Electronic Device With Speed Measurement and Output Generation

• US 20080066560A1
• Filed: 09/13/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Purcell, Christopher, Moran, Steven, Ostendorff, Eric, Yu, Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 7,637,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/861.85
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0663 worn on the wrist, e.g. wrist bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0093 for surfing, i.e. without a sail; for skate or snow boarding
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 11/224 associated with timing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/10 for indicating predetermined speeds
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/06 using rotation of vanes measuring speed of rotating shafts G01P3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/07 with electrical coupling to the indicating device

Abstract

A speed measuring device with an output generating system is disclosed. The output generating system can generate visual outputs and/or audible outputs in response to a detected flow of air. The device includes a coupling component that allows the device to be wearable by a user.

Claims

1. A wearable electronic device configured to generate an output based on the flow of air relative to the device, the device comprising:

a housing, the housing including a speed measuring device and an output generating system, the speed measuring device being configured to measure the relative speed of the air engaging the speed measuring device, the output generating system being configured to generate at least one output in response to the measured relative speed; and

a coupling structure, the coupling structure being coupled to the housing, the coupling structure being configured to be coupled to an object so that the housing can be worn by a user.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the speed measuring device includes a propeller and a sensor, the sensor being configured to determine the rate of rotation of the propeller, which corresponds to the speed of air engaging the speed measuring device.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the sensor includes a light emitter and a light receiver, the propeller includes several blades, and the blades being disposed between the light emitter and the light receiver so that the blades interrupt a beam of light between the light emitter and the light receiver.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the output generating system includes a visual output device and an audible output device, each of the visual output device and the audible output device generating an output in response to the speed of rotation of the propeller.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the output generating device is configured to generate a first output in response to a first speed and a second output in response to a second speed, the first output being different than the second output, and the first speed being less than the second speed.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the first output includes a first audible output, the second output includes a second audible output, the second audible output being different than the first audible output.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein a pitch of the second audible output is higher than a pitch of the first audible output.

9. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the first output includes a first visual output, the second output includes a second visual output, the second visual output being different than the first visual output.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first visual output includes at least one element and the second visual output includes at least two elements.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first visual output includes a first quantity of elements and the second visual output includes a second quantity of elements, the first quantity of elements being less than the second quantity of elements.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the speed measuring instrument is an anemometer.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the output generating system being disposed in the upper portion, and the speed measuring device is disposed in the lower portion.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the coupling structure is pivotally mounted to the housing and movable between a clamping position and a receiving position, the coupling structure being biased into the clamping position by a biasing member.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the coupling structure includes a mounting portion releasably coupled thereto, the mounting portion being configured to be secured to the object.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the mounting portion includes a first portion configured to be connected to the coupling portion and a second portion configured to be secured to the object, the first portion and the second portion being movably connected together to allow relative positioning of the electronic device relative to the object.

17. A wearable speed measuring device that generates an output based on a flow of air, the device comprising:

a body;

an air flow instrument, the air flow instrument being coupled to the body, the air flow instrument being configured to determine the speed of a flow of air relative to the device;

an electronic system, the electronic system being operatively coupled to the air flow instrument, the electronic system including an output generating device, the output generating device being configured to generate a first output in response to a first speed of an air flow detected by the air flow instrument and a second output in response to a second speed of an air flow detected by the air flow instrument, the first speed being different than the second speed, and the first output being different than the second output; and

means for mounting the body, the means for mounting being coupled to the body, the means for mounting being configured to couple the body to an object.

18. The wearable speed measuring device of claim 17, wherein the air flow instrument includes a rotatably mounted propeller and a sensor, the sensor being disposed so that the sensor can determine the speed of rotation of the propeller.

19. The wearable speed measuring device of claim 17, wherein the sensor includes a light emitter that is configured to generate an infrared light beam and a light detector that is configured to detect a light beam, the light emitter and the light detector being disposed on opposite sides of the propeller so that a portion of the propeller passes between the light emitter and the light detector and interrupts the light beam.

20. The wearable speed measuring device of claim 17, wherein the first output includes a first audible output and a first visual output, the second output includes a second audible output and a second visual output, the first audible output being different than the second audible output and the first visual output being different than the second visual output.

21. A portable output generating device that generates audible outputs in response to the flow of air relative to the device, the device comprising:

a housing, the housing being configured to be coupled to an object so that the housing is supported by a user;

an air flow detector, the air flow detector being coupled to the housing, the air flow detector being configured to measure the speed of air flow relative to the housing; and

an output generator, the output generator being configured to generate different audible outputs based on the different speeds of air flow measured by the air flow detector.

22. The portable output generating device of claim 21, wherein a volume of the audible outputs increases as the detected speeds increase, and the volume of the audible outputs decreases as the detected speeds decrease.

23. The portable output generating device of claim 21, wherein the output generator is configured to generate visual outputs, each of the visual outputs including at least one element, the quantity of elements displayed by the output generator as a visual output being determined by the detected speed of air flow.

24. The portable output generating device of claim 23, wherein the quantity of elements displayed increases as the detected speed increases and the quantity of elements displayed decreases as the detected speed decreases.

25. The portable output generating device of claim 23, wherein each of the elements includes a number, and the displayed elements are displayed chronologically.