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The newly granted patent, spotted by MyHealthyApple, was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and is titled “Temperature gradient sensing in electronic devices.” While the wording of the patent suggests that it can apply to any device, the only device depicted in the patent’s illustrations is clearly the Apple Watch, potentially hinting what specific application Apple has in mind for the technology.
Apple’s patent protects an electronic device housing that encloses a temperature sensing system comprising a temperature sensor and a differential temperature probe. The system works by calculating the difference between two ends of a probe. One end touches the surface to be measured, while the other is connected to a temperature sensor. The difference in voltage across the different ends of the probe can then be correlated to a differential temperature measurement.
The temperature probe is configured to generate a voltage corresponding to a temperature gradient between a first end of the probe and a second end of the probe. The temperature sensor can be disposed within an electronic device housing. A first end of the probe can be coupled to the temperature sensor and a second end of the probe can be coupled to any suitable surface, whether internal or external, of the electronic device… In this construction, the temperature sensor can be configured to measure a temperature, at any given sampling time or sampling rate, of any surface or volume to which the sensing surface is exposed.
The patent goes on to explain in technical detail how the temperature sensing hardware works. Crucially, while the patent covers how a dedicated temperature sensor could be used inside a device to monitor the temperature of a component like the processor, it says that the sensor can be used to measure “absolute temperature” of an external surface, such as skin.
Most notably, Apple explicitly mentions how the location of the external probe may be located on a “back surface such as a back crystal of a smart watch” and says the system includes a “high-precision and high-accuracy absolute temperature sensor.” The patent outlines several potential shapes and arrangements for the temperature sensor, with one of the more striking designs being a cross-shaped temperature probe.
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple originally intended to offer a body temperature measurement feature with the Apple Watch Series 7 models, but the company shelved the plans when the body temperature algorithm it had developed failed to meet requirements before the device entered the engineering validation testing (EVT) phase last year.
The problems Apple has experienced relating to body temperature measurement purportedly relate to the fact that skin temperature quickly varies based on the environment, and since a smartwatch cannot monitor core body temperature using hardware, the feature is heavily dependent on an algorithm that produces accurate results. This patent only covers the hardware setup for a temperature sensing system, rather than the algorithm required to produce accurate results.
While Apple’s patent filings cannot be taken as concrete evidence of the company’s exact plans since many of its patents are never used, they do show its areas of research and development, and sometimes reveal impending products, such as the AirTag.
In this case, it is difficult to look past the plethora of reports about the Apple Watch Series 8 offering a body temperature sensor – something that has long been rumored by sources like Kuo. Reports indicate that while the device is unlikely to offer exact body temperature measurements, the sensor will be used to provide at least two new health monitoring features.
The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman state that the body temperature sensor will aid fertility planning, giving women insights into their ovulation cycle. Apple has focused on women’s health in recent years, so expanding features in this area seems to be in line with the company’s objectives.
Moreover, the body temperature sensor could be used to improve the detection of patterns when tracking sleep. Apple leveraged blood oxygen sensing capabilities during sleep starting with the Apple Watch Series 6 and significantly bolstered the Apple Watch’s sleep tracking in watchOS 9, meaning that further improvements in this area aided by hardware this year seem very plausible.
Apple is also said to have plans to enable the body temperature sensor to detect when a user has a fever, but it seems unlikely that this feature will be available upon the launch of the Apple Watch Series 8. Gurman believes that further in the future, Apple Watch models could determine if a user has a higher than normal body temperature, but it is still unlikely to show an exact measurement.
This article, “‘High-Accuracy’ Apple Watch Temperature Sensor Revealed by Patent Filing Just Weeks Before Series 8 Unveiling” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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If you loved Insecure, we’re certain that you’ll love AllBlk’s new freshman dramedy Send Help. The series stars Jean Elie who plays Fritz Jean-Baptiste, a first-generation Haitian American actor who feels unstoppable since landing a starring role on fictional hit TV show, This Can’t Be Us. While basking in his newfound success, Baptiste must also balance a demanding Haitian family, an unfortunate loss from his past, and an unexpected change that shakes up his career.
The show also stars Catfish Jean, Amin Joseph, and fellow Insecure alum Courtney Taylor who serves as a support system for Elie’s character. Elie not only stars in the series, he also serves as the showrunner and is the co-creator alongside Mike Gauyo, who also serves as the executive producer on the show and was a writer on Insecure.
Mashable caught up with Gauyo and Elie, who spoke about the series, the significance of Haitian representation onscreen, and an embarrassing moment they can laugh at now.
Mashable: Let’s chat about your character [Jean Elie] and how he’s dealing with a terrible crisis… how do you handle sudden changes and did you apply any real life experiences to the character for development?
Elie: I’ve applied some, but my character is an older version of me — a beta version. We draw real life experiences in some ways, but we also lean on the writers room in order to elevate it to get it to where it’s at right now.It’s, it’s a mixture of who I once was and who I am. [Fritz] is a very flawed character, but he’s also trying to do right by everybody else and even if he’s not doing it the right way or how people will typically go about things. Fritz is just trying to be a better person, but not knowing exactly how to be a better person because that guidance he usually had is no longer there.
Mashable: The show has a feel like Insecure in terms of cinematography and wittiness…. For the formula for Send Help, what do you think makes the show stand out with its own flare and recipes for success? Any similarities in the story you see similar like Insecure?
Gauyo: Oh that’s really good — I like that question. What we tried to pay attention to is how many shows have been centered around an actor or behind the scenes of the entertainment world type of show — what makes this story different is it follows a Haitian-American actor and we’re able to dive into his culture in a way we’ve never been able to dive in before. It’s being told through [Fritz] lens and you’re able to gain a new, fresh perspective. I will say there are similarities between our show and [Insecure] in terms of both shows being based in LA and showing LA’s culture. Something Insecure did that was brilliant is it showed Black culture in LA and all the things that exist there. For [Send Help], we wanted to express was immigrant Black culture in LA and what that looks like. It was very important for us to have a different way of expressing different facets of LA and Black culture, particularly Haitian culture that you don’t see often on television. So, I will say there’s definitely a formula but with our own twist to it to give it a little bit of Caribbean flavor.
Mashable: Is there any advice Issa Rae shared with you both during the development of the series?
Elie: Take your time and keep in mind that this series is ours so do it the way you want to do it and be unapologetic about it.
Mashable: Let our readers know the importance of telling the story of a first-generation Haitian American and his family?
Elie: It was super important for me to tell this story because there’s a slew of Haitian-American children that aren’t privy on how to break into an industry like entertainment or do something out of the scope of what their family has envisioned for them — and then what it looks like when on that side. A lot of people assume you’re being supported due to your success and don’t even realize your family doesn’t have a clue what you’re doing because it’s not something they are used to or working comprehend. One of the greatest things I was able to do and loved while creating this show was being able to bring my mom to set and for her to get the experience of what it’s like which also changed the narrative for her. This allows her to show the other children in our family to let them know her son does this and this is what it looks like and how it may look if their children decided to pursue the same passion. It’s also very important for me to see myself represented onscreen or see other characters I can relate to that are not necessarily shown. You usually see Haitian-American characters in smaller roles or caricatures on what it means to be Haitian. In this show, you’re able to see a young Haitian man coming into his own in a relatable way. The only difference between [Fritz] and a viewer is they may speak different languages which one can learn. You’ll see how beautiful it is.
Experience LA and Haitian culture in this new, exciting dramedy Send Help which premieres on AllBlk on August 11th.