Wearable computing device

• US 10,156,867 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ouraring, Inc. (Oura Health Oy)
• Original Assignee: Motiv Inc.
• Inventors: von Badinski, Curt C., Strasser, Michael J., Twiss, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis R
• Application Number:
  US15/444,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20170235933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/146 for optical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/166 the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0042 for use with direct solar radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0052 the light source comprising a laser diode coupling into light guides using intermediate optical elements G02B6/4204; semiconductor lasers having optical devices external to the laser cavity H01S5/005
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0061 the light source comprising a LED semiconductor devices with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier specially adapted for light emission H01L33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/02 : Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/025 : for measuring physiological data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 : Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 : Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 : using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 : Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 : Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 : Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/751 : Comparing pixel values or logical combinations thereof, or feature values having positional relevance, e.g. template matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 : Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/15 : Biometric patterns based on physiological signals, e.g. heartbeat, blood flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/70 : Multimodal biometrics, e.g. combining information from different biometric modalities
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 : Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 : using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 : using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 : User interface
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 : specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 : with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/22 : Light-reflecting or light-concentrating means directly associated with the PV cell or integrated with the PV cell H01L31/054
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 : PV systems with concentrators

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a wearable computing device (WCD) in the form of a ring that can be worn on the finger of a human user.

Claims

1. A method of identifying an authorized user of a wearable intelligent ring computing device, the wearable intelligent ring computing device having an imaging module within an interior portion of the intelligent ring, the imaging module comprising an illumination element and an imaging element and being connected to a computing component, at least a portion of the imaging module being exposed by a window positioned in an exterior portion of the intelligent ring, the method comprising:

donning, on the finger of a user, the intelligent ring, in a manner so that the window of the intelligent ring is adjacent a skin surface of the finger of the user, the skin surface being proximate an underlying cluster of capillaries;

illuminating, by the illumination element of the intelligent ring, a portion of the skin surface of the skin of the finger of the user, in a manner to irradiate the capillaries;

imaging, by the imaging element, the portion of the skin surface of the user to generate at least one first image of the underlying cluster of capillaries;

generating, by the computing component of the intelligent ring, a reference capillary map corresponding to the user based at least in part on the at least one first image; and

identifying, by the computing element, the authorized user of the intelligent ring, the identifying being based at least in part on the generated reference capillary map.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing component comprises:

a processor, the processor for receiving raw data and using the raw data to determine one or more of interim and results data, the interim and results data comprising one or more of a condition of time, a condition of travel, a condition of activity, a medical condition, and a condition of sleep of a user;

a memory, associated with the processor, the memory for storing one or more of raw data as well as interim data, and final results data;

a plurality of sensors associated with one or more of the processor and the memory, the plurality of sensors for determining one or more of a heart rate, a pulse, a number of calories burned, a direction of travel, a speed of travel, a distance travelled;

an orientation of movement; and

a quality of sleep of a user so as to generate the raw data;

a communications module, associated with the processor, the communications module for communicating one or more of the raw data, interim data, and results data over a network to an associated server or client device; and

a rechargeable battery, the rechargeable battery for suppling power to the processor, the memory, the sensors, and the communications module.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the intelligent ring comprises a thickness, the thickness ranging from about 1.5 mm to about 3 mm.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising rotating the wearable intelligent ring computing device about a circumference of the finger of the user during the illuminating and imaging steps.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

imaging the portion of the skin surface of the finger of the user to generate at least one second image of the underlying cluster of capillaries; and

comparing the at least one second image to the reference capillary map in order to authenticate the user.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the capillary map is stored in the memory.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifying of the authorized user is for the purpose of authorizing the user, and the authorizing comprises comparing one or more of the at least one first image to the reference capillary map.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication module of the intelligent ring is configured for communicating with a remote computing device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the remote computing device is one or more of a mobile telephone or a third-party server or desktop computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein access to the one or more mobile telephone or third-party server or desktop computing device is a result of the authorizing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein once authorization is complete, data is transferred from the intelligent ring to the remote computing device via the communications module.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transferred data comprises one or more medical data or biometric data.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the authorizing is for the purpose of conducting a transaction.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the transaction comprises a payment or other bank transaction.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the illuminating comprises Near-Infrared (NIR) illumination.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the illuminating comprises broad spectrum light illumination for the purposes of determining one or more characteristics of the blood.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining of the one or more characteristics of the blood comprises at least one of determining a blood alcohol level, a blood glucose level, and a blood oxygen level.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the broad spectrum light illumination is for the purpose of determining an ECG profile.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the ECG profile is used for the purpose of authenticating the user.