Auxiliary electronic device attachable to a wearable electronic device

• US 9,946,297 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2015
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Nazzaro, David I., Bushnell, Tyler S., Mendez, Javier
• Primary Examiner(s): Amaya, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US14/632,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20160091922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 368281-282, 224152, 224164-180, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• 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: G04G 19/10 Arrangements for supplying back-up power
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/02 Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/025 for measuring physiological data
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

An auxiliary electronic device attachable to a wearable electronic device. The auxiliary device includes a housing, electronic circuitry within the housing, and an attachment mechanism configured to attach the auxiliary electronic device to the wearable device while the device is being worn by a user. In some embodiments the electronic circuitry includes a power transmitting unit that can wirelessly transmit power to charge a rechargeable battery within the wearable electronic device. In some embodiments the attachment mechanism includes a pair of lugs that extend, from opposite ends of the housing, above the housing towards a center of the auxiliary device and are adapted to fit within corresponding recesses of the wearable electronic device.

Claims

1. An auxiliary electronic device for a wearable electronic device, the auxiliary electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a power transmitting unit within the housing and configured to wirelessly transmit power to a power receiving unit of the wearable electronic device;

an attachment mechanism configured to attach the housing to the wearable electronic device while the device is being worn by a user; and

a lens that traverses the housing from a first side, configured to engage the wearable electronic device, to a second side, opposite the first side.

2. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 1 wherein the power transmitting unit comprises a battery and a transmitting coil positioned to align with a receiving coil in the power receiving unit when the auxiliary electronic device is operatively coupled to the wearable electronic device.

3. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 1 wherein power transmitting unit comprises:

a connector that enables the auxiliary electronic device to be connected to an external power source; and

a transmitting coil positioned to align with a receiving coil in the power receiving unit when the auxiliary electronic device is operatively coupled to the wearable electronic device.

4. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 1 wherein the lens is positioned on the housing to align with a sensor on the wearable electronic device enabling the sensor to operate through the lens when the auxiliary electronic device is operatively coupled to the wearable electronic device.

5. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 1 wherein the housing has a generally rectangular shape with rounded corners and, a length of the housing is less than 50 mm, a width of the housing is less than 42 mm and a depth of the housing is an order of magnitude more or less than either its width or length.

6. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

first and second auxiliary lugs connected to the housing at opposite ends, each of the first and second auxiliary lugs projecting above a first surface of the housing towards a center of the auxiliary electronic device; and

first and second recesses formed adjacent to the first and second auxiliary lugs, respectively, and adapted to receive band lugs of a band to secure the auxiliary electronic device to a user'"'"'s wrist.

7. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 6 wherein the power transmitting unit comprises a battery and a transmitting coil positioned adjacent to the first surface and positioned to align with a receiving coil in the power receiving unit when the auxiliary electronic device is operatively coupled to the wearable electronic device.

8. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 7 wherein the first surface has a concave shape that follows a convex portion of a bottom surface of the wearable electronic device.

9. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 1 wherein the wearable electronic device is configured to be attached to a user'"'"'s wrist by a band and the auxiliary electronic device is configured be positioned between the wearable electronic device and the user'"'"'s wrist.

10. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 9 wherein the auxiliary electronic device further comprises at least one sensor configured to capture information related to its environment and communication circuitry configured to transmit the captured information to the wearable electronic device.

11. An auxiliary electronic device for a wearable electronic device configured to be attached to a user'"'"'s wrist by a band, the auxiliary electronic device comprising:

a housing sized and shaped to fit between the wearable electronic device and a user'"'"'s wrist while the wearable electronic device is worn by the user;

at least one electronic component within the housing configured to interact with one or more electronic components within the wearable electronic device;

an attachment mechanism configured to attach the auxiliary electronic device to the wearable device while the wearable electronic device is being worn by a user; and

a lens that is positioned such that, while the wearable electronic device is being worn by a user, the lens is between a sensor of the wearable electronic device and the user'"'"'s wrist.

12. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 11 wherein the wearable electronic device includes first and second recesses, each recess being configured to accept one of first and second lugs attached to a band that in turn can secure the wearable electronic device to a user'"'"'s wrist, and wherein the attachment mechanism comprises:

first and second members that are configured to fit within the first and second recesses, respectively, to attach the housing to the wearable electronic device; and

third and fourth recesses sized and shaped similar to the first and second recesses, respectively, to enable the band to be attached to the auxiliary electronic device, the third recess being positioned adjacent to the first lug and the fourth recess being positioned adjacent to the second lug.

13. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 12 wherein a line that bisects an opening of each of the third and fourth recesses has an angle with respect to an upper surface of auxiliary electronic device that is approximately the same angle at which each of the first and second lugs extends away from the upper surface.

14. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 12 wherein the third and fourth recesses are positioned such that when the band is attached to the auxiliary electronic device a length of a loop formed between the band and auxiliary electronic device is within 10 mm of a length of the loop formed between the band and the wearable electronic device when the band is attached to the wearable electronic device.

15. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 11 wherein when the auxiliary electronic device is operatively coupled to the wearable electronic device and worn by a user, the housing is positioned between the wearable electronic device and the user'"'"'s wrist.

16. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 15, wherein the lens is positioned on the housing to align with the sensor on the wearable electronic device enabling the sensor to operate through the lens when the auxiliary electronic device is operatively coupled to the wearable electronic device.

17. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 11 wherein the at least one electronic component comprises a sensor and communication circuitry that can transmit data from the sensor to the wearable electronic device.

18. An auxiliary electronic device for a wearable electronic device that includes first and second recesses, each recess being configured to accept a lug attached to a band that in turn can secure the wearable electronic device to a user'"'"'s wrist, the auxiliary electronic device comprising:

a housing;

at least one electronic component within the housing;

a first lug extending from a first end of the housing;

a second lug extending from a second end of the housing opposite the first end;

a third recess sized and shaped similar to the first recess on the wearable electronic device; and

a fourth recess sized and shaped similar to the third recess on the wearable electronic device.

19. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 18 wherein the at least one electronic component comprises a wireless power transmitting unit configured to wirelessly transmit power to a power receiving unit of the wearable electronic device and comprises a battery and a transmitting coil positioned to align with a receiving coil in the power receiving unit when the auxiliary electronic device is operatively coupled to the wearable electronic device.

20. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 19 wherein the housing has a generally rectangular shape with rounded corners, a length of the housing is less than 50 mm, a width of the housing is less than 42 mm and a thickness of the housing is 10 mm or less.

21. An auxiliary electronic device for a wearable electronic device that includes first and second recesses on opposing ends of the wearable electronic device, the auxiliary electronic device comprising:

a housing having an exterior charging surface;

an attachment mechanism including first and second opposing members extending towards each other in a fixed relationship above the exterior charging surface, the first and second opposing members sized and shaped to fit within the first and second recesses, respectively, to attach the housing to the wearable electronic device; and

a power transmitting unit positioned within the housing adjacent to the exterior charging surface, the power transmitting unit configured to wirelessly transmit power across the exterior charging surface to a power receiving unit of the wearable electronic device when the auxiliary electronic device is attached to the wearable electronic device by the attachment mechanism.

22. The auxiliary electronic device of claim 21 wherein the power transmitting unit is positioned between the wearable electronic device and a user'"'"'s wrist when the auxiliary electronic device is attached to the wearable electronic device by the attachment mechanism and the wearable electronic device is worn on the user'"'"'s wrist.

23. The auxiliary electronic device of claim 22 wherein the wearable electronic device can be attached to a user'"'"'s wrist by a band.

24. The auxiliary electronic device set forth in claim 23 wherein the band is separate from the auxiliary electronic device.