Samsung patents automatic calorie nutrition tracking future Galaxy Watch smartwatches
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) have revealed a feature that may arrive in future Galaxy Watch smartwatches. Typically, conventional smartwatches estimate calories burned by interpreting heart rate and movement data. Allegedly, Samsung's technology, filed under patent number US 11,653,836 B2, will allow a smartwatch to determine the number of calories consumed too. For now, smartwatches rely on manually inputted data about what a person has eaten or drank that day.
In the patent document, Samsung describes using an LED and a spectroscope to measure which wavelengths of light are absorbed, emitted or reflected by the skin. The company's model then compares this data against a reference that it created when a wear is hungry. Then, an algorithm calculates the calories consumed by comparing current user data with its reference. Samsung also adjusts its analysis by taking user medical history into account, as well as usual how much the wearer has been active during that day.
If Samsung's technology works in practice, it could help people to manage calorie intake more precisely rather than relying on current, less accurate methods. As always, patents do not necessarily result in commercially viable products. Nonetheless, the patent signals Samsung's intention to bring such technology to market. Seemingly, Samsung is working on automatic calorie counting alongside developing sensors that can passively track blood pressure and blood alcohol levels, although these appear a way off from mass production too.
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