Near Field Communication System, and Method of Operating Same

• US 20150358762A1
• Filed: 08/14/2015
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Park, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,538,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10396 the interrogation device being wearable, e.g. as a glove, bracelet, or ring wearable aerials in general H01Q1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to a system comprising a portable sensor device including a housing having a physical size/shape that is adapted to couple to a user'"'"'s body, an identification tag including identification data which is associated with the sensor device and an identification tag transmitter to responsively and wirelessly transmit the identification data according to a first communication protocol. The system further includes a portable electronic device including an identification tag receiver to wirelessly receive the identification data of the identification tag according to the first communication protocol, transceiver circuitry to wirelessly and responsively communicate with the sensor device according to a second communication protocol, and processing circuitry to instruct the transceiver circuitry, after receiving the identification data, to wirelessly request, from the sensor device the sensor data and/or data which is representative of the sensor data.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. An activity tracking device having a size and shape adapted for physical coupling with a user, the activity tracking device comprising:

one or more sensors to generate sensor data, the sensor data including activity and/or biometric sensor data related to the user and/or environmental sensor data related to an environment around the user;

an identification tag including identification data, the identification data including first information about actions and/or operations associated with the particular activity tracking device; and

an identification tag transmitter, electrically coupled with the identification tag, to wirelessly transmit the identification data of the identification tag according to a first communication protocol responsive to coming within a proximity of a wireless reader, thereby causing the wireless reader to perform, or cause a processing device to perform, the actions and/or operations included in the identification data.

3. The activity tracking device of claim 2, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to launch or execute an application.

4. The activity tracking device of claim 2, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to pair the activity tracking device to an account registered to the user of the activity tracking device.

5. The activity tracking device of claim 4, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to query a website or external system to determine whether the identification data is associated with the user.

6. The activity tracking device of claim 4, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to request the user to login to an existing account or to create a new account.

7. The activity tracking device of claim 6, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to create a pairing relationship between the activity tracking device and the user.

8. The activity tracking device of claim 2, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to pair the activity tracking device with an external device or system.

9. The activity tracking device of claim 8, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to pair the activity tracking device to an external sensor device.

10. The activity tracking device of claim 2, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to synchronize data to or from the activity tracking device.

11. The activity tracking device of claim 2, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to synchronize data to or from an external device or system.

12. The activity tracking device of claim 2, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to initiate communication with the activity tracking device.

13. The activity tracking device of claim 12, wherein the communication proceeds according to a second wireless communication protocol.

14. The activity tracking device of claim 13, wherein the second wireless communication protocol is a Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WiFi, GSM or other cellular protocol.

15. The activity tracking device of claim 13, wherein the communication is between the activity tracking device and the processing device, the processing device including the wireless reader.

16. The activity tracking device of claim 15, wherein during the communication, the activity tracking device transmits user information to the processing device according to the second communication protocol, the user information including information about a user of the activity tracking device.

17. The activity tracking device of claim 15, wherein during the communication, the activity tracking device transmits configuration data for the activity tracking device to the processing device according to the second communication protocol.

18. The activity tracking device of claim 15, wherein during the communication, the activity tracking device transmits the sensor data generated by the one or more sensors to the processing device according to the second communication protocol.

19. The activity tracking device of claim 15, wherein during the communication, the activity tracking device transmits previously received data to the processing device according to the second communication protocol, the previously received data including data previously received from an external system over a network.

20. The activity tracking device of claim 15, wherein during the communication, the activity tracking device transmits second information to the processing device according to the second communication protocol, and wherein, responsive to receiving the second information, the processing device transmits the second information or third information to an external system over a network according to a third communication protocol.

21. The activity tracking device of claim 15, wherein during the communication, the activity tracking device receives user information from the processing device according to the second communication protocol, the user information including information about a user of the activity tracking device.

22. The activity tracking device of claim 15, wherein during the communication, the activity tracking device receives configuration data from the processing device according to the second communication protocol.

23. The activity tracking device of claim 15, wherein during the communication, the activity tracking device receives external data from the processing device according to the second communication protocol, the external data including data previously received by the processing device from an external system over a network.

24. The activity tracking device of claim 15, wherein during the communication, the activity tracking device receives second information from the processing device according to the second communication protocol, and wherein, responsive to receiving the second information, the activity tracking device transmits the second information or third information to an external system over a network according to a third communication protocol.

25. The activity tracking device of claim 13, wherein the communication is between the activity tracking device and an external system over a network.

26. The activity tracking device of claim 2, wherein the identification data further includes information identifying the activity tracking device.

27. The activity tracking device of claim 2, wherein the identification data further includes information identifying a user of the activity tracking device.

28. The activity tracking device of claim 2, wherein the identification data further includes configuration data for the activity tracking device.

29. The activity tracking device of claim 2, wherein the identification data further includes a uniform resource locator (URL).

30. The activity tracking device of claim 2, wherein the identification data includes previously received data, the previously received data including data previously received by the activity tracking device from an external system over a network.

31. The activity tracking device of claim 2, wherein the activity tracking device includes a second wireless reader to receive other identification data including information about other actions and/or operations associated with another activity tracking device.