System and method for wearable smart device communications

• US 9,958,275 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2016
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Chelian, Suhas E., Lee, Christopher P.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, CALVIN K
• Application Number:
  US15/169,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20170343354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wearable smart device includes an outer casing wearable by a user and defining at least one cavity and having a neck portion, a first end portion designed to rest on a first shoulder of the user, and a second end portion designed to rest on a second shoulder of the user. The wearable smart device also includes a wireless communication port at least partially positioned within the cavity and designed to communicate with a remote device. The wireless communication port includes a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) port, a near field communication (NFC) port, an infrared communication port and/or an ultrasound communication port. A processor is positioned within the cavity, coupled to the wireless communication port and designed to transmit one or more signals to the remote device and/or receive one or more signals from the remote device via the wireless communication port.

Claims

1. A wearable electronic device for communicating with a remote device, the wearable electronic device comprising:

a first wireless communication port configured to receive a first signal from the remote device via a first communication protocol, wherein the first signal indicates a request by the remote device to communicate with the wearable electronic device;

a second wireless communication port configured to transmit a second signal to the remote device via a second communication protocol that is different than the first communication protocol, wherein the second signal initializes communications with the remote device via the second wireless communication port; and

a processor coupled to the first wireless communication port and to the second wireless communication port and configured to receive the first signal via the first wireless communication port and to transmit the second signal via the second wireless communication port in response to receiving the first signal.

2. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the second wireless communication port provides for higher bandwidth communications between the wearable electronic device and the remote device than the first wireless communication port.

3. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the second wireless communication port requires more power to be in an on state than the first wireless communication port.

4. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to switch the second wireless communication port to an on state in response to receiving the first signal.

5. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine when communications between the wearable electronic device and the remote device via the second wireless communication port have ended and to switch the second wireless communication port to an off state in response to determining that the communications have ended.

6. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first wireless communication port includes at least one of a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) port, a Bluetooth port, a near field communications (NFC) port, an infrared communication port or an ultrasound communication port and wherein the second wireless communication port includes at least one of a DSRC port, an infrared communication port, an ultrasound communication port, a Bluetooth port or a Wi-Fi port.

7. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 further comprising an outer casing defining at least one cavity and wherein at least a portion of the first wireless communication port, at least a portion of the second wireless communication port, and the processor are positioned within the at least one cavity and wherein the outer casing has a neck portion configured to be positioned against a neck or back of a user and two end portions configured to extend across shoulders of the user.

8. A wearable electronic device for communicating with a remote device, the wearable electronic device comprising:

a first wireless communication port configured to receive a first signal from the remote device via a first communication protocol;

a second wireless communication port configured to transmit a second signal to the remote device via a second communication protocol that is different than the first communication protocol, wherein the second wireless communication port provides for higher bandwidth communications between the wearable electronic device and the remote device than the first wireless communication port; and

a processor coupled to the first wireless communication port and to the second wireless communication port and configured to receive the first signal via the first wireless communication port and to transmit the second signal via the second wireless communication port in response to receiving the first signal.

9. The wearable electronic device of claim 8 wherein the second wireless communication port requires more power to be in an on state than the first wireless communication port.

10. The wearable electronic device of claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured to switch the second wireless communication port to an on state in response to receiving the first signal.

11. The wearable electronic device of claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured to determine when communications between the wearable electronic device and the remote device via the second wireless communication port have ended and to switch the second wireless communication port to an off state in response to determining that the communications have ended.

12. The wearable electronic device of claim 8 wherein the first wireless communication port includes at least one of a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) port, a Bluetooth port, a near field communications (NFC) port, an infrared communication port or an ultrasound communication port and wherein the second wireless communication port includes at least one of a DSRC port, an infrared communication port, an ultrasound communication port, a Bluetooth port or a Wi-Fi port.

13. The wearable electronic device of claim 8 further comprising an outer casing defining at least one cavity and wherein at least a portion of the first wireless communication port, at least a portion of the second wireless communication port, and the processor are positioned within the at least one cavity and wherein the outer casing has a neck portion configured to be positioned against a neck or back of a user and two end portions configured to extend across shoulders of the user.

14. A wearable electronic device for communicating with a remote device, the wearable electronic device comprising:

a first wireless communication port configured to receive a first signal from the remote device via a first communication protocol;

a second wireless communication port configured to transmit a second signal to the remote device via a second communication protocol that is different than the first communication protocol, wherein the second wireless communication port requires more power to be in an on state than the first wireless communication port; and

a processor coupled to the first wireless communication port and to the second wireless communication port and configured to receive the first signal via the first wireless communication port and to transmit the second signal via the second wireless communication port in response to receiving the first signal.

15. The wearable electronic device of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to switch the second wireless communication port to an on state in response to receiving the first signal.

16. The wearable electronic device of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to determine when communications between the wearable electronic device and the remote device via the second wireless communication port have ended and to switch the second wireless communication port to an off state in response to determining that the communications have ended.

17. The wearable electronic device of claim 14 wherein the first wireless communication port includes at least one of a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) port, a Bluetooth port, a near field communications (NFC) port, an infrared communication port or an ultrasound communication port and wherein the second wireless communication port includes at least one of a DSRC port, an infrared communication port, an ultrasound communication port, a Bluetooth port or a Wi-Fi port.

18. The wearable electronic device of claim 14 further comprising an outer casing defining at least one cavity and wherein at least a portion of the first wireless communication port, at least a portion of the second wireless communication port, and the processor are positioned within the at least one cavity and wherein the outer casing has a neck portion configured to be positioned against a neck or back of a user and two end portions configured to extend across shoulders of the user.