Systems, articles, and methods for wearable devices having secondary power sources in links of a band for providing secondary power in addition to a primary power source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11921471-B2
Application number	US-202217979735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2022
Priority date	Aug 16, 2013
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

Wearable devices having a primary and secondary power source are disclosed, wherein the secondary power sources are located in links of a band portion of the wearable device and the secondary power sources provide a secondary source of power beyond that provided by the primary power source. One exemplary wrist-wearable device includes a centralized processor pod having a primary power source, a wireless communication radio, and one or more sensors. The exemplary wrist-wearable device further includes a band with a plurality of links. Each of the plurality of links can include a secondary power source. The exemplary wrist-wearable device further includes communicative pathways that can be configured to convey at least power and data between the links and centralized processor pod. The communicative pathways can be configured to convey power from the secondary sources of power to the centralized processor pod beyond the power provided by the primary power source.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wrist-wearable device having a power source in respective links of a band portion, the wrist-wearable device comprising:
a centralized processor pod having a primary power source, a wireless communication radio, and one or more sensors;
wherein the one or more sensors and the wireless communication radio are configured to be primarily powered using the primary power source;
a band that includes a plurality of links configured to circumferentially surround a wrist of a user when the wrist-wearable device is worn by the user, each respective link of the plurality of links including at least one secondary power source;
a first communicative pathway configured to convey power from a first secondary power source included in a first link of the plurality of links to the centralized processor pod to provide a secondary source of power to the centralized processor pod beyond that provided by the primary power source, wherein at least a portion of the first communicative pathway is made of a flexible material; and
a second communicative pathway configured to convey power from a second secondary power source included in a second link of the plurality of links to the centralized processor pod to provide another secondary source of power to the centralized processor pod beyond that provided by the primary power source, wherein at least a portion of the second communicative pathway is made of the flexible material.

2. The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second communicative pathways are made of a flexible interconnect.

3. The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the first communicative pathway is further configured to convey power from a third secondary power source included in a third link of the plurality of links to the centralized processor pod to provide a secondary source of power to the centralized processor pod beyond that provided by the primary power source.

4. The wrist-wearable device of claim 3 , wherein the second communicative pathway is further configured to convey power from a fourth secondary power source included in a fourth link of the plurality of links to the centralized processor pod to provide a secondary source of power to the centralized processor pod beyond that provided by the primary power source.

5. The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the centralized processor pod further comprises a display.

6. The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the centralized processor pod further comprises circuitry configured for processing and interpreting one or more signals from the one or more sensors.

7. The wrist-wearable device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more sensors include at least one sensor associated with an inertial measurement unit configured to detect the one or more signals of the user based on gestures performed by the user while wearing the wrist-wearable device.

8. The wrist-wearable device of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors are configured to be in contact with the skin of the user when the wrist-wearable device is worn by the user.

9. The wrist-wearable device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more sensors are electromyography (EMG) sensors configured to detect the one or more signals of the user based on gestures performed by the user while wearing the wrist-wearable device.

10. The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein each link of the plurality of links includes one or more additional sensors.

11. The wrist-wearable device of claim 10 , wherein each of the one or more additional sensors is an EMG sensor or a sensor associated with an inertial measurement unit.

12. The wrist-wearable device of claim 11 , wherein the centralized processor pod further comprises circuitry configured for processing and interpreting one or more signals from each of the one or more additional sensors.

13. The wrist-wearable device of claim 12 , wherein the one or more signals from each of the one or more additional sensors are configured to be conveyed to the centralized processor pod using the first communicative pathway or the second communicative pathway, or both.

14. The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein each respective link of the plurality of links is a rigid structure.

15. The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein each respective link of the plurality of links is positioned adjacent to and physically coupled together with an adjacent link of the plurality of links.

16. The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication radio is configured to convey data from the one or more sensors to an electronic device that is in communication with the wrist-wearable device.

17. The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more sensors is on an exterior surface of the centralized processor pod and is configured to be in contact with the skin of the user.

18. The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third communicative pathway configured to convey power only from a third secondary power source included in a third link of the plurality of links to the centralized processor pod to provide yet another secondary source of power to the centralized processor pod beyond that provided by the primary power source, wherein at least a portion of the third communicative pathway is made of the flexible material.

19. A system, comprising:
a wearable system including a wrist-wearable device that interacts with a wearable head-mounted display device, the wrist-wearable device comprising:
a centralized processor pod having a primary power source, a wireless communication radio, and one or more sensors;
wherein the one or more sensors and the wireless communication radio are configured to be primarily powered using the primary power source;
a band that includes a plurality of links configured to circumferentially surround a wrist of a user when the wrist-wearable device is worn by the user, each respective link of the plurality of links including at least one secondary power source;
a first communicative pathway configured to convey power from a first secondary power source included in a first link of the plurality of links to the centralized processor pod to provide a secondary source of power to the centralized processor pod beyond that provided by the primary power source, wherein at least a portion of the first communicative pathway is made of a flexible material; and
a second communicative pathway configured to convey power from a second secondary power source included in a second link of the plurality of links to the centralized processor pod to provide another secondary source of power to the centralized processor pod beyond that provided by the primary power source, wherein at least a portion of the second communicative pathway is made of the flexible material.

20. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a wrist-wearable device, cause the wrist-wearable device to perform or cause performance of operations including:
providing primary power to a centralized processor pod from a primary power source, the centralized processor pod having the primary power source, a wireless communication radio, and one or more sensors;
wherein the one or more sensors and the wireless communication radio are configured to be primarily powered using the primary power source;
providing, via a first communicative pathway configured to convey power from a first secondary power source included in a first link of a band t

Assignees

• Meta Platforms Tech Llc

Inventors

• Bailey Matthew
• Lake Stephen
• Grant Aaron Williams

Classifications

• G04G21/02 Primary

  Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature · CPC title

• G04G21/04

  using radio waves (radio-controlled time-pieces G04R) · CPC title

• G04G17/06

  Electric connectors, e.g. conductive elastomers · CPC title

• G04G17/04

  Mounting of electronic components · CPC title

• G04G21/08 Primary

  Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces · CPC title