Apple Watch 7 and later models may feature "Wrist ID" to more easily unlock the smartwatch.

Apple's new smartwatch patent, discovered by TheNextWeb, attempts to tackle a big problem with wearables. And that means you have to enter a PIN to enter. But PINs may soon be a thing of the past.

The patent, titled Wearable Electronic Device Having a Light Field Camera, is an Apple Watch-style wearable with a floodlight and sensor on the bottom. The light projector is a small light field on the wrist. The floodlight shines light on a small area of the wrist, allowing the sensor to capture images. It can capture patterns of blood vessels, capillaries, bone geometry, or pores, hair follicles, and pigmentation of the skin itself on the wrist. These are assisted by a tilt sensor, which can detect the angle at which the watch is worn.

The images taken are used to authenticate the wearer's identity when the watch is unlocked, with the light projector and sensor taking a new image and comparing it to the image stored on the watch. The tilt sensor instructs the software to compensate for changes in the angle of the image. Overall, it is similar to how Face ID on the iPhone 12 works with the IR projector/sensor system, which, as TNW explains, is effectively Wrist ID.

Currently, the Apple Watch can only be unlocked by entering a passcode on the touchscreen or by unlocking the iPhone and placing it nearby. While not too cumbersome to do this while wearing the watch, this Wrist ID system would be a much quicker and more convenient way to unlock the watch when the iPhone is not at hand.

Patents are no guarantee that this will be a feature of an actual purchasable product. However, even if the idea takes years to develop, the patent seems like a plausible feature that could be included in a future Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch 7 is expected to arrive this fall, priced around $400, the same as previous models. There are no specific rumors about its features yet, but expect it to address battery life of 24 hours or less and add new health features like blood pressure monitoring; whatever it adds over the Apple Watch 6 will likely be voted the best smartwatch.