Apple concept would require users to input health data to keep using their iPhone

Posted:
in iPhone edited March 2015
Apple has explored presenting iPhone users with non-dismissable notifications, such as requiring personal health data to be entered before resuming normal use of their device, in a concept that could help break bad habits.




The details were revealed in a newly published Apple patent application, discovered on Thursday by AppleInsider. Entitled "Notifications with Input-Based Completion," the filing describes prompts on an iPhone that would actively block access to using the device until certain data is entered.

The most prominent examples given by Apple in the filing are health-related. For example, screenshots show the user being prompted to check their weight or blood pressure through the iOS Reminders app.

Given Apple's recent launch of HealthKit and the accompanying Health app in iOS 8, along with the new fitness-focused Apple Watch, it's possible that Apple could use this method to encourage iPhone owners to keep up to date on the status of their health, rather than avoiding it.




In the application, Apple notes that data for these prompts can be received from connected third-party accessories. So in the case of checking blood pressure each day at 10 a.m., the data could be collected from an external sensor.

Other concepts presented by Apple include calories burnt per day, blood pressure, and body mass index. The system could also alert users when certain data exceeds a pre-set value, potentially helping the user to avoid serious health complications.

Of course, these non-dismissable alerts could also extend to actions beyond health data. In one example, the user is reminded to "take a picture of the construction," and the notification includes a quick link to the iPhone's camera.




Accompanying input boxes would also be found within the iOS Reminders app, with Apple showing text fields for blood pressure and weight, and as well as a camera button for the construction photo, next to the user-created tasks.

In the filing, Apple shows a new option for creating reminders entitled "Required User Input." Apple's concept also adds the ability to include tags, such as "Health" or "Projects," to reminders.

Published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week, the proposed invention was originally filed by Apple in September of 2013. It is credited to Gencer Cili.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 52
    dougddougd Posts: 292member
    Give me a break I sure don't want Big Brother Apple mandates
  • Reply 2 of 52
    Apple's embrace of the liberal nanny state is now complete.
  • Reply 3 of 52
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post

     

     

    reported


     

    this is clearly a RUMOR of a feature based on an old patent, and is not a feature...thus there has been no embracing of anything. 

     

    BJ Frost should be banned for trolling.

  • Reply 4 of 52
    vuduvudu Posts: 28member
    Oh Jeez, Frosty.

    The point is where the reporting goes:
    If its entirely to yourself, then wearing tin foil hats by conspiracy theorists is not warranted.

    Seems to me, its very likely in place, or in addition to a password - to make sure you keep the data in front of yourself, should you choose to activate it.

    %u201CLiberal Nanny State?%u201D
    Considering some not-so-liberal writers associate Jobs with an Ayn Rand mindset (warranted or not quite aside from reality) - isn%u2019t this one incredibly paranoid statement to make?
  • Reply 5 of 52
    ... but opting-in requires a wedding vow to ur iPhone... She then becomes your faithful nagging wife...
  • Reply 6 of 52
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by DougD View Post



    Give me a break I sure don't want Big Brother Apple mandates

     

    good thing it's not a feature of any apple devices ive ever used.

  • Reply 7 of 52

    Maybe they can also make it so that Apple Pay will refuse to pay for your meal if you value-sized it.  ;)

  • Reply 8 of 52
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post

     

     

    reported




    Heaven forbid someone has their own opinion that isn't approved by the liberal nannies eh?

  • Reply 9 of 52

    Studies have shown that a healthier lifestyle = lower healthcare cost long term (duh!). Apple offers health insurance to their employees. Therefore if Apple can use this feature to help their employees be healthier and save hundreds of millions from lower insurance premium costs then I am all for it as a shareholder.

  • Reply 10 of 52
    I think this is an opt-in feature for people who need to do things on a regular basis. I can think of s few medical conditions which require periodic actions. For these people, this feature most definitely could assist them with taking care of themselves. Assist should not be equated to force since the feature can be turned off and people could enter false information just to get beyond the blocks. This patent is another example of Apple forward thinking.

    Thanks, sog35 for being proactive!
  • Reply 11 of 52
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,241member

    I can see this feature being used in conjunction with HealthKit and ResearchKit where participants or active users are required to enter information on a regular basis. This is the only way a research project would work so why not tie it to being able to use your iPhone. Too many people immediately look at this as a negative but many people need that incentive to do anything any keeping them from using their precious phone might be the only way to do it. If this is used by a doctor with patients, it's just another notification process they could use to (more than) gently remind their patients to do something that actually benefits them. Of course, nobody on this forum actually has any health related issues so they would never benefit from being reminded about anything. /s

  • Reply 12 of 52
    maltzmaltz Posts: 453member

    This is a horribly misleading headline.  It's clear from the images that these are reminders that the *USER* creates as a means of pushing themselves to do an important task.  Health info isn't even the focus, it's just an example, as is very clearly demonstrated with the "take a picture" reminder.

  • Reply 13 of 52
    dugbugdugbug Posts: 283member
    dougd wrote: »
    Give me a break I sure don't want Big Brother Apple mandates

    Oh for the love of God it's something you would enable because you think it will help you. Duh
  • Reply 14 of 52
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,178member
    maltz wrote: »
    This is a horribly misleading headline.  It's clear from the images that these are reminders that the *USER* creates as a means of pushing themselves to do an important task.  Health info isn't even the focus, it's just an example, as is very clearly demonstrated with the "take a picture" reminder.
    To be fair to the author the application (it's not a patent) does say "To encourage the user to provide the input data, the notification user interface can block other applications from being used until the input data is received". I'm with you tho that Apple is pretty unlikely to actually use it that way.

    Seeing as it's just an application at this point it may well have to be changed significantly anyway before the USPTO approves it. Some of these applications drag on for years with multiple changes to the claims before the USPTO signs off or the potential patentee decides it's not worth it and drops the application.
  • Reply 15 of 52
    vuduvudu Posts: 28member
    Too much homeroom time on one%u2019s hands?
  • Reply 16 of 52
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member

    Clearly, this is a kind of opt-in thing that someone could choose to use for the sake of encouragement. Its not a bad idea at all. For health goals, and other things. Its like when people opt-in to the black list for casinos to help their gambling problem.

     

    No, Apple is not going to ship iPhones that have this turned on by default.

  • Reply 17 of 52
    pmz wrote: »
    Clearly, this is a kind of opt-in thing that someone could choose to use for the sake of encouragement. Its not a bad idea at all. For health goals, and other things. Its like when people opt-in to the black list for casinos to help their gambling problem.

    No, Apple is not going to ship iPhones that have this turned on by default.

    Proof?
  • Reply 18 of 52
    chadbagchadbag Posts: 1,999member
    This is just a patent with examples, not something Apple is proposing with the iPhone.

    For example, "take picture of construction." Obviously something you could voluntarily set up and then have the phone "enforce". Same would go for the health things, which were just used as examples in the patent of things people want to do but find excuses not to do.
  • Reply 19 of 52
    chadbagchadbag Posts: 1,999member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Benjamin Frost View Post





    Proof?



    You really are daft.

     

    Where is your proof that this is even being considered by Apple?

  • Reply 20 of 52
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Benjamin Frost View Post





    Proof?

     

    Do you have a certificate verifying that you are not donkey-brained?

     

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