Smart bracelet

• US 9,665,068 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoo, Hyunsun, Park, Hyungwoo, Seo, Sangwoo, Lee, Yongho
• Primary Examiner(s): Kayes, Sean
• Application Number:
  US14/753,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20160070234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 5/0007 Bracelets specially adapted for other functions or with means for attaching other articles
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 5/14 characterised by the way of fastening to a wrist-watch or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/1486 Arrangements for fixing to a bracelet building watches into bracelets (montre marquise) G04B37/12; arrangements for hanging pocket- or other watches on chains G04B37/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt

Abstract

There is disclosed a smart bracelet including a band having a curved surface in a longitudinal direction; a slit extended from each of both longitudinal ends of the band along the longitudinal direction, divided ends divided by the slit, a coupling hole formed in a lateral surface of the divided end, a hinge pin inserted in the coupling hole, the hinge pin comprising a conductive material, a band printed circuit board disposed in a predetermined portion of the band, the band printed circuit board where an integrated circuit (IC) is loaded, and a link unit connecting the band printed circuit board and the hinge pin with each other.

Claims

1. A smart bracelet comprising:

a band having a curved surface extending in a longitudinal direction;

openings formed in a lateral surface of both ends of the band;

at least one hinge pin passing through the openings, the at least one hinge pin comprising a conductive material;

a band printed circuit board disposed in the band;

an integrated circuit (IC) installed on the band printed circuit board; and

a link unit connecting the band printed circuit board to the hinge pin,

wherein the state of the smart bracelet is transmutable between a first state wherein both ends of the band are connected each other and a second state wherein both ends of the band are connected to a watch module.

2. The smart bracelet of claim 1, wherein the link unit comprises:

an interface ring; and

an interface projection extending from the interface ring and contacting the band printed circuit board, wherein the hinge pin passes through and contacts the interface ring.

3. The smart bracelet of claim 1, wherein the opening is comprising a first opening formed through and extending in a transverse direction between a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface of a first end of the band, and a second opening is formed through and extends in a transverse direction between a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface of a second end of the band.

4. The smart bracelet of claim 3, wherein the band comprises a first slit extending from the first end in the longitudinal direction and a second slit extending from the second end in the longitudinal direction such that each of the first and second ends is divided into a first side and a second side,

wherein the first end and the second end overlap each other such that the first side of the first end overlays the first side of the second end and the second side of the first end underlays the second side of the second end, whereby the first side of the first end is positioned side-by-side to the second side of the second end and the second side of the first end is side-by-side to the first side of the second end, and

wherein the hinge pin is comprising a first hinge pin that passes, in a transverse direction, through the opening through the first side of the first end and the opening through the second side of the second end, and a second hinge pin passes, in a transverse direction, through the opening through the second side of the first end and the opening through the first side of the second end, thereby attaching the first end to the second end.

5. The smart bracelet of claim 4 further comprising an audio output unit,

configured to output an audio signal based on an audio input signal and a voice message based on a text input signal when the hinge pin inserts through the opening.

6. The smart bracelet of claim 1 further comprising:

a button in mechanical communication with the hinge pin, wherein the hinge pin and the button are configured such that operation of the button causes the hinge pin to selectively retract into the band or project out of the band through the opening.

7. The smart bracelet of claim 6 further comprising:

an elastic member in mechanical communication with the button and the hinge pin, wherein the elastic member, the button and the hinge pin are configured such that a pressing force on the button causes the elastic member to contract and exert a first force on the hinge pin whereby the hinge pin retracts into the band, and configured such that when the pressing force on the button is removed the elastic member exerts a second force on the hinge pin whereby the hinge pin projects out of the band through the opening.

8. The smart bracelet of claim 7, wherein the link unit is a plate spring having a U-shape, and the hinge pin projects from an end portion of the link unit through the opening, and wherein the button projects from a side portion of the link unit through a second opening in a lateral surface of the band.

9. The smart bracelet of claim 8, wherein the hinge pin comprises a first hinge pin part and a second hinge pin part, the first hinge pin part projecting from a first end portion of the link unit through the opening in a first lateral surface of the band and the second hinge pin part projecting from a second end portion of the link unit through an opening in a second lateral surface of the band,

wherein the button is comprises a first button projecting from a first side portion of the link unit through the second opening in the first lateral surface of the band and a second button projects from a second side portion of the link unit through the second opening in the second lateral surface of the band.

10. The smart bracelet of claim 6 further comprising:

a hooking portion associated with a first end of the band; and

a hook associated with a second end of the band, the hook being configured to rotatably couple to and de-couple from the hooking portion.

11. The smart bracelet of claim 1, wherein the opening is formed through and extends in a transverse direction between a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface of the one end of the band, and wherein the hinge pin extends through the opening and the first and second lateral surfaces of the one end of the band,

wherein the watch module comprises a clock face and a band coupling portion configured to couple to the band via the hinge pin, and

wherein the band coupling portion comprises:

a pair of band coupling projections spaced apart a distance corresponding to the width of the band; and

a hinge hole formed in each of the band coupling projections, wherein each hinge hole is configured to receive a corresponding one of the ends of the hinge pin.

12. The smart bracelet of claim 11 further comprising:

a display unit coupled to a front surface of the clock face, wherein the IC is configured to control the amount of light that passes through the display unit so that the display unit ranges from opaque to transparent, including degrees of translucence there between, and to control the display unit to output image information.

13. The smart bracelet of claim 12, wherein the IC is further configured to control the display unit such that a first amount of light passes through a first area of the display unit, and that a second amount of light passes through a second area of the display unit.

14. The smart bracelet of claim 12, wherein the display unit is detachable from the watch module.

15. The smart bracelet of claim 14 further comprising a signal line connecting the display unit to the hinge pin.

16. The smart bracelet of claim 12 further comprising:

an audio output unit coupled to the band,

wherein the display unit is configured to output image information or text information and

wherein the audio output unit is configured to output an audio signal based on an audio input signal or a voice message based on a text input signal.

17. The smart bracelet of claim 1, wherein the band comprises:

a first band and a second band; and

a length adjusting unit between the first band and the second band, wherein the length adjusting unit is configured to adjust the length of the band.

18. The smart bracelet of claim 17, wherein the length adjusting unit comprises:

an auxiliary band; and

an auxiliary band accommodating portion formed in each of the first and second bands, the auxiliary band accommodating portion of the first band and the auxiliary band accommodating portion of the second band configured to receive a first end and a second end of the auxiliary band, respectively, wherein each end of the auxiliary band comprises a stopper and wherein each of the first and second auxiliary band accommodation portions comprises one or more stopping grooves configured to receive a stopper.

19. The smart bracelet of claim 1 further comprising:

a battery detachably provided in an outer surface of the band, wherein the battery comprises a terminal projection, wherein the outer surface of the band has a terminal projection hole formed therein, and wherein the band printed circuit board comprises a flexible terminal configured to connect with the terminal projection.