Sensory networking device and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10433394-B2
Application number	US-201716301069-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2017
Priority date	May 13, 2016
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A sensory networking device is provided that enables a sensory effect to be implemented across a sensory network. The sensory networking device includes a processor, a sensory output unit, a motion sensor and a transceiver that permits the device to detect a trigger movement and transmit a trigger signal that causes a sensory effect to be implemented on neighboring sensory networking devices and to re-transmit the trigger signal in order to propagate a sensory effect across a sensory network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
implementing, by a processor, a sensory effect on a sensory networking device;
detecting, by a motion sensor in the sensory networking device, a trigger movement of the sensory networking device;
in response to detecting the trigger movement, transmitting, by a transceiver in the sensory networking device, a trigger signal to one or more neighboring sensory networking devices via a wireless communication link, the trigger signal configured to cause the sensory effect to be implemented on the one or more neighboring sensory networking devices and further configured to cause the trigger signal to be re-transmitted by the one or more neighboring sensory networking devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensory networking device is in the form of an elongated flexible light fiber.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensory effect is a display of light.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting a trigger movement further comprises:
receiving, by the processor in the sensory networking device, trigger movement data from a motion sensor of the sensory networking device; and
analyzing, by the processor in the sensory networking device, the trigger movement data by comparing the trigger movement data to one or more predetermined trigger movement characteristics.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the trigger signal includes sensory effect data that includes information regarding characteristics of the sensory effect, sensory networking device identification data that includes information that identifies the sensory networking device and synchronizing data that includes information regarding when the one or more neighboring sensory networking devices should implement the sensory effect.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the trigger movement is the stomp of a foot on which the sensory networking device is attached.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting the trigger signal is repeated two or more times or until the sensory effect is implemented on the one or more neighboring sensory networking devices.

8. A sensory networking device comprising:
a processor;
a sensory output unit connected to the processor and configured to emit a sensory effect;
a motion sensor connected to the processor and configured to detect movement and generate trigger movement data in response thereto;
a transceiver connected to the processor and configured to transmit a trigger signal; and
non-transitory memory connected to the processor, the non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
receive the trigger movement data;
analyze the trigger movement data; and
transmit the trigger signal to one or more neighboring sensory networking devices when the trigger movement data meets one or more predetermined trigger characteristics;
wherein the trigger signal is configured to cause the sensory effect to be implemented on the one or more neighboring sensory networking devices and further configured to cause the trigger signal to be re-transmitted by the one or more neighboring sensory networking devices.

9. The sensory networking device of claim 8 wherein the sensory output unit is connected to an elongated flexible light fiber.

10. The sensory networking device of claim 8 wherein the sensory effect is a display of light.

11. The sensory networking device of claim 8 wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

12. The sensory networking device of claim 8 wherein the trigger signal includes sensory effect data that includes information regarding characteristics of the sensory effect, sensory networking device identification data that includes information that identifies the sensory networking device and synchronizing data that includes information regarding when the one or more neighboring sensory networking devices should implement the sensory effect.

13. The sensory networking device of claim 8 wherein the re-transmission of the trigger signal by the one or more neighboring sensory networking devices allows the trigger signal to be received by one or more neighboring sensory networking devices located at a distance greater than a range of the transceiver located in the sensory networking device.

14. The sensory networking device of claim 8 wherein the trigger movement is a stomp of a foot on which the sensory networking device is attached.

15. The sensory networking device of claim 8 wherein the instructions stored on the non-transitory memory further cause the transmission of the trigger signal to be repeated two or more times or until the sensory effect is implemented on the one or more neighboring sensory networking devices.

16. A light-emitting shoelace device comprising:
a processor;
an elongated flexible light fiber connected to an LED module configured to emit one color of light corresponding to a first state and a different color of light in a second state;
a motion sensor connected to the processor and configured to detect movement and generate trigger movement data in response thereto;
a transceiver connected to the processor and configured to transmit a trigger signal; and
non-transitory memory connected to the processor, the non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
receive the trigger movement data;
analyze the trigger movement data; and
transmit the trigger signal to one or more neighboring light-emitting shoelace devices when the trigger movement data meets one or more predetermined trigger characteristics;
wherein the trigger signal is configured to cause the LED module of the one or more neighboring light-emitting shoelace devices to change from the first state to the second state and further configured to cause the trigger signal to be re-transmitted by the one or more light-emitting shoelace devices.

17. The light-emitting shoelace device of claim 16 wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

18. The light-emitting shoelace device of claim 16 wherein the trigger signal includes sensory effect data that includes information regarding characteristics of the sensory effect, sensory networking device identification data that includes information that identifies the sensory networking device and synchronizing data that includes information regarding when the one or more neighboring sensory networking devices should implement the sensory effect.

19. The light-emitting shoelace device of claim 16 wherein the re-transmission of the trigger signal by the one or more neighboring light-emitting shoelace devices allows the trigger signal to be received by neighboring light-emitting shoelace devices located at a distance greater than a range of the transceiver located in the light-emitting shoelace device.

20. The light-emitting shoelace device of claim 16 wherein the trigger movement is a stomp of a shoe on which the light-emitting shoelace device is attached.

Assignees

• Univ Michigan Regents

Inventors

• Graf Roland
• Dutta Prabal
• Campbell Brad
• Kwanmuang Surat

Classifications

• A43C9/00 Primary

  Laces; Laces in general for garments made of textiles, leather, or plastics · CPC title

• H04W4/20

  Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel · CPC title

• H04W4/027 Primary

  using movement velocity, acceleration information · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04W4/70

  Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] · CPC title