Integrated touch-skin notification system for wearable computing devices
First Claim
1. A system for centralizing notification of alerts of plural personal computing devices, comprising:
- one and only one tactile notification device wearable by a person, the tactile notification defining a tactile surface facing the person when the device is worn by the person such that the tactile notification device generates one or more tactile signals when activated;
plural personal computing devices bearable by the person; and
a wireless communication network establishing communication between the personal computing devices and the tactile notification device, wherein the devices are simultaneously worn by the person and the tactile notification device includes a wireless communication receiver, and the personal computing devices transmit respective alert signals to the receiver to activate the tactile notification device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A tactile notification device that can be embodied in, e.g., a wristwatch, communicates via wireless link with plural personal computing devices, including cellular telephones, pagers, and palm top computers, of the person wearing the notification device. When one of the personal computing devices alerts, e.g., when the telephone receives an incoming call, the pager receives a page, or the palm top computer receives an email, the personal computing device sends a signal to the notification device, which generates a discrete tactile signal against the person'"'"'s skin. The notification device can generate different tactile signals, and each tactile signal can be correlated as desired by the user to one of the personal computing devices. In one embodiment, opposed pinch bars are provided on the skin-facing tactile surface of a wristwatch to gently pinch the skin and thereby establish a first tactile signal that can be correlated to, for example, an alert for an incoming phone call. Also, a rotating bar can be provided on the tactile surface of the wristwatch, and the tactile signal that corresponds to, e.g., an incoming page can be established by rotating the bar against the skin.
365 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for centralizing notification of alerts of plural personal computing devices, comprising:
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one and only one tactile notification device wearable by a person, the tactile notification defining a tactile surface facing the person when the device is worn by the person such that the tactile notification device generates one or more tactile signals when activated;
plural personal computing devices bearable by the person; and
a wireless communication network establishing communication between the personal computing devices and the tactile notification device, wherein the devices are simultaneously worn by the person and the tactile notification device includes a wireless communication receiver, and the personal computing devices transmit respective alert signals to the receiver to activate the tactile notification device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 17)
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9. A tactile notification device, comprising:
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a housing;
one or more tactile elements on the housing; and
a processor in the housing for activating the one or more tactile elements to generate plural tactile signals, at least some tactile signals corresponding to respective alerts from respective personal computing devices in wireless communication with the tactile notification device such that the personal computing devices can be simultaneously worn by a person with alerts from each activating the tactile elements such that only a single tactile notification device is needed to generate alerts from plural personal computing devices. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18)
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19. A method for signalling to a person when any of plural personal computing devices generates an alert signal, comprising:
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providing one and only one tactile notification device configured to generate plural tactile signals, at least two tactile signals being different from each other, each tactile signal corresponding to a respective personal computing device;
supporting plural computing devices on a person;
establishing wireless communication between the personal computing devices and the tactile notification device; and
causing the tactile notification device to generate a tactile signal corresponding to an alerting personal computing device when the alerting personal computing device generates an alert signal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification