Systems and methods for providing one or more functionalities to a wearable computing device

• US 9,173,053 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Holman, Pablos, Hyde, Roderick A., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Tegreene, Clarence T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US13/962,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20150031292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.1, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/63.4, 455/550.1, 455/66.1, 455/334
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Computationally implemented methods and systems include detecting presence of one or more electronic devices near a wearable computing device, the wearable computing device being a computing device designed to be worn by a user; determining which of the one or more electronic devices that are detected as being near the wearable computing device are at least designed to provide one or more specific functionalities that are being sought by the wearable computing device; and acquiring, by the wearable computing device based at least, in part, on said detecting and said determining, one or more specific functionalities that are available through at least one electronic device that was detected as being near the wearable computing device and that was determined to provide the one or more specific functionalities. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

Claims

1. A wearable computing device designed to be worn by a user, comprising:

a nearby device sensing module configured to sense presence of one or more electronic devices near the wearable computing device that are within a spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device, the spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device being a spatial volume that includes the wearable computing device and being enclosed by an enveloping boundary, where low-power wireless signals generated by the wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary;

a functionally designed device ascertaining module configured to ascertain which of the one or more electronic devices that were sensed as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device are at least designed to provide one or more specific functionalities that are being sought by the wearable computing device; and

a functionality obtaining module configured to obtain one or more specific functionalities that are available through at least one electronic device that was sensed by the nearby device sensing module as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device and that was ascertained by the functionally designed device ascertaining module as providing the one or more specific functionalities.

2. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein said nearby device sensing module configured to sense presence of one or more electronic devices near the wearable computing device that are within a spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device, the spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device being a spatial volume that includes the wearable computing device and being enclosed by an enveloping boundary, where low-power wireless signals generated by the wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary comprises:

a low-power wireless signal broadcasting module configured to broadcast one or more low-power wireless signals to solicit one or more responding wireless signals from one or more electronic devices that detect the one or more low-power wireless signals; and

a responding wireless signal detecting module configured to detect for reception of the one or more responding wireless signals generated by the one or more electronic devices in response to the one or more electronic devices detecting the one or more low-power wireless signals.

3. The wearable computing device of claim 2, wherein said low-power wireless signal broadcasting module configured to broadcast one or more low-power wireless signals to solicit one or more responding wireless signals from one or more electronic devices that detect the one or more low-power wireless signals comprises:

a low-power wireless signal broadcasting module configured to broadcast less than 0.7 milliwatt wireless signals to solicit the one or more responding wireless signals from the one or more electronic devices.

4. The wearable computing device of claim 2, wherein said low-power wireless signal broadcasting module configured to broadcast one or more low-power wireless signals to solicit one or more responding wireless signals from one or more electronic devices that detect the one or more low-power wireless signals comprises:

a low-power wireless signal broadcasting module configured to broadcast one or more low-power signals having one or more frequencies from the 60 GHz band to solicit the one or more responding wireless signals from the one or more electronic devices.

5. The wearable computing device of claim 2, wherein said low-power wireless signal broadcasting module configured to broadcast one or more low-power wireless signals to solicit one or more responding wireless signals from one or more electronic devices that detect the one or more low-power wireless signals and said responding wireless signal detecting module configured to detect for reception of the one or more responding wireless signals generated by the one or more electronic devices in response to the one or more electronic devices detecting the one or more low-power wireless signals comprises:

a low-power wireless signal broadcasting module configured to broadcast the one or more low-power wireless signals through a directional antenna; and

a responding wireless signal detecting module configured to detect at the wearable computing device for reception of the one or more responding wireless signals through the directional antenna.

6. The wearable computing device of claim 5, wherein said low-power wireless signal broadcasting module configured to broadcast the one or more low-power wireless signals through a directional antenna and said responding wireless signal detecting module configured to detect at the wearable computing device for reception of the one or more responding wireless signals through the directional antenna comprises:

a low-power wireless signal broadcasting module configured to broadcast the one or more low-power wireless signals through a metamaterial antenna; and

a responding wireless signal detecting module configured to detect at the wearable computing device for reception of the one or more responding wireless signals through the metamaterial antenna.

7. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein said nearby device sensing module configured to sense presence of one or more electronic devices near the wearable computing device that are within a spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device, the spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device being a spatial volume that includes the wearable computing device and being enclosed by an enveloping boundary, where low-power wireless signals generated by the wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary comprises:

a nearby device sensing module configured to sense within the spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device presence of one or more other wearable computing devices.

8. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein said nearby device sensing module configured to sense presence of one or more electronic devices near the wearable computing device that are within a spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device, the spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device being a spatial volume that includes the wearable computing device and being enclosed by an enveloping boundary, where low-power wireless signals generated by the wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary comprises:

a nearby device sensing module configured to sense the presence of the one or more electronic devices within the spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device, the spatial pod of the wearable computing device being a spatial volume that includes the wearable computing device and being defined by an enveloping boundary, where less than 0.7 milliwatt wireless signals generated by the wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary.

9. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein said functionally designed device ascertaining module configured to ascertain which of the one or more electronic devices that were sensed as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device are at least designed to provide one or more specific functionalities that are being sought by the wearable computing device comprises:

a functionality querying module configured to query each of the one or more electronic devices to determine which of the one or more electronic devices provide the one or more specific functionalities.

10. The wearable computing device of claim 9, wherein said functionality querying module configured to query each of the one or more electronic devices to determine which of the one or more electronic devices provide the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a functionality querying module configured to query each of the one or more electronic devices to determine which of the one or more electronic devices provide one or more communication functionalities to communicate beyond the spatial pod.

11. The wearable computing device of claim 9, wherein said functionality querying module configured to query each of the one or more electronic devices to determine which of the one or more electronic devices provide the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a functionality querying module configured to query each of the one or more electronic devices to determine which of the one or more electronic devices provide one or more global positioning system (GPS) functionalities.

12. The wearable computing device of claim 9, wherein said functionality querying module configured to query each of the one or more electronic devices to determine which of the one or more electronic devices provide the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a functionality querying module configured to query each of the one or more electronic devices to determine which of the one or more electronic devices provide one or more sensor functionalities.

13. The wearable computing device of claim 9, wherein said functionality querying module configured to query each of the one or more electronic devices to determine which of the one or more electronic devices provide the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a functionality querying module configured to query each of the one or more electronic devices to determine which of the one or more electronic devices provide access to one or more specific applications.

14. The wearable computing device of claim 13, wherein said functionality querying module configured to query each of the one or more electronic devices to determine which of the one or more electronic devices provide access to one or more specific applications comprises:

a functionality querying module configured to query each of the one or more electronic devices to determine which of the one or more electronic devices provide access to one or more communication applications.

15. The wearable computing device of claim 9, wherein said functionality querying module configured to query each of the one or more electronic devices to determine which of the one or more electronic devices provide the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a functionality querying module configured to query each of the one or more electronic devices to determine when will the one or more specific functionalities become available for usage by the wearable computing device.

16. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein said functionally designed device ascertaining module configured to ascertain which of the one or more electronic devices that were sensed as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device are at least designed to provide one or more specific functionalities that are being sought by the wearable computing device comprises:

a functionally designed device ascertaining module configured to ascertain that a plurality of electronic devices that were detected as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device are designed to provide at least one common functionality.

17. The wearable computing device of claim 16, wherein said functionally designed device ascertaining module configured to ascertain that a plurality of electronic devices that were detected as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device are designed to provide at least one common functionality comprises:

a device designating module configured to designate at least one of the plurality of electronic devices for providing the at least one common functionality.

18. The wearable computing device of claim 17, wherein said device designating module configured to designate at least one of the plurality of electronic devices for providing the at least one common functionality comprises:

a device designating module including a nearest device ascertaining module configured to designate at least one of the plurality of electronic devices for providing the at least one common functionality based, at least in part, on the nearest device ascertaining module ascertaining which of the electronic devices is or are nearest to the wearable computing device.

19. The wearable computing device of claim 17, wherein said device designating module configured to designate at least one of the plurality of electronic devices for providing the at least one common functionality comprises:

a device designating module including an earliest functionality providing device ascertaining module configured to designate at least one of the plurality of electronic devices for providing the at least one common functionality based, at least in part, on the earliest functionality providing device ascertaining module ascertaining which of the electronic devices provides earliest access to the at least one common functionality.

20. The wearable computing device of claim 17, wherein said device designating module configured to designate at least one of the plurality of electronic devices for providing the at least one common functionality comprises:

a device designating module including a supporting application providing device ascertaining module configured to designate at least one of the plurality of electronic devices for providing the at least one common functionality based, at least in part, on the supporting application providing device ascertaining module ascertaining which of the electronic devices provides access to one or more applications that supports the at least one common functionality.

21. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein said functionality obtaining module configured to obtain one or more specific functionalities that are available through at least one electronic device that was sensed by the nearby device sensing module as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device and that was ascertained by the functionally designed device ascertaining module as providing the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a request/command relaying module configured to relay to the at least one electronic device one or more requests or one or more commands for at least accessing the one or more specific functionalities available through the at least one electronic device.

22. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein said functionality obtaining module configured to obtain one or more specific functionalities that are available through at least one electronic device that was sensed by the nearby device sensing module as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device and that was ascertained by the functionally designed device ascertaining module as providing the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

an input data relaying module configured to relay to the at least one electronic device input data needed for executing the one or more specific functionalities available through the at least one electronic device.

23. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein said functionality obtaining module configured to obtain one or more specific functionalities that are available through at least one electronic device that was sensed by the nearby device sensing module as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device and that was ascertained by the functionally designed device ascertaining module as providing the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a functionality obtaining module configured to obtain access to one or more communication networks beyond the spatial pod.

24. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein said functionality obtaining module configured to obtain one or more specific functionalities that are available through at least one electronic device that was sensed by the nearby device sensing module as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device and that was ascertained by the functionally designed device ascertaining module as providing the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a functionality obtaining module configured to obtain at least access to one or more sensors that are available through the at least one electronic device.

25. The wearable computing device of claim 24, wherein said functionality obtaining module configured to obtain at least access to one or more sensors that are available through the at least one electronic device comprises:

a functionality obtaining module configured to obtain at least access to at least one global positioning system (GPS) that is available through the at least one electronic device.

26. The wearable computing device of claim 24, wherein said functionality obtaining module configured to obtain at least access to one or more sensors that are available through the at least one electronic device comprises:

a functionality obtaining module configured to obtain at least access to one or more visual sensors and/or one or more audio sensors that are available through the at least one electronic device.

27. The wearable computing device of claim 24, wherein said functionality obtaining module configured to obtain at least access to one or more sensors that are available through the at least one electronic device comprises:

a functionality obtaining module configured to obtain at least access to one or more movement sensors that are available through the at least one electronic device.

28. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein said functionality obtaining module configured to obtain one or more specific functionalities that are available through at least one electronic device that was sensed by the nearby device sensing module as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device and that was ascertained by the functionally designed device ascertaining module as providing the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a functionality obtaining module configured to obtain at least access to one or more applications available through the at least one electronic device.

29. The wearable computing device of claim 28, wherein said functionality obtaining module configured to obtain at least access to one or more applications available through the at least one electronic device comprises:

a functionality obtaining module configured to obtain at least access to one or more communication applications available through the at least one electronic device.

30. The wearable computing device of claim 28, wherein said functionality obtaining module configured to obtain at least access to one or more applications available through the at least one electronic device comprises:

a functionality obtaining module configured to obtain at least access to one or more gaming applications available through the at least one electronic device.

31. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein said functionality obtaining module configured to obtain one or more specific functionalities that are available through at least one electronic device that was sensed by the nearby device sensing module as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device and that was ascertained by the functionally designed device ascertaining module as providing the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a result obtaining module configured to obtain one or more results of utilizing the one or more specific functionalities.

32. The wearable computing device of claim 31, wherein said result obtaining module configured to obtain one or more results of utilizing the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a result obtaining module configured to obtain global positioning system (GPS) data provided by a GPS of the at least one electronic device that provides location information of the at least one electronic device.

33. The wearable computing device of claim 31, wherein said result obtaining module configured to obtain one or more results of utilizing the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a result obtaining module configured to obtain one or more results of one or more sensing operations executed using one or more visual and/or audio sensors of the at least one electronic device.

34. The wearable computing device of claim 31, wherein said result obtaining module configured to obtain one or more results of utilizing the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a result obtaining module configured to obtain one or more results of one or more sensing operations executed using one or more movement sensors of the at least one electronic device.

35. The wearable computing device of claim 31, wherein said result obtaining module configured to obtain one or more results of utilizing the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a result obtaining module configured to obtain data obtained through one or more communication links provided through the at least one electronic device.

36. The wearable computing device of claim 31, wherein said result obtaining module configured to obtain one or more results of utilizing the one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a result obtaining module configured to obtain data indicative of one or more hand or arm gestures of a user wearing the wearable computing device and provided by the at least one electronic device.

37. The wearable computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a device operating module configured to operate the wearable computing device based, at least in part, on data received through the obtained one or more specific functionalities.

38. The wearable computing device of claim 37, wherein said device operating module configured to operate the wearable computing device based, at least in part, on data received through the obtained one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a GUI manipulating module configured to manipulate at least one graphical user interface (GUI) that is being presented by the wearable computing device, the modifying being based, at least in part, on the data received through the obtained one or more specific functionalities.

39. The wearable computing device of claim 37, wherein said device operating module configured to operate the wearable computing device based, at least in part, on data received through the obtained one or more specific functionalities comprises:

a hand/arm gesture based operating module configured to operate the wearable computing device based, at least in part, on data that was received through the obtained one or more specific functionalities and that is indicative of one or more hand or arm gestures of a user wearing the wearable computing device.

40. The wearable computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

an indicator providing module configured to provide one or more indicators that indicate that the one or more specific functionalities have been obtained by the wearable computing device, the one or more indicators being presented in response, at least in part, to the one or more specific functionalities being obtained by the wearable computing device.

41. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium bearing;

one or more instructions for sensing presence of one or more electronic devices near the wearable computing device that are within a spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device, the spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device being a spatial volume that includes the wearable computing device and being enclosed by an enveloping boundary, where low-power wireless signals generated by the wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary;

one or more instructions for ascertaining which of the one or more electronic devices that were sensed as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device are at least designed to provide one or more specific functionalities that are being sought by the wearable computing device; and

one or more instructions for obtaining one or more specific functionalities that are available through at least one electronic device that was sensed by the nearby device sensing module as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device and that was ascertained by the functionally designed device ascertaining module as providing the one or more specific functionalities.

42. A wearable computing device, comprising:

a nearby device sensing module configured to sense presence of one or more electronic devices near the wearable computing device that are within a spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device, the spatial pod surrounding the wearable computing device being a spatial volume that includes the wearable computing device and being enclosed by an enveloping boundary, where low-power wireless signals generated by the wearable computing device being discernible over background noise within the enveloping boundary and not discernible over background noise outside the enveloping boundary;

a functionally designed device ascertaining module configured to ascertain which of the one or more electronic devices that were sensed as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device are at least designed to provide one or more specific functionalities that are being sought by the wearable computing device;

functionality obtaining module configured to obtain one or more specific functionalities that are available through at least one electronic device that was sensed by the nearby device sensing module as being within the spatial pod of the wearable computing device and that was ascertained by the functionally designed device ascertaining module as providing the one or more specific functionalities; and

an antenna.