Electronic device system with ring devices
Electronic devices in a system may be controlled by a user. The user may have one or more wearable devices or other devices. A user's device may be used by the user in identifying a target electronic device of interest among the electronic devices in the system. The target electronic device may be identified using a gaze tracking sensor that senses the user's point-of-gaze, an orientation sensor that detects a direction in which the user's device is pointed, or other sensor circuitry. Visual feedback, audio feedback, and/or haptic feedback may be provided to the user to confirm which electronic device has been identified as a target electronic device of interest. User input may be gathered by sensors and used in adjusting operating parameters in the target electronic device of interest. Health monitoring operations and other operations may also be performed.
1 . An electronic ring configured to be worn on a finger of a user in a system that has a head-mounted device with a gaze tracking sensor and that has first and second electronic devices, wherein the gaze tracking sensor is configured to detect a user's point of gaze, the electronic ring comprising:
a ring-shaped housing;
a sensor in the ring-shaped housing that is configured to gather pointing input; and
control circuitry in the ring-shaped housing that is configured to:
control the first electronic device using the pointing input when the point of gaze aligns with the first electronic device; and
control the second electronic device using the pointing input when the point of gaze aligns with the second electronic device, where in the second electronic device comprises a speaker and wherein a volume of audio being played by the speaker is adjusted in response to the pointing input.
2 . The electronic ring defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a radio-frequency orientation sensor.
3 . The electronic ring defined in claim 1 further comprising a biometric sensor configured to gather biometric information.
4 . The electronic ring defined in claim 3 wherein the first electronic device is unlocked based on the biometric information.
5 . The electronic ring defined in claim 4 wherein the biometric information comprises a fingerprint of the user and the biometric sensor comprises a fingerprint sensor configured to detect the fingerprint of the user.
6 . The electronic ring defined in claim 1 further comprising an audio output device configured to provide audible feedback indicating that the first electronic device has been identified.
7 . The electronic ring defined in claim 1 further comprising a haptic output device configured to provide haptic output indicating that the first electronic device has been identified.
8 . The electronic ring defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor is configured to detect gesture input, the first electronic device comprises a display, and the control circuitry is configured to control the display in response to the gesture input.
9 . An electronic ring configured to operate in a system that has a head-mounted device with a gaze tracking sensor configured to detect a user's point of gaze, the electronic ring comprising:
a housing configured to be worn on a body part of the user;
a sensor in the housing that is configured to gather gesture input; and
control circuitry in the housing that is configured to:
control a first electronic device based on the gesture input when the point of gaze aligns with the first electronic device; and
control a second electronic device based on the gesture input when the point of gaze aligns with the second electronic device, wherein the second electronic device comprises a speaker and wherein audio from the speaker is adjusted in response to the gesture input.
10 . The electronic ring defined in claim 9 wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of: an accelerometer, a touch sensor, and a force sensor.
11 . The electronic ring defined in claim 9 wherein the sensor is configured to wrap around at least some of the housing.
12 . The electronic ring defined in claim 9 wherein the body part of the user is a finger of the user and the gesture input comprises a gesture from the finger of a user in a path through the air.
13 . The electronic ring defined in claim 9 wherein the body part of the user is a hand of the user and the gesture input comprises a gesture from the hand of the user in a path through the air.
14 . The electronic ring defined in claim 9 wherein the first electronic device comprises a display and the control circuitry is configured to launch an application on the display in response to the gesture input.
15 . The electronic ring defined in claim 9 wherein the gesture input is selected from the group consisting of: a one-dimensional touch input, a two-dimensional touch input, and a multitouch input.
16 . The electronic ring defined in claim 9 wherein the sensor comprises a radio-frequency orientation sensor.
17 . A ring device configured to operate in a system with a head-mounted device having a gaze tracking sensor configured to measure a user's point of gaze, the ring device comprising:
a ring-shaped housing configured to be worn on a finger of the user;
a motion sensor in the ring-shaped housing that is configured to gather gesture input; and
control circuitry in the ring-shaped housing that is configured to:
control audio from a speaker in response to the gesture input when the point of gaze aligns with the speaker; and
control display content on a display in response to the gesture input when the point of gaze aligns with the display.
18 . The ring device defined in claim 17 wherein the gesture input is selected from the group consisting of: pointing input, tap input, and multitouch input.
19 . The ring device defined in claim 17 wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust a volume of the audio from the speaker in response to the gesture input, the ring device further comprising a haptic output device configured to provide haptic output in response to the gesture input.