Body-mounted electronic device system and body-mounted electronic device

• US 6,812,845 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2003
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yuzuki, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US10/358,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20030151515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.4, 340/573.1, 340/573.3, 340/5.2, 340/5.8, 340/669, 340/686.1, 340/323.R, 600/503, 600/534, 600/552, 600/510
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit

Abstract

A body-mounted electronic device system enabling the user to grasp the conditions of other runners. A master unit and a child unit are mounted on a runner, and a child unit is mounted on another runner. Counting units of the child units count the numbers of steps of the runners at predetermined time intervals, and transmit the data together with their own identification data to the master unit. When the received identification data are in agreement with the identification data stored in an ID setting/storage unit, the reception comparator unit calculates the moving distances of the runners based upon the received step number data, and an among-the-child-units-distance calculation unit calculates the distances among the child units. The distances among the child units that become smaller than a reference distance stored in a preset distance storage unit are notified through a buzzer and a display unit.

Claims

1. A body-mounted electronic device system comprising:

a master unit mounted on the bodies having first communication means for executing radio communication with a plurality of child units, first identification data storage means for storing identification data of the plurality of child units, identification data judging means for judging whether the identification data received from the plurality of child units are in agreement with the identification data of child units stored in the first identification data storage means, distance calculation means for calculating distances among the plurality of child units from moving quantity data received from the plurality of child units, and notifying means for notifying the distances among the child units; and

the plurality of child units mounted on the bodies having second communication means for executing radio communication with the master unit, moving quantity-measuring means for measuring the moving quantity corresponding to its own moving distance, and second identification data storage means for storing its own identification data, wherein each of the plurality of child units transmits its own moving quantity data measured by the moving quantity-measuring means together with its own identification data to the master unit through the second communication means, and when the identification data judging means has judged that the identification data received from the plurality of child units are in agreement with the identification data stored in the first identification data storage means, the master unit causes the distance calculation means to calculate the distances among the child units based upon the moving quantity data from the plurality of child units received through the first communication means, and notifies the distances among the child units through the notifying means.

2. A body-mounted electronic device system according to claim 1, wherein the distance calculation means includes moving distance calculation means for calculating absolute distances which are the moving distances of the plurality of child units from the start position, and among-the-child-units-distance calculation means for calculating the distances among the child units from the differences in the absolute distances of the plurality of child units calculated by the moving distance calculation means.

3. A body-mounted electronic device system according to claim 1, further comprising distance comparator means for comparing a predetermined reference distance with the distances among the child units, and when the distance comparator means has detected the distances among the child units that are smaller than the reference distance, the notifying means notifies this fact.

4. A body-mounted electronic device system according to claim 3, further comprising operation means for setting the reference distance and reference distance storage means for storing the reference distance set by the operation means, and when the distance comparator means has detected that the distances among the child units are in agreement with the reference distance, the notifying means notifies this fact.

5. A body-mounted electronic device system according to claim 3, wherein the reference distance is constituted by a first reference distance and a second reference distance, the distance comparator means produces a first notice signal when the distances among the child units become smaller than the first reference distance, produces a second notice signal when the distances among the child units become smaller than the second reference distance, and the notifying means notifies this fact in different modes in response to the first and second notice signals.

6. A body-mounted electronic device system according to claim 1, wherein the first communication means and the second communication means are so constituted as to communicate with each other in both directions, the master unit includes reception judging means which judges whether the moving quantity data are normally received from the plurality of child units and requests the child units to send the moving quantity data again when the moving quantity data are not normally received from the child units, and the child units include control means for sending the moving quantity data again in response to the request for sending the data again.

7. A body-mounted electronic device system according to claim 1, wherein the master unit has an electronic wrist watch function.

8. A body-mounted electronic device system comprising:

a master unit that can be mounted on the bodies having first communication means for executing radio communication with a plurality of child units, first identification data storage means for storing identification data of the plurality of child units, identification data judging means for judging whether the identification data received from the plurality of child units are in agreement with the identification data of child units stored in the first identification data storage means, difference-of-speed calculation means for calculating differences in the speed among the plurality of child units based on the moving quantity data received from the plurality of child units, estimated catch-up time calculation means for calculating an estimated catch-up time until any child unit catches up another child unit based upon the distances among the child units and the difference of speed among the child units, and notifying means for notifying the estimated catch-up time; and

the plurality of child units that can be mounted on the bodies having a second communication means for executing radio communication with the master unit, moving quantity-measuring means for measuring the moving quantity corresponding to its own moving distance, and second identification data storage means for storing its own identification data, wherein each of the plurality of child units transmits its own moving quantity data measured by the moving quantity-measuring means together with its own identification data to the master unit through the second communication means, and when the identification data judging means has judged that the identification data received from the plurality of child units are in agreement with the identification data stored in the first identification data storage means, the master unit causes the estimated catch-up time calculation means to calculate the estimated catch-up time based upon the moving quantity data from the plurality of child units received through the first communication means, and notifies the estimated catch-up time through the notifying means.

9. A body-mounted electronic device system according to claim 8, wherein the difference-of-speed calculation means includes section distance calculation means for calculating the moving distances of the plurality of child units at predetermined reception intervals based upon the moving quantity data received at predetermined reception intervals, moving distance calculation means for calculating the moving speeds of the plurality of child units by dividing, by the predetermined reception intervals, the moving distances of the plurality of child units calculated by the section distance calculation means, and difference-of-speed-among-child-units calculation means for calculating differences in the moving speed among the plurality of child units.

10. A body-mounted electronic device system according to claim 8, wherein the first communication means and the second communication means are so constituted as to communicate with each other in both directions, the master unit includes reception judging means which judges whether the moving quantity data are normally received from the plurality of child units and requests the child units to send the moving quantity data again when the moving quantity data are not normally received from the child units, and the child units include control means for sending the moving quantity data again in response to the request for sending the data again.

11. A body-mounted electronic device system according to claim 8, wherein the master unit has an electronic wrist watch function.

12. A body-mounted electronic device comprising:

communication means for executing radio communication with a plurality of child units;

identification data storage means for storing identification data of the plurality of child units;

identification data judging means for judging whether the identification data received from the plurality of child units are in agreement with the identification data of child units stored in the identification data storage means;

distance calculation means for calculating distances among the plurality of child units from moving quantity data received from the plurality of child units; and

notifying means for notifying the distances among the child units, wherein when the identification data judging means has judged that the identification data received from the plurality of child units are in agreement with the identification data stored in the identification data storage means, the distance calculation means calculates the distances among the child units based upon the moving quantity data from the plurality of child units received by the notifying means, and notifies the distances among the child units through the notifying means.

13. A body-mounted electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the distance calculation means includes moving distance calculation means for calculating absolute distances which are the moving distances of the plurality of child units from the start positions, and among-the-child-units-distance calculation means for calculating the distances among the child units from the differences in the absolute distances of the plurality of child units calculated by the moving distance calculation means.

14. A body-mounted electronic device according to claim 12, further comprising distance comparator means for comparing a predetermined reference distance with the distances among the child units, and when the distance comparator means has detected the distances among the child units that are smaller than the reference distance, the notifying means notifies this fact.

15. A body-mounted electronic device according to claim 14, further comprising operation means for setting the reference distance and reference distance storage means for storing the reference distance set by the operation means, and when the distance comparator means has detected that the distances among the child units are in agreement with the reference distance, the notifying means notifies this fact.

16. A body-mounted electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the reference distance is constituted by a first reference distance and a second reference distance, the distance comparator means produces a first notice signal when the distances among the child units become smaller than the first reference distance, produces a second, notice signal when the distances among the child units become smaller than the second reference distance, and the notifying means notifies this fact in different modes in response to the first and second notice signals.

17. A body-mounted electronic device according to claim 12, further comprising difference-of-speed calculation means for calculating differences in the speed among the plurality of child units, and estimated catch-up time calculation means for calculating an estimated catch-up time until any child unit catches up another child unit based upon the distances among the child units and the difference of speed among the child units, and the estimated catch-up time is notified by the notifying means.

18. A body-mounted electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the communication means is so constituted as to execute the communication in two directions, and provision is made of reception judging means which judges whether the moving quantity data are normally received from the child units and requests the child units to send the moving quantity data again when the moving quantity data are not normally received from the child units.

19. A body-mounted electronic device comprising;

communication means for executing radio communication with a plurality of child units, identification data storage means for storing identification data of the plurality of child units;

identification data judging means for judging whether the identification data received from the plurality of child units are in agreement with the identification data of child units stored in the identification data storage means;

difference-of-speed calculation means for calculating differences in the speed among the plurality of child units based on the moving quantity data received from the plurality of child units;

estimated catch-up time calculation means for calculating an estimated catch-up time until any child unit catches up another child unit based upon the distances among the child units and the difference of speed among the child units; and

notifying means for notifying the estimated catch-up time, wherein when the identification data judging means has judged that the identification data received from the plurality of child units are in agreement with the identification data stored in the identification data storage means, a master unit causes the estimated catch-up time calculation means to calculate the estimated catch-up time based upon the moving quantity data from the plurality of child units received through the communication means, and notifies the estimated catch-up time through the notifying means.

20. A body-mounted electronic device according to claim 19, wherein the difference-of-speed calculation means includes section distance calculation means for calculating the moving distances of the plurality of child units at predetermined reception intervals based upon the moving quantity data received at predetermined reception intervals, moving distance calculation means for calculating the moving speeds of the plurality of child units by dividing, by the predetermined reception intervals, the moving distances of the plurality of child units calculated by the section distance calculation means, and difference-of-speed-among-child-units calculation means for calculating differences in the moving speed among the plurality of child units.

21. A body-mounted electronic device according to claim 19, wherein the communication means is so constituted as to execute the communication in two directions, and provision is made of reception judging means which judges whether the moving quantity data are normally received from the child units and requests the child units to send the moving quantity data again when the moving quantity data are not normally received from the child units.