This week, inventors Martha Hankey and James Foster from Cupertino, California filed a patent application that describes how electronic devices that monitor environmental and user data can be used in order to alert 911 in the occurrence of emergencies.
According to the patent's abstract, as reported by 9to5Mac, the alert system would make use of data accumulated by a wearable device to transmit info to another electronic gadget like a smartphone. Should startling irregularities are found in the transmitted information; the proposed system would in turn alert and ask for help from the authorities.
"The electronic device may detect the occurrence based on sensor data received from a cooperative electronic device or such data in combination with the electronic device's sensor data. By way of another example, the electronic device may detect the occurrence and signal a cooperative electronic device to transmit one or more alerts," read a part of Hankey and Foster's patent application.
Though the patent does not entirely single out neither the Apple Watch, Apple Watch 2 nor the iPhone, the capabilities of the electronic device clearly describe the Apple's flagship products.
The Apple Watch, which was launched in April 2015, is Apple's smartwatch offering that is capable of linking with other iOS Apple products and services. Aside from having miniature messages, phone, email, music and photo capabilities, the Apple Watch can also track physical activity and relay the data back to an iPhone.
With the rising popularity of wearable technology, the Food and Drug Administration has since commented on the FDA's role in overseeing the influx of new products. In an interview with Bloomberg, Bakul Patel, policy advisor for the government agency, explained that the department is letting tech companies produce as much health related gadgets as they can. He reveals that the FDA is supportive of the endeavor and has no plans to interfere.
"If you have technology that's going to motivate a person to stay healthy, that's not something we want to be engaged in" explained Patel in a recent statement.