Samsung Smartphones could soon be able to measure your body fat

There are several devices out there that can track your fitness. Smartphones, smartwatches and fitness bands can measure your heart rate, calories burnt and other biometric data but no fitness device measures your body fat yet. Samsung has found a novel way to use sensors in a smartphone to measure body fat.

Samsung has been granted a patent for a method to measure body fat by using 4 sensors that are embedded in the phone or near the phone such as the phone case cover as can be seen in the figure below:

When the user grips the smartphone with his hands as shown in the image below, these four sensors work in tandem to measure the impedance information resulting from their contact with user’s hands on the basis of which the person’s body fat information is calculated.

The technology is explained by the patent thus:

“Disclosed is a method for measuring body fat using a mobile device, the method comprising the steps of:

Inputting a predetermined intensity of current to an object through a first electrode, which is included in the mobile device, and which contacts a first surface of the object, and a second electrode, which is included in the mobile device, and which contacts a second surface of the object;

Measuring the voltage between third and fourth electrodes included in the mobile device;

Acquiring the object’s impedance information on the basis of the intensity of the input current and the intensity of the measured voltage;

And acquiring the object’s body fat information on the basis of the impedance information.”

The application was initially filed by Samsung on 14 March 2014 and the patent publication date is 9 July 2015. The invention is attributed to four scientists from Korea. If this technology works, it would be very useful for people as they would be able to measure their body fat easily.

Samsung Smartphones could soon be able to measure your body fat

Apple patents new camera technology for iPhones that uses a single sensor and multiple camera lenses

There has recently been a spurt in patents relating to the camera technology from Apple hinting that the Cupertino giant may be planning something bigger for the iPhone cameras. Last month, Apple got a patent for a new True Zoom Lens system for the camera. It has also patented Mirror Tilt Actuation to get better quality photos. And now we have another patent filed by Apple for a new camera system mechanism.

A new Apple patent filing published by the US Patent and Trademark Office is titled “System and method for capturing images”. This image capture device will include two or more apertures to admit light from different directions and direct it to an image sensor. The system would use a series of electrically switchable mirrors, movable lenses and other components that will direct light from two or more apertures on to a single image sensor device.

This means that a single image sensor would be sufficient for light coming from two different apertures. Current Apple mobile devices use two cameras, the rear camera and the front-facing one which have been branded as iSight and FaceTime HD respectively in the iPhone 6. The front-facing camera uses a smaller, low resolution sensor compared to the 8MP rear camera due to space constraints. The new invention could mean that only one image sensor would be needed for both the cameras, thus saving precious space.

In the new mechanism, light will enter the device from two opposite directions like in the iphones, and then instead of falling directly on the image sensor after passing through the lenses as it does now, it will be bounced off a series of “machine controlled mirrors”. So the image sensor need not be directly behind the lenses.

The electrically controlled mirrors can switch between reflective and transmission modes when an electric current is applied to them so that they can manipulate light without moving parts. The lens apparatus is also movable to compensate for the difference in distance between the first aperture and the image sensor, and the second aperture and the same image sensor.

This new camera technology will save space and could result in smaller camera modules and consequently sleek devices without the “camera bump” which is obvious in iPhone 6 because of its slimness.

It is not clear if Apple will deploy this new camera technology in its upcoming iPhone.

Apple patents new camera technology for iPhones that uses a single sensor and multiple camera lenses

Apple gets patent for a new Camera invention that could bring True Zoom Lenses to future iDevices

Apple has recently been granted a patent for its new camera invention having a real zoom lens system that we may see in future iDevices such as the iPhones, Macs and TVs. In order to bring a true zoom lens mechanism with moveable lenses to iDevices, a new type of light splitter has to be integrated inside the iSight camera.

The light splitter was invented by Apple back in 2011 but the company has got patent for it only recently. The new digital camera system includes a light splitter cube. This cube splits the incident light falling on it from the camera scene into 3 color components which are picked up by 3 image sensors so positioned, that each sensor receives 1 color component. The color splitting cube helps to improve contrast and enhance the visibility of the subject, giving good images even through fog, clouds, rain or smoke.

This highly technical camera mechanism also consists of a folding mirror that acts as a deflector. This mirror can be tilted or rolled by an automatically controlled actuator. This is a part of the Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) mechanism present in current iDevices. In this system, the deflector mirror is moved instead of moving the sensor or lens as is done in the traditional system.

Such an OIS system has been implemented in the new iPhone 6 Plus. OIS works with an A8 chip, a gyroscope and a M8 motion co-processor that measures the motion data and causes the lens to move precisely, compensating for the hand shake in low light. The long-exposure and short-exposure images are fused together which helps to reduce movement of the subject and give great images even in low light.

The third feature of the camera system is the true zoom lens. In the image below, we can see the deflector #20, the zoom lens #21 and the light splitter #2 which are housed together inside a camera module.

The zoom lens consists of one or more moveable lenses whose position is controlled automatically by a motorized actuator. This may be a true zoom lens that maintains focus even when its focal length or magnification is changed. Apple is still working to build a high quality true zoom lens system.

According to Apple, such a camera module could be fit into iDevices and other portable wireless gadgets including PCs and TV monitors. Well, we certainly hope to see this new camera technology in iDevices soon.

Apple gets patent for a new Camera invention that could bring True Zoom Lenses to future iDevices

Apple files patent to incorporate Touch ID fingerprint sensors into device displays

A new patent application published recently by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has revealed that Apple is thinking of incorporating fingerprint sensors into the display stack of an electronic device such as an iPad or iPhone. This is an alternative system to the current Touch ID system used by Apple in the home buttons of its recent devices including iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3.

The patent is titled “Fingerprint Sensor in an Electronic Device” explaining that a single fingerprint could be captured on the display at a single pre-determined fixed location or at any location. Even multiple touches on the electronic display could be captured, one fingerprint at a time or all fingerprints at once. The fingerprint sensor could be integrated into the circuit attached either to the cover sheet’s bottom surface or near the bottom surface or to the top surface of the display.

Alternatively, the whole panel could also be implemented as a fingerprint sensor which Apple calls as “full panel fingerprint sensor”. This full panel fingerprint sensor could also function as a touch sensing device. This means that the device can detect touch inputs as well as scan fingerprints.

For example, to unlock an iPhone or iPad or a third-party app, the user may be asked to place their finger on a specific spot depicted by an icon or an image on the display screen for identity verification. Apple could even use an advanced system that can scan and identify multiple fingerprints placed anywhere on the screen. Scanning more than one or all fingerprints would provide additional security.

If interested, you can get more details about the patent at the USPTO site patent application no. 20150036065.

 

Via Appleinsider

Apple files patent to incorporate Touch ID fingerprint sensors into device displays

Apple gets patent for Communicating Stylus that can convert your handwritten notes into digital copies

Apple has obtained a new patent for a Communicating Stylus or a smart pen that can detect hand movements, translate them into digital text and drawings, and display them the screen of a computing device such as an iPad.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded the patent for Communicating Stylus to Apple vide Patent No. 8,922,530 filed on January 2010 and lists Aleksander Pance of California US as the inventor. This stylus can be used for writing or drawing on any kind of surface such as a paper or a white board. It tracks whatever the user is writing and transmits it to a computing device via Bluetooth.

The Communicating Stylus uses motion sensors and accelerometers to detect and transmit handwritten matter. It can also store data for uploading later. This is especially useful for taking notes which can be transferred to an iOS device later on. The stylus can also find good use in a classroom where the teacher can write on paper or white board and the matter can be displayed on a large digital screen or on student’s iPads.

The stylus or smart pen gets activated when it is picked up, pressed to a surface, withdrawn from its dock or turned on manually. As the user moves the stylus to write or draw, the accelerometers track its movement and store it. The recorded data is then sent to the computing device continuously or in bursts as the user wishes. The stylus has different nibs for writing with graphite, ink or any other material. It will also have a capacitive version which can be used to write directly on an iPhone or iPad.

Smart pens have been developed by several companies, one of them being Livescribe’s smart pen ‘Livescribe 3’ which has some of the features of Apple’s Communicating Stylus. It has an infra-red camera in its tip to capture the handwriting which is then stored or transmitted via Bluetooth to a digital device. However, it requires special paper, bigger chassis and lots of power.

It is worth noting that Apple keeps filing for patents for its various inventions and not all see the light of the day. Although Steve Jobs was against the use of stylus, Apple has filed several patents for stylus till date. Maybe Apple has changed its mind about the stylus now. We’ll have to wait and see if this Communicating Stylus actually goes into production.

 

Via Appleinsider

Apple gets patent for Communicating Stylus that can convert your handwritten notes into digital copies