Wearable devices and associated systems

• US 9,335,790 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Smart Patents LLC
• Inventors: Stotler, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Amadiz, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US14/590,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20150160693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 31, 345/11, 345/156, 345173-174, 63 15- 159
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 9/0053 having special functions
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 9/02 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/165 the additional display being small, e.g. for presenting status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0216 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 : for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 : for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 : for image or video messaging

Abstract

A wearable computing device can have a processor, a memory, and a display so operatively coupled to the processor and the memory as to display an output therefrom. The processor and the memory can be positioned in a resiliently flexible body. The resiliently flexible body can include a first end and an opposed second end, a first edge and an opposed second edge, wherein the first and the second edges extend between the first end and the opposed second end. The body can also have a wearer-engagement portion positioned between the first end and an intermediate region, wherein the finger-engagement portion of the resiliently flexible body circumferentially so extends around a longitudinally extending axis positioned parallel to the first end and spaced apart from the resiliently flexible body as to define an open interior region, wherein the interior region of the wearer-engagement portion defines an inner surface extending between the first edge and the second edge and between the first end and the intermediate region, wherein the wearer engagement portion further defines an outer surface positioned outward of the interior region and opposite the interior surface. A display portion of the body can be positioned between the intermediate region and the second end, wherein the display is positioned in the display portion on a same side of the resiliently flexible body as the outer surface of the wearer-engagement portion. A user input device can be positioned opposite the interior surface and outward of the interior region, and between the first end and the display portion.

Claims

1. A finger-wearable computing device comprising:

a processor, a memory, and a display so operatively coupled to the processor and the memory as to display an output therefrom; and

a resiliently flexible body in which the processor and the memory are positioned, wherein the resiliently flexible body comprises;

a first end and an opposed second end, a first edge and an opposed second edge, wherein the first and the second edges extend between the first end and the opposed second end;

a wearer-engagement portion positioned between the first end and an intermediate region, wherein the wearer-engagement portion of the resiliently flexible body circumferentially so extends around a longitudinally extending axis positioned parallel to the first end and spaced apart from the resiliently flexible body as to define an open interior region, wherein the interior region of the wearer-engagement portion defines an inner surface extending between the first edge and the second edge and between the first end and the intermediate region, wherein the wearer-engagement portion further defines an outer surface positioned outward of the interior region and opposite the inner surface; and

a display portion of the resiliently flexible body positioned between the intermediate region and the second end, wherein the display is integrated into the display portion on a same side of the resiliently flexible body as the outer surface of the wearer-engagement portion,

wherein when positioned on a wearer'"'"'s finger, the display portion has an open position in which the second end is spaced away from the wearer-engagement portion, and has a closed position in which the second end is closer to the wearer-engagement portion than in the open position; and

a user input device positioned opposite the inner surface and outward of the interior region, wherein the user input device is positioned between the first end and the display portion.

2. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the first end is spaced apart from a same side of the resiliently flexible body as the inner surface of the wearer-engagement portion.

3. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 2, wherein the wearer-engagement portion of the resiliently flexible body is sufficiently stiff as to cause the resiliently flexible body to urge inwardly against a wearer'"'"'s finger slidably received in the open interior region with sufficient force as to frictionally retain the resiliently flexible body in relation to the wearer'"'"'s finger.

4. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the user input device comprises one of a thumb-actuable track pad and a touch-responsive device configured to emit one or more signals in response to being touched by a wearer'"'"'s thumb.

5. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 4, wherein the user input device has a convex contour corresponding to an outer contour of the wearer-engagement portion.

6. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 4, wherein the user input device comprises one or more tactile-feedback members arranged to provide a user with tactile feedback as to a location of the wearer'"'"'s thumb in relation to the user input device.

7. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion is resiliently flexible.

8. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the user input device is so positioned relative to the resiliently flexible body as to be positioned opposite a wearer'"'"'s thumb when the wearer'"'"'s finger is positioned in the open interior region and the display tilts away from the wearer.

9. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 8, wherein a marker is positioned on the wearer'"'"'s thumb and wherein the user input device is further positioned relative to the resiliently flexible body as to be positioned opposite the marker on the wearer'"'"'s thumb.

10. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the user input device comprises a first user input device positioned in opposed relationship to a wearer'"'"'s thumb when the wearer'"'"'s index finger is frictionally engaged within the open interior region, wherein the wearable computing device further comprises a second user input device positioned outward of the open interior region and circumferentially spaced apart from the first user input device.

11. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 10, wherein the first user input device has a convex outer contour and wherein the second user input device has a convex outer contour.

12. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the user-input device is resiliently flexible.

13. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the wearer-engagement portion positioned adjacent the first end of the resiliently flexible body is positioned in overlapping relation with a corresponding portion of the display portion of the resiliently flexible body on a same side of the resiliently flexible body as the inner surface.

14. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 13, wherein the overlapping relation permits an interior dimension of the open interior region to expand as a wearer'"'"'s finger urges the wearer-engagement portion outwardly upon insertion of the wearer'"'"'s finger into the interior region.

15. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second edges define a narrow region of the resiliently flexible body positioned between the first end and the display portion, wherein the narrow region is configured to rest between a wearer'"'"'s first and second knuckles positioned at opposed ends of the wearer'"'"'s intermediate phalanx.

16. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer, a biometric sensor, or both.

17. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, further comprising one or more of a camera, a microphone and a speaker positioned on or adjacent the display.

18. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 17, wherein the display comprises a first display and the user input device comprises a second display, wherein the first display is relatively larger than the second display and is operatively coupled with the second display so as to reproduce a display output from the second display on the first display and to provide an indicator of a relative location of a wearer'"'"'s thumb in relation to a surface of the user input device.

19. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 18, wherein a marker is positioned on a wearer'"'"'s thumb, and wherein the first and second displays are so further operatively coupled with each other as for the first display to provide an indicator of a relative position of the marker on the wearer'"'"'s thumb in relation to the surface of the user input device.

20. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display defines a sub-region, wherein the user input device is positioned in the sub-region of the display.

21. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the user input device comprises a thumb track pad having a sensor configured to detect a position of a marker point on a wearer'"'"'s thumb in relation to the track pad.

22. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, further comprising a camera positioned on a user-facing side of the display portion.

23. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 22, wherein the camera comprises a first camera, the wearable computing device further comprising a second camera positioned on a side of the display opposite the user-facing side of the display portion.

24. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the open interior region defined by the wearer-engagement portion comprises a cylindrically shaped open interior region configured to extend around a wearer'"'"'s finger substantially entirely.

25. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion is configured to be positionable radially outward of the wearer-engagement portion such that the second end is spaced apart from the wearer-engagement portion.

26. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion of the resiliently flexible body is configured to pivot between the open position and the closed position.

27. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion of the resiliently flexible body is configured to partially wrap around the wearer-engagement portion in the closed position.

28. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the wearer-engagement portion is configured to be opened such that the resilient flexible body lays flat.

29. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, further comprising a cover attached to the second end by a hinged region and configured to transition between a covering position, in which the cover is flipped to the same side of the resiliently flexible body as the outer surface and covers the display, and a stand position, in which the cover is flipped away from the same side of the resiliently flexible body as the outer surface and forms a table top stand for the display portion.

30. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, wherein the first edge and the second edge each include a cut-out to provide a comfortable fit when a wearer'"'"'s finger extends through the open interior region.

31. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 30, wherein each cut-out has rounded edges.

32. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency antenna configured to receive ambient energy to power the finger-wearable computing device.

33. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, further comprising an interface device configured to communicate over a computer network.

34. The finger-wearable computing device according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless transceiver configured to control a remote electronic device.