Samsung might have plans to launch a smart ring accessory in the near future. The company recently sent a patent application to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, revealing a gesture-based smart ring to fit alongside its growing wearables product range.
The patent, first spotted by Patently Mobile, shows a few key features the smart ring would offer, like the ability to control smartphones, TVs, and home automation products. In the patent filing, Samsung shows a contextual menu where users can control devices and services from their finger.
Not much is known about the design of the smart ring, though the patent shows a rotating bezel, similar to the Gear S2, for accessing menu options.
Instead of hunting for the various remotes for products, the smart ring would be able to control a wide variety of connected devices.
Samsung is not the first to test the smart ring concept. Apple and Microsoft have each sent smart ring patent applications to the USPTO themselves. The major difference with Samsung’s smart ring is that it may connect to Facebook and other social networks, opening a window to connect with services instead of just products.
A smart ring might become more valuable as we enter a more connected world. When there are potentially hundreds of different smart products, having a hub on your finger might be an elegant and simple solution.
Some smaller companies have already tried this approach, with mixed success. With Samsung’s success in the smartwatch world with the Gear S2, though, it might be able to apply the same smart design and functionality to the ring.
