Wearable mobile device

• US 9,977,461 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rufus Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rufus Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Grifoni, Gabriel, LaBerge, Travis, Goldman, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Thaker, Nidhi
• Application Number:
  US14/194,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20140295918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 36167903, 4555756, 368 10, 368 13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

A mobile device is provided that includes a display module that detachably couples to a wrap module. The interconnection between the wrap module and the display module provides data and/or power conductivity there between. In this manner, the wrap module can provide supplemental functionality, such as serving as an input device (touch), a power source, or a solar charger, among other features.

Claims

1. A wrist-worn mobile device, comprising:

a display module having attachment locations for enabling data and/or power conductivity, the display module includes a touch screen and wireless communications;

a wrap module that detachably couples to the attachment locations of the display module such that the data and/or power conductivity is provided between the display module and the wrap module, the wrap module is sized to secure about a user'"'"'s wrist to hold the display module on the user'"'"'s wrist, the wrap module includes two separate bands, each band mates with a corresponding side of the display module, the wrap module includes one or more multi-touch touch panels along an outer surface thereof, in operative communication with the display module that serves as an input device;

wherein each band of the wrap module includes a plurality of links that couple to one another using a conductive rod on the distal end of one link and a snap-fit attachment on the proximal end of another link, configured in a manner forming power and data conductivity therebetween, in which each link includes one or more batteries.

2. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 1, wherein the wrap module includes solar panels disposed along the outer surface thereof to charge batteries enclosed in the wrap module and/or batteries of the display module.

3. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 1, wherein the touch screen is composed of damage-resistant glass.

4. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 1, wherein the wrap module includes LED lights spaced throughout.

5. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more multi-touch panels of the wrap module serves an input device for the display module enabled for control audio playback, application swapping, and display screen manipulation thereof.

6. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 1, wherein each link includes a multi-touch panel.

7. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 6, wherein the multi-touch panels of the wrap module serves an input device for the display module enabled for control audio playback, application swapping, and display screen manipulation thereof.

8. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 6, wherein the wrap module includes LED lights spaced throughout.

9. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one link includes the multi-touch panel.

10. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 9, wherein the wrap module includes LED lights spaced throughout.

11. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one link of the plurality of links includes the multi-touch panel and at least one link of the plurality of links includes a single-touch panel.

12. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 11, wherein the multi-touch panel and the single touch panel of the wrap module serve as input devices for the display module enabled for control audio playback, application swapping, and display screen manipulation thereof.

13. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 1, wherein gestures on the one-or more multi-touch panel controls functionality of the display module.

14. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 13, wherein the gestures include (a) swiping forward/back around the wrist for scrolling and (b) zoom control by swiping fingers in opposite directions around the wrist.

15. A wrist-worn mobile device, comprising:

a display module having attachment locations for enabling data and/or power conductivity, the display module includes a touch screen and wireless communications;

a wrap module that detachably couples to the attachment locations of the display module such that the data and/or power conductivity is provided between the display module and the wrap module, the wrap module is sized to secure about a user'"'"'s wrist to hold the display module on the user'"'"'s wrist, the wrap module includes two separate bands, each band mates with a corresponding side of the display module, wherein each band of the wrap module includes a plurality of links that couple to one another using a conductive rod on the distal end of one link and a snap-fit attachment on the proximal end of another link, configured in a manner forming power and data conductivity therebetween, in which each link includes a multi-touch panel, in operative communication with the display module that serves as an input device.

16. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 15, wherein gestures on the multi-touch panels control functionality of the display module.

17. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 16, wherein the gestures include (a) swiping forward/back around the wrist for scrolling and (b) zoom control by swiping fingers in opposite directions around the wrist.

18. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 15, wherein the multi-touch panels of the wrap module serves an input device for the display module enabled for control audio playback, application swapping, and display screen manipulation thereof.

19. The wearable mobile device as defined in claim 15, wherein the wrap module includes LED lights spaced throughout.