Detecting the Limb Wearing a Wearable Electronic Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016349803-A1
Application number	US-201415118053-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2014
Priority date	Feb 11, 2014
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device that can be worn on a limb of a user can include a processing device and one or more position sensing devices operatively connected to the processing device. The processing device can be adapted to determine which limb of the user is wearing the electronic device based on one or more signals received from at least one position sensing device.

First claim

1 . A processor-implemented method for determining a limb wearing a wearable electronic device, the wearable electronic device including one or more position sensing devices and a processing device, the method comprising:
receiving one or more signals from at least one position sensing device for a given period of time; and analyzing at least one signal to determine the limb wearing the wearable electronic device.

2 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein analyzing at least one signal to determine the limb wearing the wearable electronic device comprises performing a pattern recognition algorithm on at least one signal to recognize at least one limb gesture or position and, based on the recognized at least one limb gesture or position, determine the limb wearing the electronic device.

3 . The method as in claim 1 , further comprising processing the at least one signal prior to analyzing the at least one signal to determine the limb wearing the wearable electronic device.

4 . The method as in claim 3 , wherein processing the at least one signal comprises producing a histogram based on the at least one signal prior to analyzing the at least one signal.

5 . The method as in claim 4 , wherein the histogram is analyzed to determine the limb wearing the wearable electronic device.

6 . The method as in claim 3 , wherein processing the at least one signal comprises plotting the at least one signal prior to analyzing the at least one signal and analyzing the plot of the at least one signal to determine with limb wearing the wearable electronic device.

7 . The method as in claim 1 , further comprising providing the limb determined to be wearing the electronic device to an application.

8 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the wearable electronic device comprises a device that provides time.

9 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the wearable electronic device comprises a health or fitness assistant.

10 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the wearable electronic device comprises a device that plays digital music.

11 . An electronic device that can be worn on a limb of a user, comprising:
a processing device; and one or more position sensing devices operatively connected to the processing device, wherein the processing device is adapted to recognize one or more limb gestures or positions when determining which limb of the user is wearing the electronic device to determine which limb of the user is wearing the electronic device based on one or more signals received from at least one position sensing device.

12 . The electronic device as in claim 11 , further comprising a memory adapted to store one or more pattern recognition algorithms.

13 . The electronic device as in claim 12 , wherein the processing device is adapted to read a pattern recognition algorithm from the memory and apply the pattern recognition algorithm to at least one signal received from the at least one position sensing device.

14 . The electronic device as in claim 12 , wherein the memory is adapted to store one or more applications.

15 . The electronic device as in claim 14 , wherein the processing device is adapted to provide the limb determined to be wearing the electronic device to at least one application.

16 . The electronic device as in claim 11 , wherein the electronic device comprises a health or fitness assistant.

17 . The electronic device as in claim 11 , wherein the electronic device comprises a device that provides time.

18 . The electronic device as in claim 11 , wherein at least one of the one or more position sensing devices comprises at least one of an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and a gyroscope.

19 . A system, comprising:
an electronic device that can be worn on a limb of a user, the electronic device comprising:
a processing device; and
one or more position sensing devices operatively connected to the processing device;
a display operatively connected to the processing device; and a memory adapted to store one or more applications and operatively connected to the processing device, wherein the processing device is adapted to determine which limb of the user is wearing the electronic device based on one or more signals received from at least one position sensing device and adapted to provide data to at least one application based on the limb determined to be wearing the electronic device.

20 . The system as in claim 19 , wherein data produced by the at least one application and displayed in an image on the display is adjusted based on the limb determined to be wearing the electronic device.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Dusan Sorin V

Classifications

• G06F1/163

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

• G04C3/002

  Position, e.g. inclination dependent switches · CPC title

• A61B5/11

  Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb {(A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721)} · CPC title

• G06F1/1694 Primary

  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

• A61B5/681

  Wristwatch-type devices · CPC title