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Apple iTime/iWatch finally has a patent behind it

Rumours of an Apple smartwatch have been rife over the last few years, with the internet furiously awaiting the release of the mythical iWatch every time Tim Cook gets up on stage at any Apple event.

A new patent granted to Apple is finally giving some credence to the rumour and speculation that Apple is indeed working on a smartwatch and that it was at some point considering calling it the ‘iTime’.

U.S. Patent No. 8,787,006 is titled “Wrist-worn electronic device and methods therefor” and describes an iPod Nano-like device that would be able to communicate with iPhones, iPads and even the iTime watch’s interchangeable straps to gather and transmit information to and from the user.

As mentioned above, the iTime watch described in the patent closely resembles that of the sixth-generation iPod Nano which had a square display and a selection of watch faces that spawned an entire line of accessories that focused on turning the music player into a watch.

With the patent being applied for in 2011 there will no doubt be a drastic change in the method of connectivity describe in the patent should the iTime come to fruition especially now that Bluetooth 4.0, or as it’s also known Bluetooth Low Energy, is embedded in all of Apple’s current line-up of products from Macs to iPhones.

It fits in well with the “personal wireless environment” that is described in the patent filing, and could even be more effective once the update to Bluetooth 4.1, which is entirely done through a software update, and allows for devices to act as hubs for other Bluetooth connections.

This would also allow the watch to piggy back off of the GPS and cellular connections of an iPhone rather than having to have its own embedded sensors which would drastically affect battery life as well as receiving signals from other accessories embedded in running shoes, bicycles and clothing for example to increase the amount of data input.

[Source – Apple Insider, Images – USPTO]

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