Automatic communication protocol selection for limb worn devices

• US 9,860,748 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2015
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roy S. Melzer
• Original Assignee: Roy S. Melzer
• Inventors: Melzer, Roy S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shao, Hong
• Application Number:
  US14/631,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20150249976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• 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

A method of selecting a communication protocol to encode a message wirelessly transmitted from a limb worn device to a wirelessly controllable apparatus. The method comprises analyzing an output of at least one motion sensor installed in a limb worn device having an MMI to detect a human routine limb motion performed by a user wearing the limb worn device while the user operates one of a plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses, automatically selecting for an operation period, according to the detected human routine limb motion, one of a plurality of communication protocols, automatically detecting a user input performed by the user using the MMI during the operation period, and automatically generating and transmitting a message indicative of operation instructions to operate a function executed by a processor associated with the selected wirelessly controllable apparatus and correlated with the user input.

Claims

1. A method of changing communication protocols to encode messages wirelessly transmitted from limb worn devices to wirelessly controllable apparatuses, comprising:

continually or iteratively monitoring outputs of at least one motion sensor installed in a limb worn device having a man machine interface (MMI) while said limb worn device is worn by a user and communicates to one of a plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses according to one of a plurality of communication protocols;

analyzing said outputs to detect a human routine limb motion performed by said user wearing said limb worn device while said user operates said one of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses and wears said limb worn device on a limb;

in response to said detection of said human routine limb motion automatically changing for an operation period, according to said detected human routine limb motion, from said one of said plurality of communication protocols to another of said plurality of communication protocols where each communication protocol from said plurality of communication protocols is used by said limb worn device to forward instructions triggered by a common user input made using said MMI for operating one of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses;

automatically detecting when said common user input is performed by said user using said MMI during said operation period; and

in response to said detecting, wirelessly and automatically transmitting a message indicative of operation instructions to operate a function executed by a processor associated with another wirelessly controllable apparatus of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses and correlated with said user input, said message being transmitted according to said another communication protocol from said limb worn device to one of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically adapting a user interface presented by said MMI during said operation period according to said another of said plurality of communication protocols.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said message comprises authentication data for authenticating said user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation period is shorter than 5 minutes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said processor is of said another of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said processor is of an accessory of said another of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically changing comprises disconnecting an existing communication channel which allows said limb worn device to send said another of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses messages encoded according to said another of said plurality of communication protocols and establishing a new communication channel to send said message therethrough.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said establishing comprises automatically performing a pairing of said limb worn device with said another of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said function is a text processing function for editing text presented on a display of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said function is a media playing operation function for controlling a playing of media content presented on a display of said another of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said one of said plurality of communication protocols is a communication protocol to communicate with a computing unit connected to an external keyboard and said another of said plurality of communication protocols is a communication protocol to communicate with a touch screen operated computing unit.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said another of said plurality of communication protocols defines instructions to send messages selected from the following messages type:

keyboard input instructions, mouse input instructions, touch screen input instructions, and television remote control instructions.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one motion sensor comprises at least one of an accelerometer and a gyro.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said limb worn device is a watch having a touch screen as said MMI;

said user input is a touch event detected on said touch screen;

wherein said touch event is a finger touch or a finger slide on said touch screen.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said detected human routine limb motion is typing and said message is indicative of a keyboard input to an application currently running on said another of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said detected human routine limb motion is cursor maneuvering and said message is indicative of an editing operation to edit an object pointed by a cursor and presented by an application currently running on said another of said plurality wirelessly controllable apparatuses.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said detected human routine limb motion is steering wheel maneuvering and said message is indicative of a vehicle function operation and said processor is of a system installed in a vehicle.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of communication protocols comprises a word processor communication protocol to communicate with a computing unit running a word processor and a cellular phone communication protocol to communicate with a cellular phone such that when said another of said plurality of communication protocols is said word processor communication protocol said operation instructions instructs said word processor and when said another of said plurality of communication protocols is said cellular phone communication protocol said operation instructions instructs said cellular phone to perform a wireless interpersonal communication related operation.

19. A limb worn device, comprising:

a housing sized and shaped to be worn on a limb of a user;

at least one motion sensor mounted in said housing to detect a motion of said limb;

a man machine interface (MMI);

at least one hardware processor which executes a code for;

continually or iteratively monitoring outputs of said at least one motion sensor while said limb worn device communicates with one of a plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses according to one of a plurality of communication protocols,

analyzing said outputs to detect a current human routine limb motion performed by said user while said user operates said one of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses, and

automatically changing, in response to said detection of said human routine limb motion and according to said detected human routine limb motion, from said one of said plurality of communication protocols to another of said plurality of communication protocols where each communication protocol from said plurality of communication protocols is set used by said limb worn device to forward instructions triggered by a common user input made using said MMI for operating another of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses, and

detecting when said common user input is performed by said user using said MMI after said at least one hardware processor performs said change; and

a wireless transmitter which transmits, to said another wirelessly controllable apparatus in response to said detection of said user input, a message encoded according to said another communication protocol to indicate operation instructions to operate a function executed by a processor of said another of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses.

20. A system of establishing communication channels with different wirelessly controllable apparatuses for entering user inputs, comprising:

a housing sized and shaped to be worn on a limb of a user;

at least one motion sensor mounted in said housing;

a man machine interface (MMI) mounted in said housing;

a memory for storing communication instructions for communicating with a plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses according to a plurality of communication protocols used to forward instructions triggered by a common user input to said MMI for operating one of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses;

at least one hardware processor which executes a code for;

continually or iteratively monitoring outputs of said at least one motion sensor while said system communicates with one of a plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses according to one of a plurality of communication protocols,

analyzing said outputs to detect a human routine limb motion performed by said user while said user operates said one of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses,

automatically changing, in response to said detection and according to said detected human routine limb motion from said one of said plurality of communication protocols to another of said plurality of communication protocols,

detecting when said common user input performed by said user using said MMI after said change, and

generating a message indicative of operation instructions to operate a function executed by a processor of said another of said plurality of wirelessly controllable apparatuses according to said another communication protocol; and

a wireless transmitter which transmits said message over a wireless network connection to said another wirelessly controllable apparatus in response to said detection of said user input.