Multipurpose contacts for delivering electro-haptic feedback to a wearer
First Claim
1. A wearable device, comprising:
- a housing;
a mount for mounting the housing to an external body surface of a wearer;
first and second electrical contacts protruding from the housing, wherein the first and second electrical contacts contact skin at the external body surface when the housing is mounted on the external body surface;
at least one sensor electronically coupled to the first and second electrical contacts, wherein the at least one sensor is able to obtain a measurement relating to a health state of the wearer;
a controller configured to specify a plurality of characteristics of an electrical stimulation, wherein each specified characteristic of the electrical stimulation corresponds to a particular health state of the wearer, and wherein each specified characteristic includes one or more of an intensity, a frequency, a duration, or a pulse pattern of the electrical stimulation; and
an electro-haptic stimulator electronically coupled to the first and second electrical contacts, wherein the controller is configured to, based on the health state of the wearer, cause the electro-haptic stimulator to deliver the electrical stimulation with one of the specified characteristics to the skin at the external body surface through the first and second electrical contacts, wherein delivering the electrical stimulation elicits an electro-haptic sensation at the wearer.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Wearable devices are described herein including a housing and a mount configured to mount the housing to an external surface of a wearer. The wearable devices further include first and second electrical contacts protruding from the housing and configured such that the electrical contacts can be used to measure a Galvanic skin resistance of skin proximate to the electrical contacts when the wearable device is mounted to the external surface of the wearer. The electrical contacts are additionally configured to deliver an electro-haptic stimulus to skin proximate to the electrical contacts when the wearable device is mounted to the external surface of the wearer. Electro-haptic stimulus could be delivered to a wearer to indicate information to the wearer, including information about a health or activity state of the wearer, about communications received by the wearable device, and about alerts generated by the wearable device.
32 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A wearable device, comprising:
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a housing; a mount for mounting the housing to an external body surface of a wearer; first and second electrical contacts protruding from the housing, wherein the first and second electrical contacts contact skin at the external body surface when the housing is mounted on the external body surface; at least one sensor electronically coupled to the first and second electrical contacts, wherein the at least one sensor is able to obtain a measurement relating to a health state of the wearer; a controller configured to specify a plurality of characteristics of an electrical stimulation, wherein each specified characteristic of the electrical stimulation corresponds to a particular health state of the wearer, and wherein each specified characteristic includes one or more of an intensity, a frequency, a duration, or a pulse pattern of the electrical stimulation; and an electro-haptic stimulator electronically coupled to the first and second electrical contacts, wherein the controller is configured to, based on the health state of the wearer, cause the electro-haptic stimulator to deliver the electrical stimulation with one of the specified characteristics to the skin at the external body surface through the first and second electrical contacts, wherein delivering the electrical stimulation elicits an electro-haptic sensation at the wearer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method, comprising:
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storing, in a memory of a wearable device, a plurality of characteristics of an electrical stimulation, wherein each specified characteristic of the electrical stimulation corresponds to a particular health state of a wearer of the wearable device, and wherein each specified characteristic includes one or more of an intensity, a frequency, a duration, or a pulse pattern of the electrical stimulation; obtaining, during a first period of time, a measurement using at least one sensor disposed in the wearable device and electrically coupled to first and second electrical contacts protruding from and exposed from a housing of the wearable device; determining a health state of the wearer based on the measurement obtained using the at least one sensor during the first period of time; based on the determined health state of the wearer, selecting one of the specified characteristics of the electrical stimulation; and delivering, during a second period of time, the electrical stimulation with the selected specified characteristic to the wearer through the first and second electrical contacts using an electro-haptic stimulator disposed in the wearable device, wherein delivering the electrical stimulation elicits an electro-haptic sensation at the wearer. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification