Near field communication system, and method of operating same

• US 8,947,239 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Park, James
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Curtis
• Application Number:
  US13/785,904
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10396 the interrogation device being wearable, e.g. as a glove, bracelet, or ring wearable aerials in general H01Q1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to a system comprising a portable sensor device including a housing having a physical size/shape that is adapted to couple to a user'"'"'s body, an identification tag including identification data which is associated with the sensor device and an identification tag transmitter to responsively and wirelessly transmit the identification data according to a first communication protocol. The system further includes a portable electronic device including an identification tag receiver to wirelessly receive the identification data of the identification tag according to the first communication protocol, transceiver circuitry to wirelessly and responsively communicate with the sensor device according to a second communication protocol, and processing circuitry to instruct the transceiver circuitry, after receiving the identification data, to wirelessly request, from the sensor device the sensor data and/or data which is representative of the sensor data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a portable sensor device including;

a housing having a size and shape adapted for physical coupling with a user;

one or more sensors for generating sensor data, the sensor data including activity and/or biometric sensor data related to the user and/or environmental sensor data related to an environment around the user;

an identification tag including identification data, the identification data identifying the sensor device; and

an identification tag transmitter, electrically coupled with the identification tag, for wirelessly transmitting the identification data of the identification tag according to a first communication protocol;

a portable electronic device including;

a housing;

a display disposed in the housing;

an identification tag receiver, disposed in the housing, for wirelessly receiving the identification data of the identification tag according to the first communication protocol;

transceiver circuitry, disposed in the housing, for wirelessly communicating with an external system according to a second communication protocol, and for communicating with the sensor device according to a third communication protocol; and

processing circuitry, disposed in the housing and electrically coupled with the display, the identification tag receiver and the transceiver circuitry, the processing circuitry for;

instructing the transceiver circuitry to communicate with the sensor device to acquire the sensor data generated by the sensor device;

outputting the sensor data generated and acquired from the sensor device, or metrics derived therefrom, to the display;

instructing the transceiver circuitry, after receiving the identification data of the identification tag, to wirelessly request and receive, from the external system, acquired sensor data, or metrics derived therefrom, previously transmitted to the external system; and

outputting the data or the metrics received from the external system for display on the display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol is an NFC protocol.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further for instructing the transceiver circuitry to wirelessly transmit the acquired sensor data, or the metrics derived therefrom, to the external system according to the second communication protocol.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further for instructing the transceiver circuitry to transmit, via the third communication protocol, configuration data to the sensor device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further for acquiring, via the transceiver circuitry, configuration data of the sensor device according to the first communication protocol.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further for acquiring, via the transceiver circuitry, configuration data of the sensor device according to the third communication protocol.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry, in response to receiving the identification data of the identification tag, automatically transmits the request for the acquired sensor data, or the metrics derived therefrom, previously transmitted to the external system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification tag transmitter automatically transmits the identification data to the portable electronic device when the identification tag is within a proximity of the portable electronic device.

9. A system comprising:

a portable sensor device including;

a housing having a size and shape adapted for physical coupling with a user;

one or more sensors for generating sensor data, the sensor data including activity and/or biometric sensor data related to the user and/or environmental sensor data related to an environment around the user;

an identification tag including identification data, the identification data identifying the sensor device; and

an identification tag transmitter, electrically coupled with the identification tag, for wirelessly transmitting the identification data of the identification tag according to a first communication protocol;

a portable electronic device including;

a housing;

an identification tag receiver, disposed in the housing, for wirelessly receiving the identification data of the identification tag according to the first communication protocol;

transceiver circuitry, disposed in the housing, for wirelessly communicating with the sensor device according to a second communication protocol; and

processing circuitry, disposed in the housing and electrically coupled with the identification tag receiver and the transceiver circuitry, the processing circuitry for;

instructing the transceiver circuitry, after receiving the identification data of the identification tag, to wirelessly request and receive the sensor data, or metrics derived therefrom, from the sensor device; and

transmitting, via the transceiver circuitry, the requested sensor data, or the metrics derived therefrom, to an external system according to a third communication protocol.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first communication protocol is an NFC protocol and the second communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry is further for transmitting, via the transceiver circuitry, configuration data to the sensor device according to the second communication protocol.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the requested sensor data, or the metrics derived therefrom, includes data related to one or more of calories burned, steps taken, a step count, a distance traveled, stairs climbed, floors ascended, altitude and sleep quality.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the identification tag transmitter automatically transmits the identification data to the portable electronic device when the identification tag is within a proximity of the portable electronic device.

14. A system comprising:

a portable sensor device including one or more sensors for generating sensor data, the sensor data including activity and/or biometric sensor data related to a user and/or environmental sensor data related to an environment around the user;

a proxy device including;

an identification tag including identification data, the identification data identifying the sensor device; and

an identification tag transmitter, electrically coupled with the identification tag, for wirelessly transmitting the identification data of the identification tag according to a first communication protocol;

a portable electronic device including;

a housing;

a display disposed in the housing;

an identification tag receiver, disposed in the housing, for wirelessly receiving the identification data of the identification tag according to the first communication protocol;

transceiver circuitry, disposed in the housing, for wirelessly communicating with an external system according to a second communication protocol, and for communicating with the sensor device according to a third communication protocol; and

processing circuitry, disposed in the housing and electrically coupled with the display, the identification tag receiver and the transceiver circuitry, the processing circuitry for;

instructing the transceiver circuitry to communicate with the sensor device to acquire the sensor data generated by the sensor device;

outputting the sensor data generated and acquired from the sensor device, or metrics derived therefrom, to the display;

instructing the transceiver circuitry, after receiving the identification data of the identification tag, to wirelessly request and receive, from the external system, acquired sensor data, or metrics derived therefrom, previously transmitted to the external system; and

outputting the data or the metrics received from the external system for display on the display.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first communication protocol is an NFC protocol.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is further for instructing the transceiver circuitry to wirelessly transmit the acquired sensor data, or the metrics derived therefrom, to the external system according to the second communication protocol.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is further for instructing the transceiver circuitry to transmit, via the third communication protocol, configuration data to the sensor device.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the first communication protocol is an NFC protocol and the third communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the processing circuitry, in response to receiving the identification data of the identification tag, automatically transmits, via the transceiver circuitry, the request for the acquired sensor data, or the metrics derived therefrom, previously transmitted to the external system.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the identification tag transmitter automatically transmits the identification data to the portable electronic device when the identification tag is within a proximity of the portable electronic device.

21. A system comprising:

a portable sensor device including one or more sensors for generating sensor data, the sensor data including activity and/or biometric sensor data related to the user and/or environmental sensor data related to an environment around the user;

a proxy device including;

an identification tag including identification data, the identification data identifying the sensor device; and

an identification tag transmitter, electrically coupled with the identification tag, for wirelessly transmitting the identification data of the identification tag according to a first communication protocol;

a portable electronic device including;

a housing;

an identification tag receiver, disposed in the housing, for wirelessly receiving the identification data of the identification tag according to the first communication protocol;

transceiver circuitry, disposed in the housing, for wirelessly communicating with the sensor device according to a second communication protocol; and

processing circuitry, disposed in the housing and electrically coupled with the identification tag receiver and the transceiver circuitry, the processing circuitry for;

instructing the transceiver circuitry, after receiving the identification data of the identification tag, to wirelessly request and receive the sensor data, or metrics derived therefrom, from the sensor device; and

transmitting via the transceiver circuitry, the requested sensor data, or the metrics derived therefrom, to an external system according to a third communication protocol.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first communication protocol is an NFC protocol and the second communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing circuitry is further for transmitting via the transceiver circuitry, configuration data to the sensor device according to the second communication protocol.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein portable sensor device has a size and shape adapted for physical coupling with the proxy device.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the requested sensor data, or the metrics derived therefrom, includes data related to one or more of calories burned, steps taken, a step count, a distance traveled, stairs climbed, floors ascended, altitude and sleep quality.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the identification tag transmitter automatically transmits the identification data to the portable electronic device when the identification tag is within a proximity of the portable electronic device.