- The technology company UnaliWear sues Apple, Google, Garmin and Samsung
- The problem is the use of fall detection technology in some of the best smartwatches.
- If UnaliWear wins, there could be huge ramifications for the industry
Fall detection is a key feature of many of the best smartwatches, including the Apple Watch and models from Garmin, Samsung, and Google’s Fitbit. However, your future on your device could be in jeopardy, as one company claims that all of these devices have illegally copied its technology related to trips and falls. If it prevails, the smartwatch industry could look very different.
At stake is the aforementioned fall detection technology, which wearable company UnaliWear claims infringes its patents. UnaliWear makes wearable devices for older adults, and these products feature a fall detection system called RealFall that it says can distinguish between real falls and everyday movements.
It is this ability to differentiate real falls from false alerts that is at the center of the dispute. UnaliWear says the wearables it has problems with (those from Apple, Google, Garmin and Samsung) have infringed its patents to solve a specific problem.
The case is currently being investigated by the United States International Trade Commission and the affected companies are expected to respond around the end of January. The case is expected to take more than a year to complete, but could have huge ramifications once it concludes.
For one thing, if UnaliWear is successful, it could seek a limited exclusion order. This would block the importation of the affected smartwatches into the US, leaving companies like Apple and Garmin unable to ship some of the most popular smartwatches to US customers. Additionally, UnaliWear has filed cases in several US district courts; if it prevails there, it could lead to massive economic sanctions.
What are the chances of a ban?
Ultimately, it’s unlikely we’ll see products like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch banned from being imported into the US.
A more likely option is that big-name players will have to license their fall detection technology to UnaliWear. Or they could create a workaround that doesn’t infringe on UnaliWear’s patents, as Apple did when its blood oxygen sensor was ruled to have exceeded medical technology company Masimo’s patents.
Speaking of which, the Masimo case shows that this is not the first time Apple has been sued by a smaller company over the technology it uses in its Apple Watch. In the Masimo case, certain Apple Watch models were restricted from being imported into the US, which meant Apple had to disable the feature for US customers, a major headache for the Cupertino company.
No doubt Apple – and Samsung, Google and Garmin – will want to avoid something so drastic this time. If you’re interested in any of these smartwatches and want to know if you’ll still be able to purchase one in the future, keep an eye out for this one.
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