Oura, Samsung, and Amazfit filed or were granted seven patents this week, five of which focus on smart rings and recovery trackers. I was going to say they were all ‘novel but that has a specific legal meaning here, so let’s just say they are a little bit more interesting than normal and having so many in the same week is also unusual. Each section below covers what the idea would let you do rather than how they work. The sources are in the full Trademark and Patent Filing roundup for the week ending 29 October 2026.
Oura: a ring that tops up from body heat
Oura has filed in Europe for a ring that turns the temperature difference between your finger and the air into power that can partially charge and extend battery life. It wouldn’t replace the charger, just extend life. Rings presumably have very low power consumption, so even extending battery life from 14 days to 15 would be useful.
Oura: a sleep age score
Another patent describes a single number that compares sleep quality with a typical value for your chronological age, calculated from several nights of heart rate data. It follows the same approach as Oura’s cardiovascular age, so the figure will likely form a panel of age assessments for a variety of physiological metrics, presumably with the endpoint that all the individual ages add up to your actual age!
These age-related metrics are quite popular with owners of wearables, so there is a commercial motivation here but also a presentational one, as they are easy to understand and seem more impactful than a comparison to the average (which of course, is what they are in some form).
Oura: one charger for every ring size
A granted US patent covers one charging dock that fits every Oura ring size. Each size currently needs its own dock, so a single charger makes production and stocking cheaper for the company and, of course, makes copying it illegal.
Amazfit: heart rate that keeps up with intervals
Wrist heart rate tends to slightly lag or lock onto cadence at the start of an interval or a hill surge; some of that comes down to processing delay, and some of it is real lag. Amazfit‘s granted US patent 12,773,119 describes a way to recognise a genuine jump in heart rate instead of smoothing it out. That would mean more accurate interval data and training load figures without a chest strap. Amazfit filed it in 2022, so a version may already run on current watches. The heart rate technology guide covers why optical sensors struggle here.
Samsung: a ring that knows how it sits on your finger
Rings rotate during the day either naturally or because you fiddle with them, which confuses any feature that needs to know which way the sensor faces. A Samsung filing describes a short calibration gesture that tells a Galaxy Ring how it is sitting. Gesture controls, step counts and activity detection would stay reliable after the ring shifts.
Joke: Why do men always fiddle with their wedding rings? A: Because they haven’t yet figured out the combination!
Samsung: a ring that recognises its owner
A second Samsung filing describes a ring that checks a biometric reading against stored data to identify who is wearing it, then sets itself up for that person. A borrowed ring would no longer write someone else’s night or session into the owner’s training history. The same check could unlock payments or account access, and several pre-existing patents of this type exist from other brands.
Samsung: sensors beside the watch display
A third Samsung filing places sensors next to the display under the same lens, instead of only on the caseback. That suits readings taken by touching the watch face, such as ECG or body composition. The patent could also lead to a band or tracker where the display doesn’t fill the whole area; think iPhones and the island thingy at the top.
Most patents never become products. Every weekly issue is listed in the Trademark and Patent Filing index, and the earlier Oura blood pressure patent is a related quick read.
Quick answers
Will the Oura ring stop needing a charger?
No. The temperature difference between a finger and the air is small, so body heat would only stretch battery life between charges.
Does a patent mean Samsung or Oura will release these features?
No. A patent or application shows what a company is working on, and most never reach a product.
Is the Amazfit heart rate method already on Amazfit watches?
Possibly. Amazfit filed the patent in 2022, so a version of it may already run on current watches, but Amazfit has not said so.
Last Updated on 29 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. See the gear tfk uses. ID
