Over the past few months, rumors of rough apple watch variants have floated, painted a smartwatch image targeted at extreme sports fans. The new Apple patent that was first seen by PatelentApple gave us a glimpse of what the Apple Ingress protection solution might be. The news “stand-alone water detector,” Patent Application submitted with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) speaks of using a dielectric membrane layer between electrodes that detects port blockage with water.
The independent water detector in question relies on the membrane made from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (EPTFE). Water detection sensors include parallel plate capacitors with an EPTFE membrane installed between plates. Patents explain that the use of genes currently use sensors filled with gels for ingress protection against sand and debris, but they are vulnerable to mistakes related to pressure due to capillary pressure produced by water on the gel surface and variables related to orientation.
For example, jumping in a collection of different heights gives higher pressure on innards and can cause errors in measurements taken by Apple Watch – and that’s where the EPTFE membrane comes to rescue. Water detection system will warn the system error that can be used associated with capillary pressure so as not to record the wrong environment reading.
Interestingly, the entire apparatus is a standalone design and can be implemented in various forms, one of which increases the lightning cable interface on the iPhone. Apple’s patent application mentions SmartWatch and smartphone as a device where the hard detection of the water detection mentioned above can be applied. For example, replacing the level of system level pressure ventilation with an EPTFE-based system can allow devices more proactively to make decisions such as turning off or warning the user.
But the focus on which can be worn is a clear sign that technology is being developed with Apple Watch in Mind. Bloomberg previously reported that Apple was working on the third Apple watch model that would offer rough buildings with a protective exterior for a better shock absorption. The upcoming device will be reported to be sold as “adventure” or “Explorer” Edition Apple Watch Series 8.
Apple Watch Series 7 is only suitable for shallow water activities such as swimming in the pool or ocean. Patented technology can allow Apple Wall users in the future to engage in high speed water activities such as scuba or waterskiing. But keep in mind that the independent water detector described above is a patent and no guarantee will never run into commercially available products. Or, Apple may need time and implement it on the Apple Watch variant which was launched several years from now.