Wireless coded communication (WCC) devices with power harvesting power sources for processing internet purchase transactions

• US 10,355,730 B1
• Filed: 07/23/2016
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Albert S. Penilla, Gary M. Zalewski
• Original Assignee: Albert S. Penilla, Gary M. Zalewski
• Inventors: Zalewski, Gary M., Penilla, Albert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Junpeng
• Application Number:
  US15/217,976
• Time in Patent Office: 1,088 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 11/002 Generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1607 Supply circuits converters H02M; filters therefor H02M1/14; voltage stabilisers G05F1/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• 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 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Devices, systems, and method are provided for wireless coded communication (WCC) devices, which are configured for wireless communication with other devices, e.g., over a network. A WCC device is a type of internet of things (IOT) device that can sense data, process data, send data, respond to data requests and exchange data with other WCC device, a network device, a user device, and/or systems over the internet. In some configurations, a WCC device may include a power source that enables usage of low power, e.g., to send data that is sensed, request data and/or communicate data wirelessly. WCC devices maybe function as standalone devices or may be integrated into other devices. In some configurations, a WCC device may include power harvesting circuitry, including power harvesting user controls. A WCC device may be pre-configured or coded to report occurrence of an event, log an event, log state, cause an action, send a message or request data from one or more end nodes. In some configurations, the devices enable communication over a wireless network, which enables access to the Internet and further enables cloud processing on data received or processing for data returned or communicated.

Claims

1. A wireless coded communication (WCC) device, comprising,

a body having a button;

a power pump, the power pump configured to generate power in response a mechanical force applied to an element of the power pump via the button, the power being transferred to a power storage cell such that when the power storage cell has a threshold amount of power a microcontroller processes instructions to cause sending a request to order a product to an end node.

2. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the end node is a device having access to the Internet, and the request is configured to be received by an online merchant for filling of the order.

3. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the product is pre-assigned to a housing to identify what is to be ordered by pressing the button.

4. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the WCC device is automatically configurable to an object based on proximity to an item for which the order is associated.

5. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the WCC device reflects ambient energy via backscatter for delivery of a payload to a receiving entity.

6. The WCC device of claim 1, further comprising a camera, wherein the WCC device causing ambient energy backscatter delivery of a payload relating to an output of the camera.

7. A wireless coded communication (WCC) device, comprising,

a body having a button;

a bistable screen on the body;

a power pump, the power pump configured to generate power in response a mechanical force applied to an element of the power pump via the button, the power being transferred to a power storage cell such that when the power storage cell has a threshold amount of power a microcontroller processes instructions to cause sending a request to order a product to an end node.

8. The WCC device of claim 7, wherein the bistable screen provides information regarding an order placed in response to the button being pressed, or information regarding past orders, or information regarding status, or information regarding expected delivery of the product being ordered, or cost information related to the request, or account information.

9. The WCC device of claim 7, wherein the end node is a computer of an Internet merchant that fills or manages operations for filling the order for the product.

10. The WCC device of claim 7, wherein the WCC device is automatically configurable to a product based on proximity to a target device for which the order is associated.

11. The WCC device of claim 7, wherein the WCC device reflects ambient energy backscatter for delivery of a payload to a receiving entity.

12. The WCC device of claim 7, further comprising a camera and wherein the WCC device causing ambient energy backscatter delivery of a payload relating an output of the camera.

13. The WCC device of claim 7, wherein the WCC device is automatically configurable to a product based on proximity to a target device for which the order is associated.

14. A wireless coded communication (WCC) device, comprising,

a body having an input;

a power source configured to generate power in response to ambient energy received by an element of the power source, the power being transferred to a power storage cell such that when the power storage cell has a threshold amount of power, the WCC device sends a request to place an order to an end node.

15. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein the input is configured to be a microphone used to receive a voice command, and data for the voice command is sent in the request to process the order.

16. The WCC device of claim 14, furthering including logic that selects instructions based on proximity to an item for which the order is associated.

17. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein the ambient energy is backscattered to deliver a payload relating to the request to process the order.

18. The WCC device of claim 14, further comprising logic for detecting presence of an item within a sensing range and the logic selects instructions for detecting a user interaction with the item.

19. The WCC device of claim 14, further comprising a camera and wherein the WCC device causing ambient energy backscatter delivery of a payload relating to an output of the camera.

20. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein the ambient energy is RF energy and the request is sent using backscatter of RF energy and where the order is related to a product, or is related to any command, or is related to the command, or is related to an inquiry, or is related to any request, or is related to the request, or is related to information sent to the internet, or is related to information received from the internet, or is related to a request for information from a service, or is related to a device, or is related to an item, or is related to user interaction, or is related to a service, or is related to a person, or is related to a status.

21. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein the WCC device is automatically configurable to a product based on proximity to a target device for which the order is associated.

22. The WCC device of claim 14, further comprising a flat antenna and a microcontroller, the WCC device being configured to receive wireless commands and perform wireless transmission, the wireless transmission is based on backscattering and frequency shifting to encode a payload representing the request;

and

wherein the input is configured to be related to an output of a microphone, or the input is configured to be related to an output of a camera, or the input is configured to be related to a button, or the input is configured to be related to a switch, or the input is configured to be related to a touch sensor, or the input is configured to be related to the output of a sensor, or the input is configured to relate to detected user interaction with an item, or the input facilitates or is related to a process of two factor authentication, or the input is configured to be a timed input, or the input is caused by an incidental trigger, or the input is caused by a direct trigger, or the input relates to an authentication challenge, or the input relates to an authentication response, or the input relates to processing a nuance in connection with an authentication event.

23. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein the input is configured to include a microphone, the WCC device delivering a payload relating to an output of the microphone, wherein said ambient energy being comprised of ambient RF energy that exists in airwaves or ambient energy that is purposely wirelessly transmitted to energize the WCC device, or ambient energy that is ambient acoustic energy.

24. The WCC device of claim 14, further comprising,

one or more flat antennas;

and

a processor, the one or more flat antennas are configured to assist in receiving said ambient energy and said processor is configured to responsively sense information and use the sensed information as the input, the processor is further configured to send to the end node the request to place the order, the order is information related to the sensed information, and said sending of the request uses the one or more flat antennas that transmit said order over a second frequency, wherein the end node is networked to enable a computing device to access said sensed information.

25. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein the input is associated with a camera for capturing one or more images and the WCC performs authentication using the one or more images, or the WCC device assists in performing monitoring of items that are moved, released, interfaced with, or touched, and, the order placed to the end node is related to either the one or more images or features extracted from the one or more images or from an output of instructions that process the input or from the input.

26. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein the input is associated to an identity of a person, the order sent to the end node is related to the identity of the person, the end node processes at least part of the order resulting in the end node identifying the person, and either the input or the request contains or relates to feature data used in a machine learning model.

27. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein the input is associated with an action of a person and the order sent to the end node is related to both a state of the input and the action of the person, and the end node processes at least part of the order resulting in the end node performing at least some instructions based on the action of the person.

28. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein the ambient energy received by the element of the power source is energy that is transmitted through a person upon said person making contact with the WCC device, and wherein the order placed to the end node is related to an action of the person resulting in defining a state of the input.

29. The WCC device of claim 14, further including one or more flat antennas and wherein the input is configured to capture data reflecting an indoor position of the WCC device, the order placed to the end node is transmitted using backscatter and frequency shifting of an energy field to encode a payload relating to the order, the order relating to the indoor position of the WCC device.

30. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein the ambient energy received by the element of the power source includes encoded RF energy, the encoding addressed to the WCC device, the input being an output of a microcontroller or a temperature sensor or a weight sensor or a pressure sensor or a resistance or of a capacitance or of an inductance or of an impedance;

and

wherein the order placed to the end node is related to the input and sent using backscatter reflection and frequency shifting of the encoded ambient RF energy to encode a transmission of the order onto a Bluetooth LE channel.

31. The WCC device of claim 14, further comprising,

a microprocessor, and

one or more antennas;

wherein a signal in a first frequency is received and detected by the WCC device upon having the threshold amount of power, and the WCC device backscatters and encodes data for sending the request to place the order to the end node in a second frequency, wherein placing the order is to cause processing of a function.

32. The WCC device of claim 24, wherein the second frequency is a Bluetooth channel.

33. The WCC device of claim 32, and wherein the WCC device is implanted into a human body, or integrated into clothing, or integrated into a tool, or integrated into luggage, or integrated into a key fob, or associated with a retail shelf, or associated with a container, or associated with a monitoring device.

34. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein the WCC device further including one or more flat antennas a persistent memory and a microprocessor and a display, the microprocessor configured to perform different functions based on a state of the input or based on a level of power available by the power source, wherein the input is a signal received by the WCC device or is a signal generated responsive to activation of the input.

35. The WCC device of claim 19, wherein object recognition is performed either locally by the WCC or remotely by the receiver of the payload to identify an object for which the camera is sensing and the power storage cell being selected from one or more of the group of consisting of capacitance in a resonant circuit, capacitor, supercapacitor and battery.

36. The WCC device of claim 14, further comprising,

a microprocessor, and

one or more antennas;

wherein the ambient energy includes a first frequency that is received by the WCC device and the WCC device backscatters and encodes data for sending the request to place the order to the end node in a second frequency, wherein the order includes information captured by the WCC device, the end node being networked to a cloud computing device that enables a user device to view or access data related to the information captured upon confirming privileges to view or access said information captured;

wherein said second frequency is used in a Bluetooth low energy (LE) transmission.

37. The WCC device of claim 14, further comprising,

a processor, and

one or more antennas, wherein the ambient energy includes a first frequency that is received by the WCC device and the input takes output from a sensor of the WCC, the sensor is configured to capture data related to a biological fluid of the body and the WCC device backscatters and encodes data for sending the request to place the order to the end node in a second frequency, the order including the captured data related to the biological fluid of the body, the end node being networked to a computing device that enables a user device to view or access information related to the captured data upon confirming privileges to view or access.

38. The WCC device of claim 24, wherein the second frequency is a Bluetooth channel and said information related to the sensed information is encrypted for sending to the end node, and said end node or said computing device is part of or communicates with a cloud system that stores information including the sensed information for access by one or more user devices that have privileges to decrypt and use or view data related to the sensed information.

39. The WCC device of claim 24, wherein the second frequency is a Wi-Fi channel or another channel configured for a receiver of the end node and said information related to the sensed information is encrypted for sending to the end node, and said end node or said computing device is part of either a local or cloud processing system that stores information including the sensed information for access by one or more user devices that have privileges to decrypt and use or view data related to the sensed information.

40. The WCC device of claim 38, wherein the sensed information includes or relates to temperature, or weight, or pressure, or touch, or gesture, or a user, or an identity of a person, or an identification of an object, or an identification of a device, or voltage, or current, or resistance, or capacitance, or impedance, or a biological fluid, or blood, or glucose, or serum, or urine, or gastric fluid, or digestive juices, or tears, or saliva, or stool, or semen, or interstitial fluids derived from tumorous tissues, or a frequency, or a URL, or an IP address, or proximity, or a person, or an image, or a sound, or an electromagnetic field, or an access credential, or a password, a decryption key, or private or public key, or a certificate, or a nuance, or a value, or a threshold, or motion, or appliance state, or package state, or container state, or clothing state, or wearable device state, or moving objects, or stationary objects, or store shelf items, or a medicine delivery device, or a pick up sensing device, or a power tool.