U.S. patent application number 15/229393 was filed with the patent office on 2017-01-12 for smart wearable devices and methods for acquisition of sensorial information from wearable devices to activate functions in other devices.
This patent application is currently assigned to SONY CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is SONY CORPORATION OF AMERICA, SONY CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Udupi Ramanath Bhat, Ludovic Copere, Behram DaCosta, Jacelyn Danielson, Vladimir Elgort, Anton Kalachev, Masaki Kataoka, Nobuo Tanaka, John Wong.
Application Number | 20170010665 15/229393 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53878953 |
Filed Date | 2017-01-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170010665 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tanaka; Nobuo ; et
al. |
January 12, 2017 |
SMART WEARABLE DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ACQUISITION OF SENSORIAL
INFORMATION FROM WEARABLE DEVICES TO ACTIVATE FUNCTIONS IN OTHER
DEVICES
Abstract
Smart wearable devices and methods for acquiring sensor data
about a user to determine the physical and mental status of the
user and automatically activate or deactivate other devices when
authenticated by biometric security access specific to the wearer
are presented. Specifically, the smart wearable device can
automatically acquire a user's biological input, such as heart
rate, breathing, body temperature, etc. and based on the input,
automatically activate or deactivate a function in another device
by sending a triggering signal to the other device.
Inventors: |
Tanaka; Nobuo; (Glen Rock,
NJ) ; Elgort; Vladimir; (Staten Island, NY) ;
Danielson; Jacelyn; (San Mateo, CA) ; Kalachev;
Anton; (Burlingame, CA) ; Wong; John;
(Morristown, NJ) ; DaCosta; Behram; (San Jose,
CA) ; Bhat; Udupi Ramanath; (Mountain View, CA)
; Copere; Ludovic; (San Jose, CA) ; Kataoka;
Masaki; (Port Washington, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SONY CORPORATION
SONY CORPORATION OF AMERICA |
Tokyo
New York |
NY |
JP
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
SONY CORPORATION
Tokyo
NY
SONY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
New York
|
Family ID: |
53878953 |
Appl. No.: |
15/229393 |
Filed: |
August 5, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
PCT/US2015/016713 |
Feb 19, 2015 |
|
|
|
15229393 |
|
|
|
|
61943837 |
Feb 24, 2014 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/1626 20130101;
G16H 40/67 20180101; G16H 40/63 20180101; G06F 1/3287 20130101;
H04L 63/0861 20130101; G06F 1/163 20130101; H04L 63/0869 20130101;
Y02D 10/00 20180101; G06F 1/3206 20130101; G06F 1/325 20130101;
G06F 3/016 20130101; G06F 3/011 20130101; H04W 12/0605 20190101;
G06F 1/1698 20130101; G08B 7/00 20130101; G06F 3/015 20130101; G06F
1/1637 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/01 20060101
G06F003/01; H04L 29/06 20060101 H04L029/06; G06F 1/16 20060101
G06F001/16 |
Claims
1. A smart wearable device, the device comprising: (a) one or more
sensors, wherein at least one sensor is a biological sensor
configured to acquire biological input; (b) a memory; (c) one or
more communications interfaces; (d) a processor; and (e)
programming residing in a non-transitory computer readable medium,
wherein the programming is executable by the computer processor and
configured to: (i) determine a physical or mental status of a user
from input acquired by the one or more sensors, wherein at least
one sensor is a biological sensor; (ii) in response to a specific
physical or mental status determination, automatically generate a
triggering signal to activate or deactivate a function of another
device; and (iii) send the triggering signal to the other
device.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the other device is a device
selected from the group of devices consisting of a wearable smart
device, a mobile device, a tablet, a lap top computer and a desk
top computer.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein said programming is further
configured to receive a signal from the other device acknowledging
the triggering signal was received by the other device.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more communications
interfaces are selected from the group consisting of a wired
communications interface, a wireless communications interface, a
cellular communications interface, a WiFi communications interface,
a near field communications interface, an infrared communications
interface, and a Bluetooth communications interface.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the physical or mental status of
the user includes information related to one or more of blood
sugar, stress, fatigue, anxiety, alertness, heart rate, galvanic
skin response, weight, nutrition, digestion rate, metabolic rate,
body temperature, skin temperature, respiration, allergies, sleep
patterns, hydration, drug levels, sweat production and blood
analysis.
6. The device of claim 1, further comprising programming residing
in the non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the
programming is executable by the computer processor and configured
to: (a) determine an environmental status of a user from the input
acquired by one or more environmental sensors configured to acquire
contextual input; (b) in response to the environmental status
determination, automatically generate a triggering signal to
activate a function of another device; and (c) send the triggering
signal to the other device.
7-19. (canceled)
20. A secure wearable sensor apparatus, comprising: (a) a computer
processor with memory; (b) a plurality of sensors operably coupled
to the processor; (c) a communications link; and (d) programming in
a non-transitory computer readable medium and executable on the
computer processor for performing steps comprising: (i) acquiring a
biometric identifier from at least one sensor worn by a user; (ii)
comparing the acquired biometric identifier with a biometric
identifier standard designated by the user; and (iii) communicating
with a remote device through the communications link if the
biometric identifiers match.
21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising: at least one
haptic output coupled to the computer processor; the haptic output
programmed to activate when a communications link is established
with a remote device.
22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising: at least one
sound generator output coupled to the computer processor; the sound
generator output programmed to activate when a communications link
is established with a remote device.
23. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising: at least one
light output coupled to the computer processor; the light output
programmed to activate when a communications link is established
with a remote device.
24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said biometric identifier
comprises a heart identifier.
25. The apparatus of claim 20, said programming further configured
to: receive a request to initiate communications from the remote
device; transmit sensor data to the remote device; and activate a
haptic output notifying the user of the transmission.
26. The apparatus of claim 20, said programming further configured
to: transmit commands to the remote device; and receive command
code from the remote device through the communications link.
27. A secure wearable sensor system, comprising: (a) a wearable
sensor device, comprising: (i) a computer processor with memory;
(ii) a plurality of sensors operably coupled to the processor;
(iii) a communications link; and (iv) programming in a
non-transitory computer readable medium and executable on the
computer processor for performing steps comprising: 1. acquiring a
biometric identifier from at least one sensor worn by a user; 2.
comparing the acquired biometric identifier with a biometric
identifier standard designated by the user; and 3. communicating
with a non-wearable device through the communications link if the
biometric identifiers match; and (b) a non-wearable device,
comprising: (i) a communications link; (ii) a computer processor
with memory; (iii) programming in a non-transitory computer
readable medium and executable on the computer processor for
performing steps comprising: 1. sending and receiving
communications from a wearable sensor device; and 2. processing
sensor data received from the wearable sensor.
28. The system of claim 27, wherein said biometric identifier
comprises a heart identifier.
29. The system of claim 27, said programming of the wearable device
further configured to unlock a programming lock in the non-wearable
device to process and display sensor data received from the
wearable device.
30. The system of claim 27, said wearable device further
comprising: at least one haptic output coupled to the computer
processor; the haptic output programmed to activate when a
communications link is established with the non-wearable
device.
31. The system of claim 27, said wearable device further
comprising: at least one sound generator output coupled to the
computer processor; the sound generator output programmed to
activate when a communications link is established with the
non-wearable device.
32. The system of claim 27, said wearable device further
comprising: at least one light output coupled to the computer
processor; the light output programmed to activate when a
communications link is established with the non-wearable device.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a 35 U.S.C. .sctn.111(a) continuation of
PCT international application number PCT/US2015/016713 filed on
Feb. 19, 2015, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety,
which claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. provisional
patent application Ser. No. 61/943,837 filed on Feb. 24, 2014,
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Priority is
claimed to each of the foregoing applications.
[0002] The above-referenced PCT international application was
published as PCT International Publication No. WO 2015/127142 A1 on
Aug. 27, 2015, which publication is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF COMPUTER PROGRAM APPENDIX
[0003] Not Applicable
NOTICE OF MATERIAL SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT PROTECTION
[0004] A portion of the material in this patent document is subject
to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United
States and of other countries. The owner of the copyright rights
has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the
patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the
United States Patent and Trademark Office publicly available file
or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The copyright owner does not hereby waive any of its rights to have
this patent document maintained in secrecy, including without
limitation its rights pursuant to 37 C.F.R. .sctn.1.14.
BACKGROUND
[0005] 1. Field of the Technology
[0006] This technology pertains generally to smart wearable devices
and sensor networks and more particularly to a system of
non-wearable and wearable sensor and processing devices that are
capable of acquiring sensorial information and activating functions
in other devices where the function activation and access to
wearable sensor data and to programming are authenticated by a
biometric feature of an authorized wearer.
[0007] 2. Discussion
[0008] The availability of reasonably priced wearable devices means
that most wearers will not be limited to the use of only a single
device at a given time and many users will be able to wear a number
of wearable devices at the same time. Some devices can connect to
the Internet or other wireless communications network to transmit
and receive data to and from a remote location. Other devices can
interconnect with non-wearable devices such as a smart phone or to
other wearable devices.
[0009] However, the transmission of sensitive medical sensor data
over wireless communication systems creates privacy and security
concerns. Security is an important part of privacy. Therefore, a
non-wearable device such as mobile phone may use a pin code or
pattern, etc. in order to protect the device from being accessed by
unauthorized people. At the same time, it is also important for the
users of a wearable device to be able to quickly access the
relevant information from the non-wearable device without too much
difficulty.
[0010] Currently, there is no suitable system that allows a user to
activate a specific function on a smart device without the user
manually instructing the smart device directly. For example, the
user of a smart wearable device may have a particular physical or
mental health condition that makes it difficult or impossible to
manually operate other desired or necessary devices. There is a
need for a smart wearable device that is able to monitor the
physical and mental status of a user and, where appropriate,
automatically activate or deactivate a specific function on other
relevant devices.
[0011] Accordingly, there is a need for smart wearable devices that
can automatically sense when a device, such as a non-wearable or
media rendering device, is in communication range and automatically
verify that a particular device has authorization or access rights
to associate with the device. There is also a need for wearable
devices and systems that are secure and private that ensure that
the availability of sensor data from wearable and associated
wearable and non-wearable devices is under the control of an
authorized wearer.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0012] A secure network of wearable and non-wearable devices and
status monitoring methods is provided that authenticates the
identity of the user of the smart wearable device using biometrics,
such as a user's heart rate signature.
[0013] Access authorization between devices may also require
authentication of the user. For example, activation or deactivation
of other devices may occur only if the user of the wearable device
is authenticated using some biometric signature of the user from a
wearable device. Sensitive sensor data would not be transferred to
another device without the proper biometric authentication.
Authentication does not require any affirmative action on the part
of the user such as entering a password.
[0014] In one embodiment, a smart wearable device is provided that
includes at least one biological or physiological sensor for
acquiring biological input about the user. This input may be
acquired through automatically sensing and collecting biological
information about the user and may be supplemented with user input
or input from other health care providers.
[0015] Sensors placed on or around an individual can acquire
biological or physical data in real time. Both non-invasive and
invasive sensors, alone or collectively, can produce data that can
be processed to determine the physical or mental status of the user
at an instant or to identify trends over time. Multiple sensors
with the capability of collecting biological or physical data
(heart rate, blood oxygen and sugar levels, body temperature and
etc.) of a user can be applied with the use of wearable
devices.
[0016] Other associated sensors can collect data on the environment
including location, altitude, air pollution, pollen count, distance
traveled, and external temperature etc. that can be considered
within the context of the sensor data obtained from a particular
user of sensors of a wearable device. Information regarding the
location and environmental context of the wearer of wearable sensor
devices can be relevant to the function of the sensors of each
device and the interpretation of the data that is produced by the
device sensors. The collection and processing of sensor data from
multiple sensors of a wearer can also be accomplished with wired or
wireless transmissions.
[0017] In one embodiment, the smart wearable device may be
programmed to determine the physical and mental status of the user.
When a given status is determined from the sensor data, the smart
wearable device may automatically generate a triggering signal that
can be sent to other devices. The triggering signal may then
activate a desired functionality in the other devices.
[0018] The device or devices that receive the triggering signal
from the smart wearable device may be another smart wearable
device, a mobile device, such as a smart phone, a tablet, a lap top
computer or desk top computer. Optionally, the device that receives
the triggering signal from the smart wearable device can send a
return signal to the smart wearable device acknowledging that the
initial signal was received and the desired function has been
activated or deactivated.
[0019] In another embodiment, a computer implemented method for
enabling a smart wearable device to automatically generate a
triggering signal to active a certain functionality of another
device (wearable or non-wearable) includes using the smart wearable
device's biological sensors to collect biological data about the
user and then processing this data to determine the physical or
mental status of the user. A triggering signal may be generated in
response to the physical or mental status determination and the
triggering signal may be sent to another device in order to
activate a desired function on the other device.
[0020] In yet another embodiment, a system is described for
automatically activating devices by a smart wearable device to
collect physical and mental input about a user, sending a
triggering signal that triggers another device to activate a
desired function in response to analyzed sensor data.
[0021] Another embodiment of the wearable sensor includes
environmental sensors that may act in conjunction with the
biological sensors to initiate functions in other devices. Also,
user input may also be used to cause the smart wearable device to
generate the triggering signal.
[0022] A biometric characteristic of the wearer of the wearable
device is used as a security element to authenticate the identity
of the wearer and to unlock communications without the manual entry
of an authentication code or other conventional security entry. For
example, in one embodiment, a biometric sensor that has been placed
in a wearable device, such as heart ID from Bionym or other sensor
provider, can be used to secure the identification of wearer.
[0023] Without the right heart ID, for example, the data from the
wearable device cannot be accessed or transferred. The wearable
device will be given the access right to unlock the non-wearable
device after these two devices have been paired through Bluetooth
or other communications system.
[0024] In another embodiment, a method is provided for a user of a
wearable device to obtain quick access to the relevant information
based on a notification event from a non-wearable device to the
wearable. Using the authentications of the wearable device to
unlock the non-wearable device and the non-wearable device can
automatically receive raw sensor data or processed sensor data as
well as contextual information, including timing and proximity.
[0025] When the non-wearable device receives an incoming event, a
notification can be sent to the wearable device through the
Bluetooth or other device communications system. The notification
could be a haptic feedback in form of vibrations or heating or
cooling elements. The optional notification could also be in the
form of a light signal or an audible noise created by the wearable
device to alert the wearer of the event.
[0026] In another embodiment, when the wearer of the wearable
device picks up a non-wearable device, the proximity of the
non-wearable device to the wearable device will inform the
non-wearable that the wearable is in close range and to initiate a
request for communication. The non-wearable device can then let the
wearable device unlock the lock of the non-wearable device and
receive sensor data from the wearable device. In addition, based on
the timing of the notification event that has been sent from the
non-wearable device to the wearable device, the sensor information
can then be displayed on the non-wearable device to the wearer. The
connected non-wearable device can also record, process or transmit
the sensor data from the wearable device in this illustration. The
authenticated non-wearable device can also program the wearable
device in another embodiment.
[0027] Further aspects of the technology will be brought out in the
following portions of the specification, wherein the detailed
description is for the purpose of fully disclosing preferred
embodiments of the technology without placing limitations
thereon.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0028] The technology described herein will be more fully
understood by reference to the following drawings which are for
illustrative purposes only:
[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a smart
wearable network described herein.
[0030] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a
smart wearable device described herein.
[0031] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a smart
wearable device and system that can acquire sensor input and in
response send a triggering signal to activate or deactivate other
devices.
[0032] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method for acquiring sensorial
data on a smart wearable device, and in response, activating
functions on other devices.
[0033] FIG. 5 is a schematic flow diagram processing flow and the
data used for one embodiment of an authentication method of the
present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] The present disclosure generally pertains to wearable
devices that are capable of, for example, performing an action
based on one or more biological or physiological characteristics of
the user wearing the device. Using one or more sensors, a
processor, and code executable on the processor, a wearable device
can be configured to sense and process characteristics that
include, but are not limited to, a wearer's physical
characteristics such as gender, weight, height, body temperature,
skin temperature, heart rate, respiration, blood sugar level, blood
glucose level, stress/fatigue, galvanic skin response, ingestion
(protein), digestion rate, metabolic rate, blood chemistry, sweat,
core and skin temperature, vital signs, eye dryness, tooth decay,
gum disease, energy storage, calorie burn rate, mental alertness,
cardiac rhythm, sleep patterns, caffeine content, vitamin content,
hydration, blood oxygen saturation, blood coritsol level, blood
pressure, cholesterol, lactic acid level, body fat, protein level,
hormone level, muscle mass, pH, etc. Such conditions may also
include, but are not limited to, position (e.g., prone, upright),
movement, or physical state (e.g., sleeping, exercising), etc.
[0035] A wearable device may include one or more output devices
that include, but are not limited to, haptic output devices (e.g.,
offset motors, electroactive polymers, capacitive voltage
generators, Peltier temperature elements, contracting materials,
Braille coding actuators), telemetry devices, visual devices,
audible devices, and other output devices.
[0036] A wearable device may include an artificial intelligence so
that the device can learn and adapt to an individual wearer. The
device may be configured to accurately discriminate between
erroneous (accidental, unintended, etc.) and valid sensory inputs,
thereby developing accurate conclusions about a wearer's physical
state or characteristics (e.g., the device does not interpret a
wearer rolling over in their sleep as the wearer exercising). The
device may also include one or more cameras or other visual sensors
for facial, user, or other image recognition. A wearable device may
also be configured to transmit information to and/or retrieve
information from a wearer's digital health history.
[0037] A wearable device may be configured to output information to
a user, to another wearable device, to a non-wearable device, or to
a network according to the particular features and function of the
device.
[0038] A. Generalized System Implementation.
[0039] FIG. 1 illustrates a generalized networked infrastructure
(e.g., system) 100 that includes a network 102. The network could,
for example, be a local area network or a wide area network such as
the Internet. One or more smart wearable devices 104-1 through
104-n according to embodiments of the technology described herein
may be enabled to communicate with the network 102 through a wired
or wireless connection 106. Further, one or more of the smart
wearable devices may be enabled to communicate with another smart
wearable device through the network 102 or by means of a direct
wired or wireless connection 108.
[0040] One or more of the smart wearable devices 104-1 through
104-n also may be enabled to communicate with one or more
non-wearable devices 110-1 through 110-n. The non-wearable devices,
which are beyond the scope of this disclosure, may be any
conventional "smart" device with a processor, associated operating
system, and communications interface. Examples of non-wearable
devices include conventional Smartphones, tablet computers, laptop
computers, desktop computers, and set top boxes. Any of the
non-wearable devices may be of a type enabled to communicate with
an external device through a wired or wireless connection. In that
case, one or more of the smart wearable devices may be enabled to
communicate with one or more of the non-wearable devices by means
of a direct wired or wireless connection 112. Further, one or more
of the non-wearable devices may be of a type enabled to communicate
with the network 102 through a standard wired or wireless
connection 114. In that case, one or more of the smart wearable
devices may be enabled to communicate with one or more of the
non-wearable devices through the network 102.
[0041] One or more servers 116-1 through 116-n may be provided in a
client-server configuration and connected to the network by means
of a wired or wireless connection 118. The servers may include
standalone servers, cluster servers, networked servers, or servers
connected in an array to function like a large computer. In that
case, one or more of the smart wearable devices may be enabled to
communicate with one or more of the servers.
[0042] FIG. 2 illustrates a generalized embodiment of a smart
wearable device according to the technology described herein. It
will be appreciated that the embodiment shown may be modified or
customized to enable performing the functions described herein. In
the exemplary embodiment shown, the smart wearable device includes
an "engine" 200 having a processor 202, memory 204, and application
software code 206. The processor 202 can be any suitable
conventional processor. The memory 204 may include any suitable
conventional RAM type memory and/or ROM type memory with associated
storage space for storing the application programming code 206.
[0043] A conventional wired or wireless communications module 208
(e.g., transmitter or receiver or transceiver) may be included as
needed for performing one or more of the functions of the smart
wearable device described herein. Examples of wireless
communication capabilities that can be provided include, but are
not limited to, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, infrared, cellular, and near
field communication. One or more conventional interfaces or
controllers 210 may also be provided if needed. Examples of
interfaces or controllers include, but are not limited to, analog
to digital converters, digital to analog converters, buffers,
etc.
[0044] The device may include at least one input 212 for a
biological or physiological sensor for providing input to the
device to perform one or more of the functions described herein.
Sensor inputs 214-1 through 214-n for optional sensors may be
included as well. These optional input sensors may include, but are
not limited to, accelerometers, temperature sensors, altitude
sensors, motion sensors, position sensors, and other sensors to
perform the function(s) described herein. One or more conventional
interfaces or controllers 216 may be provided if needed for the
sensors. Examples of interfaces or controllers include, but are not
limited to, analog to digital converters, digital to analog
converters, buffers, etc.
[0045] Additionally, the device may include one or more outputs
218-1 through 218-n to drive one or more output devices (and
include those output devices). These output devices may include,
but are not limited to, haptic output devices, telemetry devices,
visual devices, audible devices, and other output devices to
perform the functions described herein. One or more conventional
interfaces or controllers 220 may be provided if needed for the
output devices. Examples of interfaces or controllers include, but
are not limited to, analog to digital converters, digital to analog
converters, buffers, etc.
[0046] A user input 222 may be provided according to the functions
described herein. The user input may, for example, initiate one or
more functions, terminate one or more functions, or intervene in a
running process. The user input can be any conventional input
device, including but not limited to, manual switches, touch
sensors, magnetic sensors, proximity sensors, etc. One or more
conventional interfaces or controllers 224 may be provided if
needed for the output devices. Examples of interfaces or
controllers include, but are not limited to, analog to digital
converters, digital to analog converters, buffers, etc.
[0047] Depending on the function(s) described herein, the engine
200 may also include a feedback loop 226 for machine learning or
other adaptive functions. The feedback loop may also provide for
device calibration.
[0048] It will be appreciated that a smart wearable device as
described herein would necessarily include a housing or carrier for
the above-described components. It will further be appreciated
that, as used herein, the term "smart wearable device" means a
device that would be worn or otherwise associated with the body of
a user and be "connected" to the user by means of at least one
sensor for sensing one or more biological or physiological
conditions of the user.
[0049] The particular form of the housing or carrier (i.e.,
wearable platform) can vary according to choice and suitability for
performing the functions described herein. Examples of wearable
platforms include, but are not limited to, hand worn devices,
finger worn devices, wrist worn devices, head worn devices, arm
worn devices, leg worn devices, ankle worn devices, foot worn
devices, toe worn devices, watches, eyeglasses, rings, bracelets,
necklaces, articles of jewelry, articles of clothing, shoes, hats,
contact lenses, gloves, etc.
[0050] It will further be appreciated that the input sensors and
output devices may be integrated into the wearable platform, or may
be external to the wearable platform, as is desired and/or suitable
for the function(s) of the smart wearable device.
[0051] B. Smart Wearable Devices and Methods for the Acquisition of
Sensorial Information to Automatically Activate Functions on Other
Devices.
[0052] Referring now to FIG. 3, a schematic diagram 300 is shown
representing an embodiment of a smart wearable device 104-1 and
system that allows a user 302 to automatically activate other
devices, given a determined physical, mental, environmental, etc.
status from acquired sensor data. For security, the wearable device
104-1 may activate another device or transfer data only if the user
of the wearable is authenticated using some biometric signature of
the user.
[0053] In this illustration, a user 302 is shown wearing a smart
wearable device 104-1 on their arm. As shown in FIG. 2, this smart
wearable device includes at least one biological (i.e.
physiological) sensor 212 which can acquire biological input 304
about the user. Examples of biological input that may be acquired
by a biological sensor 212 include, but are not limited to, blood
sugar, stress, fatigue, anxiety, alertness, heart rate, galvanic
skin response, weight, nutrition, digestion rate, metabolic rate,
body temperature, skin temperature, respiration, allergies, sleep
patterns, hydration, drug levels, sweat production and blood
analysis. The input that is acquired by the one or more biological
and other sensors may be supplemented by manually entering input
into the smart wearable device 104-1 by the user or the user's
caretaker or healthcare professional.
[0054] After input 304 is acquired by the smart wearable device
104-1, the physical or mental and environmental, etc. status of
user 302 may be determined. In response to a specific status
determination, a triggering signal 306 can be automatically
generated that can activate or deactivate functions on other
devices, including another smart wearable device 104-n or
non-wearable devices 106-1, 106-n such as a mobile device, a
tablet, a lap top computer or a desk top computer or other
non-wearable device. The non-wearable devices 106-1, 106-n may be
remotely located and may receive a triggering signal from the
wearable smart device 104-1 through a communication network such as
the network 102 shown in FIG. 1. Examples of other smart wearable
devices 104-n may include a glasses type device with camera
functionality which may receive a triggering signal from the smart
wearable device 104-1 instructing the device to activate camera
functionality to capture images or video.
[0055] In one embodiment, the smart wearable device 104-1 may be
equipped and programmed to receive an acknowledgement signal 308
from the other devices 104-n, 106-1, 106-n that have received a
triggering signal 306, acknowledging that the triggering signal 306
was indeed received.
[0056] FIG. 4 is a block diagram 400 illustrating an exemplary
computer implemented method for activating or deactivating a
function on a device in response to input received by a smart
wearable device. The smart wearable device may acquire input from
one or more biological or physiological sensors at block 410. The
biological sensors preferably include a sensor that will provide a
biometric signature specific to the user.
[0057] At block 420 of FIG. 4, the user is authenticated by
biometric authentication. One preferred method of biometric
authentication is shown in FIG. 5. Access to the data of the
wearable sensor, for example, is restricted unless the user is
properly authenticated at block 420. User authentication is a
prerequisite to the activation of another device.
[0058] Optionally, input from additional sensors, such as
environmental sensors, may also be acquired at block 470. The smart
wearable device 104-1 may then process the acquired input to
determine the status of a user's physical or mental state at block
430.
[0059] In response to a specific status determination, the smart
wearable device may then generate a triggering signal designed to
activate or deactivate functions on other associated devices at
block 440. The smart wearable device may then send the triggering
signal 450 via a communications interface to another device. The
sent triggering signal may then activate or deactivate relevant
functions on other devices 460 which may be other smart wearable
devices or non-wearable devices as described above.
[0060] Turning now to FIG. 5, one embodiment 500 of high-level
programming for biometric authentication and data transfer between
a wearable device and a non-wearable device is shown schematically.
In the illustration shown in FIG. 5, a specific biometric and
sensor type are selected and the sensor is incorporated in the
wearable device 104-1. At least one non-wearable device 106 is also
configured to communicate with the wearable device that has been
personalized to be worn by a particular user.
[0061] When transfer and evaluation of sensor information from the
wearable device is desired, for example, the non-wearable device
initiates a signal to the wearable device at block 510 to establish
a communications link with the wearable device.
[0062] The signal is received by the wearable device at block 520
and a preliminary communications link is established between the
wearable and non-wearable devices. The wearable device then checks
the identity and authorization of the non-wearable device as being
authorized to communicate with the wearable device. The user of the
wearable device is authenticated by the wearable by obtaining a
biometric from the sensors of the wearable device at block 530. The
acquired biometric from the sensor is compared with a pre-defined
standard biometric identifier or set of identifiers at block
540.
[0063] If the user is not authenticated at decision block 540,
because the biometric identifiers do not match, the communications
link between the wearable device and the non-wearable device or
devices is disconnected at block 550. If the user is authenticated
at decision block 540, the data and authorization to view new or
existing sensor data obtained for the wearer on the wearable device
is transmitted to the non-wearable device at block 560, for
example.
[0064] In one embodiment, the initiation request at block 520, the
authentication process at block 530, the link disconnect at block
550 and the authorization transmission at block 560 can each be
accompanied by a specific haptic, audible or other notification to
the wearer of the wearable device. Vibrations, buzzes, chirps or
lights can alert the wearer corresponding specific events.
[0065] The non-wearable device receives the authentication signal
that was sent from the wearable at block 560 and unlocks the
non-wearable device at block 570. The unlocked non-wearable device
can then receive raw data, processed data or other communications
or instructions from the wearable device at block 580.
[0066] The received data can also be processed and displayed on the
non-wearable device at block 590. Reports, graphs, tables or other
compiled data can also be displayed to observe trends or variances
at block 590 as well.
[0067] The raw or processed sensor data and other information
obtained from the wearable device can be transferred from the
non-wearable device to remote locations or to the cloud for storage
or review at block 600. For example, processed medical sensor data
can be transmitted directly or through the cloud and made part of
medical records of the authenticated wearer at a remote
location.
[0068] In another embodiment, the authenticated connection between
the wearable device and the non-wearable device can be used for
programming the wearable device at block 610. The non-wearable
device can be used as an interface to introduce new code 206 or to
turn wearable sensors on or off or to calibrate the sensors of the
wearable device. This process is user specific and changes to the
programming of the wearer device can only take place when a
specific user is identified and avoids the situation where sensor
changes are made or private data is transferred to an unauthorized
user of either the wearable or non-wearable devices.
[0069] It can be seen that the system for secure quick access to
raw or processed sensor data can be adapted to many different
circumstances. For example, in one setting the smart wearable
device can be attached to the user's body when the device is in use
and the smart wearable device continuously monitors the
bio-physiological condition of the wearer and may continuously
acquire sensorial information. As a result, the smart wearable
device may detect the presence of adverse health conditions or may
also detect predetermined health conditions such as heart rate,
high stress level, phase of sleep, level of appetite, etc. The
smart wearable device may then react automatically to the detection
of the health condition by sending a notification to contact a
physician or take a certain medication.
[0070] In another implementation, the user of the smart wearable
device can specifically configure the device to automatically send
a triggering signal to activate or deactivate desired functions on
other devices, in response to detection of a predetermined health
condition. As an illustrative example, a user of the smart wearable
device may also be wearing a pair of glasses that include a camera
function. If the user should have an allergic reaction without
realizing what has caused it, the smart wearable device, which
could be monitoring his or her bio-physiological condition, could
detect the allergic reaction, could automatically send a triggering
signal to the camera on the glasses to activate the camera on the
glasses to start recording the current environment of the user.
This recording could then be used by a healthcare provider to
determine what may have caused the user's allergic reaction.
[0071] Another example implementation includes a smart wearable
device that can detect a high stress level for a particular user.
In response to the specific determined stress level status, the
smart wearable device may generate and send a triggering signal to
an audio device, activating the device to play a particular piece
of music or the smart wearable device may signal the lights to dim
or the smart wearable device may set a notification to schedule a
massage, etc. Alternatively, in response to such a status
determination, the smart wearable device may disable certain
predetermined notifications, such as those occurring on a user's
smart phone.
[0072] Similarly, the stress level of a police officer can be
continuously or regularly sensed by a wearable device. If the
stress level exceeds a threshold level (e.g., during traffic stop,
confronting a potential suspect) the dashboard camera of the police
cruiser is turned on automatically. A camera on the uniform of the
police officer can also be turned on automatically any time the
stress level exceeds a threshold when something out of the ordinary
is happening to the officer. In addition, other external devices or
systems can also be activated in the alternative or in addition to
the cameras. For example, an alert can be sent to the dispatch
center (or officer's command center, etc) to notify other patrol
cars in the vicinity to provide back up or to be on the alert for
potential developments where the officer is in need of
assistance.
[0073] In another implementation, elderly or physically challenged
individuals can be monitored by the use of wearable devices. For
example, the user could be living alone or in an area where there
is no human supervision. If user stress is sensed and the stress
level exceeds a threshold, then the call center is alerted to send
help or to intervene (call user to check in) or some other action.
Similarly, if accelerometer sensor input can sense that the user is
lying down and other sensors determine that that the stress level
is high, then the call center (or other medical service provider)
can be automatically notified to investigate.
[0074] Embodiments of the present technology may be described with
reference to flowchart illustrations of methods and systems
according to embodiments of the technology, and/or algorithms,
formulae, or other computational depictions, which may also be
implemented as computer program products. In this regard, each
block or step of a flowchart, and combinations of blocks (and/or
steps) in a flowchart, algorithm, formula, or computational
depiction can be implemented by various means, such as hardware,
firmware, and/or software including one or more computer program
instructions embodied in computer-readable program code logic. As
will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be
loaded onto a computer, including without limitation a general
purpose computer or special purpose computer, or other programmable
processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the computer
program instructions which execute on the computer or other
programmable processing apparatus create means for implementing the
functions specified in the block(s) of the flowchart(s).
[0075] Accordingly, blocks of the flowcharts, algorithms, formulae,
or computational depictions support combinations of means for
performing the specified functions, combinations of steps for
performing the specified functions, and computer program
instructions, such as embodied in computer-readable program code
logic means, for performing the specified functions. It will also
be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations,
algorithms, formulae, or computational depictions and combinations
thereof described herein, can be implemented by special purpose
hardware-based computer systems which perform the specified
functions or steps, or combinations of special purpose hardware and
computer-readable program code logic means.
[0076] Furthermore, these computer program instructions, such as
embodied in computer-readable program code logic, may also be
stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or
other programmable processing apparatus to function in a particular
manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable
memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction
means which implement the function specified in the block(s) of the
flowchart(s). The computer program instructions may also be loaded
onto a computer or other programmable processing apparatus to cause
a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or
other programmable processing apparatus to produce a
computer-implemented process such that the instructions which
execute on the computer or other programmable processing apparatus
provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the
block(s) of the flowchart(s), algorithm(s), formula(e), or
computational depiction(s).
[0077] It will further be appreciated that "programming" as used
herein refers to one or more instructions that can be executed by a
processor to perform a function as described herein. The
programming can be embodied in software, in firmware, or in a
combination of software and firmware. The programming can be stored
local to the device in non-transitory media, or can be stored
remotely such as on a server, or all or a portion of the
programming can be stored locally and remotely. Programming stored
remotely can be downloaded (pushed) to the device by user
initiation, or automatically based on one or more factors, such as,
for example, location, a timing event, detection of an object,
detection of a facial expression, detection of location, detection
of a change in location, or other factors. It will further be
appreciated that as used herein, that the terms processor, central
processing unit (CPU), and computer are used synonymously to denote
a device capable of executing the programming and communication
with input/output interfaces and/or peripheral devices.
[0078] From the discussion above it will be appreciated that the
technology can be embodied in various ways, including but not
limited to the following:
[0079] 1. A smart wearable device, the device comprising: (a) one
or more sensors, wherein at least one sensor is a biological sensor
configured to acquire biological input; (b) a memory; (c) one or
more communications interfaces; (d) a processor; and (e)
programming residing in a non-transitory computer readable medium,
wherein the programming is executable by the computer processor and
configured to: (i) determine a physical or mental status of a user
from input acquired by the one or more sensors, wherein at least
one sensor is a biological sensor; (ii) in response to a specific
physical or mental status determination, automatically generate a
triggering signal to activate or deactivate a function of another
device; and (iii) send the triggering signal to the other
device.
[0080] 2. The device of any preceding embodiment, wherein the other
device is a device selected from the group of devices consisting of
a wearable smart device, a mobile device, a tablet, a lap top
computer and a desk top computer.
[0081] 3. The device of any preceding embodiment, wherein said
programming is further configured to receive a signal from the
other device acknowledging the triggering signal was received by
the other device.
[0082] 4. The device of any preceding embodiment, wherein the one
or more communications interfaces are selected from the group
consisting of a wired communications interface, a wireless
communications interface, a cellular communications interface, a
WiFi communications interface, a near field communications
interface, an infrared communications interface, and a Bluetooth
communications interface.
[0083] 5. The device of any preceding embodiment, wherein the
physical or mental status of the user includes information related
to one or more of blood sugar, stress, fatigue, anxiety, alertness,
heart rate, galvanic skin response, weight, nutrition, digestion
rate, metabolic rate, body temperature, skin temperature,
respiration, allergies, sleep patterns, hydration, drug levels,
sweat production and blood analysis.
[0084] 6. The device of any preceding embodiment, further
comprising programming residing in the non-transitory computer
readable medium, wherein the programming is executable by the
computer processor and configured to: (a) determine an
environmental status of a user from the input acquired by one or
more environmental sensors configured to acquire contextual input;
(b) in response to the environmental status determination,
automatically generate a triggering signal to activate a function
of another device; and (c) send the triggering signal to the other
device.
[0085] 7. A computer implemented method for enabling a smart
wearable device to automatically generate a triggering signal to
active a certain functionality of another device, the method
comprising: (a) providing a smart wearable device, wherein the
smart wearable device comprises: (i) one or more sensors, wherein
at least one sensor is a biological sensor configured to acquire
biological input; (ii) a memory; (iii) one or more communications
interfaces; and (iv) a processor; (b) acquiring biological input
from one or more biological sensors; (c) processing the acquired
biological input to determine a physical or mental status of the
user; (d) responding to a specific determined physical or mental
status of the user by automatically generating a triggering signal
to activate a function of another device; and (e) sending the
triggering signal to the other device using a communications
interface; (f) wherein said method is performed by executing
programming on at least one computer processor, said programming
residing on a non-transitory medium readable by the computer
processor.
[0086] 8. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the other
device is a device selected from the group of devices consisting of
a wearable smart device, a mobile device, a tablet, a lap top
computer and a desk top computer.
[0087] 9. The method of any preceding embodiment, further
comprising receiving a signal from the other device acknowledging
the triggering signal was received by the other device.
[0088] 10. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the one
or more communications interfaces are selected from the group
consisting of a wired communications interface, a wireless
communications interface, a cellular communications interface, a
WiFi communications interface, a near field communications
interface, an infrared communications interface, and a Bluetooth
communications interface.
[0089] 11. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the
physical or mental status of the user includes information related
to one or more of blood sugar, stress, fatigue, anxiety, alertness,
heart rate, galvanic skin response, weight, nutrition, digestion
rate, metabolic rate, body temperature, skin temperature,
respiration, allergies, sleep patterns, hydration, drug levels,
sweat production and blood analysis.
[0090] 12. The method of any preceding embodiment, further
comprising: (a) acquiring environmental input from one or more
environmental sensors; (b) processing the acquired environmental
input to determine an environmental status of the user; (c)
responding to the determined environmental status of the user by
automatically generating a triggering signal to activate a function
of another device; and (d) sending the triggering signal to the
other device using a communications interface.
[0091] 13. A system for automatically generating a triggering
signal by a smart wearable device to active a certain functionality
of another device, the system comprising: (a) a first smart device,
wherein said first smart device is wearable or non-wearable and
wherein said first smart device comprises: (i) one or more sensors;
(ii) a memory; (iii) one or more communications interfaces; (iv) a
processor; and (v) programming residing in a non-transitory
computer readable medium, wherein the programming is executable by
the computer processor and configured to receive and send signals;
(b) a second smart device, wherein said second smart device is
wearable and wherein said second smart device comprises: (i) one or
more sensors, wherein at least one sensor is a biological sensor
configured to acquire biological input; (ii) a memory; (iii) one or
more communications interfaces; (iv) a processor; and (v)
programming residing in a non-transitory computer readable medium,
wherein the programming is executable by the computer processor and
configured to: 1. determine a physical or mental status of a user
from the input acquired by the one or more biological sensors; 2.
in response to the physical or mental status determination,
automatically generate a triggering signal to activate a function
of said first smart device; and 3. send the triggering signal to
said first smart device.
[0092] 14. The system of any preceding embodiment, wherein said
programming of said second smart device is further configured to
receive a signal from said first smart device acknowledging the
triggering signal was received by said first smart device.
[0093] 15. The system of any preceding embodiment, wherein the one
or more communications interfaces are selected from the group
consisting of a wired communications interface, a wireless
communications interface, a cellular communications interface, a
WiFi communications interface, a near field communications
interface, an infrared communications interface, and a Bluetooth
communications interface.
[0094] 16. The system of any preceding embodiment, wherein an
additional triggering signal is programmed to occur in response to
criteria established and input by a user of the wearable
device.
[0095] 17. The system of any preceding embodiment, wherein the
physical or mental status of the user includes information related
to one or more of blood sugar, stress, fatigue, anxiety, alertness,
heart rate, galvanic skin response, weight, nutrition, digestion
rate, metabolic rate, body temperature, skin temperature,
respiration, allergies, sleep patterns, hydration, drug levels,
sweat production and blood analysis.
[0096] 18. The system of any preceding embodiment, wherein said
second smart device further comprises: programming residing in a
non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the programming is
executable by the computer processor and configured to: (a)
determine an environmental status of a user from the input acquired
by the one or more environmental sensors configured to acquire
environmental input; (b) in response to the environmental status
determination, automatically generate a triggering signal to
activate a function of said first smart device; and (c) send the
triggering signal to said first smart device.
[0097] 19. The system of any preceding embodiment, wherein said
programming is further configured to: (a) acquire a biometric
identifier from at least one sensor worn by a user; (b)
authenticate the user of the secure wearable apparatus by the
biometric identifier; and (c) communicate with a remote device
through the communications interface only if the user is
authenticated.
[0098] 20. A secure wearable sensor apparatus, comprising: (a) a
computer processor with memory; (b) a plurality of sensors operably
coupled to the processor; (c) a communications link; and (d)
programming in a non-transitory computer readable medium and
executable on the computer processor for performing steps
comprising: (i) acquiring a biometric identifier from at least one
sensor worn by a user; (ii) comparing the acquired biometric
identifier with a biometric identifier standard designated by the
user; and (iii) communicating with a remote device through the
communications link if the biometric identifiers match.
[0099] 21. The apparatus of any preceding embodiment, further
comprising: at least one haptic output coupled to the computer
processor; the haptic output programmed to activate when a
communications link is established with a remote device.
[0100] 22. The apparatus of any preceding embodiment, further
comprising: at least one sound generator output coupled to the
computer processor; the sound generator output programmed to
activate when a communications link is established with a remote
device.
[0101] 23. The apparatus of any preceding embodiment, further
comprising: at least one light output coupled to the computer
processor; the light output programmed to activate when a
communications link is established with a remote device.
[0102] 24. The apparatus of any preceding embodiment, wherein said
biometric identifier comprises a heart identifier.
[0103] 25. The apparatus of any preceding embodiment, said
programming further configured to: receive a request to initiate
communications from the remote device; transmit sensor data to the
remote device; and activate a haptic output notifying the user of
the transmission.
[0104] 26. The apparatus of any preceding embodiment, said
programming further configured to: transmit commands to the remote
device; and receive command code from the remote device through the
communications link.
[0105] 27. A secure wearable sensor system, comprising: (a) a
wearable sensor device, comprising: (i) a computer processor with
memory; (ii) a plurality of sensors operably coupled to the
processor; (iii) a communications link; and (iv) programming in a
non-transitory computer readable medium and executable on the
computer processor for performing steps comprising: 1. acquiring a
biometric identifier from at least one sensor worn by a user; 2.
comparing the acquired biometric identifier with a biometric
identifier standard designated by the user; and 3. communicating
with a non-wearable device through the communications link if the
biometric identifiers match; and (b) a non-wearable device,
comprising: (i) a communications link; (ii) a computer processor
with memory; (iii) programming in a non-transitory computer
readable medium and executable on the computer processor for
performing steps comprising: 1. sending and receiving
communications from a wearable sensor device; and 2. processing
sensor data received from the wearable sensor.
[0106] 28. The system of any preceding embodiment, wherein said
biometric identifier comprises a heart identifier.
[0107] 29. The system of any preceding embodiment, said programming
of the wearable device further configured to unlock a programming
lock in the non-wearable device to process and display sensor data
received from the wearable device.
[0108] 30. The system of any preceding embodiment, said wearable
device further comprising: at least one haptic output coupled to
the computer processor; the haptic output programmed to activate
when a communications link is established with the non-wearable
device.
[0109] 31. The system of any preceding embodiment, said wearable
device further comprising: at least one sound generator output
coupled to the computer processor; the sound generator output
programmed to activate when a communications link is established
with the non-wearable device.
[0110] 32. The system of any preceding embodiment, said wearable
device further comprising: at least one light output coupled to the
computer processor; the light output programmed to activate when a
communications link is established with the non-wearable
device.
[0111] 33. The system of any preceding embodiment, said
non-wearable device computer processor further comprising a
programming interface configured to control the sensors and
computer processor of the wearable device over the communications
link.
[0112] 34. A computer implemented method for securing a wearable
device, the method comprising: (a) acquiring a biometric identifier
from at least one sensor worn by a user; (b) comparing the acquired
biometric identifier with a biometric identifier standard
designated by the user; and (c) restricting access to a wearable
device if the biometric identifiers do not match; (d) wherein said
method is performed by executing programming on at least one
computer processor, said programming residing on a non-transitory
medium readable by the computer processor.
[0113] Although the description above contains many details, these
should not be construed as limiting the scope of the technology but
as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently
preferred embodiments of this technology. Therefore, it will be
appreciated that the scope of the present technology fully
encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those
skilled in the art, and that the scope of the present technology is
accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended
claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not
intended to mean "one and only one" unless explicitly so stated,
but rather "one or more." All structural, chemical, and functional
equivalents to the elements of the above-described preferred
embodiment that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are
expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be
encompassed by the present claims. Moreover, it is not necessary
for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to
be solved by the present technology, for it to be encompassed by
the present claims. Furthermore, no element, component, or method
step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the
public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step
is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to
be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112 unless the
element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for" or "step
for".
* * * * *