CROSS BODY CHARGING FOR WEARABLE DEVICES

• US 20160181823A1
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: DURHAM, LENITRA M., ANDERSON, GLEN J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,917,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/00 Professional, industrial or sporting protective garments, e.g. surgeons' gowns or garments protecting against blows or punches helmets A42B3/00; clothing affording protection against chemical agents or for use at high altitudes A62B17/00; life-saving garments for use at sea, diving suits B63C; bulletproof or armoured clothing F41H; clothing affording protection against radiation G21F3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0054 provided with magnets, magnetic parts or magnetic substances
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0081 made at least partially of hook-and-loop type material hook and loop-type straps for fastening purpose A43C11/1493
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/35 with electric heating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/30 Charge provided using DC bus or data bus of a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets

Abstract

Techniques to transmit power across a wearable device are provided. A wearable device can include a conductive transmission line and a set of contacts, the set of contacts configured to be releasably connected to a second set of contacts on another wearable device. As such, power can be communicated to the conductive transmission line through the sets of contacts and transmitted across the wearable device, via the conductive transmission line.

Claims

1. An apparatus to transmit power from a wearable computing device, the apparatus comprising:

a conductive transmission line to communicate electrical energy from a first position to a second position; and

a set of contacts in electrical communication with the conductive transmission line at the first position, the set of contacts to electrically couple a wearable device to the conductive transmission line, the wearable device including a power source to provide electrical energy to the second position through the set of contacts and the conductive transmission line.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the set of contacts comprising a releasable connector to couple the set of contacts to the conductive transmission line.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the releasable connector comprises magnets, hook-and-loop closures, or snaps.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising an energy storage device in electrical communication with the conductive transmission line, the energy storage device to store energy received from the wearable device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, the energy storage device comprising a capacitor or a rechargeable battery.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a controller coupled to the conductive transmission line, the controller to:

determine whether the set of contacts are electrically coupled to the wearable device; and

provide an indication that the set of contacts are electrically coupled to the wearable device based on the determination that the set of contacts are electrically coupled to the wearable device;

or

provide an indication that the set of contacts are not electrically coupled to the wearable device based on the determination that the set of contacts are not electrically coupled to the wearable device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, comprising a speaker, the indication to include a control signal to cause the speaker to emit a signal based on the indication.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, comprising an LED, the indication to include a control signal to cause the LED to emit a signal based on the indication.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the conductive transmission line comprising conductive thread, conductive paint, or a body coupled energy transmission system.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is implemented as a wearable device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the wearable device is removable clothing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the wearable device comprises:

socks, under clothing, pants, a belt, a shirt, a sweater, a jacket, a hat, a scarf, eye glasses, a hearing aid, or a wristband.

13. A system for communicating electrical energy across a wearable device, the system comprising:

an energy generation device; and

a first set of contacts in electrical communication with the energy generation component, the first set of contacts to releasable connect to a second set of contacts, the second set of contacts in electrical communication with a conductive transmission line, the conductive transmission line to communicate electrical energy from the energy generation device to a third set of contacts.

14. The system of claim 13, comprising a releasable connector to couple the first set of contacts to the second set of contacts.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the releasable connector comprises magnets, hook-and-loop closures, or snaps.

16. The system of claim 13, comprising an energy storage device in electrical communication with the energy generation device, the energy storage device to store energy received from the energy generation device.

17. The system of claim 16, the energy storage device comprising a capacitor or a rechargeable battery.

18. The system of claim 13, comprising a controller coupled to the first set of contacts, the controller to:

determine whether the first set of contacts are electrically coupled to the second set of contacts; and

provide an indication that the first set of contacts are electrically coupled to the second set of contacts based on the determination that the first set of contacts are electrically coupled to the second set of contacts;

or provide an indication that the first set of contacts are not electrically coupled to the second set of contacts based on the determination that the first set of contacts are not electrically coupled to the second set of contacts.

19. The system of claim 18, comprising a speaker, the indication to include a control signal to cause the speaker to emit a signal based on the indication.

20. The system of claim 18, comprising an LED, the indication to include a control signal to cause the LED to emit a signal based on the indication.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the energy generation component is implemented in a first wearable device and the conductive transmission line is implemented in a second wearable device.

22. At least one machine readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed on a wearable device causes the wearable computing device to:

receive energy from a first set of contacts releasably connect to a second set of contacts, the second set of contacts in electrical communication with an energy generation device; and

communicate the received energy across a wearable device through the conductive transmission line.

23. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 22, the plurality of instructions cause the wearable computing device to:

determine whether the first set of contacts are electrically coupled to the second set of contacts; and

provide an indication that the first set of contacts are electrically coupled to the second set of contacts based on the determination that the first set of contacts are electrically coupled to the second set of contacts;

or

provide an indication that the first set of contacts are not electrically coupled to the second set of contacts based on the determination that the first set of contacts are not electrically coupled to the second set of contacts.

24. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 22, wherein the energy generation component is implemented in a first wearable device and the conductive transmission line is implemented in a second wearable device.

25. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 22, the plurality of instructions cause the wearable computing device to receive an indication from a third wearable device via a network interface, the indication to include a request to receive power from the energy generation component.