WEARABLE COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20160246326A1
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ouraring, Inc. (Oura Health Oy)
• Original Assignee: Mechio, Inc.
• Inventors: von Badinski, Curt C., Strasser, Michael J., Twiss, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,958,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/146 for optical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/166 the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0042 for use with direct solar radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0052 the light source comprising a laser diode coupling into light guides using intermediate optical elements G02B6/4204; semiconductor lasers having optical devices external to the laser cavity H01S5/005
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0061 the light source comprising a LED semiconductor devices with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier specially adapted for light emission H01L33/00
• 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: G06F 1/163 : Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 : Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 : using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 : Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 : Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 : Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/751 : Comparing pixel values or logical combinations thereof, or feature values having positional relevance, e.g. template matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 : Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/15 : Biometric patterns based on physiological signals, e.g. heartbeat, blood flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/70 : Multimodal biometrics, e.g. combining information from different biometric modalities
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 : Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 : using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 : using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 : User interface
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 : specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 : with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/22 : Light-reflecting or light-concentrating means directly associated with the PV cell or integrated with the PV cell H01L31/054
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 : PV systems with concentrators

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a wearable computing device (WCD) in the form of a ring that can be worn on the finger of a human user.

Claims

1. A charger for an electronic device comprising:

a housing; and

an artificial light source inside the housing, the housing constructed and arranged to direct artificial light onto the electronic device, wherein the electronic device is a machine capable of executing instructions that specify actions to be taken by that machine, thereby charging the electronic device and the electronic device is removable from the housing.

2. The charger of claim 1, wherein the artificial light is contained between the housing and the electronic device.

3. The charger of claim 1, wherein the housing is constructed and arranged to maintain a fixed relationship with the electronic device so that the artificial light source maintains a constant flow of artificial light onto the electronic device.

4. The charger of claim 1, wherein the artificial light is a substantially monochromatic light.

5. The charger of claim 1, wherein the artificial light source includes a diode-based light emitter.

6. The charger of claim 5, wherein the artificial light is laser light.

7. The charger of claim 1, further comprising at least one magnet, the magnet maintaining a fixed relationship with the electronic device.

8. A system comprising:

a device powered by stored electricity that includes at least one photovoltaic cell; and

a charger, the charger further comprising a housing and an artificial light source within the housing, the housing constructed and arranged to maintain a fixed relationship with the device, thereby enabling a constant flow of artificial light onto the at least one photovoltaic cell, and the device constructed and arranged to be united with the charger to receive the artificial light onto the at least one photovoltaic cell, thereby providing electricity that is stored in the device, and wherein the device is a machine capable of executing instructions that specify actions to be taken by that machine.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the device is a wearable computing device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the charger and the device further comprises at least one magnet, the magnet maintaining a fixed relationship between the charger and the device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the device further comprises a lens structure to concentrate the artificial light from the artificial light source.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the device is a wearable device and lens structure comprises a decorative element.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the artificial light is a substantially monochromatic light.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the artificial light source includes a diode-based light emitter.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the artificial light is a laser light.

16. A charger for a device powered by stored electricity comprising:

an electromagnetic radiation source, the electromagnetic radiation source providing electromagnetic radiation to a storage element on the, thereby charging the device; and

at least one magnet, the at least one magnet maintaining a fixed physical relationship with the device when engaged for charging.

17. The charger of claim 16, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is a substantially monochromatic light.

18. The charger of claim 16, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source includes a diode-based light emitter.

19. The charger of claim 16, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is laser light.

20. The charger of claim 16, wherein the device is a machine capable of executing instructions that specify actions to be taken by that machine.

21. The charger of claim 16, wherein the device is a wearable computing device.

22. An electronic device comprising:

an outer case;

at least one photovoltaic cell; and

at least one magnet arranged to align an electromagnetic radiation source with the at least one photovoltaic cell.

23. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the electronic device is a wearable computing device.

24. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the photovoltaic cell is a concentrated photovoltaic cell.

25. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is a substantially monochromatic light source.

26. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is a diode-based light emitter.

27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source emits a laser light.

28. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the photovoltaic cell is operatively connected to a power storage assembly within the electronic device.

29. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the electronic device includes a lens structure to concentrate the artificial light from the artificial light source.

30. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the lens structure defines a decorative element on the electronic device.