Patent Application
20160143066
The present disclosure relates in general to the field of wireless communication devices, and particularly to communication devices, such as smart phones or tablet, configured to communicate with a consumer electronic device, such as a watch or a wristlet, worn by a user using the user's own body as a communication medium.
There is an emerging consumer market for certain devices that are used as companion products to wireless communication devices. Their popularity can be traced, in part, to the variety of features they provide to a user. For example, one such device is a wearable device, such as a ring worn on the user's finger, a necklace, glasses, or a “wristlet” (e.g. a watch or wristband) that is worn around a user's wrist. Typically, such wearable devices may provide different features, such as a logging function that monitors the user's motion and resting activities, and then sends a report on the detected motion and activities to the user's smartphone for storage in memory. Another feature allows the wearable devices to be used as a personal token to automatically gain access to a smartphone that has been locked.
Conventional wireless communication devices are generally connected by being wired to each other or is connected by utilizing different kinds of short range wireless solutions, also referred to as Personal Area Network, PAN using radio-frequency (RF) techniques such as Bluetooth©, infrared Data association (IrDA), ZigBee©, Ultra WideBand (UWB), etc. However, the RF-technique have some drawbacks, e.g. there might be a limited operating time due to relatively high power consumption of the RF transceiver, the risk of interference with other RF systems operating in the same frequency band, and the user is exposed to potentially harmful RF radiation. Moreover, the user needs to manually pair the internet enabled devices, e.g. a wristlet with a mobile phone, in order to establish a RF connection between them.
Sharing files, images or any other information on the internet is ultra-simple today. Sharing offers low control, and does not allow the spontaneous simple sharing that we are used to with physical things. It is today possible to give a stranger on a bus a peek into our pictures from e.g. a fishing trip with physical photos or on a display on a smartphone, tablet or the like. However if we like to show the pictures on the wireless communication device of the stranger e.g. a tablet, we need to log on to our account were we keep our pictures. The disadvantage is that our login information will be stored at the stranger's device, thus it is a security problem.
There is a need for a simple, easier and more intuitive and secure ways of displaying our web-stored content, such as files, images or other information on another person's device by means of easy and convenient methods.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a solution which seeks to mitigate, alleviate, or eliminate one or more of the above and below identified deficiencies in the art and disadvantages singly or in any combination.
An aspect of the present invention relates to a method for displaying content of a first BAN enabled communication device on a second BAN enabled communication device. The method comprising establishing a Body Area Network (BAN) link through a human body of a user that is wearing the first communication device, between said first communication device and said second communication device, when the user touches said second communication device. The method comprising transmitting said content from said first communication device to said second communication device by using said established BAN link, when the user touches said second communication device and displaying said transmitted content on a Graphical User Interface, GUI, represented by a pop-up window, on said second communication device.
An aspect of the present invention relates to a system for displaying content of a first BAN enabled communication device on a second BAN enabled communication device. The first BAN enabled communication device comprising a control application comprising said content; and a processor. The processor of the first BAN enabled device is configured to establish a Body Area Network (BAN) link through a human body of a user wearing the first communication device between the first communication device and the second communication device, when the user touches said second communication device and to transmit said content via said BAN link to said second communication device when said user touches second communication device. The second BAN enabled communication device comprising a Body Area Network (BAN) transceiver circuit configured to a display screen and a processor. The processor of the second BAN enabled device is configured to provide communication with said first communication device via said established BAN link through a human body of said user wearing said first communication device when said user touches said second communication device, to receive said content from said first communication device, via said BAN link, when said user touches said second communication device and opening a Graphical User Interface, GUI, represented by a pop-up window, on said display screen of said second communication device for displaying said received content on said GUI.
The features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined in any combinations.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description of the invention, wherein embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Aspects of the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The devices and methods disclosed herein can, however, be realized in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to aspects set forth herein. Like reference signs refer to like elements throughout the text.
As used herein, the term “mobile device” includes mobile communication device and mobile radio communication equipment. Portable communication devices and mobile communication devices may be used synonymously. The term “mobile device” may be referred to below as a mobile phone (or as a mobile telephone, portable phone or portable telephone), a portable device, a portable radio terminal or a portable terminal, which includes all electronic equipment, but not limited to, capable of being used for voice and/or data communication.
As will be appreciated, the invention may be used with mobile phones, other phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), computers, tablets, other electronic communication devices, etc., for brevity, the invention will be described by way of examples with respect to mobile phones, but it will be appreciated that the invention may be used with other electronic communication devices.
A Body Area Network, BAN, also referred to as a Body Coupled Communication, BCC, wireless body area network, WBAN or body sensor network, BSN, is a wireless network of communication devices. BAN enabled devices may be embedded inside the body, implants, may be surface-mounted on the body in a fixed position or may be accompanied devices which humans can touch or carry in different positions, in clothes pockets, by hand or in various bags.
Body Area Network, BAN, standards such as IEEE's 802.15.6 or Sony's CCCC is enabling the possibilities for commercialized BAN devices. The first BAN devices have its background in the medical area, as BAN is a communication standard optimized for low power devices and operation on, in or around the human body. BAN makes it possible to communicate with 2 m or less between the devices over the body in the frequency band 13-40 MHz
Referring in detail to the drawings, and initially to
A BAN enabled communication device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated generally at 20. A BAN enabled communication device 20 in this application refers to any BAN enabled communication device to be touched by a user, e.g. a media streaming device, an audio streaming device, a media service device, a tablet, a computer, a PC, a video conference device, a virtual reality device, a head-mounted display, a visor, a gaming console, a touch-enabled surface such as a table etc.
In one embodiment a first user 10 is equipped with at least two BAN enabled communication devices 11, 12, as shown in
In one embodiment, together with the provided credential data the web app content may also be retrieved from a remote storage, such as cloud storage 40.
In one embodiment, the web app content is stored in a control application 16a, 16b, as shown in
In one embodiment, shown in
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
By using web application content the users doesn't have to consider installing applications on other devices, the only requirement will be to have a web interface and access to internet.
The method will now be described starting from
The wearable first BAN enabled communication device 11 is connected to another BAN enabled communication device 12 of the first user through BAN, BLE, Wi-Fi, as shown in
In a first initial step a Body Area Network (BAN) link 13 is established S01 through a human body of the user 10 that is wearing the wearable first BAN enabled communication device 11, e.g. a wristlet, between the wristlet and a second communication device 12 of the user 10, e.g. a mobile phone, when the user touches the mobile phone 12.
In a second initial step the content is transmitted S02 from the mobile phone 12 to the wristlet 11 by using the established BAN link 13, when the user touches the mobile phone.
In the first step a Body Area Network (BAN) link 23 is established S1 through a human body of a user 10 that is wearing a first communication device 11, e.g. a wristlet, between the first communication device and a second communication device 21, e.g. a tablet, when the user touches the tablet 21.
In the second step content is transmitted S2 from the wristlet 11 to the tablet 21 by using the established BAN link 23, when the user touches the tablet 21.
In the third step the transmitted content is displayed or presented S3 on a Graphical User Interface 26, GUI, represented by a pop-up window, on the tablet 21.
The content comprises at least one graphical element, such as a bitmap icon or any other visual indicator representing a link, such as a hyperlink or file shortcut, to a web account of, e.g. YouTube account, of the user.
In a fourth step credential data for permitting access to the web account is transmitted S4 from the wristlet 11 to the tablet 21 by using the established BAN link 23, when the user activates the content. In one aspect the user touches any of the graphical elements displayed on the GUI 26.
In a fifth step the GUI 26 is shut S5 down when detecting that the user stop touching the tablet or when detecting removal of the wristlet.
In a sixth step any saved data, such as any saved links, pictures, film clips, username or passwords, is removed S6 or deleted from the tablet in response to detecting when the user stop touching the tablet or when detecting removal of the wristlet 11.
In one embodiment the detector unit comprises a capacitive touch system. The capacitive sensor system has low power consumption, which is less than 30 microampere, when the BAN enabled communication device is touched. The sensitive range may be set to the range of 20-30 mm. The capacitive sensor system is always active. As soon as the user, who is wearing a BAN enabled communication device, touches or is close to another BAN enabled communication device the detector unit starts to sense the presence of the other BAN enabled communication device.
The BAN electronic module 14a, 14b, 24 further comprises a radio communication interface configured to communicate with another BAN enabled communication device by using BAN.
The BAN enabled communication device 12, 21 further comprises a processor 17a, 17b, 27. The processor is configured to execute the method according to the disclosure. The processor is typically a processing circuitry constituted by any suitable Central Processing Unit, CPU, microcontroller, Digital Signal Processor, DPS, etc. configured for executing computer code, such as a computer program implementing the proposed method. One example is that the computer code is an application, which may be downloaded from an external server. However, the method may as well be hardware implemented or a combination of hardware and software. The computer program may be stored in a memory, MEM, not shown. The memory can be any combination of a Random access Memory, RAM, and a Read only Memory, ROM. The memory may also comprise persistent storage, which for example, can be any single one or combination of magnetic memory, optical memory, or solid state memory or even remotely mounted memory.
The processor is configured to broadcast a signal, indicating ability to connect and/or transmit web app content, when the detector unit 29 detects the presence of a BAN enabled communication device.
In one embodiment, a first BAN enabled communication device 21, e.g. a tablet, comprises a display screen 45 and a processor 27 configured to provide communication between the tablet and a second BAN enabled communication device 11 e.g. a wristlet, via a BAN link 23 through a human body of a user 10 wearing the wristlet, when the user 10 touches the tablet 21.
In one embodiment, the processor 27 is configured to receive the content from the wristlet 11, via the BAN link 23, when the user touches the tablet 21. The processor is configured to open a Graphical User Interface 26, GUI, represented by a pop-up window, on a display screen 45 of the tablet 21 for displaying the received content.
In one aspect the displayed content comprises at least one graphical element representing a link to an account of the user and wherein the processor 27 is configured to receive credential data, such as username and password, for permitting access to the accounts, from the wristlet 11, when the user activates the graphical element, e.g. touching any of the at least one displayed bitmap icons on the pop-up window. In one embodiment, the tablet comprises a sensor 29 configured for detecting when the user stop touching the tablet 21. The processor 27 is configured to shut down said GUI in response to detecting when the user stops touching the tablet 21.
In one embodiment, the tablet comprises a sensor 29 configured for detecting when the user stop touching the tablet 21. The processor 27 is configured to shut down said GUI in response to detecting when the user stops touching the tablet 21.
In one embodiment the processor 27 is configured to remove any saved data on the tablet in response to detecting the when the user stop touching the tablet 21.
The mobile device 12, 21, as shown in
The mobile phone further comprises an input unit 43, such as a keyboard and a microphone 44.
In one embodiment a first BAN enabled communication device 11, 12, e.g. a wristlet, is configured for displaying content of the wristlet 11 on a second BAN enabled communication device 21, e.g. a tablet. The wristlet comprises a control application 16b, such as a web application or a map, comprising the content. The wristlet comprises a processor 17b configured to provide communication between the wristlet 11 and the tablet 21 via a BAN link 23 through the human body of the user wearing the wristlet 11, when the user touches the tablet 21. The processor 17 is configured to transmit the content comprised in the control application 16b via the BAN link 23 to the tablet 21 when the user touches the tablet 21.
The transmitted content comprises at least one graphical element, such as an icon represented by a bitmap or another visual indicator representing a link, such as a hyperlink, which is a reference in an electronic document that lets a user display or activate another document or program, e.g. an Uniform Resource Locator, URL, or a file shortcut to an account of the user, such as a YouTube account, a Twitter account, a Flickr account etc.
In one embodiment the processor is configured to transmit authentication data or credential data such as username and password to the tablet for permitting access to the account when said user activates the graphical element. The graphical element is activated when the user touches or selects any of the displayed graphical elements.
In one embodiment the processor is configured to remove any saved data on the wristlet in response to detecting a removal of the wristlet from the user.
In one embodiment, the first communication device 11 is a wearable BAN enabled communication device 11, 11a, 11b, 11c, as described in further detail above.
In one embodiment, the first communication device 11 is a BAN enabled communication device 12, as described in further detail above.
In one embodiment, the second communication device 21 is a BAN enabled communication device, as described in further detail above.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” “comprising,” “includes” and/or “including” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
The foregoing has described the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the present invention. However, the invention should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and not as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. The different features of the various embodiments of the invention can be combined in other combinations than those explicitly described. It should therefore be appreciated that variations may be made in those embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
