SMART CASE FOR ELECTRONIC WEARABLE DEVICE

• US 20180131847A1
• Filed: 11/08/2017
• Published: 05/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pogotec, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pogotec, Inc.
• Inventors: Kokonaski, William, Gupta, Amitava, Schoenbart, Joshua A., Blum, Ronald D., Bauer, Stefan, Fehr, Jean-Noel, Clompus, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 10,863,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• 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: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

Auxiliary units, in some instances implemented as a case for a wearable electronic device such as a wearable camera are described. The auxiliary units may include one or more electronic components typically included in the camera. By offloading an electronic component and the corresponding function (e.g., extended power capacity, memory capacity, wireless or other communication capabilities, etc.) to a removable auxiliary unit, the size of the wearable device can be advantageously further reduced.

Claims

1. A case for a wearable camera having onboard processing, memory, and power source, the case comprising:

a case body comprising;

a camera interface configured to communicatively connect the case to the wearable camera,

an external communication interface configured to communicatively couple the case to a computing device;

a case memory communicatively coupled to the camera interface and configured to store data received from the camera; and

a case battery comprising a rechargeable power source configured to provide power to the camera when the camera is communicatively coupled to the case; and

wherein the case body has a configuration in which the case body at least partially encloses the camera.

2. The case of claim 1, wherein the case comprises greater memory capacity than a capacity of the onboard memory of the camera.

3. The case of claim 1, wherein the case comprises greater energy capacity than a capacity of the onboard power source of the camera.

4. The case of claim 1, wherein the storage capacity of the case memory does not exceed 1 gigabyte.

5. The case of claim 1, wherein the case battery has an energy capacity of 5 watt hours or less.

6. The case of claim 1 further comprising a wireless transmission coil for wirelessly charging the case battery.

7. The case of claim 6, wherein the case comprises firmware that is configured to activate the power transmission coil when the camera is received in the case.

8. The case of claim 7, wherein the case is configured to activate the power transmission coil when the camera is mechanically attached to the case.

9. The case of claim 1, wherein the case body has a configuration in which the case body fully encloses the camera.

10. The case of claim 1, wherein the case is configured to activate a wireless charging function when the camera is received in the case.

11. The case of claim 1, wherein the case body has an overall length of 120 mm or less and an overall width of 90 mm or less.

12. The case of claim 11, wherein the overall length is 70 mm or less and the overall width is 45 mm or less.

13. The case of claim 1, wherein the external communication interface comprises at least one male connector.

14. The case of claim 13, wherein the case body includes an actuator configured to at least partially expose or conceal at least one of the male connectors associated with the external communication interface.

15. The case of claim 13, wherein the actuator comprises a button or a lever configured to extend and retract a LIGHTNING connector or a USB connector, to extend a LIGHTNING connector while retracting a USB connector, or to extend a USB connector while retracting a LIGHTNING connector.

16. The case of claim 1, wherein the case comprises internal electronics configured to communicatively couple to case to an APPLE device, an ANDROID device, or both.

17. The case of claim 16, wherein the external communication interface comprises a male LIGHTNING connector, a male USB connector, or both.

18. The case of claim 1, wherein the camera interface comprises a male USB connector.

19. The case of claim 1, wherein the camera interface comprises a wired interface configured for data transfer, the case further comprising a wireless charging interface configured to wirelessly charge the onboard power when the camera is operatively arranged in relation to the wireless charging interface.

20. The case of claim 1 wherein the camera interface comprises a dual band transmitter/receiver, and wherein at least one of the bands of the dual band transmitter/receiver is configured to transmit power wirelessly to the camera when the camera is operatively arranged therewith.

21. The case of claim 1 further comprising a microcontroller chip that includes power management circuitry and data management circuitry.

22. The case of claim 21, wherein the microcontroller chip is further configured to process image data received from the camera to improve image quality of images captured by the camera.

23. The case of claim 21, wherein the microcontroller chip is further configured to reprogram an image sensor of the camera when the camera is communicatively coupled thereto.

24. The case of claim 21, wherein the camera interface is configured for data reception at a first data transfer speed and second faster data transfer speed and wherein the microcontroller chip is further configured to activate second faster data transfer speed of the camera interface only when the case is wirelessly transmitting power to the camera.

25. The case of claim 1, wherein the case body comprises first body portion and a door which is movable relative to the first body portion to provide the case in the configuration in which the case body at least partially encloses the camera.

26. The case of claim 25, wherein the door is pivotally coupled to the first body portion.

27. The case of claim 26 further comprising a display.

28. The case of claim 27, wherein the first body portion includes the camera interface, the external communication interface, the case memory, the case battery, and the display.

29. The case of claim 25, wherein the case body further comprises a track configured to engage an attachment member of the camera.

30. The case of claim 25, wherein the case body further comprises a track configured to slidably receive an attachment member of the camera.

31. The case of claim 1, further comprising a user interface configured to provide visual, audible, or tactile feedback.

32. The case of claim 28, wherein the user interface is configured to illuminate a light, produce a sound, or activate a vibrator to provide a status indication or an alert.

33. The case of claim 1, further comprising a GPS module and configured to append location information to an image received from the camera.

34. The case of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to append date information, time information, or both to an image received from the camera.