Bluetooth low energy watch with event indicators and activation

• US 9,173,052 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Connectedevice Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Connectedevice Limited
• Inventors: Hauser, Peter, Olivier, Henri-Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilodeau, David
• Application Number:
  US13/862,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20130303087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• 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

Abstract

A system for communicating via a wireless link is disclosed. The system may include a watch movement, a wristband, or an appliance. The system may also include a microprocessor having a Bluetooth® low energy radio. The microprocessor may be configured to receive a notification of an event from a Bluetooth® device and, in response to receiving the notification, activate an indicator on the watch movement, wristband, or appliance. Furthermore, the microprocessor may be configured to receive user input and transmit data via a Bluetooth® link to a smartphone or tablet where it may be received by an application.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a watch having one or more event indicators and a watch movement comprising;

a face;

at least one mechanical indicator;

an analog time adjustment for adjusting the at least one mechanical indicator; and

a motor driver circuit for driving the at least one mechanical indicator including a feedback system to identify a current position of the at least one mechanical indicator and identify an adjusted time when the time is manually adjusted by the analog time adjustment;

a microprocessor, included in the watch, coupled to the event indicators, the microprocessor comprising a communication radio and configured to;

communicate the adjusted time to an application in wireless communication with the watch, the application configured to adjust a notification event based on the adjusted time;

receive, via the radio, the notification event from the application; and

in response to receiving the notification event, activate at least one of the event indicators of the watch movement.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising controlling, by the microprocessor, a time displayed by the watch movement.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the watch movement is an analog watch movement or a digital watch movement.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the event indicators comprise icons on a face of the watch movement.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the event indicators comprise one or more LEDs, a vibration motor, a speaker, or a combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a coin-cell battery coupled to power at least the watch movement and the communication radio.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to send a notification of a charge level of the battery to the application.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to set a time of the watch movement after receiving a current time from the application.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the notification of the event comprises a notification of an email received by the, a notification of a text received by the application, a notification of a calendar event received by the application, a notification of a missed call from the application, or a combination thereof.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive the notification from a tablet or smartphone.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is configured to communicate with the application via a Bluetooth low energy protocol.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor and radio are powered by a non-rechargeable, coin-cell battery.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the application is a mobile application executing on a Bluetooth enabled device.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one mechanical indicator comprises one or more watch hands.

14. A method of controlling a watch comprising:

controlling, by a microprocessor, one or more event indicators coupled to a watch;

driving, by a motor driver circuit, one or more watch hands on a face of the watch;

receiving, by the microprocessor, indication of a time adjustment from the motor driver circuit in response to a time adjustment of the watch;

wherein receiving the indication of the time adjustment includes identifying, by a feedback system of the motor driver circuit, the current position of the watch hands;

transmitting, by the microprocessor, a notification of the time adjustment to a Bluetooth®

device via a Bluetooth low energy communication protocol;

receiving one or more event notifications that incorporates the adjusted time from the Bluetooth device; and

activating one or more of the event indicators in response to receiving the one or more notifications.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising controlling, by the microprocessor, a movement of the watch.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein controlling the watch movement comprises controlling an analog watch movement or a digital watch movement.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein controlling the event indicators comprises controlling icons on a face of the watch movement.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein controlling the event indicators comprises controlling one or more LEDs, a vibration motor, a speaker, or a combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising providing power to the system from a coin-cell battery.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising sending, from the microprocessor to the Bluetooth device, a notification of a charge level of the battery.

21. The method of claim 14 further comprising setting a time of the watch movement after receiving a current time from the Bluetooth device.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein receiving the notification comprises receiving a notification of an email that was received by the Bluetooth device, a notification of a text that was received by the Bluetooth device, a notification of a calendar event from the Bluetooth®

device, a notification of call missed by the Bluetooth device, or a combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein receiving the notification comprises receiving the notification from a smartphone.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein communicating with the Bluetooth device includes communication via a Bluetooth low energy protocol.

25. The method of claim 14 further comprising powering the watch with a coin-cell battery.

26. The method of claim 14 wherein communicating with the Bluetooth device includes communicating with a mobile application executed by the Bluetooth device.

28. The method of claim 14 further comprising wirelessly communicating the time adjustment to an application in wireless communication with the watch.

29. A system comprising:

a watch having one or more event indicators and a watch movement comprising a face, watch hands, a motor driver circuit for driving the watch hands, and an analog time adjustment for adjusting the watch hands;

a microprocessor, included in the watch, coupled to the event indicators, the microprocessor comprising a Bluetooth®

low energy radio and configured to;

receive, from the motor driver circuit, an indication of a manual adjustment of a time setting of the watch;

communicate, via the Bluetooth low energy radio, the adjusted time setting to an application in wireless communication with the watch;

receive, via the radio, a notification of an event that incorporates the adjusted time from the application;

in response to receiving the notification, activate at least one of the event indicators of the watch movement.