Apparatus with elastically transformable body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10139858-B2
Application number	US-89136410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2010
Priority date	Sep 27, 2010
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a transformable body configured to be elastically stretchable between at least a first configuration and a second configuration, a user input device, a user input device configured to receive user input signal, a communication interface configured to provide a wireless link for the apparatus and a flexible interconnection between at least two components within the transformable body. The apparatus may perform determining of user information based on the user input signal, transmitting at least part of the user information over the wireless link to a remote processing unit, receiving feedback information from the remote processing unit and presenting the feedback information to the user.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a transformable shaped body configured to be elastically stretchable by a user between a visual display device and a user-wearable input device, the transformable shaped body having at least a first-operating-configuration having a relatively large operating surface area of a first width and height, the first configuration being the visual display device comprising a flexible display, and a second-operating configuration-having a second width larger than the first width and a second height smaller than the first height, the second configuration being the user-wearable touch input device configured to be worn by the user;
a power saving circuit within the transformable shaped body, including audio processing configured to trigger a start phase to transition from a low-power consuming mode for power saving of components within the transformable shaped body, in response to a detected voice command by the audio processing;
the transformable shaped body elastically stretched by the user in the second operating configuration forming the user-wearable touch input device within the transformable shaped body, configured to receive user touch input signals indicating an update of navigation information, after the start phase has been triggered by the voice command;
a communication interface within the transformable shaped body, configured to provide a wireless link for the apparatus to receive source location indications from one or more transmitting locations and configured to determine a geographic position of the transformable shaped body with respect to the transmitting locations;
the transformable shaped body elastically stretched by the user in the first operating configuration forming the visual display device within the transformable shaped body, configured to display navigation information based on a determined geographic position of the transformable shaped body, after the start phase has been triggered by the voice command; and
a flexible interconnection within the transformable shaped body, between at least two components within the transformable shaped body, comprising stretchable interconnects to the flexible display;
wherein the flexible interconnection is configured to interconnect, within the transformable shaped body, at least one of the flexible display, the user-wearable input device, or the communication interface with at least one processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is wearable on a user skin.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the apparatus is attached to the user skin using at least one of the following: adhesive material, deforming a wrap-around to a body part of the user and a suction cup.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user input device comprises at least one of the following: a microphone, a flexible touch screen and a sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user output device comprises at least one of the following: a flexible display, a flexible touch screen, a speaker, a light source, a vibrator and the transformable body.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the remote processing unit is a cloud processing unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the remote processing unit is another apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transformable body comprises at least one of the following substrates: dielectric elastomer, electroactive polymer, ionic polymer-metal composite, ionic gel, carbon nanotube, conductive polymer, ferroelectric polymer, polymer electret, electrostrictive polymer, relaxor ferroelectric polymer, electrostrictive graft-copolymer, liquid crystal elastomer, and mixtures thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flexible interconnection comprises at least one of the following materials: conductive polymer, nanotechnology material, metallic conductor in/on stretchable substrate, and combinations thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one component of the apparatus being transparent.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the transparency is realized using at least one material of the following: tin-doped indium oxide, carbon nanotube, transparent conducting oxide, and combinations thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a positioning device configured to determine a position information of the apparatus, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
use the position information in the determining of the user information.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising
a sensor configured to determine characteristics of a user.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the sensor configured to determine the characteristics of the user comprises at least one of the following: a motion sensor, user body temperature meter and pulse meter.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the characteristics of the user comprise at least one of the following: movement information of the user, body temperature of the user and pulse of the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
determine the user information based on a gesture identified using the movement information of the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wireless link comprises at least one of the following: a cellular radio access, a non-cellular radio access and a peer-to-peer radio access.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first configuration being an on-skin wearing configuration in which the body of the apparatus having a first size, and the second configuration being an operating configuration in which the body of the apparatus being transformed to a second size.

19. A method comprising:
elastically transforming a shape of a transformable shaped body configured to be elastically stretchable by a user between a visual display device and a user-wearable touch input device, the transformable shaped body having at least a first-operating-configuration-having a relatively large operating surface area of a first width and height, the first configuration being the visual display device comprising a flexible display, and a second-operating configuration-having a second width larger than the first width and a second height smaller than the first height, the second configuration being the user-wearable touch input device configured to be worn by the user, the transformable shaped body including a flexible interconnection within the transformable shaped body, between at least two components within the transformable shaped body, comprising stretchable interconnects to the flexible display;
triggering a start phase to transition from a low-power consuming mode for power saving of components within the transformable shaped body, in response to a detected voice command;
determining user update of navigation information based on a user touch input signal to the transformable shaped body elastically stretched by the user in the second operating configuration forming the user-wearable touch input device within the transformable body, after the start phase has been triggered by the voice command;
receiving a source location indication from one or more transmitting locations and determining a geographic position of the transformable shaped body with respect to the transmitting locations; and
presenting navigation information to the user utilizing the transformable shaped

Assignees

• Andrew Piers
• Jokinen Teppo Tapani
• Partanen Lotta Maaria
• Salo Antti
• Saunamaeki Jarkko Tapio
• Yan Qifeng
• Kosonen Matti
• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Andrew Piers
• Jokinen Teppo Tapani
• Partanen Lotta Maaria
• Salo Antti
• Saunamäki Jarkko Tapio
• Yan Qifeng
• Kosonen Matti

Classifications

• G06F3/014

  Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves · CPC title

• G06F1/163 Primary

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title