Wireless coded communication (WCC) devices with power harvesting power sources for processing biometric identified functions

• US 9,894,471 B1
• Filed: 07/23/2016
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Albert S. Penilla, Gary M. Zalewski
• Original Assignee: Albert S. Penilla, Gary M. Zalewski
• Inventors: Zalewski, Gary M., Penilla, Albert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Junpeng
• Application Number:
  US15/217,974
• Time in Patent Office: 570 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 11/002 Generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1607 Supply circuits converters H02M; filters therefor H02M1/14; voltage stabilisers G05F1/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Devices, systems, and method are provided for wireless coded communication (WCC) devices, which are configured for wireless communication with other devices, e.g., over a network. A WCC device is a type of internet of things (IOT) device that can sense data, process data, send data, respond to data requests and exchange data with other WCC device, a network device, a user device, and/or systems over the internet. In some configurations, a WCC device may include a power source that enables usage of low power, e.g., to send data that is sensed, request data and/or communicate data wirelessly. WCC devices maybe function as standalone devices or may be integrated into other devices. In some configurations, a WCC device may include power harvesting circuitry, including power harvesting user controls. A WCC device may be pre-configured or coded to report occurrence of an event, log an event, log state, cause an action, send a message or request data from one or more end nodes. In some configurations, the devices enable communication over a wireless network, which enables access to the Internet and further enables cloud processing on data received or processing for data returned or communicated.

Claims

1. A wireless coded communication (WCC) device,

comprising,

a wireless chip;

a microcontroller interfaced with the wireless chip;

a memory interfaced with the wireless chip;

a power storage cell;

a biometric fingerprint scanner coupled to the power storage cell and to the microcontroller;

a power pump coupled to a push button switch configured to generate power in response to a mechanical force applied to an element of the power pump when the push button switch is pushed, the power transferred to the power storage cell enabling the WCC device to be powered on for a brief moment of time, where the power provided to the WCC device is based only on the power produced by harvesting of energy from the mechanical force when applied to the element;

said push button switch also being interfaced with the biometric fingerprint scanner that couples to a surface of the push button switch, the biometric fingerprint scanner producing data indicative of ID data of a user pressing the push button switch;

said microcontroller programmed to read the ID data from the biometric fingerprint scanner and transmit ID data with instructions to an end node over a wireless network, all using said power from the power storage cell generated during the brief moment of time the WCC device is powered, the instructions are for the end node to perform a function that is selected based on the ID data.

2. The WCC of claim 1, wherein the biometric fingerprint scanner produces data that includes human fingerprint information of a finger that is at least partially represented as said ID data of the user, the ID data is configured to be processed by the end node or transmitted to another end node for processing based in part on the instructions that were transmitted with the ID data.

3. The WCC of claim 2, wherein the end node or the other end node determines if the human fingerprint information is to be validated against stored data used for validation of identify of the user, and if validated, the end node processes the function that generates instructions to be sent to a target object.

4. The WCC of claim 3, wherein the target object is or relates to one of a terminal, or a container, or an operating system, or database, or management system, or resource, or mobile device, or IOT device, or WOO device, or DLC, or a URL, or service, or an end node, or an access target, or a user, or a user account, or a profile, or an outlet, or a light, or a door lock, or a computer lock, or a password lock, or a passage lock, or a file security code lock, or a digital lock, or a mechanical lock.

5. The WCC of claim 1, wherein the instructions transmitted with the ID data reports a condition.

6. The WCC of claim 5, wherein the condition is one that is or relates to a device state, or a user, or an authentication state, or a network, or a node, or a user'"'"'s health, or an environment, or a sensed field in proximity to the WCC device, or a notification, or another device, or an anomaly, or a power source, or a power level, or a signal, or a process, or a security control, or an access control, or a timestamp, or a time period, or a count, or a database, or storage, or a memory, or a volume, bandwidth, or QoS (quality of service), or location, or absent or present, or a payload, or null, or void, or data stored in the memory of the WCC, or a combination of two or more thereof.

7. The WCC device of claim 4, wherein the target object is configured to operate in accordance with the transmitted instructions.

8. The WCC device of claim 6, wherein the instructions are or relate to one or more of the conditions.

9. The WCC device of claim 6, wherein the condition includes data stored in the memory of the WCC, the data stored in the memory is configured to select a type of the function, and the WCC device further including an e-ink screen.

10. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the function selectable based on a number of times the power pump is activated by mechanical force responsive to the push button switch being pressed said number of times.

11. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the function is configured based on programming to perform one of sending a message, or fetching data, or requesting data, or posting data, or posting data to a social media site, or posting data to a stream, or sending a message for help, or posting a picture to a stream.

12. The WCC device of claim 11, wherein data that is fetched is processed during the brief moment of time the WCC device is powered, or during a next one or more moments of time the WCC device is powered.

13. The WCC device of claim 1, wherein the instructions transmitted with the ID data include one of computer code, or a bit, or a flag, or a timestamp, or sampled data, or arguments, or sensor data, or message data, or request data, or inquiry data, or purchase data, or retail transaction data, or purchase history data, interaction data, or state data, historical data, or event data, or payload data, or metadata, authentication data, or encryption data, or security data, or destination data, or end node identification data, or server data, or employee badge data, or password data, or user name data, or other biometric data, or process data, or control data, or trigger data, or safety data, or alarm data, or image data, or QR code data, or sound data, or temperature data, or environment data, or cloud access data, or data for remote processing, or data for local processing, or a hash data, or URL data, or data for a remote website, or condition, or payload, or combinations of two or more thereof.

14. A wireless coded communication (WCC) device, comprising,

a wireless chip;

a microcontroller interfaced with the wireless chip;

a memory interfaced with the wireless chip;

a power storage cell;

a biometric fingerprint scanner coupled to the power storage cell and to the microcontroller;

a power pump coupled to a push button configured to generate power in response to a mechanical force applied to an element of the power pump when the push button is pushed, the power transferred to the power storage cell enabling the WCC device to receive a power burst for a moment of time by harvesting energy from the mechanical force applied to the element;

said push button also being interfaced with the biometric fingerprint scanner that couples to a surface of the push button, the biometric fingerprint scanner producing data indicative of ID data of a user pressing the push button;

said microcontroller programmed to read the ID data from the biometric fingerprint scanner and transmit ID data to an end node over a wireless network, using power from the power storage cell generated during the moment in time the WCC device receives power generated from one or more mechanical forces applied to the element of the power pump;

wherein the end node is configured to perform a function based on the ID data and information accessible by the end node.

15. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein the biometric fingerprint scanner produces data that includes human fingerprint information of a finger that is at least partially represented as said ID data of the user, the ID data is configured to be processed by the end node or transmitted to another end node for processing.

16. The WCC device of claim 15, wherein the end node or the other end node determines if the human fingerprint information is valid when compared against stored data used for identify verification of the user, and if verified, the end node or another end node processes the function that sends data to a target object or a recipient.

17. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein the WCC device is further configured to be powered-on and transmit a payload using Passive Wifi or RF backscatter without requiring an additional mechanical force to be applied to the element of the power pump.

18. The WCC device of claim 17, wherein the transmitted ID data further includes instructions that report a condition, or reports a temporal condition that identifies when the push button was pressed or activated;

or includes a payload;

or includes user input, or includes settings, or includes sensed data, or includes data stored in the memory of the WCC, or includes data stored in the memory of the WCC, the data stored in the memory is configured to select a type of the function.

19. The WCC device of claim 14, wherein said transmit of the ID data further includes instructions, and the instructions transmitted with the ID data include one of computer code, or a bit, or a flag, or a timestamp, or sampled data, or arguments, or sensor data, or message data, or request data, or inquiry data, or purchase data, or retail transaction data, or purchase history data, interaction data, or state data, historical data, or event data, or payload data, or metadata, authentication data, or encryption data, or security data, or destination data, or end node identification data, or server data, or employee badge data, or password data, or user name data, or other biometric data, or process data, or control data, or trigger data, or safety data, or alarm data, or image data, or QR code data, or sound data, or temperature data, or environment data, or cloud access data, or data for remote processing, or data for local processing, or a hash data, or URL data, or data for a remote website, or combinations of two or more thereof.

20. The WCC device of claim 14, further including an e-ink display coupled to the microcontroller.