signal quality,” as per LetsGoDigital (via Phone Arena). Simply put, this patent covers smartwatches or earbuds that can enable users to control functionality using gestures on their skin.
As the illustration shows, drawing gestures would be possible only on the part of the skin within proximity of the device. In the case of the earbuds, it would be the portion of the skin right next to your ear. Some functionality includes increasing or decreasing the volume with a swipe up/down gesture or even swipe horizontally. LetsGoDigital claims this gesture functionality could even extend to virtual reality headsets.
How does this technology work?
The patent filing claims that tapping the areas of your skin close to the device generates a “mechanical wave,” which the wearable can recognize. This technology is fairly similar to Sony’s ‘Wide Area Tap’ functionality with the Link Buds wireless headphones.
While the tech showcased in Google’s new patent filing shows great promise, we don’t know whether the company will actually launch a device bearing the new technology. We’ll be on the lookout for any new developments in this regard.
The Pixel Watch has been a topic of discussion for over a year now. But despite several leaks, the plans never materialized. While fans hope that would change this year, we aren’t holding our breath. It was largely believed that the Pixel Watch would debut alongside the Pixel 6a, but those plans could be changing.
As per recent reports, Google is pushing the arrival of the Pixel 6a to sometime in late July. Tipster Jon Prosser claims the global chip shortage is forcing Google to postpone the phone’s arrival. While it’s unclear if this would also delay the arrival of the Pixel Watch, Prosser’s source appears to think so.
