Future Apple Watches Could Detect Users By Their Heart Rate

A recent US patent has revealed that future Apple Watches could be able to recognise their owner just by heart-rate sensors.

The patent, which was published yesterday, reveals that Apple Watch technology could be able to detect owners just by monitoring their heart-rate.

And this savvy idea could be happening sooner than we think, with today’s devices already containing the relevant hardware to be able to detect users in this way, it is just not yet activated.

If this tech can be updated and FDA approved, it could mean the end of pins and the verification processes needed to get into devices today.

The patent explains how this technology could work: “In examples of the present disclosure, light emitters and light sensors can be used to perform biometric identification of a user based on identifying characteristics of the user’s vasculature.

“For example, light information can be obtained at one or more light sensors, and the information can be compared to stored information associated with a user identity.

“Based on the comparison, the user of the device can be identified as having the user identity.”

And this idea isn’t as new and innovative as it might sound, with vascular biometrics – or vein matching — dating back to the 1980s, but being overshadowed by fingerprint recognition technologies.