Apple Investigates Completely Redesigned Apple Watch with Cover Screen

Apple is investigating a possible radical redesign for the Apple Watch, including a rounded watch, a flexible display and digitally adjustable watch straps, according to a newly granted patent file.

The patent, spotted by MacRumors earlier today, was titled “Display Module and System Applications” and was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The document outlines how a flexible display can span the entire watch and the strap of a smartwatch for a new Apple Watch design. The elongated display is said to be flexible enough to form the shape of the user’s arm to fit like a normal watch strap.

In one application, embodiments of the invention describe a portable electronic device, such as a smartwatch, including a flexible display panel and flexible display module. In this way, the display area of ​​the smartwatch is not limited to a fixed watch surface. In one embodiment, a smartwatch includes a flexible display panel integrated into a flexible watch band. Consequently, the curvature of the flexible display panel in the watch surface and the strap can be adjusted according to the wrist size of the user … the display area of ​​the flexible panel can cover more available space on the watch face and strap of the smart watch.

Apple explains that the design includes a display with a “plurality of interconnects” protruding “through the display substrate from the front to the rear surface, and a variety of LEDs are in the display area and electrically connected to the plurality of interconnects “A battery, processor, ambient light sensor, and other important smartwatch components can be housed in a housing on the back of the large display unit.

While the documentation states that an OLED screen may be sensitive to the deterioration of air and moisture without a protective solid glass coating, as well as ‘problematic’ with the use of ‘interconnects’, some OLED screen technologies may still be applicable to the radical new design.

Apple also notes that the design can facilitate a “minimized” ring around the screen for a more aesthetic appearance, and that the ring can even be completely “eliminated”:

In accordance with the embodiments of the invention, a ring width around the display panel can be reduced, for example below 4-5 mm or even less than 1 mm, less than 0.5 mm, or eliminated. Thus, the design of the smartwatch can be designed for aesthetic problems rather than as a requirement for allocating space for a contact list.

In addition to being able to choose a watch design, as on current Apple Watch models, the patent explains that users can also choose a digital band design to display on the cover of the cover screen using an ‘accessory driver’ ‘. to create a unique look. The submission describes a very similar system for selecting band designs as currently for selecting and customizing watch faces, with the option to do so on the Apple Watch itself or on a paired iPhone.

The input is parsed to derive the data for display, and the derived data is displayed on the display area, where the display area is on a flexible display substrate extending across the face and strap of the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device can be, for example, a smartwatch. In a personalization, the non-transient computer readable medium stores additional instructions to perform additional operations, including receiving a configuration of the display area of ​​the watch and tape, receiving a design from the derived data, including the design ‘ a watch and watch band, and updating the display area with the design received.

Although Apple Crown’s Digital Crown is not featured in the design, a separate patent has been published today entitled “Capacitive gap sensor ring for an input device”, which explains how the Digital Crown can have two “nested” capacitive rings use. moving against each other to obtain a wider range of input information.

While Apple has not yet released a device with a flexible screen, the company is apparently working on an iPhone with a foldable screen. Patents may not be seen as proof of Apple’s specific intentions, but they do provide valuable insight into what the company is investigating and developing behind the scenes.

In addition, the depiction of an alternative Apple Watch design in a patent is very unusual, as Apple is usually dutiful to reflect the current design of the Apple Watch in patent illustrations. Patents that focus on the physical design of the Apple Watch are even rarer, and may well indicate the future of the device.

The Apple Watch has effectively had the same design since its launch in 2016, except for a slight refresh with the Apple Watch Series 4, and we still need to see a significant re-image of the laptop’s form factor. Apple’s trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously hinted that the Apple Watch Series 7 may feature ‘enhanced form factor design’, but there is still no indication of what the final device might look like. The Apple Watch Series 7 is expected to launch later this year, but so far there have been few rumors about what the new model could contain other than blood glucose monitoring.