WEARABLE COMPUTING SYSTEMS

• US 20150223355A1
• Filed: 02/04/2014
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Fleck, Rod G., Bohn, David D., Garcia, Ben, Joers, Sarah L., Toney, Aaron P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,668,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/026 having standardized interfaces flash memory cards G06K19/077

Abstract

One embodiment provides a computing device comprising a computing device body, a display coupled with the computing device body, a first set of computing components incorporated into the computing device body, and a securing system configured to secure the body to a wrist, the securing system comprising a plurality of detachable modular segments joined together to form a second set of computing components that is modifiable by changing segments. Each modular segment comprises a first mechanical connector and a second mechanical connector, a first set of electrical connectors and a second set of electrical connectors, and one or more electrical components incorporated into the modular segment, such that a functionality of the computing device is modifiable by changing modular segments.

Claims

1. A computing device configured to be worn on a user'"'"'s body, the computing device comprising:

a computing device body;

a display coupled with the computing device body;

a first set of computing components incorporated into the computing device body; and

a securing system configured to secure the body to a wrist, the securing system comprising a plurality of detachable modular segments joined together to form a second set of computing components that is modifiable by changing segments, each modular segment comprising

a first mechanical connector and a second mechanical connector each configured to be coupled to a complementary mechanical connector on one or more of an adjacent modular segment and the body,

a first set of electrical connectors and a second set of electrical connectors each configured to connect to a corresponding set of electrical connectors on the one or more of the adjacent modular segment and the body, and

one or more electrical components incorporated into the modular segment, such that a functionality of the computing device is modifiable by detaching one or more modular segments and also by attaching one or more other modular segments.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to be worn on a wrist, and wherein the securing system is configured to secure the computing device to a wrist.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first set of electrical connectors and the second set of electrical connectors each comprises two or more connectors.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein each modular segment comprises a modular segment body, wherein the first set of electrical connectors and first mechanical connector are located on a first side of the modular segment body, and wherein the second set of electrical connectors and second mechanical connector are located on a second side of the modular segment body.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the second set of computing device components comprises one or more of an auxiliary display, a battery, a speaker, a solar power source, a kinetic power source, a solar power collector, a global positioning system sensor, an auxiliary display, a wireless battery charger, a haptic output device, a motion sensor, a camera, a SIM card, a storage device, a connector, a biometric sensor, a microphone, a button, a light emitting diode.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the second set of computing device components includes a plurality of modular segments each comprising one or more batteries.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first mechanical connector and the second mechanical connector respectively comprise a pin and a retainer configured to connect to the pin.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first mechanical connector and the second mechanical connector each comprises one or more magnets.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein one or more modular segments comprise electrical components in the form of conductors extending between the first set of electrical connectors and the second set of electrical connectors.

10. A method of providing a modular securing structure for a wearable computing device, the wearable computing device comprising a first set of electrical components in a computing device body and a second, user-modifiable set of electrical components in the modular securing structure, the method comprising:

providing a first modular securing structure segment and a second modular securing structure segment, the first modular securing structure segment comprising a first electrical component, a first mechanical connector, and a first electrical connector, and the second modular securing structure segment comprising a second electrical component, a second mechanical connector, and a second electrical connector, the first modular securing structure segment and the second modular securing structure segment being configured to be electrically and mechanically joined to each other to to form at least a portion of the second, user-modifiable set of electrical components, and being configured to be coupled to the computing device body to thereby electrically and mechanically join the modular securing structure to the computing device body and communicatively couple the first set of electrical components and the second set of electrical components.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising joining the first modular securing structure segment and the second modular securing structure segment to form a wrist strap for a wrist computing device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first set of electrical connectors and the second set of electrical connectors each comprises two or more connectors.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each modular segment comprises a modular segment body, wherein the first set of electrical connectors and first mechanical connector are located on a first side of the modular segment body, and wherein the second set of electrical connectors and second mechanical connector are located on a second side of the modular segment body.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first mechanical connector and the second mechanical connector each comprises one or more magnets.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first mechanical connector comprises a pin and the second mechanical connector comprises a retainer configured to connect to the pin.

16. A modular segment configured to be coupled with one or more of a computing device configured to be worn on a wrist and another modular segment to form a wrist strap and to extend a functionality of the computing device, the modular segment comprising:

a first mechanical connector and a second mechanical connector each configured to be coupled to a complementary mechanical connector on one or more of an adjacent modular segment and the body,

a first set of electrical connectors and a second set of electrical connectors each configured to connect to a corresponding set of electrical connectors on the one or more of the adjacent modular segment and the body, and

one or more electrical components incorporated into the modular segment.

17. The modular segment of claim 16, wherein the first set of electrical connectors and the second set of electrical connectors each comprises two or more electrical connectors.

18. The modular segment of claim 16, wherein the second set of components comprises one or more of a biometric sensor, an auxiliary display, a battery, a speaker, a solar power source, a kinetic power source, a global positioning system sensor, a haptic output device, a motion sensor, a camera, a a SIM card, a storage device, a connector, a biometric sensor, a microphone, a button, and a light emitting diode.

19. The modular segment of claim 16, further comprising a wrist computing device body attached to the modular segment.

20. The modular segment of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of modular segments attached to the wrist computing device.