Systems, devices and methods using wearable sensors for touch-based collaborative digital gaming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12493349-B2
Application number	US-202418629183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2024
Priority date	Apr 7, 2023
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

A system may include a first wearable sensor in operable communication with a microcontroller. A system may include a second wearable sensor, wherein the microcontroller is configured to. A system may include receive a sensor signal from the first wearable sensor. A system may determine, based on the sensor signal, whether a collaborative interaction event occurred between the first wearable sensor and the second wearable sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A wearable device comprising:
one or more galvanic coupling sensors, each galvanic coupling sensor comprising a plurality of electrodes configured to interface with a wearer's skin, wherein at least one of the one or more galvanic coupling sensors is a wristband comprising a plurality of sections of conductive yarn and a plurality of sections of nonconductive yarn; and a microcontroller operably coupled to the one or more galvanic coupling sensors, the microcontroller being configured to detect a collaborative interaction event by measuring power transferred between the one or more galvanic coupling sensors.

2 . The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more galvanic coupling sensors is configured to transmit a high frequency signal through the wearer's skin.

3 . The wearable device of claim 1 , further comprising a wristband, wherein the one or more galvanic coupling sensors are disposed on the wristband.

4 . The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of sections of conductive yarn are separated by sections of nonconductive yarn of the plurality of sections of nonconductive yarn.

5 . A system comprising:
a plurality of wearable devices, each wearable device comprising at least two galvanic coupling sensors, each galvanic coupling sensor comprising a plurality of electrodes configured to interface with a wearer's skin, wherein the at least two galvanic coupling sensors comprise a first galvanic coupling sensor and a second galvanic coupling sensor, and wherein the first galvanic coupling sensor is configured to transmit a first signal at a first frequency and the second galvanic coupling sensor is configured to transmit a second signal at a second frequency, and a microcontroller operably coupled to the at least two galvanic coupling sensors, the microcontroller being configured to detect a collaborative interaction event by measuring power transferred between the at least two galvanic coupling sensors; and a remote computing device operably coupled to at least one of the wearable devices, the remote computing device being configured to receive a detection from at least one of the plurality of wearable devices that a collaborative interaction event has occurred.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the at least two galvanic coupling sensors is configured to transmit a high frequency signal through the wearer's skin.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the remote computing device is configured to execute a control command based on the detection from at least one of the plurality of wearable devices that a collaborative interaction event has occurred.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the control command is configured to facilitate interactive learning or provide therapy.

9 . The system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of wearable devices comprises a wristband, the wristband comprising a conductive yarn.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the wristband are a plurality of sections of conductive yarn and a plurality of sections of nonconductive yarn.

11 . A system comprising:
a first wearable sensor in operable communication with a microcontroller; and a second wearable sensor, each of the first wearable sensor and the second wearable sensor comprising one or more galvanic coupling sensors, each galvanic coupling sensor comprising a plurality of electrodes configured to interface with a wearer's skin, wherein the one or more galvanic coupling sensors comprise a first galvanic coupling sensor and a second galvanic coupling sensor, and wherein the first galvanic coupling sensor is configured to transmit a first signal at a first frequency and the second galvanic coupling sensor is configured to transmit a second signal at a second frequency; wherein the microcontroller is configured to:
receive a sensor signal from the first wearable sensor; and
determine, based on the sensor signal, whether a collaborative interaction event occurred between the first wearable sensor and the second wearable sensor.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first wearable sensor comprises a wristband, the wristband comprising a conductive yarn.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the wristband comprises a plurality of sections of conductive yarn and a plurality of sections of nonconductive yarn.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of sections of conductive yarn are separated by sections of nonconductive yarn of the plurality of sections of nonconductive yarn.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the microcontroller is operably connected to a display, and configured to output an indication that the collaborative interaction event occurred to the display.

16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the collaborative interaction event comprises a skin-to-skin touch between a first user wearing the first wearable sensor and a second user wearing the second wearable sensor.

17 . The system of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the one or more galvanic coupling sensors are configured to transmit a high frequency signal through the wearer's skin.

Assignees

• Ohio State Innovation Foundation

Inventors

• Kiourti Asimina
• Swearingen Scott
• Swearingen Eunkyoung
• King Cameron
• Williamson Ian
• Thrane Susan

Classifications

• A63F13/212

  using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity · CPC title

• G06F3/014

  Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves · CPC title

• G06F3/015 Primary

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