Apple Watch may get handshake, hug gesture recognition

If Apple had swipe and pinch-to-zoom to navigate its iPhone, guess what it’s got in store for the much smaller-screened Apple Watch.

 

A new Apple patent posted on the World Intellectual Property Organization site suggests a gesture-based way where Apple Watch can exchange information with a similar device.

 

“The exchange of information can be wholly or partially automated and can occur in response to a device detecting a ‘greeting event.’ In some embodiments, a greeting event is detected when two user devices belonging to different users are in proximity and the users of the devices concurrently execute a greeting gesture, such as a handshake, bow, hand slap, hug, or the like,” it said.

 

Also, it said users can control and customize the information their devices send.

 

PatentlyApple said the patent effectively allows gestures such as fist-bumping to trigger a so-called “greeting event.”

 

The device can then send contextual information such as current location, access to particular networks or other resources, or even information about the user of the sending device.

 

On the other hand, a sending device can generate a cryptographic key and can use this key to encrypt information it sends to the receiving device.

 

“The mutual detection of greeting gestures can trigger the exchange of any type of information including user contact information, other personal information, photos, audio files, video files, data files, and so on,” it added.

 

It also noted Apple pointing out that “if the device can recognize a natural greeting gesture, exchange of sharable data objects can automatically occur without any user action beyond the making of the gesture.”

 

Camera

 

PatentlyApple also noted Apple’s patent filing indicates a camera will be coming to the Watch soon.

 

“The camera will offer autofocus. In some embodiments, Apple states that the watch could be disposed along an edge of watch and/or as part of the face member,” it said.

 

Audio jack

 

The patent also hinted at an audio jack for Apple Watch in the future. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News