Short Range Wireless Powered Ring for User Interaction and Sensing

• US 20140285416A1
• Filed: 03/20/2013
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Priyantha, Nissanka Arachchige Bodhi, Burger, Douglas Christopher, DeJean, Gerald Reuben, Liu, Jie, Lymperopoulos, Dimitrios, Ganesan, Deepak
• Granted Patent: US 9,696,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In general, the short range wireless powered ring described herein pertains to a finger-worn ring. In one embodiment the ring has a small interaction area towards the palm of the hand that employs sensors to sense user input and can interpret this input and other data. For example, the ring can interpret user input as scroll and select input actions. The ring communicates user interactions and other data wirelessly using a low-power wireless solution. The ring contains a coil and other circuitry for energy harvesting from short range wireless enabled devices such as, for example, NFC enabled phones, while users interact with their devices. A built in rechargeable battery is used to store the scavenged energy. The ring may also contain physiological and inertial sensors. The ring can provide a readily available input device of small form factor that has an easily accessible energy source for ease of use.

Claims

1. A body-worn ring that harvests short range wireless energy, comprising:

a small interaction area on the body-worn ring comprising actuators for sensing user input actions;

an inductor and circuitry that is used for harvesting short range wireless energy;

a battery for storing the harvested energy; and

a wireless link that communicates the user input actions to a computing device using the harvested energy.

2. The ring of claim 1 wherein the short range wireless energy is near field communication (NFC) energy.

3. The ring of claim 1 wherein the inductor and circuitry for energy harvesting harvest energy from a short range wireless-enabled device.

4. The ring of claim 1, wherein a RF radio is used for the wireless link.

5. The ring of claim 1, wherein near field communication is used for the wireless link.

6. The ring of claim 1 wherein the actuators can detect user scrolling and selection actions.

7. The ring of claim 1 wherein the input actions can be used to control the computing device or another device.

8. The ring of claim 1 wherein the small interaction area is located towards a palm of a user'"'"'s hand.

9. The ring of claim 1, further comprising sensors that sense at least one of:

physiological signals of the user;

inertia of the ring;

image data; and

environmental data.

10. A finger-worn ring, comprising:

one or more sensors on the ring that detect input;

an inductor and circuitry on the ring that harvest short range wireless energy;

a link that transmits the detected input from the ring to another device using the harvested energy.

11. The finger-worn ring of claim 10, wherein the link transmits the detected input using short range wireless communications.

12. The finger-worn ring of claim 10, wherein the link transmits the detected input using a RF radio.

13. The ring of claim 10, wherein the detected input is used to control another device or application.

14. The ring of claim 10 further comprising at least one physiological sensor and wherein the detected input is physiological data of the user.

15. The ring of claim 10 further comprising at least one inertial sensor and wherein the detected input is the inertia of the ring.

16. The ring of claim 10 further comprising at least one imaging sensor and wherein the detected input is image data.

17. The ring of claim 10 further comprising actuators for detecting user input actions.

18. A ring that is used as an input device and a sensing device, comprising:

one or more actuators on the ring that receive user input actions;

one or more sensors on the ring that passively sense information;

an inductor and circuitry that harvests short range wireless communication energy;

a battery for storing the scavenged energy; and

a wireless link that transmits the received input actions and the sensed information to a computing device using the harvested energy.

19. The ring of claim 18 wherein the wireless link comprises a RF transceiver that transmits the received input actions and the sensed information to the computing device.

20. The ring of claim 18 wherein the wireless link comprises a short range wireless communication module that transmits the received input actions and the sensed information to the computing device.