Google Patents Smart Watch Augmented Reality Viewer

The smart watch is one of those devices that usually sounds much more exciting than it turns out to be, but this time, things might be different. For one, the industry has been building smartphones and other tiny-but-high-tech devices for years, making a smart watch not as much of a technological jump as it has been in the past. For another, the company that may be building the next smart watch is Google. Android on your wrist, anyone?

Image from Google Smart Watch patent filing, depicting the watch pulling up product information.

Word of a possible Google smartphone is spreading thanks to Google’s filing for a smart watch patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The smart watch looks as though it will be making use of the Google Glass augmented reality technology. The watch face will open, which is where the augmented reality kicks in: you can aim the bezel at your surroundings to learn more about them, get information about deals on products, and even get directions.

The watch has a built in camera for the augmented reality tech, and it also has a transmitter that lets the watch send messages to your smartphone. Given Google’s seriousness about Google Glass glasses, this smart watch may really be in the works. We certainly hope so.