Short range wireless powered ring for user interaction and sensing

• US 9,696,802 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2013
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Priyantha, Nissanka Arachchige Bodhi, Burger, Douglas Christopher, Liu, Jie, Ganesan, Deepak, Lymperopoulos, Dimitrios, DeJean, Gerald Reuben
• Primary Examiner(s): McLoone, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US13/847,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 345156, 455 411, 455 412, 455410, 235379, 3405721, 463 36- 37, 463 39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In general, the short range wireless powered ring described herein pertains to a finger-worn ring. In one embodiment the ring has a small interaction area towards the palm of the hand that employs sensors to sense user input and can interpret this input and other data. For example, the ring can interpret user input as scroll and select input actions. The ring communicates user interactions and other data wirelessly using a low-power wireless solution. The ring contains a coil and other circuitry for energy harvesting from short range wireless enabled devices such as, for example, NFC enabled phones, while users interact with their devices. A built in rechargeable battery is used to store the scavenged energy. The ring may also contain physiological and inertial sensors. The ring can provide a readily available input device of small form factor that has an easily accessible energy source for ease of use.

Claims

1. A finger-worn ring that harvests short range wireless energy, comprising:

a small interaction area on an outer portion of the finger-worn ring facing towards the palm of a user'"'"'s hand, the small interaction area comprising actuators arranged in a pattern comprising a center actuator and actuators surrounding the center actuator in a circular pattern on the interaction area to sense user input actions for controlling items displayed on a display;

an inductor and circuitry that is used for scavenging of short range wireless energy from a device that is transmitting the wireless energy for a purpose other than charging;

a battery that stores the scavenged energy; and

a microprocessor that monitors battery level and decides when to activate energy scavenging to charge the battery; and

a wireless link that communicates the user input actions to a computing device using the scavenged energy stored in the battery to control items displayed on a display of the computing device using the communicated user input actions.

2. The finger-worn ring of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless energy is near field communication (NFC) energy.

3. The finger-worn ring of claim 1, wherein the inductor and circuitry for energy scavenging scavenges energy from a short range wireless-enabled device.

4. The finger-worn ring of claim 1, wherein a RF radio is used for the wireless link.

5. The finger-worn ring of claim 1, wherein near field communication is used for the wireless link.

6. The finger-worn ring of claim 1, wherein the actuators can detect user scrolling and selection actions.

7. The finger-worn ring of claim 1, wherein the input actions can be used to control the computing device or another device.

8. The finger-worn ring of claim 1, wherein the small interaction area that is located on the portion of the surface of the ring directed towards a palm of a user'"'"'s hand comprises five actuators arranged in a diamond pattern wherein four actuators surround the center actuator.

9. The finger-worn ring of claim 1, further comprising sensors that sense at least one of:

physiological signals of the user;

inertia of the ring;

image data; and

environmental data.

10. A finger-worn ring, comprising:

one or more sensors on the ring that detect input;

a small interaction area on an outer portion of the ring, the small interaction area comprising actuators arranged in a pattern comprising a center actuator and actuators surrounding all sides of the center actuator on the interaction area that detect a user'"'"'s touch and provide scroll and select functionalities;

an inductor and circuitry on the ring that scavenge short range wireless energy from a first computing device that is transmitting the wireless energy for a purpose other than for charging;

a battery that stores the scavenged energy;

a microprocessor that monitors battery level and decides when to activate energy scavenging to charge the battery; and

a link that transmits the detected input from the one or more sensors and the actuators on the ring to a second computing device using the scavenged energy stored in the battery to control a cursor on a display of the second computing device.

11. The finger-worn ring of claim 10, wherein the link transmits the detected input using short range wireless communications.

12. The finger-worn ring of claim 10, wherein the link transmits the detected input using a RF radio.

13. The finger-worn ring of claim 10, wherein the detected input is used to control another device or application.

14. The finger-worn ring of claim 10, further comprising at least one physiological sensor and wherein the detected input is physiological data of the user.

15. The finger-worn ring of claim 10, further comprising at least one inertial sensor and wherein the detected input is the inertia of the ring.

16. The finger-worn ring of claim 10, further comprising at least one imaging sensor and wherein the detected input is image data.

17. The finger-worn ring of claim 10, wherein the scroll and select functionalities allow a user to scroll through a menu displayed on the display and select a menu item.

18. A ring that is used as an input device and a sensing device, comprising:

a plurality of actuators on the ring, comprising a center actuator and actuators located on the top, bottom and sides of the center actuator, and select functionalities for controlling objects displayed on a display;

one or more sensors on the ring that passively sense information;

an inductor and circuitry that scavenges short range wireless communication energy from a computing device that is transmitting the short range wireless communication energy for a purpose other than charging;

a battery that stores the scavenged energy;

a microprocessor on the ring that monitors battery level and decides when to activate energy scavenging to charge the battery; and

a wireless link that transmits the received input actions and the sensed information to the computing device using the scavenged energy to provide the sensed information to the computing device and to control a cursor on a display of the computing device.

19. The ring of claim 18 wherein the wireless link comprises a RF transceiver that transmits the received input actions and the sensed information to the computing device.

20. The ring of claim 18 wherein the wireless link comprises a short range wireless communication module that transmits the received input actions and the sensed information to the computing device.