Sensor-enabled fashion timepiece

• US 9,575,466 B1
• Filed: 11/19/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fossil Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fossil Incorporated
• Inventors: Thompson, Philip Brodie Crosley, McKelvey, Gregory Alan, Little, Brandon D., Bland, Diarmuid John St. Cullum, Piercey, Brad William
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W
• Application Number:
  US14/946,639
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 47/06 with attached measuring instruments, e.g. pedometer, barometer, thermometer or compass in combination with a tachometer which winds up the clockwork G04B5/206
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 47/063 measuring physiological quantities, e.g. pedometers, heart-rate sensors, blood pressure gauges and the like
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 10/00 Arrangements of electric power supplies in time pieces circuits G04G19/00; mounting, assembling of components of electromechanical watches G04C3/008, of electronic watches G04G17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/008 Mounting, assembling of components
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/04 Mounting of electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/02 Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/025 for measuring physiological data

Abstract

In a general aspect, an ornamental jewelry piece, such as a watch, a ring or a bracelet, includes a sensor package. In some aspects, a timepiece includes a timepiece body having an interior surface that defines a cavity. The timepiece includes a sensor package and a movement in the cavity. The sensor package includes a sensor that monitors the user and a battery that powers the sensor. The movement operates independent of the battery in the sensor package. In some instances, the sensor package tracks fitness data based on motion detected by the sensor and generates an output to the user based on the fitness data.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing timepieces, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of substantially identical timepiece bodies, each timepiece body comprising an interior surface that defines a cavity, each timepiece body comprising a movement in the cavity that operates independent of a case back;

applying sensor-enabled case backs to a first set of the timepiece bodies, each sensor-enabled case back comprising a sensor package comprising;

a sensor that monitors a timepiece user; and

a battery that powers the sensor; and

applying shell case backs to a second set of the timepiece bodies, each shell case back, when applied, having no sensor package;

wherein the sensor-enabled case back comprises a light-emitting device positioned on a perimeter of the sensor-enabled case back.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor package further comprises a processor configured to alert the user when a fitness-metric reaches a predetermined threshold, and the light-emitting device is configured to emit a specific color of light in response to the fitness-metric reaching the predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, where each sensor-enabled case back is assembled with its sensor package prior to being applied to a respective one of the first set of the timepiece bodies.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each sensor-enabled case back comprises a body defining a recess and wherein the sensor package is carried in the recess prior to the sensor-enabled case back being applied to a respective one of the first set of the timepiece bodies.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each timepiece body further comprises:

a face that displays time; and

hands secured to a shaft that extends through the face, the shaft being driven by the movement and controlling an orientation of each respective hand.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the sensor-enabled case back to the first set of the timepiece bodies encloses the sensor package in the cavity of the first set of the timepiece bodies.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each shell case back has a maximum height that is smaller than the sensor-enabled case backs.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor package further comprises a processor configured to alert the user when a fitness-metric reaches a predetermined threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined threshold comprises the number of steps taken by the user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined threshold comprises the user'"'"'s change in altitude.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined threshold comprises the number of calories burned by the user.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to alert the user of an incoming communication on a smart phone carried by the user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor package further comprises a processor configured to alert the user of an incoming communication on a smart phone carried by the user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an altitude sensor, or a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor.

15. A method comprising:

providing a timepiece body comprising an interior surface that defines a cavity and a movement in the cavity that operates independent of a case back;

providing a shell case back, the shell case back having no sensor package; and

providing a sensor-enabled case back, the sensor-enabled case back comprising a sensor package carried in a body of the sensor-enabled case back and comprising;

a sensor that monitors a timepiece user; and

a battery that powers the sensor;

where sensor-enabled case back comprises a body defining a recess and where the sensor is carried in the recess prior to being applied to the timepiece body; and

wherein the sensor-enabled case back comprises a light-emitting device positioned on a perimeter of the sensor-enabled case back.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each shell case back has a maximum height that is smaller than the sensor-enabled case back.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the sensor package further comprises a processor configured to alert the user when a fitness-metric reaches a predetermined threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined threshold comprises the number of steps taken by the user.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined threshold comprises the user'"'"'s change in altitude.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined threshold comprises the number of calories burned by the user.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to notify the user of an incoming communication on a smart phone carried by the user.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the sensor package further comprises a processor configured to alert the user of an incoming communication on a smart phone carried by the user.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an altitude sensor, or a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the sensor-enabled case back is provided after providing the shell back case.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the shell case back is provided assembled to the timepiece body.

26. A method of manufacturing timepieces, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of substantially identical timepiece bodies, each timepiece body comprising an interior surface that defines a cavity, each timepiece body comprising a movement in the cavity that operates independent of a case back;

applying sensor-enabled case backs to a first set of the timepiece bodies, each sensor-enabled case back comprising a sensor package comprising;

a sensor that monitors a timepiece user;

a battery that powers the sensor; and

a processor configured to alert the user when a fitness-metric reaches a predetermined threshold, and configured to alert the user of an incoming communication on a smart phone carried by the user; and

applying shell case backs to a second set of the timepiece bodies, each shell case back, when applied, having no sensor package;

wherein each shell case back has a maximum height that is smaller than the sensor-enabled case backs; and

wherein the sensor-enabled case back comprises a light-emitting device positioned on a perimeter of the sensor-enabled case back.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the light-emitting device positioned on a perimeter of the sensor-enabled case back is configured to emit a light when the fitness-metric reaches the predetermined threshold.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein each sensor-enabled case back comprises a body defining a recess and wherein the sensor package is carried in the recess prior to the sensor-enabled case back being applied to a respective one of the first set of the timepiece bodies.