The latest Nest Hub from Google includes remote sleep monitoring technology that was described in a patent filed almost a year before product release. We discussed that patent in January of 2021, when we noted that Google may be incorporating sleep monitoring into its newest Nest Hub product after an FCC filing stated that the device would include an interactive screen with gesture recognition. Despite not having a large patent in Consumer Sleep technology, Google did file an application in March of 2020 for detecting sleep stages using an IR sensor. The new Nest Hub is camera-free and incorporates Google's Soli radar for sleep tracking, which is the same method claimed in last year's patent application. Google has filed patents for numerous applications of the Soli sensors, including in smartphones, retail stores, and wearables, in the past four years. The technology has already been implemented in the Pixel 4 and now in the new Nest Hub, showing once again that patents do predict commercialization. Google's activity also suggests that the company will not rely solely on its Fitbit acquisition — which we also predicted based on patent data — for consumer health technology as the market grows. What will Google do next? Monitor patent activity to stay ahead of new product development by subscribing to the Cryptocurrency Patent Forecast®.
