Near field communication system, and method of operating same

• US 9,538,317 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• 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 J
• Application Number:
  US14/827,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20150358762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

In one aspect, this disclosure is directed to an activity tracking device having a size and shape adapted for physical coupling with a user. The activity tracking device may include one or more sensors to generate sensor data. For example, the sensor data can include activity and/or biometric sensor data related to the user and/or environmental sensor data related to an environment around the user. The activity tracking device may also include an identification tag including identification data that includes information about actions and/or operations associated with the particular activity tracking device. The activity tracking device also can include an identification tag transmitter, electrically coupled with the identification tag, to wirelessly transmit the identification data, according to a communication protocol, to a wireless reader responsive to coming within a proximity of the wireless reader. The wireless reader can perform, or cause a processing device to perform, the actions and/or operations.

Claims

1. An activity tracking device having a size and shape adapted for physical coupling with a user, the activity tracking device comprising:

one or more sensors to generate 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 including first information about actions and/or operations associated with the particular activity tracking device, the actions and/or operations including an action and/or operation to initiate communication with the activity tracking device according to a first wireless communication protocol;

an identification tag transmitter, electrically coupled with the identification tag, to wirelessly transmit the identification data of the identification tag according to a second wireless communication protocol responsive to coming within a proximity of a wireless reader, the first information causing the wireless reader to perform, or cause a processing device to perform, the actions and/or operations included in the identification data; and

a device transceiver to wirelessly transmit the sensor data according to the first wireless communication protocol responsive to a request from the wireless reader or the processing device, the request being transmitted by the wireless reader or the processing device based on the initiated communication.

2. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to launch or execute an application.

3. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to pair the activity tracking device to an account registered to the user of the activity tracking device.

4. The activity tracking device of claim 3, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to query a website or external system to determine whether the identification data is associated with the user.

5. The activity tracking device of claim 3, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to request the user to login to an existing account or to create a new account.

6. The activity tracking device of claim 5, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to create a pairing relationship between the activity tracking device and the user.

7. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to pair the activity tracking device with an external device or system.

8. The activity tracking device of claim 7, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to pair the activity tracking device to an external sensor device.

9. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to synchronize data to or from the activity tracking device.

10. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the actions and/or operations include an action and/or operation to synchronize data to or from an external device or system.

11. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication protocol is a Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WiFi, GSM or other cellular protocol.

12. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the communication is between the activity tracking device and the processing device, the processing device including the wireless reader.

13. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the communication includes the transmission of user information from the activity tracking device to the processing device according to the first communication protocol, the user information including information about a user of the activity tracking device.

14. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the communication includes the transmission of configuration data for the activity tracking device to the processing device according to the first communication protocol.

15. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the communication includes the transmission of previously received data from the activity tracking device to the processing device according to the first communication protocol, the previously received data including data previously received from an external system over a network.

16. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the communication includes the transmission of second information from the activity tracking device to the processing device according to the first communication protocol, and wherein, responsive to receiving the second information, the processing device transmits the second information or third information to an external system over a network according to a third communication protocol.

17. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the communication includes the reception of user information by the activity tracking device from the processing device according to the first communication protocol, the user information including information about a user of the activity tracking device.

18. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the communication includes the reception of configuration data by the activity tracking device from the processing device according to the first communication protocol.

19. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the communication includes the reception of external data by the activity tracking device from the processing device according to the first communication protocol, the external data including data previously received by the processing device from an external system over a network.

20. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the communication includes the reception of second information by the activity tracking device from the processing device according to the first communication protocol, and wherein, responsive to receiving the second information, the activity tracking device transmits the second information or third information to an external system over a network according to a third communication protocol.

21. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the actions and/or operations including an action and/or operation to initiate communication between the activity tracking device and an external system over a network.

22. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the identification data further includes information identifying the activity tracking device.

23. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the identification data further includes information identifying the user of the activity tracking device.

24. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the identification data further includes configuration data for the activity tracking device.

25. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the identification data further includes a uniform resource locator (URL).

26. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the identification data includes previously received data, the previously received data including data previously received by the activity tracking device from an external system over a network.

27. The activity tracking device of claim 1, wherein the activity tracking device includes a second wireless reader to receive other identification data including information about other actions and/or operations associated with another activity tracking device.