Wearable apparatus and network for communication therewith

• US 10,182,401 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2015
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acticheck Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Acticheck Ltd.
• Inventors: Garland, Bill, Gibbs, Karl, Marsden, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US15/301,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a processor, at least one transceiver, a sensor configured to sense the presence of a user, wherein the processor is configured to cause the at least one transceiver to transmit information indicative of a user status only when the proximity sensor senses the presence of a user.

Claims

1. A wearable device comprising:

a processor;

at least one transceiver;

a sensor configured to sense the presence of a user;

an energy source for powering the at least one transceiver, processor, and sensor, wherein the processor is configured to cause the at least one transceiver to transmit information indicative of a presence of a user, and wherein the energy source is configured to reduce its power output when the sensor configured to sense the presence of a user confirms the absence of a user, and wherein the at least one transceiver is configured to transmit a signal at a first time interval, and wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit a signal at a second time interval when the user presence sensor confirms the absence of a user, wherein the second time interval is greater than the first time interval.

2. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor configured to sense the presence of a user comprises a capacitive skin sensor.

3. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a sensor for detecting a body parameter.

4. The wearable device according to claim 3, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of an accelerometer and a temperature sensor.

5. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises an LED for visual feedback or a speaker for audible feedback.

6. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a vibrator for providing haptic feedback.

7. The wearable device according to claim 6, wherein the vibrator is of adjustable intensity.

8. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the energy source comprises at least one battery.

9. The wearable device according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus comprises a vibrator for providing haptic feedback, wherein the vibrator is of adjustable intensity, wherein the processor is configured to cause the intensity of the vibrator to stay constant as the battery power decreases.

10. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the processor configures all other sensors into low power mode when the user presence sensor confirms the absence of a user.

11. The wearable device according to claim 1, comprising a user input device, wherein the user input device comprises at least one of a switch, a temperature sensor, a voice input device and an accelerometer.

12. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one transceiver is configured to operate on one of two or more frequency bands or protocols.

13. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a first transceiver configured to operate on a first frequency band or protocol and a second transceiver configured to operate on a second frequency band or protocol.

14. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit a signal in response to one of a received signal or a user input.

15. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit a signal in response to a sensor reading outside an allowed range.

16. A method comprising:

using a sensor of a wearable device to confirm the presence of a user; and

causing information indicative of a user status to be sent from the wearable device to a device connected to the interne if the user presence is confirmed, wherein the information is transmitted at a first time interval;

reducing the power of an energy source when the sensor confirms the absence of the user, wherein the information is transmitted at a second time interval when sensor confirms the absence of a user, wherein the second time interval is greater than the first time interval.

17. A non-transitory computer program product comprising computer executable instructions which when run are configured to perform the method of claim 16.