Load balancing to maximize device function in a personal area network device system and method

• US 10,194,228 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2016
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Inventors: Hirsch, Eric Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Eason, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diaz, Sabrina
• Application Number:
  US15/245,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20170064428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 381 74, 381312, 381323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system includes a first device comprising a housing, a battery disposed within the housing, an intelligent control disposed within the housing, a transceiver disposed within the housing and operatively connected to the intelligent control, and a plurality of sensors operatively connected to the intelligent control. The system further includes a second device comprising a housing, a battery disposed within the housing, an intelligent control disposed within the housing, a transceiver disposed within the housing and operatively connected to the intelligent control, and a plurality of sensors operatively connected to the intelligent control. The first device and the second device provide for balancing load by powering one or more of the biosensors in one of the first device or the second device and shifting functions to the other of the first device and the second device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first earpiece comprising a housing, a battery disposed within the housing, an intelligent control disposed within the housing, a transceiver disposed within the housing and operatively connected to the intelligent control, at least one sensor operatively connected to the intelligent control, and a speaker operatively connected to the intelligent control;

a second earpiece comprising a housing, a battery disposed within the housing, an intelligent control disposed within the housing, a transceiver disposed within the housing and operatively connected to the intelligent control, at least one sensor operatively connected to the intelligent control, and a speaker operatively connected to the intelligent control;

wherein the first earpiece and the second earpiece both perform a first set of functions, the first earpiece performs a second set of functions which are not performed by the second earpiece, the second earpiece has a third set of functions performed that are not performed by the first earpiece, and a fourth set of functions which are performed by the first earpiece and the second earpiece working together;

wherein the first earpiece and the second earpiece provide for balancing load by powering one or more of the sensors and portions including the transceiver and speaker in one of the first device earpiece or the second earpiece and shifting one or more functions of the first set of functions to the other of the first earpiece and the second earpiece so that the battery life of the first earpiece and the battery life of the second earpiece extend to about the same period; and

wherein the first earpiece and the second earpiece perform predictive scheduling of the battery life of the first earpiece and the battery life of the second earpiece using predictive usage information when balancing the load.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first earpiece is a first wearable device and the second earpiece is a second wearable device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor of the first earpiece and the at least one sensor of the second earpiece each comprise at least one biosensor.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the at least one biosensor of the first earpiece and the at least one biosensor of the second earpiece both include a pulse oximeter.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the at least one biosensor of the first earpiece and the at least one biosensor of the second earpiece both include a temperature sensor.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the at least one biosensor of the first earpiece and the at least one biosensor of the second earpiece both include at least one of a blood pressure sensor, an EEG, an ATP sensor, a lactic acid sensor, a hemoglobin sensor, a hematocrit, an alcohol sensor, a glucose sensor, and a bilirubin sensor.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first earpiece and the second earpiece are in operative communication through the transceiver of the first earpiece and the transceiver of the second earpiece.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the transceiver of the first earpiece and the transceiver of the second earpiece are in operative communication in a personal area network.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first earpiece and the second earpiece have an overlapping function set.

10. A set of earpieces comprising:

a first earpiece comprising a first housing, a battery disposed within the first housing, a first intelligent control disposed within the first housing, a transceiver disposed within the first housing and operatively connected to the first intelligent control and at least one sensor operatively connected to the first intelligent control;

a second earpiece comprising a second housing, a battery disposed within the second housing, a second intelligent control disposed within the second housing, a transceiver disposed within the second housing and operatively connected to the second intelligent control and at least one sensor operatively connected to the second intelligent control;

wherein the first earpiece and the second earpiece both perform a first set of functions, the first earpiece performs a second set of functions which are not performed by the second earpiece, the second earpiece has a third set of functions performed that are not performed by the first earpiece, and a fourth set of functions which are performed by the first earpiece and the second earpiece working together;

wherein the first intelligent control is configured to monitor the battery, communicate data associated with the battery to the second earpiece, determine whether or not to power down circuitry associated with the at least one sensor of the first earpiece, and to shift one or more of the functions of the first set of functions to the second earpiece if the circuitry associated with the at least one sensor of the first earpiece is powered down, based upon predictive scheduling of the battery life of the first earpiece and the battery life of the second earpiece using predictive usage information when balancing a load.

11. The set of earpieces of claim 10 wherein the first earpiece is a wearable device and the first housing is a wearable housing.

12. The set of earpieces of claim 11 wherein the at least one sensor of the first earpiece includes at least one biosensor.

13. The set of earpieces of claim 12 wherein the at least one biosensor includes a pulse oximeter.

14. The set of earpieces of claim 12 wherein the at least one biosensor includes a temperature sensor.

15. The set of earpieces of claim 12 wherein the at least one biosensor includes at least one of a blood pressure sensor, an EEG, an ATP sensor, a lactic acid sensor, a hemoglobin sensor, a hematocrit, an alcohol sensor, a glucose sensor, and a bilirubin sensor.

16. The set of earpieces of claim 10 wherein the data comprises information associated with battery use and the at least one sensor use for improved load sharing and wherein the information is communicated to a remote server.

17. The set of earpieces of claim 16 wherein a mobile app on a mobile device is used to communicate the information associated with the battery use and the at least one sensor use for improved load sharing to the remote server.

18. A method comprising:

providing a first earpiece comprising a housing, a battery disposed within the housing, an intelligent control disposed within the housing, a transceiver disposed within the housing and operatively connected to the intelligent control, and at least one sensor operatively connected to the intelligent control;

providing a second earpiece comprising a housing, a battery disposed within the housing, an intelligent control disposed within the housing, a transceiver disposed within the housing and operatively connected to the intelligent control, and at least one sensor operatively connected to the intelligent control;

wherein the first earpiece and the second earpiece both perform a first set of functions, the first earpiece performs a second set of functions which are not performed by the second earpiece, the second earpiece has a third set of functions performed that are not performed by the first earpiece, and a fourth set of functions which are performed by the first earpiece and the second earpiece working together;

balancing load between the first earpiece and the second earpiece via a personal area network by powering down one or more of the sensors in one of the first earpiece or the second earpiece and shifting one or more functions in the first set of functions that overlap to the other of the first earpiece and the second earpiece via the personal area network if a threshold associated with a difference between a battery charge level of the first earpiece and a battery charge level of the second earpiece is reached so that the battery life of the first earpiece and the battery life of the second earpiece extend to about the same period; and

wherein the first earpiece and the second earpiece perform predictive scheduling of the battery life of the first earpiece and the battery life of the second earpiece using predictive usage information.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first earpiece is a first wearable device and the second earpiece is a second wearable device.