Activity powered band device

• US 10,492,594 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2017
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Davis, Mark Charles, Zawacki, Jennifer Greenwood, Kobs-Fortner, Debra Kay, Robinson, Douglas Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas M
• Application Number:
  US15/783,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20180035793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 310339
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/002 adapted to accommodate electronic equipment patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2005/008 Hand articles fastened to the wrist or to the arm or to the leg
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/02 Fastening articles to the garment
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A method provides a band, including: placing an energy harvesting mechanism within a deformable band; the energy harvesting mechanism being placed to transform deformation of the deformable band into stored energy; and providing a connection element to the energy harvesting mechanism; said connection element offering a coupling of the stored energy of the deformable band to a device. In an embodiment, a force is applied to deform a deformable band along a length dimension of the deformable band. The force acts to move an energy harvesting mechanism of the deformable band such that the energy harvesting mechanism transforms deformation of the deformable band into stored energy. The stored energy may be used, e.g., to collect information using a sensor of said deformable band. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing, using an energy harvesting mechanism positioned within a deformable band, energy in response to deformation of the deformable band; and

collecting, using a device of the deformable band, information associated with a wearer of the deformable band;

wherein a

connection element provides a coupling of the stored energy of the deformable band to the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the deformable band further comprises a communication element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a camera, a position sensor, an orientation sensor, an audio sensor, and a physiological sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a piezo-electric mechanism, a linear generator mechanism, and a radial generator mechanism.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the deformable band is integrated within an article of clothing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the article of clothing is a belt.