Finger ring with information storage unit

• US 6,020,826 A
• Filed: 12/15/1997
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Claus Rein
• Original Assignee: Claus Rein
• Inventors: Rein, Claus
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEANGLAUDE, JEAN BRUNER
• Application Number:
  US08/849,011
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 380/23, 235/380, 902/4
• US Class Current: 340/5.65
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 9/0053 having special functions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• 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

Abstract

A finger ring is provided with an information storage unit (21) and at least two electrically conductive, mutually insulated ring elements that serve as contacts(1). To enable quick and reliable mating of the contacts (1) of the ring with corresponding mating contacts (17) of a control device, the ring contacts (1) have tangential planes (2) which slant toward each other, and the ring contacts (1) can be reached unimpeded only from certain zones spatial regions (8, 10) or adjacent subregion segments(14).

Claims

1. An identification system comprising a finger ring for use in combination with a control device, said finger ring:

having a center (30) and comprising a data storage unit (21) and at least two electrical contact elements (1) connected with the data storage unit (21) and disposed so as to be insulated from each other and to serve for data and/or energy transmission between the finger ring and the control device, and a frontal view of the finger ring being defined

wherein, with the viewing direction (31) oriented with respect to the control device in any direction within a pre-selected spatial angular range;

the electrical contact elements (1) are disposed such that resting places (3) on the contact elements (1) make contact with mating contacts (17) on the control device, with tangent planes (2) to the electrical contact elements (1) at the resting places (3) intersecting each other in a line of intersection (4);

a parallel plane (5) is defined, passing through the two resting places (3) and disposed parallel to the line of intersection (4);

normal planes (7) are defined, each passing through one of the resting places (3) and disposed parallel to the line of intersection (4) and perpendicular to the parallel plane (5);

six spatial regions (8-13) are delimited by the parallel plane (5) and the normal planes (7), namely two inner regions (9,

     12) and four outer regions (8, 10, 11,

     13), with the two inner regions (9,

     12) lying between the normal planes (7);

first and second groups of spatial regions are defined, with each of the groups consisting of two outer regions (8 and 10, 11 and

     13) on one side of the parallel plane (5) and an inner region (12,

     9) correspondingly opposite with respect to the parallel plane (5);

the line of intersection (4) traverses the inner spatial region (9) of the second group;

the inner spatial region (12) of the first group includes areas of the contact elements (1) at which the resting places (3) are in contact with the respective tangent planes (2);

up to the resting places (3), first subregions of the outer regions (8,

     10) of the first group of spatial regions which lie in front of the contacts (1) do not include a ring element; and

second subregions (14) which are adjacent to the first subregions, which extend into the second group of spatial regions, and which are delimited by an outer contour of the contacts (1) and parallel to the normal planes (7) and the parallel plane (5) do not include a ring element.

2. A finger ring according to claim 1, wherein places for possible resting places (3) lie directly alongside of each other.

3. A finger ring according to claim 2, wherein the contacts (1) have an elongated shape and the contacts (1) are arranged and aligned with respect to each other along their longer side.

4. A finger ring according to claim 1, wherein the finger ring itself consists of at least two ring elements which are developed as ring half-shells (23) and are connected electrically insulated from each other with the information storage unit (21) and thus represent contacts (1).

5. A finger ring according to claim 1, wherein the finger ring is coated locally on its surface by a sufficiently hard insulating material, such as metal oxides, glass, ceramics, cermet, plastic, nitride, carbide, silicide, boride or diamond.

6. A finger ring according to claim 1, wherein on the finger ring, in addition to the two electric contacts (1) there is arranged an optically transparent ring element (27) behind which there is a component for the optical transmission (24) which is electrically connected with the information storage unit (21).

7. A finger ring according to claim 1, wherein a miniature switch (28) is arranged on the finger ring.

8. A finger ring according to claim 1, wherein a transmission/reception coil (35) for electromagnetic waves which is electrically connected to the information storage unit (21) is arranged in the finger ring.

9. A finger ring according to claim 1, wherein on the finger ring there is a source of energy, which is connected electrically to at least two ring elements acting as electric contacts (1).

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the source of energy comprises a button cell (26).

11. An identification system comprising a finger ring for use in combination with a control device, said finger ring:

having a center (30) and comprising a data storage unit (21) and at least two electrical contact elements (1) connected with the data storage unit (21) and disposed so as to be insulated from each other and to serve for data and/or energy transmission between the finger ring and the control device, and a frontal view of the finger ring being defined by a viewing direction (31) from the contacts (1) towards the center (30) of the finger ring, wherein, with the viewing direction (31) oriented with respect to the control device in any direction within a preselected spatial angular range;

the electrical contact elements (1) are disposed such that resting places (3) on the contact elements (1) make contact with mating contacts (17) on the control device, with tangent planes (2) to the electrical contact elements (1) at the resting places (3) intersecting each other in a line of intersection (4);

a parallel plane (5) is defined, passing through the two resting places (3) and disposed parallel to the line of intersection (4);

normal planes (7) are defined, each passing through one of the resting places (3) and disposed parallel to the line of intersection (4) and perpendicular to the parallel plane (5);

six spatial regions (8-13) are delimited by the parallel plane (5) and the normal planes (7), namely two inner regions (9,

     12) and four outer regions (8, 10, 11,

     13), with the two inner regions (9,

     12) lying between the normal planes (7);

first and second groups of spatial regions are defined, with each of the groups consisting of two outer regions (8 and 10, 11 and

     13) on one side of the parallel plane (5) and an inner region (12,

     9) correspondingly opposite with respect to the parallel plane (5);

inner spatial region

the line of intersection (4) traverses the (9) of the second group;

the two outer regions (8,

     10) of the first group includes areas of the contact elements (1) at which the resting places (3) are in contact with the respective tangent planes (2);

up to the resting places (3), a first subregion of the inner region (12) of the first group of spatial regions which lies in front of the contacts (1) does not include a ring element; and

second subregions (14) which are adjacent to the first subregion, which extend into the second group of spatial regions, and which are delimited by an outer contour of the contacts (1) and parallel to the normal planes (7) and the parallel plane (5) do not include a ring element.

12. A finger ring according to claim 11, wherein places for possible resting places (3) lie directly alongside of each other.

13. A finger ring according to claim 11, wherein the contacts (1) have an elongated shape and the contacts (1) are arranged and aligned with respect to each other along their longer side.

14. A finger ring according to claim 11, wherein the finger ring itself consists of at least two ring elements which are developed as ring half-shells (23) and are connected electrically insulated from each other with the information storage unit (21) and thus represent contacts (1).

15. A finger ring according to claim 11, wherein the finger ring is coated locally on its surface by a sufficiently hard insulating material, such as metal oxides, glass, ceramics, cermet, plastic, nitride, carbide, silicide, boride or diamond.

16. A finger ring according to claim 11, wherein on the finger ring, in addition to the two electric contacts (1) there is arranged an optically transparent ring element (27) behind which there is a component for the optical transmission (24) which is electrically connected with the information storage unit (21).

17. A finger ring according to claim 11, wherein a miniature switch (28) is arranged on the finger ring.

18. A finger ring according to claim 11, wherein on the finger ring there is a source of energy, which is connected electrically to at least two ring elements acting as electric contacts (1).

19. A finger ring according to claim 11, wherein a transmission/reception coil (35) for electromagnetic waves which is electrically connected to the information storage unit (21) is arranged in the finger ring.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the source of energy comprises a button cell (26).

21. An identification system comprising a finger ring in combination with a control device, said finger ring having a center (30) and comprising a data storage unit (21) and at least two electrical contact elements (1) connected with the data storage unit (21) and disposed so as to be insulated from each other and to serve for data and/or energy transmission between the finger ring and the control device, and a frontal view of the finger ring being defined by a viewing direction (31) from the contacts (1) towards the center (30) of the finger ring,

wherein, with the viewing direction (31) oriented with respect to the control device in any direction within a pre-selected spatial angular range:

the electrical contact elements (1) are disposed such that resting places (3) on the contact elements (1) make contact with mating contacts (17) on the control device, with tangent planes (2) to the electrical contact elements (1) at the resting places (3) intersecting each other in a line of intersection (4);

a parallel plane (5) is defined, passing through the two resting places (3) and disposed parallel to the line of intersection (4);

normal planes (7) are defined, each passing through one of the resting places (3) and disposed parallel to the line of intersection (4) and perpendicular to the parallel plane (5);

six spatial regions (8-13) are delimited by the parallel plane (5) and the normal planes (7), namely two inner regions (9,

     12) and four outer regions (8, 10, 11,

     13), with the two inner regions (9,

     12) lying between the normal planes (7);

first and second groups of spatial regions are defined, with each of the groups consisting of two outer regions (8 and 10, 11 and

     13) on one side of the parallel plane (5) and an inner region (12,

     9) correspondingly opposite with respect to the parallel plane (5);

the line of intersection (4) traverses the inner spatial region (9) of the second group;

the inner spatial region (12) of the first group includes areas of the contact elements (1) at which the resting places (3) are in contact with the respective tangent planes (2);

up to the resting places (3), first subregions of the outer regions (8,

     10) of the first group of spatial regions which lie in front of the contacts (1) do not include a ring element; and

second subregions (14) which are adjacent to the first subregions, which extend into the second group of spatial regions, and which are delimited by an outer contour of the contacts (1) and parallel to the normal planes (7) and the parallel plane (5) do not include a ring element.

22. An identification system comprising a finger ring in combination with a control device, said finger ring having a center (30) and comprising a data storage unit (21) and at least two electrical contact elements (1) connected with the data storage unit (21) and disposed so as to be insulated from each other and to serve for data and/or energy transmission between the finger ring and the control device, and a frontal view of the finger ring being defined by a viewing direction (31) from the contacts (1) towards the center (30) of the finger ring, wherein, with the viewing direction (31) oriented with respect to the control device in any direction within a preselected spatial angular range:

the electrical contact elements (1) are disposed such that resting places (3) on the contact elements (1) make contact with mating contacts (17) on the control device, with tangent planes (2) to the electrical contact elements (1) at the resting places (3) intersecting each other in a line of intersection (4);

a parallel plane (5) is defined, passing through the two resting places (3) and disposed parallel to the line of intersection (4);

normal planes (7) are defined, each passing through one of the resting places (3) and disposed parallel to the line of intersection (4) and perpendicular to the parallel plane (5);

six spatial regions (8-13) are delimited by the parallel plane (5) and the normal planes (7), namely two inner regions (9,

     12) and four outer regions (8, 10, 11,

     13), with the two inner regions (9,

     12) lying between the normal planes (7);

first and second groups of spatial regions are defined, with each of the groups consisting of two outer regions (8 and 10, 11 and

     13) on one side of the parallel plane (5) and an inner region (12,

     9) correspondingly opposite with respect to the parallel plane (5);

inner spatial region

the line of intersection (4) traverses the (9) of the second group;

the two outer regions (8,

     10) of the first group includes areas of the contact elements (1) at which the resting places (3) are in contact with the respective tangent planes (2);

up to the resting places (3), a first subregion of the inner region (12) of the first group of spatial regions which lies in front of the contacts (1) does not include a ring element; and

second subregions (14) which are adjacent to the first subregion, which extend into the second group of spatial regions, and which are delimited by an outer contour of the contacts (1) and parallel to the normal planes (7) and the parallel plane (5) do not include a ring element.