Systems and methods for tracking users of wearable devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10628573-B2
Application number	US-201916511842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2019
Priority date	Sep 20, 2016
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are related to a distributed system in which wearable devices communicate with computing systems to implement one or more actions or operations and sensor data transmitted by the wearable devices to the computing systems can be utilized to determine information about tasks being performed by the wearers of the wearable devices after consent is given and verified. Embodiments of the distributed system can include the wearable devices, wireless receivers (or transceivers), and a computing system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A distributed system comprising:
a plurality of wearable devices, each of the plurality of wearable device comprising:
an accelerometer;
a wireless transmitter;
a controller operatively coupled to the accelerometer and the wireless transmitter, the controller being configured to receive acceleration data output from the accelerometer and to wirelessly transmit the acceleration data with a unique identifier; and
a band housing the accelerometer, the wireless transmitter, and the controller, the band being configured to be worn by a human;

a plurality of wireless receivers distributed throughout a facility, at least one of the plurality of wireless receivers configured to receive the acceleration data and the unique identifier wirelessly transmitted from at least one of the plurality of wearable devices in response to the at least one of the plurality of wireless receivers being within a transmission range of the at least one of the plurality of wearable devices;
a computing system operatively coupled to the wireless signal receivers, the computing system being configured to (i) generate a first parameter in a physical memory location indicating an arrival of the wearable device in response to receipt of the unique identifier and (ii) determine a status of a task being performed by the human in response to receipt of the acceleration data by the at least one of the plurality of wireless receivers and a duration over which the at least one of the plurality of wireless receivers receives the acceleration data; and
a computer terminal configured to receive the unique identifier transmitted from the at least one wearable device in response to the computing terminal being within a transmission range of the computer terminal, and to accept the unique identifier as a first step authentication code in a two-step authentication process to log on to the computer terminal,
wherein the computing system is configured to at least one of set a second parameter in a second physical memory location or reset the first parameter in the first physical memory location in response to the receipt of the unique identifier a second time by the at least one of the plurality of wireless receivers to indicate a departure of the human wearing the wearable device from the facility.

2. The distributed system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is configured to set the second parameter or reset the first parameter in response to receipt of the unique identifier the second time occurring after a time period as elapsed.

3. The distributed system of claim 1 , wherein in response to receipt of the unique identifier wirelessly transmitted from the at least one of the plurality of wearable devices by the at least one of the wireless receivers, the computing system is configured to establish a first location of the at least one of the plurality of wearable devices.

4. The distributed system of claim 1 , wherein in response to the plurality of wireless receivers receiving the unique identifier and the acceleration data subsequent to the computing system setting the first parameter, the computing system is configured to determine a second location of the human based on an aggregation of the acceleration data.

5. The distributed system of claim 1 , wherein in response to a subset of the plurality of wireless receivers receiving the unique identifier and the acceleration data subsequent to the computing system setting the first parameter, the computing system is configured to determine a second location of the human based on the subset of the plurality of wireless receivers and a signal strength of received wireless transmissions from the at least one wearable device.

6. The distributed system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of wireless transmitters geographically distributed throughout a facility,
wherein the plurality of wireless transmitters are configured to wirelessly transmit the unique identifier and a description of the task to the at least one wearable device in response to the first parameter being set by the computing system, and
wherein the at least one wearable device comprises:
a wireless receiver operatively coupled to the controller to receive the unique identifier and the description of the task; and
a display embedded in the carrier and operatively coupled to the controller, the display being controlled by the controller to render the description of the task on the display.

7. The distributed system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wearable device comprises a heart rate monitor, and the controller wirelessly transmits heart-rate data output from the heart rate monitor, and the computing system is configured to determine a level of energy exerted by the human in performing the task.

8. The distributed system of claim 1 , wherein the carrier housing the accelerometer, wireless transmitter, and controller comprises a wristband.

9. The distributed system of claim 1 wherein a second step authentication code includes at least one of a password, a reading of a machine readable element, a magnetic stripe including a unique identifier different than the unique identifier transmitted from the at least one wearable device.

10. A wearable device comprising:
a wristband having a body formed of one or more flexible straps; and
circuitry embedded in the wristband, the circuitry comprising:
an accelerometer;
a wireless transceiver;
a display; and

a controller operatively coupled to the accelerometer, the wireless transceiver, and the display, the controller being configured to (i) receive, via the wireless transceiver, a wireless transmission including a unique identifier associated with the wristband and a description of a task to be performed by a wearer of the wristband, wherein the unique identifier transmitted from the at least one wearable device comprises a first step authentication code in a two-step authentication process to log on to a computer terminal, (ii) render the description of the task on the display, (iii) receive acceleration data output from the accelerometer, (iv) wirelessly transmit the acceleration data with the unique identifier, wherein the acceleration data is indicative of a status of a task (v) in response to actuation of the switch when the description of the task is rendered on the display, reset a first physical memory location at which the acceleration data is stored, and (vi) in response to the first physical memory location being reset, store contemporaneously generated acceleration data in the first physical memory location and associate the contemporaneously generated acceleration data with the task.

11. The wearable device of claim 10 , further comprising a heart rate monitor, wherein, in response to actuation of the switch when the description of the task is rendered on the display, the controller is configured to determine a level of energy exerted by the wearer of the wristband while performing the task.

12. The wearable device of claim 10 , wherein a second step authentication code includes at least one of a password, a reading of a machine readable element, a magnetic stripe including a unique identifier different than the unique identifier transmitted from the at least one wearable device.

13. A method in a distributed system, the method comprising:
receiving a first wireless transmission from a wearable device by a first wireless receiver, the first wireless transmission including a unique identifier, wherein the unique identifier transmitted from the wearable device comprises a first step authentication code in a two-step authentication process to log on to a computer terminal;
generating

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Gibbs Cathy
• Johnson Christopher Soames
• Pearson Kathleen Elizabeth

Classifications

• G07C1/10

  together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity · CPC title

• G06K19/07762

  the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet (record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00) · CPC title

• G06Q10/0639

  Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations · CPC title

• H04W4/33

  for indoor environments, e.g. buildings · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title