Subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to watches.
Wearable devices include smart watches that can be worn on the arm of a user. For example, a smart watch can include a strap or a band that secures the smart watch to the wrist of a user.
A watch can include a processor; memory operatively coupled to the processor; a display operatively coupled to the processor; an environmental sensor that generates sensor information; circuitry that selects a watch face from a plurality of different watch faces based at least in part on at least a portion of the sensor information; and circuitry that renders the selected watch face to the display. Various other methods, apparatuses, systems, etc., are also disclosed.
Features and advantages of the described implementations can be more readily understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with examples of the accompanying drawings.
The following description includes the best mode presently contemplated for practicing the described implementations. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but rather is made merely for the purpose of describing general principles of various implementations. The scope of invention should be ascertained with reference to issued claims.
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In the example of
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The device 110 can be referred to as a horological device. Horology or horological refers to the science of measuring time and/or the art of making instruments for indicating time. The device 110 can be a wearable device. For example, the device 110 can be worn on an arm of an individual that is a human such that the device 110 is a wearable device. As an example, the device 110 can be configured according to a form factor, which can define one or more aspects of a device. For example, a smart phone can be configured according to a smart phone form factor, a tablet computer can be configured according to a tablet computer form factor, a laptop or notebook computer can be configured according to a laptop or notebook computer form factor, etc. A form factor can specify the size, configuration, or physical arrangement of a computing device. A form factor may be used in describing the size and/or arrangement of a device, a case or chassis, or one or more internal components, etc. The device 110 can be configured according to a smart watch (or smartwatch) form factor.
As shown in the example of
As an example, the device 110 can include an operating system, which can be stored as instructions in the memory 114 that are executable by at least one of the one or more processors 112 to establish an operating system environment. As an example, one or more applications can be stored in the memory 114 (e.g., as instructions, etc.) where such applications can be executable in an established operating system environment. As an example, an application can be a watch face application that, when executed in an operating system environment, causes rendering of a watch face to the display 115 of the device 110.
As an example, an operating system (OS) may be an iOS™ operating system (Apple, Cupertino, Calif.), an ANDROID™ operating system (Google Inc., Mountain View, Calif.), etc.
As to the ANDROID™ OS, designing watch faces can include utilization of colors, dynamic backgrounds, animations, and data integration. A watch face can be interactive in that received information such as a touch signal may cause a change in one or more aspects of a watch face rendered to a display.
An application such as a watch face application can access one or more types of information such as, for example, patterns, data, etc. As an example, a watch face application can include instructions for accessing one or more background images, application code to retrieve data, application code to draw text and shapes over one or more background images, etc. As an example, a so-called ambient mode can utilize an ambient mode background image, which may be, for example, black or grey with no image. As an example, a background image can be of a screen density of hdpi of about 320 by about 320 pixels in size, which may fit a polygonal perimeter display (e.g., square, rectangular), a curved perimeter display (e.g., round, oval, etc.), etc.; noting that a display may be curved with a polygonal perimeter and/or a curved perimeter. As an example, an application may scale down a background image in a manner dependent on display resolution. As an example, an image may be a bitmap image.
As an example, a watch face application can execute to retrieve one or more types of contextual data, for example, as often as desired (e.g., or required) and, for example, to store results to reuse the data upon rendering a watch face (e.g., such that fetching of weather updates can be timed as appropriate, etc.). As an example, to increase battery life, application code that renders a watch face, particularly in an ambient mode, may be simplified as to features. In an interactive mode, a fuller set of features may be utilized (e.g., more color, complex shapes, gradients, animations, etc.), though power utilization can be increased.
In the ANDROID™ OS, watch faces are defined as services that are packaged inside a wearable app (e.g., an application for a wearable device). When a user selects an available one of available watch faces, the wearable device shows the watch face and invokes its service callback methods as in the ANDROID™ OS. When a user installs a wearable app with one or more watch faces, the one or more watch faces become available in a watch face picker feature of the wearable device.
Again, referring to the ANDROID™ OS, watch faces are implemented as services. When a watch face is active, methods are invoked in the watch face's service, for example, when the time changes or when an event occurs (e.g., switching to an ambient mode, receiving a new notification, etc.). In response to an event, the service implementation renders the watch face to the display of the wearable device, for example, using the updated time and/or other relevant data.
In the ANDROID™ OS, implementation of a watch face involves extending the CanvasWatchFaceService and CanvasWatchFaceService.Engine classes and overriding callback methods in the CanvasWatchFaceService.Engine class. Such classes are included in the Wearable Support Library.
The following example snippet of code outlines methods that can be implemented in the ANDROID™ OS:
Referring again to
A smart watch may be statically set to show a specific amount of information such that a user can set the smart watch to show only the time or such that the user can add one or more other parameters such as temperature, barometric pressure, step counter, etc. Such static settings do not change based on what a user may be doing. In certain circumstances, if a user wants the watch face to transition to a work-out mode (e.g., a type of exercise mode, etc.), then the user would have to change the screen layout in order to get to the watch face she desires. In such a situation, the user instructs the smart watch through one or more interactions such as a touch interaction that may touch a display or another part of the smart watch. A user may have to navigate one or more menus to find a desired setting that has a corresponding watch face. Where a user forgets to change a smart watch's mode during an activity (e.g., fails to manipulate the smart watch to implement a desired mode), that activity may not be logged (e.g., as activity data, etc.), which may be detrimental to a user's experience, particularly if the user wants to track his activity.
As explained, a smart watch can require manipulation (e.g., touch, transmission of an instruction, etc.) to change a watch face (e.g., to see different data based on what a user is doing).
As an example, a watch can include a processor; memory operatively coupled to the processor; a display operatively coupled to the processor; an environmental sensor that generates sensor information; circuitry that selects a watch face from a plurality of different watch faces based at least in part on at least a portion of the sensor information; and circuitry that renders the selected watch face to the display. In such an example, the watch can be a device such as the device 110 of
As an example, a method can include detecting a change in environment of a watch that includes a display; responsive to the change, selecting a watch face from a plurality of different watch faces; and rendering the selected watch face to the display. In such an example, the watch can be a device such as the device 110 of FIG.
As an example, a watch may respond to a user's context by selecting a watch face from a plurality of watch faces and rendering the selected watch face to a display of the watch. As an example, during the course of a day, a user may move in a manner that generates contextual information (e.g., contextual data) via one or more sensors of a watch. Such contextual information may, for example, be classified where a classification can correspond to a particular watch face. In such an example, as contextual information changes, a watch can respond by selecting a watch face from a plurality of watch faces that is linked to a user context that generated the contextual information. During the course of a day, a watch may automatically change its watch face a plurality of times as a user changes context. For example, consider the following example activities:
As an example, where a watch determines that a user is now running, walking, exercising, etc., the watch could change its watch face automatically to a work-out mode watch face that could show steps, calorie count, etc.
As an example, if a user is traveling and moves across time zones, a watch can change its watch face automatically to a watch face that includes the current time zone as well as the home time zone.
As an example, if a predetermined change occurs in weather in a user's local environment, a watch can select and render a watch face that has a weather theme. As an example, if a change occurs in environment of a watch, the watch may select and render a watch face based on sensor information indicative of the change in environment (e.g., a predetermined amount of change in temperature, light, etc.). As an example, consider a user that exits a heated building in the winter where a temperature drop may be sensed by a temperature sensor of a watch, in such an example, the watch may select and render a watch face that displays the temperature. A user may read the temperature and know that driving conditions may be hazardous (e.g., due to ice, etc.). As an example, a user may enter a building from an exterior environment where a watch senses a change in lighting, in such an example, the watch may select and render a watch face based at least in part on sensed information as to lighting (e.g., type of light, amount of light, etc.). In such an example, the selected watch face may be a professional watch face that may render information and/or a style that is suited to the user's profession, vocation, etc. As an example, a user may have a personal theme such as a TRANSFORMERS™ theme that may not be appropriate for conveying a desired professional appearance. In such an example, when going into a professional setting that can be determined based at least in part on sensor data, a watch can change its watch face to a more professional watch face (e.g., from the TRANSFORMERS™ theme to a ROLEX™ theme).
The decision to change a watch face during a particular context may be preprogrammed or, for example, it may be learned based on past behavior. As an example, after implementation of a selected temporary watch mode, a watch may default back to its standard watch face, which may not normally include steps, weather, etc. As an example, a watch can have a default watch face and one or more other watch faces that can be selected and rendered by the watch based at least in part on sensor information that corresponds to a user's context.
As an example, a wearable device may store information about a user's activities and selected watch faces where such information may be utilized in a machine learning process. In such an example, the wearable device may progressively learn to facilitate selection and rendering of a watch face based on user activity, time of day, day of the week, etc. For example, a table such as Table 1 may be generated and stored in memory of a wearable device such that the wearable device can progressively learn what watch face to select and render to a display of the wearable device of a user. As an example, a wearable device may store activity information along with input information. In such an example, input information may include touch input that selects a menu item to cause the wearable device to select and render a particular watch face and activity information may be that of the time of selection, before selection and/or after selection. In such an example, the wearable device may learn that a certain type of activity information is associated with a user selecting a particular watch face (e.g., watch face application, etc.). Upon sufficient learning (e.g., of the order of weeks), the wearable device may determine that a user is likely to select a particular watch face based on activity information and proactively select and render that particular watch face to a display of the wearable device.
As to ambient light, the sensor 214 may determine one or more aspects of sensed light. For example, consider a plot 230 of spectral power versus wavelength where different types of light exhibit different spectral power at various wavelengths. In such an example, the device 210 may determine that sensed light corresponds to heavy clouds. In such an example, where a prior sensed light within a period of time of the order of minutes (e.g., greater than several minutes and less than about 120 minutes) corresponded to direct full sunlight (e.g., or other fair weather condition), the device 210 may render a weather themed watch face that includes a field (e.g., a region) for rendering of weather service warning information. In such an example, temperature and/or barometer information may be utilized in making a decision as to whether to select and render a particular weather themed watch face. For example, a change in light along with one or more of a drop in temperature and a drop in pressure may indicate that a storm front has arrived or is approaching.
As to the motion sensor 313, it can include one or more of a gyroscope and an accelerometer. For example, the motion sensor 313 can include a multi-axis accelerometer that can sense motion of the device 310, which can be strapped to an arm of a user (e.g., as a wearable device).
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As to the motion sensor 513, it can include one or more of a gyroscope and an accelerometer. For example, the motion sensor 513 can include a multi-axis accelerometer that can sense motion of the device 510, which can be strapped to an arm of a user (e.g., as a wearable device).
As an example, the device 610 may include a barometer and/or an altimeter that can determine that a wearer of the device 610 is in a cabin of an airplane, which may be, for example, pressurized to a particular cabin pressure, which may be achieved over a period of time.
Cabin pressurization is a process in which conditioned air is pumped into the cabin of an aircraft to create a safe and comfortable environment for passengers and crew flying at high altitudes. For aircraft, this air may be bled off from a gas turbine engine at a compressor stage and cooled, humidified, and mixed with recirculated air if desired before it is distributed to the cabin by one or more environmental control systems. The cabin pressure may be regulated by an outflow valve. As an example, the device 610 may sense information that can determine that a wearer is in a cabin of an airplane via one or more of temperature, humidity, pressure, etc. In such an example, the device 610 may select and render a watch face that is associated with travel (e.g., air travel, etc.).
In the example of
As to the clock 623, it may be a digital clock, which may be a real-time clock/calendar (RTC) chip that includes an oscillator that can count time. As an example, a digital clock may be a quartz clock. As an example, a digital clock may be set according to a signal. For example, consider a radio-controlled clock (RCC) that includes an antenna that picks up radio signals and a circuit that decodes them. Such a clock can use the radio signals to determine an appropriate time and adjust the time displayed by a watch accordingly.
As an example, a watch can include memory that stores one or more entries as to time, day, date, etc. For example, consider a calendar with entries that are stored in memory of a watch or, for example, a smartphone that is operatively coupled to the watch (e.g., wirelessly). As an example, a watch can include selecting and rendering a watch face based on one or more calendar entries. For example, where a watch stores a calendar for a user to go to the gym at 7:00 am, the watch may select a watch face from a plurality of watch faces where the selected watch face corresponds to a gym theme (e.g., an activity theme). To change to another watch face, the watch may utilize a calendar entry and/or one or more other types of information such as activity (e.g., motion, etc.). For example, where a motion sensor of a watch senses information indicative of a change from being more active to less active, the watch may analyze such information to determine that the gym entry is over and that the watch is to default to a default watch face; unless overridden by one or more other types of information (e.g., as associated with one or more other selectable watch faces).
As an example, a device 790 may be a portable device such as a smart phone (see, e.g., the device 190 of
As an example, a wearable device can include a display that includes CORNING® GORILLA® glass and a backlit LCD. As an example, a device can be configured with a particular size and display resolution (e.g., 263 ppi (360×325), 233 ppi (360×330), etc.).
As to dimensions of a wearable device, case dimensions may be, for example, less than about 70 mm in diameter and greater than about 10 mm in diameter while thickness may be less than about 20 mm and greater than about 3 mm.
As to a processor and/or microcontroller, consider, for example, the QUALCOMM® SNAPDRAGON™ 400 with a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU (APQ 8026). As to graphics (e.g., rendering circuitry), consider as an example the Adreno 305 with a 450 MHz GPU.
As to sensors, consider a wearable that includes one or more of an accelerometer, an ambient light sensor, a gyroscope, a vibration/haptics engine, etc.
As to a battery, consider, as an example, a 300 mAh battery, a 400 mAh battery, etc. As an example, a wearable device may include wireless charging circuitry and, for example, a charging dock.
As to memory, consider, as an example, 4 GB internal storage and 512 MB RAM. As to connectivity, consider, as an example, BLUETOOTH® 4.0 Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, etc.
As an example, a wearable device may include one or more features of a MOTO 360® wearable device, which can include various fitness-tracking features. For example, consider counting steps, reading heart rate, and estimating calorie burn.
As an example, a watch can include a processor; memory operatively coupled to the processor; a display operatively coupled to the processor; an environmental sensor that generates sensor information; circuitry that selects a watch face from a plurality of different watch faces based at least in part on at least a portion of the sensor information; and circuitry that renders the selected watch face to the display. In such an example, the watch may include a plurality of environmental sensors. As to some examples of environmental sensors, consider a watch that includes one or more of an accelerometer, a geographic position sensor, a barometer, an altimeter, a thermometer, a heart rate sensor and a light sensor.
As an example, a plurality of different watch faces can include one or more user activity monitor watch faces. As an example, a plurality of different watch faces can include one or more single time zone watch faces and/or one or more multiple time zones watch faces. As an example, a plurality of different watch faces can include one or more weather information watch faces. As an example, a plurality of different watch faces can include one or more entity specific watch faces. For example, consider a workplace or employer as an entity where a specific watch face includes features associated with that entity (e.g., a stock-ticker, a logo, a color, etc.), consider a sports team as an entity where a specific watch face includes features associated with that entity (e.g., a schedule, a team roster, a score, a logo, a color, etc.), consider a musical performer or group as an entity where a specific watch face includes features associated with that entity (e.g., a song list, a tour schedule, a logo, a color, etc.), etc. As an example, an environmental sensor or sensors may determine that a watch is in an environment associated with an entity (e.g., via one or more of location, wireless signal(s), sound, lighting, temperature, etc.). As an example, a microphone of a watch may sense sound and analyze the sound to associate an entity with the sound and then select and render a watch face associated with the entity to a display of the watch. Such information may be analyzed with respect to one or more types of information such as, for example, schedule information (e.g., a work schedule, a sports team schedule, a performer/group schedule, etc.). As an example, a day, a time, a date, etc., may be one or more types of environmental information, which may be utilized for watch face selection (e.g., alone or with other information). As mentioned, a watch can include circuitry and/or mechanical components (e.g., one or more complications) that can determine (e.g., track) day, time, date, week, month, year, moon phase, time zones (e.g., GMT), etc. As an example, such circuitry and/or mechanical components may provide information that can be utilized in selection of a watch face.
As an example, a watch can include memory (e.g., a storage device for digital information) that may include at least one of a plurality of different watch faces. For example, a watch can include memory, which may optionally be removable, that can store one or more selectable watch faces. As an example, one or more watch faces may be available via wireless circuitry. For example, consider a wireless interface (e.g., wireless circuitry) of a watch that can access at least one of a plurality of different watch faces via the wireless interface. In such an example, a trigger may be part of a selection process or selection circuitry that causes wireless communication to access a watch face from a website, a local server, etc. As an example, consider a sporting event where a watch may access a team theme watch face (e.g., via a local wireless network at a stadium, etc.).
As an example, a watch can include circuitry that selects a watch face via circuitry that analyzes at least a portion of sensor information and that, based at least in part on the analysis, generates at least one trigger that triggers circuitry that renders the selected watch face. In such an example, the watch can include circuitry that stores a plurality of different triggers to the memory. Such triggers may be reviewable by a user to determine whether one or more of the triggers are to be kept, modified, enabled, disabled, etc. As an example, a watch can include memory that stores a data structure that includes entries that associate different watch faces with different environmental conditions. In such an example, the entries may be based on sensor information from one or more of a plurality of different environmental sensors. As an example, a watch can include circuitry that, responsive to one of a plurality of different environmental conditions, automatically selects an associated watch face where circuitry that renders can automatically renders the selected watch face to the display.
As an example, a method can include detecting a change in environment of a watch that includes a display; responsive to the change, selecting a watch face from a plurality of different watch faces; and rendering the selected watch face to the display. In such an example, the selecting can include accessing memory of the watch where the memory stores at least one of the plurality of different watch faces and/or accessing a network and downloading the watch face via the network. As an example, a method can include detecting a change in environment of a watch, which may include one or more of detecting a change in location of the watch, detecting a change in motion of the watch, and detecting a change in physiological condition of a wearer of the watch. As an example, a method can include detecting multiple changes where each change causes selection of a watch face (e.g., consider a first change in environment of a watch and another change in environment of the watch and rendering a different watch face to a display of the watch). As an example, a watch face can be a default watch face, which may be selected and rendered responsive to detection of a change.
As an example, a method can include populating entries of a data structure stored in memory of a watch where the entries associate different changes in environment with different watch faces. In such an example, the populating can include analyzing sensor information generated by at least one sensor of the watch. In such an example, the analyzing can include associating user watch face selections and sensor information. In such an example, user watch face selections can include historical user watch face selections where sensor information can include corresponding historical sensor information.
As an example, one or more processor-readable storage media can include processor-executable instructions that instruct a processor to: detect a change in environment of a watch that includes a display; responsive to the change, select a watch face from a plurality of different watch faces; and render the selected watch face to the display.
As described herein, various acts, steps, etc., may be implemented as instructions stored in one or more computer-readable storage media or processor-readable storage media where a computer-readable storage medium and a processor-readable storage medium is not a signal or a carrier wave. For example, one or more computer-readable storage media or processor-readable storage media can include computer-executable instructions or processor-executable instructions to instruct a device, which can be a watch (e.g., a wearable device).
The term “circuit” or “circuitry” is used in the summary, description, and/or claims. As is well known in the art, the term “circuitry” includes all levels of available integration, e.g., from discrete logic circuits to the highest level of circuit integration such as VLSI, and includes programmable logic components programmed to perform the functions of an embodiment as well as general-purpose or special-purpose processors programmed with instructions to perform those functions. Such circuitry may optionally rely on one or more computer-readable media that includes computer-executable instructions. As described herein, a computer-readable medium may be a storage device (e.g., a memory chip, a memory card, a storage disk, etc.) and referred to as a computer-readable storage medium. Circuitry is a physical component that is non-transitory and not a carrier wave.
While various examples of circuits or circuitry have been discussed,
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In the example of
The core and memory control group 1020 include one or more processors 1022 (e.g., single core or multi-core) and a memory controller hub 1026 that exchange information via a front side bus (FSB) 1024. As described herein, various components of the core and memory control group 1020 may be integrated onto a single processor die, for example, to make a chip that supplants the conventional “northbridge” style architecture.
The memory controller hub 1026 interfaces with memory 1040. For example, the memory controller hub 1026 may provide support for DDR SDRAM memory (e.g., DDR, DDR2, DDR3, etc.). In general, the memory 1040 is a type of random-access memory (RAM). It is often referred to as “system memory”.
The memory controller hub 1026 further includes a low-voltage differential signaling interface (LVDS) 1032. The LVDS 1032 may be a so-called LVDS Display Interface (LDI) for support of a display device 1092 (e.g., a CRT, a flat panel, a projector, etc.). A block 1038 includes some examples of technologies that may be supported via the LVDS interface 1032 (e.g., serial digital video, HDMI/DVI, display port). The memory controller hub 1026 also includes one or more PCI-express interfaces (PCI-E) 1034, for example, for support of discrete graphics 1036. Discrete graphics using a PCI-E interface has become an alternative approach to an accelerated graphics port (AGP). For example, the memory controller hub 1026 may include a 16-lane (×16) PCI-E port for an external PCI-E-based graphics card. A system may include AGP or PCI-E for support of graphics. As described herein, a display may be a sensor display (e.g., configured for receipt of input using a stylus, a finger, etc.). As described herein, a sensor display may rely on resistive sensing, optical sensing, or other type of sensing.
The I/O hub controller 1050 includes a variety of interfaces. The example of
The interfaces of the I/O hub controller 1050 provide for communication with various devices, networks, etc. For example, the SATA interface 1051 provides for reading, writing or reading and writing information on one or more drives 1080 such as HDDs, SDDs or a combination thereof. The I/O hub controller 1050 may also include an advanced host controller interface (AHCI) to support one or more drives 1080. The PCI-E interface 1052 allows for wireless connections 1082 to devices, networks, etc. The USB interface 1053 provides for input devices 1084 such as keyboards (KB), one or more optical sensors, mice and various other devices (e.g., microphones, cameras, phones, storage, media players, etc.). One or more other types of sensors may optionally rely on the USB interface 1053 or another interface (e.g., I2C, etc.). As to microphones, the system 1000 of
In the example of
The system 1000, upon power on, may be configured to execute boot code 1090 for the BIOS 1068, as stored within the SPI Flash 1066, and thereafter processes data under the control of one or more operating systems and application software (e.g., stored in system memory 1040). An operating system may be stored in any of a variety of locations and accessed, for example, according to instructions of the BIOS 1068. Again, as described herein, a satellite, a base, a server or other machine may include fewer or more features than shown in the system 1000 of
Although examples of methods, devices, systems, etc., have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as examples of forms of implementing the claimed methods, devices, systems, etc.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20190121300 A1 | Apr 2019 | US |