Wearable device having at least one interchangeable touch user interface

• US 10,345,869 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Robinson, Quentin N., Mitsufuji, Ai
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lam, Nelson
• Application Number:
  US14/788,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/045 Mounting of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A wearable device includes a core unit which is interchangeably attached to a container. The container may be configured to couple to a user, where the container may include a touch interface having a touch sensor associated with at least one surface of the container, a first inter-module communications interface (ICI), and a controller coupled to the touch interface and the ICI. The core unit may include a display, a second ICI which is communicatively coupled to the first ICI, a memory to store instructions and a processor. The processor may be configured to execute the instructions stored in memory to receive information through the first ICI and second ICI generated by the touch interface, where the information may be associated with a user command, and perform an operation in accordance with the received information associated with the user command.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a touch input on at least one of a pendant or a loop, wherein the pendant is suspended from the loop supported by a neck of a user, and wherein the detecting further comprises detecting the touch input via a touch user interface on a planar touch surface of the pendant which lies substantially within a same plane as a display, wherein the planar touch surface is offset from the display so that user entry of the touch input does not obscure the display, and further wherein contents of the display are automatically oriented for viewing when the user inverts a front of the pendant, by a rotation of the pendant about an axis that is substantially parallel to an edge of the display and is contained entirely within the plane of the display, to allow the user to interact with the planar ouch surface and view the display while the pendant is being worn by the user;

generating a signal in response to the detected touch input;

determining a command based on the signal; and

executing the command within a core unit, wherein the core unit is interchangeably attached to the pendant, and wherein the core unit includes a battery that provides power to the pendant via an inter-module communications interface (ICI), further wherein the pendant does not include a separate power source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a command comprises:

analyzing, within the pendant;

the signal generated in response to the detected touch input;

generating, within the pendant, the command in response to the analyzing; and

sending, from the pendant, the command to the core unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a command comprises:

sending, to the core unit, the signal generated in response to the detected touch input;

analyzing, within the core unit, the signal generated in response to the detected touch input; and

generating, within the core unit, a command in response to the analyzing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a touch input on the planar touch surface of the pendant comprises:

distinguishing between a single touch, a multi-touch, or a gesture, wherein a gesture includes at least one of a sliding, a tapping, a pinching, a rotating, or a duration of a touch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises detecting the touch input on the loop, wherein detecting the touch input on the loop further comprises:

detecting one or more touch inputs on a necklace, wherein the touch inputs include at least one of a sliding, a tapping, a pinching, or a duration of a touch, or

detecting one or more touch inputs on a lanyard, wherein the touch inputs include at least one of a tugging, a stretching, a sliding, a tapping, a pinching or a duration of touch.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, in the core unit, an output signal in response to the touch input; and

providing a tactile feedback to the user through the pendant.

7. A device, comprising:

a container configured to couple to a user, wherein the container comprises;

a touch interface having a touch sensor associated with at least one planar touch surface of the container;

a pendant, which is suspended from a loop, wherein the touch sensor lies substantially within a same plane of a display of a core unit, wherein the touch sensor is offset from the display so that an entry of a touch input does not obscure the display;

a first inter-module communications interface (ICI);

a controller coupled to the touch interface and the first ICI;

wherein the container does not include a separate power source; and

the core unit, interchangeably attached to the container, wherein the core unit further comprises;

the display;

a second ICI which is communicatively coupled to the first ICI;

a battery that provides power to the core unit and the container, wherein the container receives the power from the second ICI via the first ICI;

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the display, the second ICI, and the memory, the processor being configured to execute the instructions stored in memory to;

receive information through the first ICI and the second ICI generated by touch interface, wherein the information is associated with a user command,

perform an operation in accordance with the received information associated with the user command, and

generate contents for the display, wherein the contents are automatically oriented for viewing when the user inverts a front of the pendant, by a rotation about an axis that is substantially parallel to an edge of the display and is contained entirely within the plane of the display, to allow the user to interact with the touch sensor and view the display while the pendant is being worn by the user.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein:

the touch interface is configured to detect a touch input on the planar touch surface of the container and generate a signal in response to the detected touch input, and wherein;

the controller is configured to analyze the signal generated in response to the detected touch input, generate a command in response to the analyzing, and send the command to the core unit.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein:

the touch interface is configured to detect a touch input on the planar touch surface of the container, and generate a signal in response to the detected touch input, the controller is configured to send the generated signal to the core unit, and the core unit is configured to analyze the signal received from the controller, and generate a command in response to the analyzing.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the container further comprises:

the loop which is supported by a neck of the user and has a first touch sensor associated with a surface of the loop, wherein the pendant is suspended from the loop and has a second touch sensor associated with the at least one planar touch surface of the pendant.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the container electrically interfaces to transducers in articles of clothing, wherein the transducers are measurement sensors to track body motion during user activity.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the container electrically interfaces to transducers in articles of clothing, wherein the transducers are sensors to measure at least one of heartrate, respiration, temperature, or perspiration.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

detect one or more touch inputs on the loop which further comprises a necklace, wherein the touch inputs include at least one of a sliding, a tapping;

a pinching, or a duration of a touch, or

detecting one or more touch inputs on the loop which further comprises a lanyard, wherein the touch inputs include at least one of a tugging, a stretching, a sliding, a tapping, a pinching or a duration of touch.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at east one processor to:

detect a touch input on at least one of a pendant or a loop, wherein the pendant is suspended from the loop supported by a neck of a user, and wherein the detecting further comprises detecting the touch input via a touch user interface on a planar touch surface of the pendant which lies substantially within a same plane as a display, wherein the planar touch surface is offset from the display so that user entry of the touch input does not obscure the display, and further wherein contents of the display are automatically oriented for viewing when the user inverts a front of the pendant, by a rotation about an axis that is substantially parallel to an edge of the display and is contained entirely within the plane of the display, to interact with the planar touch surface and view the display while the pendant is being worn by the user;

generate a signal n response to the detected touch input;

determine a command based on the signal; and

execute the command within a core unit, wherein the core unit is interchangeably attached to the pendant, and wherein the core unit includes a battery that provides power to the pendant via an inter-module communications interface, further wherein the pendant does not include a separate power source.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions to determine a command further cause the at least one processor to:

analyze, within the pendant, the signal generated in response to the detected touch input;

generate, within the pendant, the command in response to the analyzing; and

send, from the pendant, the command to the core unit.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions to determine a command further cause the at least one processor to:

send, to the core unit, the signal generated in response to the detected touch input;

analyze, within the core unit, the signal generated in response to the detected touch input; and

generate, within the core unit, a command in response to the analyzing.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions to detect a touch input on a planar touch surface of the pendant further cause the at least one processor to:

distinguish between a single touch, a multi-touch, or a gesture, herein a gesture includes at least one of a sliding, a tapping, a pinching, a rotating, or a duration of a touch.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions to detect the touch input on the loop further cause the at least one processor to:

detect one or more touch inputs on a necklace, wherein the touch inputs include at least one of a sliding, a tapping, a pinching, or a duration of a touch, or

detect one or more touch inputs on a lanyard, wherein the touch inputs include at least one of a tugging, a stretching, a sliding, a tapping, a pinching or a duration of touch.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

generate, in the core unit, an output signal in response to the touch input; and

provide a tactile feedback to the user through the pendant.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the pendant electrically interfaces to transducers in articles of clothing, wherein the transducers are measurement sensors to track body motion during user activity.