Wearable multimodal computing device with hands-free push to talk

• US 20070178950A1
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lewis, James, Wilson, Leslie
• Application Number:
  US11/334,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20070178950A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.600
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0233 Including a rotatable display body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A wearable computing system can comprise a device attachment mechanism and a push to talk actuator. The device attachment mechanism can include a device coupler and a body affixer. The device coupler can detachably couple a portable computing device to the device attachment mechanism. The body affixer can detachably affix the device attachment mechanism to a forearm of a user positioned between a wrist of the user and an elbow of the user. The push to talk actuator can be activated by the user utilizing at least one of an arm, a hand, a wrist, and a finger movement. The push to talk actuator can be coupled to an actuator attachment mechanism that is wearably attached to the user in a hands-free fashion.

Claims

1. A wearable computing system comprising:

a device attachment mechanism comprising a device coupler and a body affixer, wherein said device coupler is configured to detachably couple a portable computing device to the device attachment mechanism, and wherein the body affixer is configured to detachably affix the device attachment mechanism to a user, wherein the device attachment mechanism is configured so that when the device coupler is coupled to the portable computing device and when the body affixer is affixed to the user; and

a push to talk actuator configured to be activated by the user utilizing a voluntary muscle movement, the push to talk actuator is coupled to an actuator attachment mechanism, wherein the actuator attachment mechanism is configured to be wearably attached to the user in a hands-free fashion.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the portable computing device coupled to the device coupler, wherein said portable computing device is a multimodal device having a speech modality and a visual modality, wherein a user selection of the said push to talk actuator responsively causes the portable computing device to enter a speech input mode.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the portable computing device comprises an embedded display for visually presenting output, wherein the embedded display is configured to be viewed by the user having the portable computing device wearably attached to a forearm of the user.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the device attachment mechanism is configured to permit the user to selectively adjust a position of the portable computing device in a device rotateable fashion, which permits the user to orient the embedded display for optimal viewing for a landscape viewing mode and for a portrait viewing mode.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the device coupler comprises a hook and loop fastener.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the device coupler comprises a swivel mount.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the push to talk actuator is communicatively linked to the portable computing device via a wireless communication link.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the push to talk actuator is physically separate from the device attachment mechanism, whereby the push to talk actuator is not physically attached to the device attachment mechanism.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the push to talk actuator is configured to be strapped around a hand of the user, and wherein the body affixer is configured to be attached to a forearm of the user so that the portable computing device is positioned between a wrist of the user and an elbow of the user and remains attached in a hands-free fashion.

10. A multimodal computing system with a wearable push to talk actuator comprising:

at least one activation sensor;

an actuator attachment mechanism configured to couple the push to talk actuator to at least one of an arm, a hand, a wrist, a forehead, and a finger of a user; and

a communicator configured to convey a notifier to a multimodal computing device responsive to a user activation of the activation sensor, wherein the push to talk actuator is physically separate from the multimodal computing device.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a device attachment mechanism configured to be worn on a user'"'"'s forearm to which the multimodal computing device is affixed.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the device attachment mechanism affixes the multimodal computing device using a hook and loop fastener and a swivel mount.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one activation sensor includes an electromyographics based sensor.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a device attachment mechanism configured to be worn on a user'"'"'s forearm to which the multimodal computing device is affixed, wherein the at least one activation sensor includes an electromyographics based sensor configured to be positioned between a users arm and the device attachment mechanism.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one activation sensor includes a palm squeeze sensor that detects an activation of a palm squeeze switch.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one activation sensor includes a palm bump sensor that detects an activation of a bump to talk switch configured to be worn on a side of a user'"'"'s palm.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to wireless convey the notifier from the push to talk actuator to the multimodal device.

18. A wearable system for a portable multimodal computing device comprising:

a device coupler configured to detachably couple a portable multimodal computing device to a device attachment mechanism,

a body affixer configured to detachably affix the device attachment mechanism to a forearm of a user between a wrist of the user and an elbow of the user, wherein when attached a display of the multimodal computing device is viewable by the user; and

a push to talk actuator remotely located from the portable multimodal computing device configured to be selectively activated by a user.

19. The wearable system of claim 18, wherein the device coupler comprises a swivel mount and a hook and loop fastener.

20. The wearable system of claim 18, wherein the body affixer comprises a plurality of different device mounts, wherein different ones of the device mounts are utilized to secure the multimodal computing device, wherein the utilized ones of the device mounts depends upon whether the body affixer is worn on a right forearm or a left forearm of the user.