System and method for wearable smart device communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9958275-B2
Application number	US-201615169476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2016
Priority date	May 31, 2016
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A wearable smart device includes an outer casing wearable by a user and defining at least one cavity and having a neck portion, a first end portion designed to rest on a first shoulder of the user, and a second end portion designed to rest on a second shoulder of the user. The wearable smart device also includes a wireless communication port at least partially positioned within the cavity and designed to communicate with a remote device. The wireless communication port includes a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) port, a near field communication (NFC) port, an infrared communication port and/or an ultrasound communication port. A processor is positioned within the cavity, coupled to the wireless communication port and designed to transmit one or more signals to the remote device and/or receive one or more signals from the remote device via the wireless communication port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable electronic device for communicating with a remote device, the wearable electronic device comprising:
a first wireless communication port configured to receive a first signal from the remote device via a first communication protocol, wherein the first signal indicates a request by the remote device to communicate with the wearable electronic device;
a second wireless communication port configured to transmit a second signal to the remote device via a second communication protocol that is different than the first communication protocol, wherein the second signal initializes communications with the remote device via the second wireless communication port; and
a processor coupled to the first wireless communication port and to the second wireless communication port and configured to receive the first signal via the first wireless communication port and to transmit the second signal via the second wireless communication port in response to receiving the first signal.

2. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the second wireless communication port provides for higher bandwidth communications between the wearable electronic device and the remote device than the first wireless communication port.

3. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the second wireless communication port requires more power to be in an on state than the first wireless communication port.

4. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to switch the second wireless communication port to an on state in response to receiving the first signal.

5. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine when communications between the wearable electronic device and the remote device via the second wireless communication port have ended and to switch the second wireless communication port to an off state in response to determining that the communications have ended.

6. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first wireless communication port includes at least one of a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) port, a Bluetooth port, a near field communications (NFC) port, an infrared communication port or an ultrasound communication port and wherein the second wireless communication port includes at least one of a DSRC port, an infrared communication port, an ultrasound communication port, a Bluetooth port or a Wi-Fi port.

7. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 further comprising an outer casing defining at least one cavity and wherein at least a portion of the first wireless communication port, at least a portion of the second wireless communication port, and the processor are positioned within the at least one cavity and wherein the outer casing has a neck portion configured to be positioned against a neck or back of a user and two end portions configured to extend across shoulders of the user.

8. A wearable electronic device for communicating with a remote device, the wearable electronic device comprising:
a first wireless communication port configured to receive a first signal from the remote device via a first communication protocol;
a second wireless communication port configured to transmit a second signal to the remote device via a second communication protocol that is different than the first communication protocol, wherein the second wireless communication port provides for higher bandwidth communications between the wearable electronic device and the remote device than the first wireless communication port; and
a processor coupled to the first wireless communication port and to the second wireless communication port and configured to receive the first signal via the first wireless communication port and to transmit the second signal via the second wireless communication port in response to receiving the first signal.

9. The wearable electronic device of claim 8 wherein the second wireless communication port requires more power to be in an on state than the first wireless communication port.

10. The wearable electronic device of claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured to switch the second wireless communication port to an on state in response to receiving the first signal.

11. The wearable electronic device of claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured to determine when communications between the wearable electronic device and the remote device via the second wireless communication port have ended and to switch the second wireless communication port to an off state in response to determining that the communications have ended.

12. The wearable electronic device of claim 8 wherein the first wireless communication port includes at least one of a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) port, a Bluetooth port, a near field communications (NFC) port, an infrared communication port or an ultrasound communication port and wherein the second wireless communication port includes at least one of a DSRC port, an infrared communication port, an ultrasound communication port, a Bluetooth port or a Wi-Fi port.

13. The wearable electronic device of claim 8 further comprising an outer casing defining at least one cavity and wherein at least a portion of the first wireless communication port, at least a portion of the second wireless communication port, and the processor are positioned within the at least one cavity and wherein the outer casing has a neck portion configured to be positioned against a neck or back of a user and two end portions configured to extend across shoulders of the user.

14. A wearable electronic device for communicating with a remote device, the wearable electronic device comprising:
a first wireless communication port configured to receive a first signal from the remote device via a first communication protocol;
a second wireless communication port configured to transmit a second signal to the remote device via a second communication protocol that is different than the first communication protocol, wherein the second wireless communication port requires more power to be in an on state than the first wireless communication port; and
a processor coupled to the first wireless communication port and to the second wireless communication port and configured to receive the first signal via the first wireless communication port and to transmit the second signal via the second wireless communication port in response to receiving the first signal.

15. The wearable electronic device of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to switch the second wireless communication port to an on state in response to receiving the first signal.

16. The wearable electronic device of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to determine when communications between the wearable electronic device and the remote device via the second wireless communication port have ended and to switch the second wireless communication port to an off state in response to determining that the communications have ended.

17. The wearable electronic device of claim 14 wherein the first wireless communication port includes at least one of a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) port, a Bluetooth port, a near field communications (NFC) port, an infrared communication port or an ultrasound communication port and wherein the second wireless communication port includes at least one of a DSRC port, an infrared communication port, an ultrasound communication port, a Bluetooth port or a Wi-Fi port.

18. The wearable electronic

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Chelian Suhas E
• Lee Christopher P

Classifications

• H04B1/385

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

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01C21/165 Primary

  combined with non-inertial navigation instruments · CPC title

• H04W52/028 Primary

  switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks · CPC title