MULTIFUNCTION WRISTBAND

• US 20130262298A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: MORLEY, Stewart
• Granted Patent: US 9,934,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a multifunction wristband (or other wearable device) providing a lifestyle display that outwardly displays to other people the interests and social connections of the wearer, which can include data related to music, social media, charities, and more. The multifunction wristband can act either as a stand-alone device or as a companion device to another personal electronic device. Furthermore, it can incorporate a variety of additional useful features.

Claims

1. A wearable apparatus comprising:

a wireless interface configured to receive data indicative of social information from a device; and

a display coupled with the wireless interface and configured to show one or more images indicative of the received social information, wherein the one or more images are configured to be seen by at least one person other than a user wearing the wearable apparatus, to convey the social information, while the wearable apparatus is being worn by the user.

2. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processing unit configured to:

detect a triggering event; and

cause the display to show the one or more images such that they are configured to be seen by the user.

3. The wearable apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing unit is configured to cause the display to show the one or more images such that they are configured to be seen by the user by causing the display to do one or more of:

rotate an image;

or

alter a location of an image.

4. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the social information is related to at least one of:

an email,

a song,

a text message,

an instant message,

information related to a charitable organization,

information received from a social network,

information received from a website, or

information received from an RSS feed.

5. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processing unit configured to:

detect, with the wireless interface, a proximity of another wearable apparatus; and

transmit, with the wireless interface or another wireless interface, information related to the one or more images shown on the display.

6. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more feedback units capable of providing at least one of:

a vibrational indicator, or

an audio indicator.

7. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors capable of receiving input from the user.

8. The wearable apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wireless interface is further configured to transmit input to the device based, at least in part, on the input from the user.

9. The wearable apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of:

a touch screen,

a motion sensor, or

an orientation sensor.

10. The wearable apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a processing unit configured to:

receive financial data from another apparatus, wherein the financial data includes information for making a payment to an entity;

receive an input from the user authorizing the payment to the entity; and

transmit, with the wireless interface or another wireless interface, payment information including information regarding a financial account to fund the payment or an authorization for the payment.

11. The wearable apparatus of claim 10, wherein the input from the user includes a payment amount.

12. The wearable apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

receive an acknowledgement that the payment has been made; and

cause the display to show an image indicative of the entity to which the payment was made.

13. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more sensors capable of determining an orientation of the wearable apparatus; and

a processing unit configured to cause the display to show the one or more images at a position on the display, wherein the position is based, at least in part, on the determined orientation of the wearable apparatus.

14. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wearable apparatus comprises a wristband.

15. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a mobile phone or a server.

16. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wearable apparatus configures the one or more images to be seen by the at least one person other than the user.

17. A wearable apparatus for displaying images, the wearable apparatus comprising:

attaching means for attaching the wearable apparatus to a user;

communication means for wirelessly receiving data indicative of social information from a device; and

display means for showing one or more images indicative of the received social information, wherein the one or more images are configured to be seen by at least one person other than the user, to convey the social information, while the wearable apparatus is attached to the user via the attaching means.

18. The wearable apparatus of claim 17, further comprising processing means for:

detecting a triggering event; and

causing the display means to show the one or more images such that the one or more images are configured to be seen by the user.

19. The wearable apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processing means are configured to cause the display means to show the one or more images such that they are configured to be seen by the user by causing the display means to do one or more of:

rotate an image;

or

alter a location of an image.

20. The wearable apparatus of claim 17, wherein the social information is related to at least one of:

an email,

a song,

a text message,

an instant message,

information related to a charitable organization,

information received from a social network,

information received from a website, or

information received from an RSS feed.

21. The wearable apparatus of claim 17, further comprising processing means configured to:

detect, with the communication means, a proximity of another wearable apparatus; and

transmit, with the communication means or another communication means, information related to the one or more images shown with the display means.

22. The wearable apparatus of claim 17, further comprising feedback means capable of providing at least one of:

a vibrational indicator, or

an audio indicator.

23. The wearable apparatus of claim 17, further comprising sensing means capable of receiving input from the user.

24. The wearable apparatus of claim 23, wherein the communication means are further configured to transmit input to the device based, at least in part, on the input from the user.

25. The wearable apparatus of claim 23, wherein the sensing means include at least one of:

a touch screen,

a motion sensor, or

an orientation sensor.

26. The wearable apparatus of claim 23, further comprising processing means configured to:

receive financial data from another apparatus, wherein the financial data includes information for making a payment to an entity;

receive an input from the user authorizing the payment to the entity; and

transmit, with the communication means or another communication means, payment information including information regarding a financial account to fund the payment or an authorization for the payment.

27. The wearable apparatus of claim 26, wherein the input from the user includes a payment amount.

28. The wearable apparatus of claim 26, wherein the processing means are further configured to:

receive an acknowledgement that the payment has been made; and

cause the display means to show an image indicative of the entity to which the payment was made.

29. The wearable apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

sensing means capable of determining an orientation of the wearable apparatus; and

processing means configured to cause the display means to show the one or more images at a position on the display means, wherein the position is based, at least in part, on the determined orientation of the wearable apparatus.

30. The wearable apparatus of claim 17, wherein the wearable apparatus comprises a wristband.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions embedded thereon for displaying images on a wearable apparatus, the instructions including computer-executable code for:

receiving, with a wireless interface of the wearable apparatus, data indicative of social information from a device; and

causing a display of the wearable apparatus to show one or more images indicative of the received social information, wherein the one or more images are configured to be seen by at least one person other than a user of the wearable apparatus, to convey the social information, while the wearable apparatus is being worn by the user.

32. A method of displaying images on a wearable apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, with a wireless interface of the wearable apparatus, data indicative of social information from a device; and

causing a display of the wearable apparatus to show one or more images indicative of the received social information, wherein the one or more images are configured to be seen by at least one person other than a user of the wearable apparatus, to convey the social information, while the wearable apparatus is being worn by the user.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

detecting a triggering event; and

causing the display to show the one or more images such that they are configured to be seen by the user.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein causing the display to show the one or more images such that they are configured to be seen by the user includes causing the display to do one or more of:

rotate an image;

or

alter a location of an image.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising providing feedback to the user indicating the detection of the triggering event.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the social information is related to at least one of:

an email,

a song,

a text message,

an instant message,

information related to a charitable organization,

information received from a social network,

information received from a website, or

information received from an RSS feed.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

detecting, with the wireless interface, a proximity of another wearable apparatus; and

transmitting, with the wireless interface or another wireless interface, information related to the one or more images shown on the display.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising receiving, using one or more sensors, input from the user.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising transmitting input to the device based, at least in part, on the input from the user.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of:

a touch screen,

a motion sensor, or

an orientation sensor.

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

receiving financial data from another apparatus, wherein the financial data includes information for making a payment to an entity;

receiving an input from the user authorizing the payment to the entity; and

transmitting, with the wireless interface or another wireless interface, payment information including information regarding a financial account to fund the payment or an authorization for the payment.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the input from the user includes a payment amount.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

receiving an acknowledgement that the payment has been made; and

causing the display to show an image indicative of the entity to which the payment was made.

44. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

determining an orientation of the wearable apparatus; and

causing the display to show the one or more images at a position on the display, wherein the position is based, at least in part, on the determined orientation of the wearable apparatus.

45. The method of claim 32, wherein the wearable apparatus comprises a wristband.