Wearable device and methods of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10806375-B2
Application number	US-201715585395-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2017
Priority date	May 3, 2017
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

Wearable devices and methods of using the same for inputting ambient conditions and the movement and bio-signals of a user to an external device are provided. The wearable device can include a finger sensor and a wrist sensor, wherein each includes an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a compass. The compass can be a magnetometer. The wrist sensor can also include a power source, a computer, and a touchscreen.

First claim

We claim:

1. A wearable device, comprising:
a finger sensor configured to be worn on a user's finger; and
a wrist sensor configured to be worn on a user's wrist,
the finger sensor comprising a first accelerometer, a first gyroscope, a first magnetometer, a first electromyography sensor, a first phonomyography sensor, and a first flexible printed circuit board (FPCB),
the wrist sensor comprising a first computing device, a wrist sensor power source, a display, a second accelerometer, a second gyroscope, and a second magnetometer,
the finger sensor configured to serve as a slave,
the wrist sensor configured to receive an input and serve as a master,
the first electromyography sensor configured to determine a change in a voltage of a muscle and produce an electromyography signal,
the first phonomyography sensor configured to detect a sound created in the muscle,
the wearable device configured to mix the electromyography signal and the sound, and to record the sound mixed with the electromyography signal,
the wrist sensor further comprising an array of electrodes configured to detect a change in voltage created by an action potential in a muscle, a multiplexer connected to the electrodes, a reference electrode disposed in a position such that it corresponds to a bone, a transducer recording low frequency sound, two light emitting diodes, a photosensitive sensor disposed between the two light emitting diodes, and a second FPCB, and
the wrist sensor configured to determine a change in voltage of the array of electrodes based on the reference electrode.

2. The wearable device according to claim 1 , the finger sensor further comprising a first compass, and
the wrist sensor further comprising a second compass.

3. The wearable device according to claim 1 , the finger sensor further comprising a first transceiver, and
the wrist sensor further comprising a second transceiver.

4. The wearable device according to claim 1 , the display being a touchscreen.

5. The wearable device according to claim 1 , the finger sensor further comprising all of the following: a first electrode; a first heart rate monitor; a first galvanic skin response sensor; a first sweat sensor; a first Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector; a first light sensor; and a first humidity sensor.

6. The wearable device according to claim 1 , the wrist sensor further comprising all of the following: a second galvanic skin response sensor; a second electromyography sensor; a second phonomyography sensor; a second sweat sensor; a second USB connector; a second humidity sensor; and a second temperature sensor.

7. The wearable device according to claim 1 , further comprising an external device, the external device being: a smartphone; a desktop; a laptop; a tablet; a television; a control panel; a camera; an electrical appliance; or a game console.

8. The wearable device according to claim 1 , further comprising a body sensor configured to be worn on a location of a user's body other than a finger or wrist,
the body sensor comprising a third accelerometer, a third gyroscope, and a third magnetometer.

9. The wearable device according to claim 8 , the body sensor further comprising a third compass.

10. The wearable device according to claim 8 , the body sensor further comprising at least one of the following: a body sensor power source; a third transceiver; a third electrode; a third transducer; a third FPCB; a third heartrate monitor; a third galvanic skin response sensor; a third electromyography sensor; a third phonomyography sensor; a third sweat sensor; a third USB connector; a third light sensor; a third humidity sensor; and a third temperature sensor.

11. The wearable device according to claim 1 , further comprising a glove having the finger sensor disposed thereon or therein.

12. A method of inputting user instructions to an external device, the method comprising:
detecting finger motions of a user from a voltage and a sound of a muscle with a finger sensor of a wearable device, the finger sensor comprising a first accelerometer, a first gyroscope, a first magnetometer, a first electromyography sensor, a first phonomyography sensor, and a first flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), the first electromyography sensor determining a change of the voltage of the muscle and producing an electromyography signal, the first phonomyography sensor detecting a sound created in the muscle, the electromyography signal and the sound being mixed, and the sound mixed with the electromyography signal being recorded;
detecting wrist motions of the user with a wrist sensor of the wearable device, the wrist sensor comprising a first computing device, a wrist sensor power source, a display, a second accelerometer, a second gyroscope, a second magnetometer, an array of electrodes configured to detect a change in voltage created by an action potential in a muscle, a multiplexer connected to the electrodes, a reference electrode disposed in a position such that it corresponds to a bone, a transducer recording low frequency sound, two light emitting diodes configured to project a light, a photosensitive sensor disposed between the two light emitting diodes and configured to receive a reflected light of the projected light, and a second FPCB, the wrist sensor determining a change in voltage of the array of electrodes based on the reference electrode;
converting the finger motions and wrist motions of the user to digital data; and
transmitting the digital data to the external device, the external device being: a smartphone; a desktop; a laptop; a tablet; a television; a control panel; a camera; an electrical appliance; or a game console.

13. The method according to claim 12 , the wearable device further comprising a glove having the finger sensor disposed thereon or therein.

14. The method according to claim 12 , the detecting finger motions of the user comprising measuring a muscle movement of a finger of the user having the finger sensor worn thereon.

15. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising detecting body motions of the user with a body sensor of the wearable device configured to be worn on a location of the user's body other than a finger or wrist,
the body sensor comprising a third accelerometer, a third gyroscope, and a third magnetometer.

16. The method according to claim 12 , the finger sensor further comprising all of the following: a first electrode; a first heartrate monitor; a first galvanic skin response sensor; a first sweat sensor; a first Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector; a first light sensor; and a first humidity sensor, and
the wrist sensor further comprising all of the following: a second galvanic skin response sensor; a second electromyography sensor; a second phonomyography sensor; a second sweat sensor; a second USB connector; a second humidity sensor; and a second temperature sensor.

17. A method of inputting movement and bio-signals of a user and ambient conditions to an external device, the method comprising:
detecting ambient conditions and movement and bio-signals of the user with a wearable device, the wearable device comprising a finger sensor worn on a finger of the user and a wrist sensor worn on a wrist of the user, the finger sensor comprising a first accelerometer, a first gyroscope, a first magnetometer, a first electromyography sensor, a first phonomyography sensor, and a first flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), and the wrist sensor comprising a first computing device, a wrist sensor power source, a display, a second accelerometer, a second gyroscope, a second magnetometer, an

Assignees

• Ortega Francisco Raul
• Rishe Naphtali David
• Barreto Armando Bennett
• The Florida International Univ Board Of Trustees

Inventors

• Ortega Francisco Raul
• Rishe Naphtali David
• Barreto Armando Bennett

Classifications

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F2203/0331

  Finger worn pointing device · CPC title

• G06F3/015

  Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection · CPC title

• A61B5/02416

  using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation (A61B5/14552 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title