One day in the near future, you may be wearing a Google watch to go with your Google Glass while you sit in your Google driverless car.

According to a report this morning from Business Insider, Google is “actively exploring the idea of making its own smart watch,” and is “looking at ways it might be able to market” it. The report cites “a source briefed on the plans”.

Google secured a patent last fall for such a device, but now, if this story holds water, the company may actually be working on such a device, as opposed to just holding the patent for patent’s sake. Here’s the abstract:

A smart-watch can include a wristband, a base, and a flip up portion. The base can be coupled to the wristband and include a housing, a processor, a wireless transceiver, and a tactile user interface. The wireless transceiver can be configured to connect to a wireless network. The tactile user interface can be configured to provide interaction between a user and the smart-watch. The flip up portion can be displaceable between an open position exposing the base and a closed position concealing the base. Further, the flip up portion can include: a top display exposed when the flip up portion is in the closed position, and an inside display opposite the top display. The inside display can be concealed when the flip up portion is in the closed position and be exposed when the flip up portion is in the open position.

It’s hard to imagine a watch taking the place of today’s smartphones and their nice big screens. You aren’t going to want to play Madden or watch YouTube videos on a watch, the way you do on your phone, unless we’re talking about a phone sized watch, which just seems ridiculous. Combined with a smart Glass, like Google Glass, however, there might be more reason to use it, depending on if that Glass is able to meet all of the user’s needs on its own. Then, of course there are people who will have no interest in wearing such a device on their face to begin with.

Devices like Glass and Smart Watches aren’t likely to gain the mass market appeal that smart phones have managed to get, in my opinion. That doesn’t mean devices like these won’t find their niches.

Apple has also been said to be “exploring development” of a smart watch.