Smartwatches

Samsung wants to use your hand as a second display

Samsung wants to use your hand as a second display
The technology could be used to augment applications, potentially improving the experience of using your smartwatch to navigate
The technology could be used to augment applications, potentially improving the experience of using your smartwatch to navigate
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The concept device would be able to scan the back of the user's hand to detect the display area
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The concept device would be able to scan the back of the user's hand to detect the display area
Samsung has filed a patent for a smartwatch capable of projecting a touch-enabled display onto the back of the user's hand
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Samsung has filed a patent for a smartwatch capable of projecting a touch-enabled display onto the back of the user's hand
The touch-enabled area could serve as a larger canvas when using handwriting recognition for input
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The touch-enabled area could serve as a larger canvas when using handwriting recognition for input
The technology could be used to augment applications, potentially improving the experience of using your smartwatch to navigate
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The technology could be used to augment applications, potentially improving the experience of using your smartwatch to navigate
The extra display might be used to provide separate, more spacious keyboards and keypads
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The extra display might be used to provide separate, more spacious keyboards and keypads
The patent also takes things one step further, showing the concept smartwatch throwing projected panels up onto other surfaces, such as a keypad on a security door
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The patent also takes things one step further, showing the concept smartwatch throwing projected panels up onto other surfaces, such as a keypad on a security door
Certain applications show extra virtual buttons being displayed on the rear of the user's fingers
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Certain applications show extra virtual buttons being displayed on the rear of the user's fingers
View gallery - 7 images

A patent filing has surfaced showing a concept smartwatch interface from Samsung, designed to project a touch-enabled display onto the back of the user's hand. While the existence of the patent is no way confirmation that we'll actually see product, it does present an interesting new take on the tricky issue of smartwatch control.

Today's smartwatch input is simple enough (usually a combination of touchscreen and buttons or dials), but manufacturers seem determined to try novel means to make the tiny-screened devices capable of deeper and more complex tasks.

A new patent from Samsung, published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) earlier this month, is a little more ambitious, detailing a smartwatch that's able to project a touch-enabled display onto the back of the user's hand. We've seen similar technology in the past, but never integrated into a wearable.

Certain applications show extra virtual buttons being displayed on the rear of the user's fingers
Certain applications show extra virtual buttons being displayed on the rear of the user's fingers

The concept device would be able to scan the back of the user's hand to detect the display area, before projecting various interactive panels onto it. Primarily, the extra display might be used to provide separate, more spacious keyboards and keypads.

The touch-enabled area could also serve as a larger canvas when using handwriting recognition for input, and certain applications show extra virtual buttons being displayed on the rear of the user's fingers.

The patent also takes things one step further, showing the concept smartwatch throwing projected panels up onto other surfaces, such as a keypad on a security door.

The new patent is, of course, in no way proof that Samsung is actually building such a device. It's just a concept for now, but it does show that the company is looking past the current conventions of how we interact with our wrist-based wearables.

Source: USPTO

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