Google applies for smartwatch patent

Google appears to be joining the race to build a smartwatch, filing a patent application at the United States Patent Office today.

Mock up of Apple's iWatch.

The smartwatch as described in the application features two touchpads on the side the display, enabling control through pinching, streching and scrolling with finger movements.

There is also communications ability through a wireless transceiver and an "auxiliary component" that can be coupled to the wristband which may indicate the ability to connect biometric sensors to monitor physical activity to the smartwatch.

Google Smartwatch patent drawing. Source: USPTO

While the patent for a "smart-watch with user interface features" was only published today, it was in fact filed on October 26, 2011 by Google researchers Dr Richard Gossweiler III and James Miller, and assigned to the search engine company.

Gossweiler filed another smartwatch patent in August last year for a device with a transparent flip-up display, a feature that the application published today does not mention.

Following Sony's lead, Samsung and Apple are thought to be developing smartwatches as well, to be launched this year.