WEARABLE DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS

• US 20150133193A1
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Smart Patents LLC
• Inventors: Stotler, James G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,651,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 9/0053 having special functions
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 9/02 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/165 the additional display being small, e.g. for presenting status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0216 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 : for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 : for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 : for image or video messaging

Abstract

A wearable computing device can have a processor, a memory, and a display so operatively coupled to the processor and the memory as to display an output therefrom. The processor and the memory can be positioned in a resiliently flexible body. The resiliently flexible body can include a first end and an opposed second end, a first edge and an opposed second edge, wherein the first and the second edges extend between the first end and the opposed second end. The body can also have a wearer-engagement portion positioned between the first end and an intermediate region, wherein the finger-engagement portion of the resiliently flexible body circumferentially so extends around a longitudinally extending axis positioned parallel to the first end and spaced apart from the resiliently flexible body as to define an open interior region, wherein the interior region of the wearer-engagement portion defines an inner surface extending between the first edge and the second edge and between the first end and the intermediate region, wherein the wearer engagement portion further defines an outer surface positioned outward of the interior region and opposite the interior surface. A display portion of the body can be positioned between the intermediate region and the second end, wherein the display is positioned in the display portion on a same side of the resiliently flexible body as the outer surface of the wearer-engagement portion. A user input device can be positioned opposite the interior surface and outward of the interior region, and between the first end and the display portion.

Claims

1. A wearable computing device comprising:

a processor, and a memory;

a ring-type holder having a wall extending circumferentially around a longitudinally extending axis, wherein the wall extends longitudinally of the axis between a first open end and a second open end positioned in an opposed relationship relative to the first end, wherein the wall defines an open interior bore extending between the first open end and the opposed second open end, wherein the open interior bore is sufficiently sized as to slidably receive a wearer'"'"'s finger therein and wherein the wall is correspondingly sized to overlie and matingly engage with a user'"'"'s index finger positioned in the interior bore so as to retain the ring-type holder in a user-selected position overlying the wearer'"'"'s index finger, and wherein the wall defines an inner surface so exposed to the open interior bore as to contact a wearer'"'"'s finger received therein;

a first display operatively coupled with the processor and the memory to display an output therefrom, wherein the first display is mechanically coupled with the wall of the ring-type holder; and

a second display operatively coupled with the processor and the memory to display an output therefrom and defining a user input device positioned outward of the wall and in opposed relationship to a wearer'"'"'s thumb when the wearer'"'"'s index finger is matingly engaged within the open interior bore defined by the wall, wherein the user input device is operatively coupled with the processor and the memory to permit a user to invoke machine executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform a selected task, and wherein the first display is relatively larger than the second display and is operatively coupled with the second display so as to reproduce a display output from the second display on the first display and to provide an indicator of a relative location of the wearer'"'"'s thumb in relation to a surface of the user input device.

2. A wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the user input device comprises one of a touch-responsive device configured to emit one or more signals in response to being touched by a wearer'"'"'s thumb, and a thumb-actuable track pad.

3. A wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the open interior bore defines a longitudinal axis and the wall defines a relatively longer portion extending parallel to the longitudinal axis and a relatively shorter portion extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein at least one of the open ends defines an arched-type support extending between the relatively shorter portion of the wall to the relatively longer portion of the wall.

4. A wearable computing device according to claim 3, wherein the relatively longer portion of the wall comprises an electrical coupler configured to electrically couple a display device to the ring-type holder.

5. A wearable computing device according to claim 3, wherein the relatively shorter longitudinal portion of the wall has a length sized to fit between a wearer'"'"'s first and second knuckles positioned at opposing ends of a middle phalanx of a wearer'"'"'s index finger.

6. A wearable computing device according to claim 5, wherein the relatively shorter longitudinal portion of the wall has a length sized to permit a wearer'"'"'s index finger to flex when the index finger is frictionally engaged within the open interior bore defined by the wall.

7. A wearable computing device according to claim 6, wherein each of the first and the second open ends defines a corresponding transition between the relatively shorter longitudinal portion of the wall to the relatively longer longitudinal portion of the wall, and wherein the transitions are asymmetrically arranged relative to each other.

8. A wearable computing device according to claim 4, wherein the first display is electrically coupled to the ring-type holder through the electrical coupler.

9. A wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the user input device has a convex contour corresponding to a contour of an outer surface of the wall.

10. A wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the user input device comprises a first user input device positioned in opposed relationship to a wearer'"'"'s thumb when the wearer'"'"'s index finger is frictionally engaged within the open interior bore, wherein the wearable computing device further comprises a second user input device positioned outward of the wall and circumferentially spaced apart from the first user input device.

11. A wearable computing device according to claim 10, wherein the first user input device has a convex outer contour and wherein the second user input device has a convex outer contour.

12. A wearable computing device according to claim 11, wherein one or both of the first user input device and the second user input device comprises one of and a thumb-actuable track pad and a touch-responsive device configured to emit one or more signals in response to being touched by a wearer'"'"'s thumb.

13. A wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the user input device is resiliently flexible.

14. A wearable computing device according to claim 10, wherein one or both of the first user input device and the second user input device is resiliently flexible.

15. A wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the wall defines a first edge extending longitudinally relative to the longitudinal axis between the first end and the opposed second end, wherein the wall further defines a second edge extending longitudinally relative to the longitudinal axis between the first end and the opposed second end, wherein the circumferentially extending wall extends between the first edge and the second edge such that the first edge and the second edge are circumferentially opposed relative to each other.

16. A wearable computing device according to claim 15, wherein the first edge of the wall is spaced apart from the second edge of the wall to define a gap opening to the open interior bore.

17. A wearable computing device according to claim 15, wherein a first portion of the wall adjacent the first edge of the wall and a second portion of the wall adjacent the second edge of the wall are positioned in overlapping relation with each other when a user'"'"'s finger is not inserted in the open interior bore.

18. A wearable computing device according to claim 17, wherein the wall is sufficiently resilient that the overlapping relation of the first wall portion and the second wall portion permits an interior dimension of the open interior bore to expand as a wearer'"'"'s finger urges the wall outwardly upon insertion of the wearer'"'"'s finger into the bore.

19. A wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the user input device comprises a thumb track pad having a sensor configured to detect a position of a marker point on a wearer'"'"'s thumb in relation to the track pad.

20. A wearable computing device according to claim 13, wherein the wall further comprises a shape memory alloy configured to assume a predetermined form embedded in a flexible material, and wherein at least one of the displays is a flexible display configured to conform to a shape of the wall.

21. A wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the displays comprises an outer periphery defining two pairs of opposed edges, and at least one diagonal edge extending between one of the edges in one of the two pairs and one of the edges in the other of the two pairs, wherein the diagonal edge is arranged to permit the ring-type holder and the respective display to be worn on a user'"'"'s index finger between a distal-most knuckle and a next-to-distal-most knuckle without causing the display to impinge into a portion of the user'"'"'s index finger proximal of the next-to-distal-most knuckle.

22. A wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical coupling between the wall and the display comprises a pivotable coupler arranged to permit the display to pivot about an axis orthogonal to the longitudinally extending axis.

23. A wearable computing device comprising:

a processor, and a memory;

a ring-type holder having a wall extending circumferentially around a longitudinally extending axis, wherein the wall extends longitudinally of the axis between a first open end and a second open end positioned in an opposed relationship relative to the first end, wherein the wall defines an open interior bore extending between the first open end and the opposed second open end, wherein the open interior bore is sufficiently sized as to slidably receive a wearer'"'"'s finger therein and wherein the wall is correspondingly sized to overlie and matingly engage with a user'"'"'s index finger positioned in the interior bore so as to retain the ring-type holder in a user-selected position overlying the wearer'"'"'s index finger, and wherein the wall defines an inner surface so exposed to the open interior bore as to contact a wearer'"'"'s finger received therein;

a display operatively coupled with the processor and the memory to display an output therefrom, wherein the display is mechanically coupled with the wall of the ring-type holder with a hinged coupler arranged to permit the display to pivot about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis; and

a user input device positioned outward of the wall and in opposed relationship to a wearer'"'"'s thumb when the wearer'"'"'s index finger is matingly engaged within the open interior bore defined by the wall, wherein the user input device is operatively coupled with the processor and the memory to permit a user to invoke machine executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform a selected task.

24. A wearable computing device according to claim 23, wherein the hinged coupler is further configured to permit the display to be rotated into a user-selected position relative to the wall.

25. A wearable computing device according to claim 24, wherein the hinged coupler is further configured to permit the display to be arranged to support the wearable computing device in a stationary position on a surface generally orthogonal to gravity.

26. A wearable computing device according to claim 23, wherein the display comprises an outer periphery defining two pairs of opposed edges, and at least one diagonal edge extending between one of the edges in one of the two pairs and one of the edges in the other of the two pairs, wherein the diagonal edge is arranged to permit the ring-type holder and the display to be worn on a user'"'"'s index finger between a distal-most knuckle and a next-to-distal-most knuckle without causing the display to impinge into a portion of the user'"'"'s index finger proximal of the next-to-distal-most knuckle.