Wearable device assembly having athletic functionality

• US 9,720,443 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Malhotra, Vikram
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Jack K
• Application Number:
  US14/206,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20140266731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 3405731, 349 65, 482 19, 345156, 600595, 473570, 362610
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 5/0015 providing information, e.g. bracelets with calendars identification bracelets G09F3/005
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt

Abstract

A wearable device assembly has a housing supporting a controller and a display. The display may comprise one or more light guides, where each guide is operatively coupled to an LED. Each LED may light the edge of a guide such that a refraction surface is illuminated. The controller may selectively illuminate the one or more light guides using the LEDs to indicate a level of activity of the user.

Claims

1. A wearable device comprising:

a processor;

a display comprising a plurality of light guides each operatively coupled to at least a first LED, wherein each light guide includes a refracting surface and a clear portion, wherein at least a first light guide is positioned wherein the refracting surface of the first light guide is displayed through the clear portion of a second light guide;

the plurality of light guides being positioned in a layered configuration wherein the refracting surfaces, of the plurality of light guides, are aligned in a series enabling the refracting surfaces to display a gradient; and

memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the wearable device to illuminate at least the first LED wherein at least one refracting surface is illuminated.

2. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the wearable device to:

receive activity information from a wearable activity monitoring device, the activity information corresponding to recorded activity of a user of the wearable activity monitoring device;

determine a difference between the activity information and a predetermined threshold; and

display at least a portion of the gradient on the display based on the determined difference between the activity information and the predetermined threshold.

3. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a plurality of LEDs, wherein each of the plurality of LEDs comprises a different color and is coupled to a light guide in the plurality of light guides, and wherein each of the plurality of LEDs is individually controllable.

4. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light guides comprises at least a first light guide and a second light guide, and wherein the first light guide and the second light guide are positioned in a layered configuration wherein a portion of a refracting surface of the first light guide overlaps a portion of a refracting surface of the second light guide, resulting in a first overlapped portion.

5. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light guides are positioned in a layered configuration wherein illuminating a plurality of the refracting surfaces displays the gradient.

6. The wearable device according to claim 4, wherein the first overlapped portion comprises a first color transition of the gradient.

7. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light guides are flexible.

8. A device comprising:

an accelerometer that senses movement;

a display comprising a plurality of light guides each operatively coupled to at least a first LED, wherein each light guide includes a refracting surface; and

a clear portion, wherein at least a first light guide is positioned wherein the refracting surface of the first light guide is displayed through the clear portion of a second light guide;

the plurality of light guides being positioned in a layered configuration wherein the refracting surfaces, of the plurality of light guides, are aligned in a series enabling the refracting surfaces to display a gradient; and

a processor programmed to receive an input from the accelerometer and determine and energy expenditure level and cause the display to display the energy expenditure level.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the device comprises a plurality of LEDs, wherein each of the plurality of LEDs comprises a different color and is coupled to a light guide in the plurality of light guides, and wherein each of the plurality of LEDs is individually controllable.

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of light guides comprises at least a first light guide and a second light guide, and wherein the first light guide and the second light guide are positioned in a layered configuration wherein a portion of a surface for the first light guide overlaps a portion of a refracting surface of the second light guide, resulting in a first overlapped portion.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of light guides are positioned in a layered configuration wherein illuminating a plurality of the refracting surfaces displays the gradient.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the first overlapped portion comprises a first color transition of the gradient.

13. The device according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of light guides are flexible.

14. The device according to claim 8, wherein the accelerometer comprises a 3-axis accelerometer.

15. A device comprising:

a sensor that senses movement;

a display comprising a plurality of light guides and a plurality of light sources operatively coupled to the plurality of light guides, wherein each light guide includes a refracting surface and a clear portion, wherein at least a first light guide is positioned wherein the refracting surface of the first light guide is displayed through the clear portion of a second light guide, the light guides being positioned in a layered configuration wherein the refracting surfaces, of the plurality of light guides, are aligned in a series enabling the refracting surfaces to display a gradient; and

a processor programmed to receive an input from the sensor, determine an energy expenditure level and cause the display to display the energy expenditure level.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein each of the light sources coupled to each of the plurality of light guides is individually controllable, and wherein each light source comprises a different color.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of light guides comprises at least a first light guide and a second light guide, and wherein the first light guide and the second light guide are positioned in a layered configuration wherein a portion of a refracting surface of the first light guide overlaps a portion of a refracting surface of the second light guide, resulting in a first overlapped portion.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein illuminating the refracting surfaces of the first light guide and the second light guide, displays a first color transition of the gradient at the first overlapped portion.