SMART RING

• US 20160292563A1
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Park, Edwin Chongwoo
• Granted Patent: US 10,043,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07701 the record carrier comprising an interface suitable for human interaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein for pairing at least one smart ring with a primary device. The primary device receives one or more identification signals having information relating to an identity of one or more smart rings. Each identification signal received from an associated one of the one or more smart rings based on motion of the associated one of the one or more smart rings with respect to the primary device. The processor of the primary device identifies the one or more smart rings based on the one or more identification signal.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a primary device, one or more identification signals having information relating to an identity of one or more smart rings, each identification signal received from an associated one of the one or more smart rings based on at least one of light or motion of the associated one of the one or more smart rings with respect to the primary device; and

identifying, by a processor of the primary device, the one or more smart rings based on the one or more identification signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more identification signals are at least one of light emitted by the one or more smart rings or light reflected by the one or more smart rings.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more identification signal comprise a sound signal having a frequency;

the sound signal is generated by a sound-generating device of the smart ring; and

identifying the one or more smart rings based on the one or more identification signals comprises identifying a Doppler shift of the frequency of the sound signal based on the motion of the associated one of the one or more smart rings with respect to the primary device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a plurality of stored identification signals associated with each of a plurality of the smart rings;

wherein identifying the smart ring comprises identifying the one or more smart rings from the plurality of smart rings by comparing the one or more identification signals with the plurality of stored identification signals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the one or more identification signals comprises;

receiving a first identification signal related to a first one of the one or more smart rings; and

receiving a second identification signal related to a second one of the one or more smart rings.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the first identification signal is a first sound signal having a first frequency, the first sound signal being generated by the first smart ring while the first smart ring is in motion with respect to the primary device;

the second identification signal is a second sound signal having a second frequency, the second sound signal being generated by the second smart ring while the second smart ring is in motion with respect to the primary device; and

the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein identifying the one or more smart rings based on the one or more identification signals comprises:

identifying a first Doppler shift with respect to the first frequency; and

identifying a second Doppler shift with respect to the second frequency.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first Doppler shift and the second Doppler shift are captured by a microphone of the primary device as the first smart ring and the second smart ring are moving with respect to the primary device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the one or more identification signals comprises receiving the one or more identification signals as the first and second smart rings are moved in a predefined first direction.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the one or more smart rings comprises identifying a relative position between the first smart ring and the second smart ring as the first smart ring and the second smart are moved with respect to the primary device in a predefined first direction.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the one or more smart rings comprises:

identifying a first finger on which the first smart ring is worn; and

identifying a second finger on which the second smart ring is worn.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the one or more smart rings comprises determining a sequential order in which the first smart ring and the second smart ring pass a predefined area on the primary device.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the one or more smart rings comprises identifying the first smart ring and the second smart ring from a plurality of three or more smart rings.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the one or more smart rings comprises identifying a spatial relationship between the first smart ring and the second smart ring.

15. A method, comprising,

receiving, by a smart ring, one or more identification signals relating to an identity of the smart ring, the one or more identification signals are sent by a primary device based on at least one of light or motion of the smart ring with respect to the primary device;

and

identifying, by a processor of the primary device or a processor of the smart ring, the smart ring based on the one or more identification signals.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more identification signals comprise at least one of a sound signal or a reflected light signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the one or more identification signal comprise a sound signal having a frequency;

the sound signal is generated by a speaker of the primary device; and

identifying the smart ring based on the identification signal comprises identifying a Doppler shift of the frequency of the sound while the smart ring is in motion with respect to the primary device.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing a plurality of stored identification signals associated with each of a plurality of the smart rings, wherein identifying the smart ring comprises identifying the smart ring from the plurality of smart rings by comparing the one or more identification signals with the plurality of stored identification signals.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more identification signals is based on light, and the method further comprises:

emitting light, by the smart ring, light to the primary device;

capturing reflected light reflected by the primary device; and

identifying the one or more smart rings based on the reflected light associated with the smart ring.

20. A system, comprising:

one or more smart rings; and

a primary device, the primary device comprising;

an interface configured to receive one or more identification signals related to an identity of the one or more smart rings, each identification signal received from an associated one of the one or more smart rings based on at least one of light or motion of the associated one of the one or more smart rings with respect to the primary device; and

a processor configured to identify the one or more smart rings based on the one or more identification signals.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the one or more identification signal comprises a sound signal having a frequency;

the sound signal is generated by a speaker of the one or more smart rings; and

the processor identifies the one or more smart rings by identifying a Doppler shift of the frequency of the sound signal based on the motion of the associated one of the one or more smart rings with respect to the primary device.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the processor is configured to store a plurality of stored identification signals associated with each of a plurality of the smart rings; and

the processor identifies the one or more smart rings by comparing the one or more identification signals with the plurality of stored identification signals.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the interface is configured to receive the one or more identification signals by receiving a first identification signal related to a first one of the one or more smart rings;

and receiving a second identification signal related to a second one of the one or more smart rings.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the first identification signal is a first sound signal having a first frequency, the first sound signal being generated by the first smart ring while the first smart ring is in motion with respect to the primary device;

the second identification signal is a second sound signal having a second frequency, the second sound signal being generated by the second smart ring while the second smart ring is in motion with respect to the primary device; and

the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor identifies the smart ring by:

identifying a first Doppler shift with respect to the first frequency; and

identifying a second Doppler shift with respect to the second frequency.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the interface receives the one or more identification signals by receiving the one or more identification signals as the first and second smart rings are moved in a predefined first direction.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor identifies the smart ring by identifying a relative position between the first smart ring and the second smart ring as the first smart ring and the second smart are moved with respect to the primary device in a predefined first direction.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor identifies the smart ring by:

identifying a first finger on which the first smart ring is worn; and

identifying a second finger on which the second smart ring is worn.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor identifies the smart ring by determining a sequential order in which the first smart ring and the second smart ring pass a predefined area on the primary device.

30. A system, comprising:

means for receiving one or more identification signals having information relating to an identity of one or more smart rings, each identification signal received from an associated one of the one or more smart rings based on at least one of light or motion of the associated one of the one or more smart rings with respect to the primary device; and

means for identifying the smart ring based on the identification signal.