Complete wearable ecosystem

• US 9,836,083 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2016
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Ricci, Christopher P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCORMACK, THOMAS S
• Application Number:
  US15/066,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20160266606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/08 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• 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

Methods and systems for a complete wearable ecosystem are provided. Specifically, systems that when taken alone, or together, provide an individual or group of individuals with an intuitive and interactive wearable device ecosystem. The wearable device ecosystem may comprise a number of wearable devices. Each wearable device may comprise a body and a shell. Any number of different shells may be interconnected interchangeably to the body. In one embodiment, the shell is decorative. The present disclosure builds on integrating existing technology with new devices, methods, and systems to provide a complete wearable ecosystem.

Claims

1. A wearable device, comprising:

a body comprising;

a housing configured to receive a shell;

a processor, wherein the processor;

determines whether a shell has previously paired with the body;

when the shell has not previously paired with the body, determines whether pairing of the shell with the body is authorized, wherein in determining whether the pairing is authorized, the processor further;

determines if a housing of the shell is in contact with the housing of the body for a predetermined period of time;

exchanges authorization credentials with the shell;

determines a level of access to provide to the body;

a sensor;

a memory to store information collected by the sensor; and

a communications module to communicate with the shell; and

the shell comprising;

a housing configured to releasably interconnect to the body;

a communications module configured to communicate with the body; and

a display to present information collected by the sensor and stored in the memory of the body.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the body is substantially waterproof and devoid of external electrical inputs.

3. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first alignment feature formed on an exterior surface of the body; and

a second alignment feature formed on an interior surface of the shell, the first and second alignment features being of substantially the same size.

4. The wearable device of claim 3, wherein the first alignment feature protrudes from the body and the second alignment feature is recessed into the shell.

5. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first band removably interconnected to the housing of the body, the band adapted to fit a wrist of a user; and

a second band removably interconnected to the housing of the shell, wherein when the shell is interconnected to the body, the second band and the shell housing cover an exterior surface of the first band and the body housing.

6. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first induction coil associated with the body; and

a second induction coil associated with the shell that substantially aligns with the first induction coil when the shell is interconnected to the body.

7. The wearable device of claim 6, wherein, when the shell is interconnected to the body, power is transferable from the second induction coil of the shell to the first induction coil of the body.

8. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the sensor protrudes at least partially from an interior surface of the shell housing proximate to skin of a user when the body is positioned on the user'"'"'s wrist.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor of a body to execute a method of pairing the body with a shell, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

an instruction to perceive a presence of the shell to the body, wherein the body comprises a housing configured to receive the shell, a sensor, a memory to store information collected by the sensor, and a communications module to communication with the shell, and wherein the shell comprises a housing configured to releasably interconnect to the body, a communications module configured to communicate with the body, and a display;

an instruction to determine whether the shell has previously paired with the body;

when the shell has not previously paired with the body, an instruction to determine whether pairing of the shell with the body is authorized, wherein determining whether the pairing is authorized comprises;

an instruction to determine if the shell housing is in contact with the body housing for a predetermined period of time;

an instruction to exchange authorization credentials with the shell; and

an instruction to determine a level of access to provide to the body.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

an instruction to determine capabilities of the shell after the pairing the body with the shell, wherein the shell one of;

adds capabilities to the body; and

does not change the capabilities of the body, wherein the shell is decorative.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

an instruction to determine whether to change a device mode in response to the pairing of the body with the shell.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

an instruction to present data collected by the sensor on the display of the shell.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein after the pairing the processor of the body controls the display of the shell.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein determining whether the pairing is authorized comprises an instruction to determine if the shell and the body are in contact with a charging station.

15. A wearable device, comprising:

a body having a housing configured to receive an outer shell, the body comprising;

a processor;

a memory;

a sensor, wherein the memory is configured to store information collected from the sensor;

a communications module configured to communicate with the outer shell the outer shell, comprising;

a shell housing having at least one feature configured to operatively couple with the housing of the body; and

a shell communications module configured to communicate with the communications module of the body

a second processor;

a second memory; and

a display configured to present a graphical user interface including at least some of the information collected by the sensor;

wherein the outer shell is configured to receive a second outer shell comprising;

a second shell housing having at least one feature configured to operatively couple with the shell housing of the outer shell; and

a second shell communications module configured to communicate with at least one of the communications module of the body and the shell communications module, wherein the body is configured to operate with or without the outer shell and/or second outer shell, wherein the outer shell is configured to increase a functionality of the body and wearable device or decrease the functionality of the body and wearable device, wherein the second outer shell is configured to increase a functionality of the body, the outer shell, and the wearable device or decrease the functionality of the body, the outer shell, and the wearable device, and wherein one of the outer shell and the second shell is decorative and does not change the capabilities of the wearable device.