Fitbit Patent Filings Reveal Glimpses of Next-Gen Products Featuring Heart-Rate Sensors, GPS And Smartphone Control

Fitbit, a San Francisco-based wearable device-maker serving the fitness conscious, is expected to introduce several new products that could sport a range of sports- and health-oriented features.

The information is based on a trio of Fitbit patent applications found on the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, website, referring to three unreleased Fitbit products -- Fitbit Surge, Fitbit Charge and PurePulse, according to a report from Zatz Not Funny, which added that it is unclear whether these are meant by the company to be devices or services. The new features expected to provided by Fitbit include heart-rate monitoring and global positioning system, or GPS, among many other features.

According to the application for Fitbit Surge, the product apparently targets runners with various features such as pedometers, GPS and altimeters. The product is also said to provide atmospheric data, such as temperature, wind speed and weather-related information. Other key features of the product include a heart-rate monitor, a sleep tracker and smartphone control for receiving notifications about incoming calls and messages.

The patent application for PurePulse describes the product as a wrist-mounted device that would feature an optical heart-rate sensor and be capable of “transmitting and displaying information relating to fitness.” The device is also expected to track and display relatively mundane information such as time and date, as well as the amount of calories burned, and the intensity and levels of exertion in any activity, while also having the ability to upload these bits of information to the Internet.

However, the trademark application for PurePulse does not include the Fitbit branding, suggesting that the device could be a standalone brand, TechCrunch reported.

The product’s description for Fitbit Charge is very similar to that of Fitbit Surge, with almost identical fitness-related features. However, while the Fitbit Charge tracks sleep and supports smartphone integration, it excludes features such as atmospheric data and GPS found on Fitbit Surge.

Fitbit is yet to make an official comment on the new products, and given the fact that the current information is based on trademark filings, which are typically filed by companies with an exhaustive list of potential features, the final products could very well be significantly different from the concept envisioned in the patent filings.