Ergonomic power switch for a wearable electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9285609-B1
Application number	US-201414223477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 24, 2014
Priority date	Mar 24, 2014
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed are ergonomic power switches for wearable electronic devices. A wearable electronic device may include a circuit including a power supply, and an ergonomic power switch to selectively close the circuit. The ergonomic power switch may comprise multiple elements that are configured to cause closure of the circuit in response to a connection event. The connection event may occur in response to a portion of a user's body being positioned between the multiple elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Electronic glasses comprising:
a circuit including a power supply, the circuit further including:
an ergonomic power switch to selectively close the circuit, the ergonomic power switch comprising a nose piece that is configured to cause closure of the circuit in response to a nose of a user being positioned within the nose piece.

2. The electronic glasses of claim 1 , wherein the nose piece includes a pair of skin-conductive contacts, and wherein the nose of the user contacting the pair of skin-conductive contacts causes the closure of the circuit.

3. The electronic glasses of claim 1 , wherein the nose piece includes one or more capacitive sensors, and wherein the nose of the user contacting the one or more capacitive sensors causes the closure of the circuit.

4. The electronic glasses of claim 1 , wherein the nose piece includes a transmitter and a receiver of an optical beam, and wherein the nose of the user blocking receipt by the receiver of the optical beam causes the closure of the circuit.

5. The electronic glasses of claim 1 , wherein the nose piece comprises a pair of nose pads, and wherein at least one nose pad of the pair of nose pads includes a mechanical switching mechanism, and wherein the nose of the user exerting a reaction force upon the at least one nose pad causes the closure of the circuit.

6. A wearable electronic device comprising:
a circuit including a power supply, the circuit further including:
an ergonomic power switch to selectively close the circuit, the ergonomic power switch comprising multiple elements that are configured to cause closure of the circuit in response to a connection event, the connection event occurring in response to receipt of a portion of a body of a user between the multiple elements.

7. The wearable electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the wearable electronic device comprises electronic glasses, and wherein the multiple elements of the ergonomic power switch are included in a nose piece on the electronic glasses.

8. The wearable electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the connection event is a first connection event, and wherein the multiple elements of the ergonomic power switch further comprise a pair of temple pads configured to detect a second connection event when another portion of the body of the user is positioned between the pair of temple pads, and wherein the first connection event or the second connection event causes the closure of the circuit.

9. The wearable electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the multiple elements include one or more conductive contacts, and wherein the connection event occurs in response to the portion of the body of the user contacting the one or more conductive contacts.

10. The wearable electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the multiple elements include a transmitter and a receiver of an optical beam, and wherein the connection event comprises a break in the optical beam caused by the portion of the body of the user being positioned such that receipt of the optical beam by the receiver is blocked.

11. The wearable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the optical beam comprises an infrared beam.

12. The wearable electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the wearable electronic device comprises an electronic wearable band, and wherein the multiple elements of the ergonomic power switch are positioned on an inside surface of the electronic wearable band.

13. The wearable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the multiple elements are circumferentially distributed in a substantially even manner on the inside surface of the electronic wearable band.

14. The wearable electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the multiple elements comprise three or more skin-conductive contacts, and wherein the connection event occurs in response to the portion of the body of the user contacting at least two of the three or more skin-conductive contacts.

15. The wearable electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the multiple elements comprise at least one transmitter and at least one receiver of at least one optical beam projected as a chord across the inside surface of the electronic wearable band, and wherein the connection event comprises a break in the optical beam caused by the portion of the body of the user being positioned such that receipt of the optical beam by the receiver is blocked.

16. The wearable electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the ergonomic power switch is configured to maintain the closure of the circuit while the connection event is maintained, and wherein the ergonomic power switch is configured to cause opening of the circuit in response to cessation of the connection event.

17. The wearable electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising a timer that is configured to be initiated upon a cessation of the connection event, and wherein the ergonomic power switch is configured to cause opening of the circuit upon the timer reaching a threshold, and wherein the timer is configured to be reset upon a subsequent connection event occurring before the timer reaches the threshold.

18. The wearable computer of claim 6 , further comprising a timer that is configured to be initiated upon a cessation of the connection event, and wherein the ergonomic power switch is further configured to switch the wearable electronic device from a power on state to a low power state upon the timer reaching a threshold.

19. A wearable electronic device comprising:
a circuit comprising:
a power supply;
an electrical component selectively coupled to the power supply by an ergonomic power switch; and
the ergonomic power switch comprising an element configured to detect a force exerted upon the element by a portion of a body of a user when the wearable electronic device is worn by the user, the element configured to cause closure of the circuit when the force is detected.

20. The wearable electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the wearable electronic device comprises an electronic wearable band, and wherein the element comprises a movable device positioned on an inside surface of the electronic wearable band, the movable device being biased toward a first position and movable to a second position in response to the force to cause the closure of the circuit upon the movable device being in the second position.

21. The wearable electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the wearable electronic device comprises electronic glasses, and wherein the element comprises a nose piece of the electronic glasses.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Rost Robert Duane

Classifications

• G02C11/10 Primary

  Electronic devices other than hearing aids · CPC title

• H01H47/00 Primary

  Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the relay and designed to obtain desired operating characteristics or to provide energising current · CPC title

• G02C5/143

  having special ear pieces · CPC title

• G02C5/12

  Nose pads; Nose-engaging surfaces of bridges or rims · CPC title