FITNESS WATCH CASE

• US 20160026156A1
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Jackson, Stephen Michael, Gretton, Mark, Riddiford, Martin, Pond, Anthony Nicholas, O'Brien, Liam James
• Granted Patent: US 9,501,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/0058 for shaped watches
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/08 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/007 combined with a calculator or computing means
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 60/00 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A fitness watch case (502) is disclosed comprising a display housing (504) that houses a display for displaying information to a user; and a user interface (506) having touch-sensitive input means for controlling the watch. The user interface (506) is spaced apart from the display housing (504), thereby enabling the user to operate the user interface using only a single finger. The watch case (502) is insertable into a strap (508) to form a fitness watch (500) that can be worn on the wrist of the user.

Claims

1. A fitness watch case, comprising:

a display housing that houses a display for displaying information to a user;

a user interface having an input for navigating through a menu displayed on the display to control the functioning of the watch; and

an antenna arranged to receive signals transmitted from navigation satellites,

wherein the user interface is spaced apart from the display housing, the display housing being physically connected to the user interface by a connecting portion, wherein the connecting portion is curved or angled along the direction from the display housing to the user interface such that when the display housing is arranged on the back of a user'"'"'s wrist in use, the connecting portion curves or otherwise extends around the wrist such that the user interface is located on the side of the user'"'"'s wrist,

wherein the antenna resides in a camber defined by the user interface; and

wherein the watch case has a lower surface for contacting the user'"'"'s wrist in use and an upper, opposite surface for facing away from the user'"'"'s wrist in use, and wherein the input has a substantially planar surface arranged substantially parallel to and above a portion of the lower surface, the input being configured to be operated by being pressed in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to its substantially planar surface, in a direction from the upper surface towards the lower surface.

2. The watch case of claim 1, wherein the display is configured to display alphanumeric characters or icons such that upper parts of the characters or icons are arranged towards a first side of the display housing and the lower parts of the characters or icons are arranged towards a second, opposite side of the display housing;

and wherein the user interface is spaced apart from the display housing in a direction from said first side to said second side.

3. The watch case of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the watch case is recessed between the display housing and the user interface

4. The watch case of claim 1, wherein the input comprises a four-way button having a continuous pressing surface and four actuators, the button being configured such that:

when a first portion of the pressing surface is depressed, a first of said actuators is actuated so as to provide a first input to navigate through the menu and control the watch,

when a second portion of the pressing surface is depressed, a second of said actuators is actuated so as to provide a second input to navigate through the menu and control the watch,

when a third portion of the pressing surface is depressed, a third of said actuators is actuated so as to provide a third input to navigate through the menu and control the watch, and

when a fourth portion of the pressing surface is depressed, a fourth of said actuators is actuated so as to provide a fourth input to navigate through the menu and control the watch.

5. The watch case of claim 1, wherein the input comprises a touchpad arranged to translate the motion of a user'"'"'s finger across its surface into an input to navigate through the menu and control the watch.

6. The watch case of claim 1, wherein the chamber is positioned on a medial side of the user'"'"'s wrist and houses a patch antenna of a global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) receiver.

7. The watch case of claim 1, wherein the display housing has a substantially planar display arranged in a first plane, and wherein the substantially planar surface of the input is arranged in a second plane, the first and second planes being at angles to each other.

8. The watch case of claim 7, wherein the dihedral angle between the first and second planes is less than 90 degrees.

9. The watch case of claim 8, wherein the dihedral angle is between 20 and 70 degrees.

10. The watch case of claim 1, wherein the display housing and the user interface are arranged in a single integral casing having a display housing portion and a user interface portion separated by the connecting portion.

11. The watch case of claim 1, wherein the case comprises one or more electrical connectors for electrically connecting said case to a dock or cable for charging a battery in said case and/or for transferring data into or out of said case.

12. The watch case of claim 11, wherein the case comprises a flange that extends in a direction away from the display housing, said flange having the electrical connectors arranged thereon.

13. The watch case of claim 12, wherein the connectors are arranged at the end of the flange that is distal from the display housing.

14. The watch case of claim 1, wherein the watch case is combined with a strap for securing the watch to the arm or wrist of a user to form a fitness watch.

15. The watch of claim 14, wherein the strap comprises at least two apertures, and the display and input of the watch case each project through an aperture in the strap.

16. The watch of claim 14, wherein the strap and watch case are configured such that the strap is releasably engagable with the case in a manner such that the strap can be repeatedly engaged and disengaged from the case.

17. The watch case of claim 14, wherein the watch strap comprises at least two apertures, the strap and/or apertures in the strap being configured so as to releasably engage with the fitness watch case, and wherein the display and input of the watch case each project through an aperture in the strap in use.

18. A system comprising:

a fitness watch case comprising;

a display housing that houses a display for displaying information to a user;

a user interface having an input for navigating through a menu displayed on the display to control the functioning of the watch; and

an antenna arranged to receive signals transmitted from navigation satellites,

wherein the user interface is spaced apart from the display housing, the display housing being physically connected to the user interface by a connecting portion, wherein the connecting portion is curved or angled along the direction from the display housing to the user interface such that when the display housing is arranged on the back of a user'"'"'s wrist in use, the connecting portion curves or otherwise extends around the wrist such that the user interface is located on the side of the user'"'"'s wrist,

wherein the antenna resides in a camber defined by the user interface; and

wherein the watch case has a lower surface for contacting the user'"'"'s wrist in use and an upper, opposite surface for facing away from the user'"'"'s wrist in use, and wherein the input has a substantially planar surface arranged substantially parallel to and above a portion of the lower surface, the input being configured to be operated by being pressed in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to its substantially planar surface, in a direction from the upper surface towards the lower surface; and

a docking system for charging or exchanging data with the watch case, wherein the docking system comprises docking electrical connectors for connecting with the electrical connectors on the watch case in order to supply electrical charge and/or data to the electrical connectors of the watch case and/or to receive data from the watch case.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein a dock of the docking system has a slot for receiving the flange of the watch case therein, and wherein the electrical connectors of the watch and the docking connectors are arranged and configured to engage with each other within the slot.