Wireless hand sensory apparatus for weight monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11248949-B2
Application number	US-201715403155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2017
Priority date	Jan 10, 2017
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

In aspects of a wireless hand sensory apparatus for weight monitoring, a wearable article is worn by a user who moves items. A tracking system is implemented in the wearable article, and the tracking system includes a force sensor, or force sensors, in the wearable article to register a force on an item. The tracking system includes tracking logic that determines a weight of the item based on the force on the item. The tracking system may also include a motion sensor to sense motion of the wearable article, and the tracking logic determines how the item is moved based on the motion of the wearable article. The tracking logic can also determine the weight of the item based on the force on the item in combination with a speed of the motion of the wearable article.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a wearable article worn by a user who moves items;
a tracking system implemented with a processing system and integrated in the wearable article, the tracking system comprising:
at least one force sensor to register a force applied to an item by the user wearing the wearable article and holding the item;
tracking logic implemented by the processing system at least partially in computer hardware to:
determine a weight of the item based on the applied force by the user on the item;
verify that the item is intended for handling by the user based on a comparison of a known weight of the item to the determined weight; and
generate a displayable verification that the item is the intended item.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the item is a package for delivery; and
the tracking logic verifies contents of the package based on the determined weight of the package.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a motion sensor integrated in the wearable article to sense motion of the wearable article; and
wherein the tracking logic determines how the item is moved based on the motion of the wearable article.

4. The system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the tracking logic determines the weight of the item based on the applied force by the user on the item in combination with a speed of the motion of the wearable article.

5. The system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the tracking logic generates user feedback that indicates a proper lifting technique of the item based on the applied force by the user on the item and the motion of the wearable article.

6. The system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the tracking logic determines that the motion is a repetitive motion for a number of repetitions, and correlates the repetitive motion with an exercise based on a database that correlates particular motions with respective exercises.

7. The system as recited in claim 3 , wherein:
the item is a package for delivery; and
the tracking logic determines package handling activity for the package based on the applied force and the motion of the wearable article as the package is handled.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tracking logic determines one or more physical characteristics of the user who wears the wearable article.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the one or more physical characteristics of the user include a lifting technique of the user to lift and move the item.

10. The system as recited in claim 8 , further comprising:
a motion sensor integrated in the wearable article to sense motion of the wearable article; and
wherein the one or more physical characteristics of the user include a distance traveled over a time duration.

11. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tracking system comprises a wireless radio system to communicate tracking data to a device that is in communication with the tracking system of the wearable article.

12. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wearable article is a glove of a pair of gloves, and the tracking system comprises multiple force sensors integrated in the glove to register the applied force by the user on the item, the multiple force sensors in the glove including at least one palm force sensor and finger force sensors.

13. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the wearable article is a pair of gloves;
the tracking system is implemented in both gloves of the pair of gloves; and
the tracking system comprises a wireless radio system to synchronize tracking data between the tracking systems of the pair of gloves.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the tracking logic determines a weight distribution of the determined weight of the item based on the applied force by the user on the item registered by each of the respective gloves.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tracking logic is configured to determine that the item has been tampered with based on the determined weight of the item having a different weight than the known weight of the item.

16. A method, comprising:
registering a force applied to an item by a user who moves items, the force being registered with a force sensor of a tracking system implemented in a wearable article worn by the user;
determining how the item is moved based on a motion of the wearable article as sensed by a motion sensor of the tracking system, the motion sensor integrated in the wearable article;
determining, using tracking logic implemented with a processor of the tracking system that is implemented in the wearable article, a weight of the item based on the applied force by the user on the item in combination with a speed of the motion of the wearable article; and
verifying that the item is intended for handling by the user by comparing a known weight of the item to the determined weight.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 , further comprising:
generating user feedback that indicates a proper lifting technique of the item based on the applied force by the user on the item and the motion of the wearable article.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 , further comprising:
determining one or more physical characteristics of the user who wears the wearable article, including at least a lifting technique of the user to lift and move the item.

19. A pair of gloves, comprising:
force sensors integrated in the pair of gloves to register a force applied to an item by a user who moves items wearing the pair of gloves;
a motion sensor integrated in one of the gloves to sense motion of the one glove of the pair of gloves; and
a processing system to execute tracking logic at least partially in computer hardware, the tracking logic implemented to:
determine a weight of the item based on the applied force by the user on the item and based on a speed of the motion of the pair of gloves; and
verify that the item is intended for handling by the user by comparing a known weight of the item to the determined weight.

20. The pair of gloves as recited in claim 19 , wherein:
the items are packages for delivery; and
the tracking logic determines package handling activity for the packages based on the applied force by the user and the motion of the pair of gloves as the packages are handled.

Assignees

• Motorola Mobility Llc

Inventors

• Debates Scott P
• Lautner Douglas Alfred
• Shah Jagatkumar V
• Hor-Lao Mary Khun

Classifications

• A41D19/0027

  Measuring instruments, e.g. watch, thermometer · CPC title

• A61B5/22

  Ergometry; Measuring muscular strength or the force of a muscular blow · CPC title

• A61B5/224

  Measuring muscular strength · CPC title

• A61B5/6806

  Gloves · CPC title

• G01G19/52 Primary

  Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture (with walking sticks A45B3/08) · CPC title