Hub station for wearable accessories

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12560966-B2
Application number	US-202318849106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2023
Priority date	May 9, 2022
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

Hub stations for wearable accessories include accessory areas, some accessory areas including receptacles configured to receive and support the wearable accessories. The hub stations include hub indicators associated with respective receptacles or accessory areas. The hub indicators are configured to provide indications designating at least one of user information for, a charge level of, or an availability of a wearable accessory supported by associated receptacles or accessory areas. The hub stations include processors configured to receive notifications for the wearable accessories and send instructions to activate the associated hub indicators based on the notifications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hub station for a wearable accessory, comprising:
a receptacle configured to receive and support the wearable accessory; a hub indicator associated with the receptacle; and a processor configured to:
receive an indication from the wearable accessory designating at least one of user information for, a charge level of, or an availability of the wearable accessory;
when the wearable accessory is disposed in the receptacle, send instructions to activate the hub indicator based on the indication;
receive a notification from an external device for the wearable accessory; and
when the wearable accessory is disposed in the receptacle, send instructions to activate the hub indicator based on the notification.

2 . The hub station of claim 1 , wherein the hub indicator includes a first color, shape, or pattern associated with the indication and a second color, shape, or pattern associated with the notification.

3 . The hub station of claim 1 , wherein the hub indicator includes a display, wherein the display is configured to provide the indication designating the user information that includes a textual or pictorial representation of the user information.

4 . The hub station of claim 1 , wherein the hub indicator is configured to provide the indication designating the charge level of the wearable accessory using a first color, shape, or pattern.

5 . The hub station of claim 4 , wherein the hub indicator is configured to provide the indication designating the availability of the wearable accessory using a second color, shape, or pattern.

6 . The hub station of claim 1 , wherein the wearable accessory includes a wearable indicator, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
send instructions to activate the wearable indicator based on the notification.

7 . The hub station of claim 1 , wherein the notification for the wearable accessory is received from a head-mounted display that is usable with the wearable accessory and spaced from the hub station, and wherein the notification is received based on a communication request sent to the head-mounted display.

8 . The hub station of claim 1 , further comprising:
a locking mechanism having a locked position configured to secure the wearable accessory to the receptacle and an unlocked position configured to allow removal of the wearable accessory from the receptacle.

9 . The hub station of claim 8 , wherein the indication designating the availability of the wearable accessory is based on the position of the locking mechanism.

10 . The hub station of claim 1 , wherein the hub indicator is disposed on a surface of the hub station at a location adjacent to the receptacle.

11 . A hub station, comprising:
a housing with accessory areas; hub indicators disposed adjacent to and associated with at least some of the accessory areas, each hub indicator configured to provide a notification from an external device associated with a wearable accessory disposed on a respective accessory area; and registration devices associated with at least some of the accessory areas, each registration device configured to orient a wearable accessory to a respective accessory area.

12 . The hub station of claim 11 , wherein the notification is representative of an incoming communication being received by a head-mounted display usable with a wearable accessory disposed on one of the accessory areas, and wherein the head-mounted display is spaced from the hub station.

13 . The hub station of claim 12 , wherein at least some of the hub indicators are configured to provide an indication designating at least one of user information for, a charge level of, or an availability of the wearable accessory disposed on the respective accessory area.

14 . The hub station of claim 11 , further comprising:
charging devices associated with at least some of the accessory areas, each charging device configured to provide wireless charging to the wearable accessory disposed on the respective accessory area, and each charging device including at least one of an inductive coil disposed within the housing, an electrical contact co-extensive with a surface of the housing, or a pogo pin configured for connection with the respective wearable accessory.

15 . The hub station of claim 11 , wherein one or more of the registration devices include magnets having predefined pole patterns configured to align or secure the wearable accessory with the respective accessory area.

16 . The hub station of claim 11 , wherein one or more of the registration devices include a locking mechanism having a locked position configured to secure a wearable accessory to a respective accessory area and an unlocked position configured to allow removal of the wearable accessory from the respective accessory area.

17 . A hub station for wearable accessories, comprising:
accessory areas configured to receive and support the wearable accessories; and hub indicators associated with respective accessory areas and located adjacent to the respective accessory areas, wherein the hub indicators are configured to provide notifications from external devices associated with the wearable accessories when the wearable accessories are supported by the respective accessory areas, wherein the notifications are provided to respective ones of the hub indicators based on identification of a user of respective ones of the wearable accessories supported in respective accessory areas.

18 . The hub station of claim 17 , further comprising:
a display including a screen configured to show user information associated with a respective one of the wearable accessories when the respective one of the wearable accessories is supported by one of the accessory areas.

19 . The hub station of claim 18 , further comprising:
a microphone configured to receive speech from a user; and a speaker configured to emit sound, wherein the display, the microphone, and the speaker allow a user to interact with a notification received from a head-mounted display usable with the wearable accessories and spaced from the hub station.

20 . The hub station of claim 17 , wherein each of the hub indicators is disposed on a surface of the hub station at a location adjacent to a respective one of the accessory areas.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Maric Ivan S
• Wang Paul X

Classifications

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G06F1/163 Primary

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G06F1/263

  Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC (G06F1/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/266

  Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips · CPC title