Smart ring

• US 10,043,125 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Park, Edwin Chongwoo
• Primary Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US14/679,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20160292563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07701 the record carrier comprising an interface suitable for human interaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein for pairing at least one smart ring with a primary device. The primary device receives one or more identification signals having information relating to an identity of one or more smart rings. Each identification signal received from an associated one of the one or more smart rings based on motion of the associated one of the one or more smart rings with respect to the primary device. The processor of the primary device identifies the one or more smart rings based on the one or more identification signal.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a primary device, identification signals from one or more smart rings, the identification signals comprising a sound signal generated by the one or more smart rings, each sound signal including a Doppler shift associated with a motion of the one or more smart rings with respect to the primary device; and

identifying, by the primary device, the one or more smart rings based on identifying the Doppler shift of the identification signal associated with the one or more smart rings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification signals further comprise light signals from the group consisting of light emitted by the one or more smart rings and light reflected by the one or more smart rings.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of identification signals associated with a plurality of the smart rings, wherein identifying the one or more smart rings comprises comparing the received identification signals with the plurality of stored identification signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

receiving the identification signals comprises:

receiving a first identification signal associated with a first smart ring; and

receiving a second identification signal associated with a second smart ring.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the first identification signal is a first sound signal having a first frequency, the first sound signal generated by the first smart ring in motion with respect to the primary device; and

the second identification signal is a second sound signal having a second frequency, the second sound signal generated by the second smart ring in motion with respect to the primary device, wherein

the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the one or more smart rings based on the Doppler shift of the identification signals comprises:

identifying a first Doppler shift associated with the first frequency; and

identifying a second Doppler shift associated with the second frequency.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first Doppler shift and the second Doppler shift are captured by a microphone of the primary device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the identification signals comprises:

receiving the identification signals as the first and the second smart rings are moved in a predefined first direction.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the one or more smart rings comprises:

identifying a relative position between the first smart ring and the second smart ring as the first smart ring and the second smart ring are moved with respect to the primary device in a predefined first direction.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the one or more smart rings comprises:

identifying a first finger on which the first smart ring is worn; and

identifying a second finger on which the second smart ring is worn.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the one or more smart rings comprises:

determining a sequential order in which the first smart ring and the second smart ring pass a predefined area associated with the primary device.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the one or more smart rings comprises:

identifying the first smart ring and the second smart ring from a plurality of three or more smart rings.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the one or more smart rings comprises:

identifying a spatial relationship between the first smart ring and the second smart ring.

14. A method, comprising,

receiving, by a smart ring, identification signals from a speaker of a primary device, the identification signals comprising a sound signal including a Doppler shift caused by motion of the smart ring with respect to the primary device;

and

identifying the smart ring based on identifying the Doppler shift associated with of the identification signals.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the identification signals further comprise a reflected light signal.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

storing a plurality of identification signals associated with a plurality of smart rings, wherein identifying the smart ring comprises comparing the received identification signals with the plurality of stored identification signals.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

emitting, by the smart ring, light to the primary device;

capturing light reflected by the primary device; and

identifying the smart ring based on the light associated with the smart ring.

18. A system, comprising:

one or more smart rings, the one or more smart rings comprising a speaker to generate sound signals; and

a primary device comprising;

an interface configured to receive identification signals from the one or more smart rings, wherein each identification signal comprises a sound signal including a frequency and a Doppler shift associated with a motion of the one or more smart rings with respect to the primary device; and

a processor configured to identify the one or more smart rings based on identifying the Doppler shift associated with the identification signals.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the processor is configured to store a plurality of stored identification signals associated with each of a plurality of the smart rings; and

the processor is configured to identify the one or more smart rings by comparing the received identification signals with the plurality of stored identification signals.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the interface is further configured to:

receive a first identification signal associated with a first smart ring; and

receive a second identification signal associated with a second smart ring.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the first identification signal is a first sound signal having a first frequency, the first sound signal generated by the first smart ring in motion with respect to the primary device; and

the second identification signal is a second sound signal having a second frequency, the second sound signal generated by the second smart ring while in motion with respect to the primary device, wherein

the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a first Doppler shift associated with the first frequency; and

identify a second Doppler shift associated with the second frequency.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the interface is further configured to:

receive the first and the second identification signals as the first and the second smart rings are moved in a predefined first direction.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to:

identify the one or more smart rings by identifying a relative position between the first smart ring and the second smart ring as the first and the second smart rings are moved with respect to the primary device in a predefined first direction.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a first finger on which the first smart ring is worn; and

identify a second finger on which the second smart ring is worn.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify the one or more smart rings by determining a sequential order in which the first smart ring and the second smart ring pass a predefined area associated with the primary device.

27. A system, comprising:

means for receiving identification signals from one or more smart rings, the identification signals comprising a sound signal generated by the one or more smart rings, each sound signal including a Doppler shift caused by motion of the one or more smart ring with respect to a primary device; and

means for identifying the one or more smart rings based on identifying the Doppler shift of the identification signals associated with the one or more smart rings.