Mobile electronic wearable device and method for providing haptic notification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9392094-B2
Application number	US-201414359851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2014
Priority date	Jan 15, 2014
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

A mobile electronic wearable device ( 1 ), adapted to be worn by a user, comprising means for providing 10 haptic notifications to a user and a method for providing haptic notifications on mobile electronic wearable devices ( 1 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile electronic wearable device, adapted to be worn by a user, comprising:
a housing comprising a surface, wherein the surface faces skin of the user when the electronic wearable device is worn;
an electroactive polymer film comprising at least one deformable segment, the electroactive polymer film applied to a portion of the surface between the surface of the device and the skin of the user; and
a control unit configured to control a voltage applied over the at least one deformable segment of the electroactive polymer film;
wherein, when the voltage is applied over the at least one deformable segment, the at least one deformable segment deforms and protrudes towards the skin of the user and applies a pressure against the skin of the user.

2. The mobile electronic wearable device according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile electronic wearable device further comprises a wireless transceiver adapted to receive and transmit wireless signals and wherein the control unit is adapted to control the voltage based on information obtained over the wireless interface.

3. The mobile electronic wearable device according to claim 2 , further comprising a wireless Bluetooth transceiver adapted to communicate wirelessly using Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy or therewith compatible protocols.

4. The mobile electronic wearable device according to claim 2 , wherein the wireless transceiver is adapted to receive wireless signals comprising notification information from a mobile electronic device, the notification information being indicative of the mobile electronic device receiving any of a SMS, an MMS, a phone call, email, social media update, software update, GPS-navigation instructions, or similar information.

5. The mobile electronic wearable device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is adapted to control the voltage that is applied over the at least one deformable segment in response to output from an internal software application running on the mobile electronic wearable device.

6. The mobile electronic wearable device according to claim 2 , wherein the mobile electronic wearable device is configured to be worn on the wrist.

7. The mobile electronic wearable device according to claim 2 , wherein the electroactive polymer film has a thickness in the range of 0.2-1.5 mm, preferably in the range 0.5-to 1.0 mm.

8. The mobile electronic wearable device according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one deformable segment has an essentially circular outline.

9. The mobile electronic wearable device according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one deformable segment has a size in the range of 3-20 mm, preferably in the range of 5-10 mm.

10. The mobile electronic wearable device according to claim 2 , wherein the electroactive polymer film comprises two deformable segments,
wherein the deformations of each deformable segment are individually controllable by the control unit, and
wherein the control unit applies a predefined pattern of voltages across the two deformable segments when the information obtained over the wireless interface is a predefined type of information to indicate the type of information to the user in a manner distinguishable from other applications of pressure by the deformable segments against the skin of the user.

11. A method for providing haptic notifications to a user of a mobile electronic wearable device comprising:
obtaining information for provision to a user wearing the mobile electronic wearable device, wherein the mobile electronic wearable device comprises:
a housing comprising a surface, wherein the surface faces skin of the user when the electronic wearable device is worn, and
an electroactive polymer film comprising at least one deformable segment, and applied to the surface such that, when the electronic wearable device is worn by the user, the electroactive polymer film is positioned between the surface and the skin of the user; and

applying, by means of a control unit, a voltage over the at least one deformable segment in response to the obtained information, wherein, when the voltage is applied over the at least one deformable segment, the at least one deformable segment protrudes towards the skin of a user, thereby applying a pressure against the skin of the user.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the obtained information is received over a wireless interface by means of a wireless transceiver.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the obtained information may be received over a wireless Bluetooth interface by means of a wireless Bluetooth transceiver and/or a wireless Bluetooth low energy transceiver.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the obtained information is output from an internal software application running on the mobile electronic wearable device.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the control unit controls, for each deformable segment individually, at least one of the voltage, polarity of voltage, length of application of voltage, or rate of voltage pulsation based on the obtained information.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the voltage is controlled in response to information obtained over the wireless interface, the signals being transmitted from a mobile electronic device and being indicative of the mobile electronic device receiving any of an SMS, an MMS, a phone call, email, social media update, software update, or GPS navigation.

17. A system, comprising:
a mobile electronic wearable device, adapted to be worn by a user, comprising:
a housing comprising a surface, wherein the surface faces skin of the user when the electronic wearable device is worn;
an electroactive polymer film comprising at least one deformable segment, and applied to a portion of the surface such that, when the electronic wearable device is worn by the user, the electroactive polymer film is positioned between the skin of the user and the surface of the device;

a control unit configured to apply a voltage over the at least one deformable segment of the electroactive polymer film, wherein, when the voltage is applied over the at least one deformable segment, the at least one deformable segment deforms such that the at least one deformable segment protrudes towards the skin of the user and applies a pressure against the skin of the user; and
a mobile electronic device, comprising a wireless communication interface, wherein the mobile electronic device is configured to transmit information, using the wireless interface, to the control unit of the mobile electronic wearable device, and wherein the control unit applies the voltage based on the transmitted information.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the mobile electronic wearable device further comprises a wireless transceiver adapted to receive and transmit wireless signals and wherein the control unit is adapted to apply the voltage based on information obtained over the wireless interface.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the wireless transceiver of the mobile electronic wearable device is adapted to receive wireless signals comprising notification information from a mobile electronic device,
wherein the control unit in the mobile electronic wearable device is adapted to apply the voltage that is provided to the at least one deformable segment in response to output from an internal software application running on the mobile electronic wearable device,
wherein the at least one deformable segment of the mobile electronic wearable device is deformable such that it pro

Assignees

• Sony Corp
• Sony Mobile Comm Inc

Inventors

• Hunt Alexander
• Johansson Magnus

Classifications

• H04M19/047

  Vibrating means for incoming calls · CPC title

• H04M1/72597

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04B1/385

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title

• H04B2001/3855

  carried in a belt or harness · CPC title

• H04M1/72519 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic