Apple Watch based solely on sensors? Apple’s smartwatch sans a digital crown is reimagined in a new patent.

 The patent, titled “Watch with an optical sensor for user input,” describes how Apple intends to employ these optical sensors to allow users to scroll around the wristwatch interface.

If you possess or have seen an Apple Watch, you will know that the Digital Crown on the right side is a vital part of the watch’s mechanics. It allows users to control the Apple Watch without having to touch the screen every time, and it also gives it a traditional aesthetic. However, Apple may be considering getting rid of it. Apple has filed a new patent for an Apple Watch that does away with the Digital Crown in favor of optical sensors.

Apple has successfully obtained the patent that Apple has just submitted with the US Patent & Trademark Office. It reimagines the Apple Watch in the absence of the Digital Crown. In place of the crown, an array of optical sensors will allow the wristwatch to recognize human emotions such as wrist movements.

The patent, titled “Watch having an optical sensor for user input,” describes how Apple intends to employ these optical sensors to allow users to scroll around the interface without the need for additional hardware. In the absence of the Digital Crown, the optical sensors will detect movement and transfer it into system controls. According to Apple’s patent, removing the Digital Crown will free up space for other components, as well as make the watch more durable.

The patent reads as follows:

The user can, for example, offer motions and gestures near the input component that the input component can detect and interpret, as well as user inputs to control a feature of the watch. The user’s actions and gestures can be immediately detected with optical systems of the input component, reducing the number of moving parts and maximizing space within the watch.

The Digital Crown now incorporates an electrical heart rate sensor that allows users to measure ECG, thus when it is removed from the Apple Watch, optical sensors will take over. However, according to the patent, these sensors will not only help with ECGs, but will also be used to measure breathing rate, blood oxygenation level, blood pressure, and other variables. After all, Apple is steadily transforming the Apple Watch into a complete health-related device.

According to rumors, the Apple Watch 2022 will include additional health capabilities, thus replacing the Digital Crown with optical sensors may be a step in the right way. However, it is difficult to predict that this Apple Watch with optical sensors would become a reality. This is due to the fact that a patent does not always imply the existence of a product. Even if Apple decides to execute this concept, it will take several years.

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