Wearable Computer Display Devices for the Forearm, Wrist, and/or Hand

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016349790-A1
Application number	US-201615212235-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 17, 2016
Priority date	Feb 25, 2014
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

This invention is a wearable computer display device for the wrist and/or forearm with an upper distal-to-proximal extension and one or more forearm-extending computer displays. It has a gap or opening below the upper distal-to-proximal extension into which a garment sleeve can be inserted. This enables a person to the see the computer displays even when the person is wearing a long-sleeve garment.

First claim

I claim:

1 . A wearable computer display device for the forearm, wrist, and/or hand comprising:
(a) an arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff, wherein this arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff further comprises: a distal portion which is configured to encircle at least 50% of the circumference of a person's wrist and/or forearm with a maximum first distance from the person's elbow; a proximal portion which is configured to encircle at least 50% of the circumference of the person's wrist and/or forearm with a minimum second distance from the person's elbow, wherein the second distance is at least 2″ less than the first distance; and a connecting portion which connects the distal portion to the proximal portion; (b) an upper distal-to-proximal extension; wherein the distal portion of the upper distal-to-proximal extension is connected to the arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff; (c) at least one computer display which is connected to, or part of, the upper distal-to-proximal extension; and (d) a gap or opening with a proximal-to-distal length of at least 1″; wherein this gap or opening is at least partially between the arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff and the proximal end of the upper distal-to-proximal extension and/or wherein this gap or opening is at least partially between the arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff and the at least one computer display; and wherein a sleeve of a long-sleeve garment can be inserted into this gap or opening.

2 . The device in claim 1 wherein there is one computer display.

3 . The device in claim 1 wherein there are two or more computer displays.

4 . The device in claim 3 wherein two or more computer displays are arranged in a longitudinal distal-to-proximal series or sequence.

5 . The device in claim 3 wherein four or more computer displays comprise an array or matrix of computer displays, wherein a first set of displays have centroids which are aligned along the same longitudinal distal-to-proximal vector and wherein a second set of displays have centroids which are along the same circumference line around a person's arm.

6 . The device in claim 1 wherein the combined surface area of one or more computer displays in this device is within the range of 4 square inches to 16 square inches.

7 . The device in claim 1 wherein the arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff encircles the entire circumference of a person's wrist and/or forearm.

8 . The device in claim 1 wherein the arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff encircles more than 50% and less than 100% of the circumference of a person's wrist and/or forearm.

9 . The device in claim 1 wherein the upper distal-to-proximal extension has a distal portion which is first distance from a person's elbow and a proximal portion which is a second distance from the person's elbow, wherein the second distance is at least 2″ less than the first.

10 . The device in claim 1 wherein the upper distal-to-proximal extension has a distal portion which is first distance from a person's elbow and a proximal portion which is a second distance from the person's elbow, wherein the second distance is at least 4″ less than the first.

11 . The device in claim 1 wherein the distal portion of an upper distal-to-proximal extension is permanently connected to an arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff but the proximal portion of the upper distal-to-proximal extension is not permanently connected to the arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff.

12 . The device in claim 1 wherein the distal portion of an upper distal-to-proximal extension is connected to an arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff by a hinge or joint which allows the proximal end of the upper distal-to-proximal extension to pivot or rotate.

13 . The device in claim 12 wherein the hinge or joint has a first unlocked configuration in which the proximal end of the upper distal-to-pivotal extension is free to pivot or rotate and a second locked configuration in which the proximal end of the upper distal-to-proximal extension is not free to pivot or rotate.

14 . The device in claim 1 wherein the arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff is configured to be worn a first average distance from the surface of a person's arm and the upper distal-to-proximal extension is configured to be worn a second average distance from the surface of a person's arm, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

15 . The device in claim 1 wherein a gap or opening between an upper distal-to-proximal extension and an arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff has a height measured along a vector which extends radially outward from the center of the arm in the range of 1/32″ to ½″.

16 . The device in claim 15 wherein the height is changed by an adjustable-height connecting mechanism which connects a distal portion of the upper distal-to-proximal extension to the arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff.

17 . The device in claim 1 wherein there is a gap or opening between an upper distal-to-proximal extension and an arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff which spans at least 1″ in a distal direction from the proximal end of the distal-to-proximal extension.

18 . The device in claim 1 wherein the device further comprises at least one magnet on the upper distal-to-proximal extension, on the arm-worn band, strap, bracelet, bangle, armlet, sleeve, and/or cuff, or both.

19 . A wearable computer display device for the forearm, wrist, and/or hand comprising:
(a) an arm-worn sleeve and/or cuff which is configured to encircle a person's wrist and/or forearm, wherein the sleeve and/or cuff has distal edge that is configured to be worn a first distance from the person's elbow, wherein the sleeve and/or cuff has a proximal edge that is configured to be worn a second distance from the person's elbow, and wherein the second distance is at least 2″ less than the first distance; (b) an upper distal-to-proximal extension, wherein the distal portion of the upper distal-to-proximal extension is connected to the sleeve and/or cuff; (c) at least one computer display which is connected to, or part of, the upper distal-to-proximal extension; and (d) a gap or opening with a proximal-to-distal length of at least 1″; wherein this gap or opening is at least partially between the arm-worn sleeve and/or cuff and the proximal end of the upper distal-to-proximal extension and/or wherein this gap or opening is at least partially between the arm-worn sleeve and/or cuff and the at least one computer display; and wherein a sleeve of a long-sleeve garment can be inserted into this gap or opening.

20 . A wearable computer display device for the forearm, wrist, and/or hand comprising:
(a) a lower arm-worn sleeve and/or cuff which is configured to encircle a person's wrist and/or forearm, wherein the lower sleeve and/or cuff has distal edge that is configured to be worn a first distance from the person's elbow and a proximal edge that is configured to be worn a second distance from the person's elbow, wherein the second distance is at least 2″ less than the first distance, and wherein the lower arm-wor

Assignees

• Connor Robert A
• Medibotics Llc

Inventors

• Connor Robert A

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

• G06F1/1694

  the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer · CPC title

• G06F3/014

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

• G06F1/1637

  Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing · CPC title

• G06F1/163 Primary

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