Samsung patent shows smartwatch that projects interface on hand

Samsung has applied for a patent for a concept in which the interface of a smartwatch is projected onto the user’s hand. User interaction is also possible: buttons projected on the hand can be ‘pressed’.

The patent application has been filed with the American patent organization USPTO. Images have also been released, Phone Arena discovered. the technique developed by Samsung detects where the user’s hand is, and then deploys a built-in projector to display the interface. Incidentally, Samsung states that it is also possible to project the interface on other surfaces, such as a wall.

The system also detects where the user places his fingers, so that, for example, projected buttons can be ‘pressed’ as it were. This allows the user to operate his smartwatch without touching the screen. One of the advantages of this is that there is more room to project on the hand than on the small smartwatch screen. In addition, by projecting buttons, there would be more space on the screen for other things.

As usual with patent applications, it is not clear whether the concepts shown will eventually find their way into products in the shops. The application does show that Samsung is playing with alternative ways to display smartwatch interfaces.