Tech giant Apple is holding its weeklong annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) virtually starting June 22, 2020. Rather than rolling out new product models, the WWDC is usually aimed more at showcasing Apple's operating systems and firmware to let software developers and app providers know what they can work with in the future.
The Apple Watch was originally launched in 2015 and has yet to include native sleep tracking in its health functions; however, third-party apps are currently able to tap into features such as heart rate and motion detection to provide the sleep analytics users are looking for. Since these capabilities are clearly already possible with the existing hardware, it's expected that Apple will roll out its own sleep tracker as part of watchOS soon — maybe even next week. What will Apple bring to the table with an integrated sleep system?
Apple currently has 30 patents and applications in consumer sleep technology, including documents for detecting sleep quality via physiological monitoring of heart rate, body movement, and respiration. Apple's most recently published application in the sector focuses specifically on using sounds detected by a device such as a smartphone or a wearable to determine whether the user is asleep. Examples of sounds detailed in the application include snoring as well as activities such as opening the blinds or brushing your teeth. A similar method is patented by Northcube and utilized by Sleep Cycle, one of the most popular sleep tracking apps that recently released their first standalone Apple Watch app after issues with iOS restrictions in the past.
Apple also has patents directed at adjusting alarms and sleep prompts based on the user's sleep onset latency, or the time it takes them to fall asleep, as tracked over time. These applications suggest a smarter and more adaptable alarm system than what iOS apps have offered in the past. Apple's strength in many of its products has been its seamless integration of software and hardware, and the company's IP portfolio in Magic Number's consumer sleep technology sector may point to new product releases that continue to take advantage of in-house developments.
