IP Library Granted Patent US 9,702,841
Granted Patent B2
US 9,702,841 · App. 15/174,446 · Granted Jul 11, 2017

Devices and methods using swipe detection

Inventors: Kanishk Parashar (San Francisco, CA); Karthik Balakrishnan (Palo Alto, CA); Bret Foreman (San Francisco, CA); Rory Nordeen (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Fitbit, Inc.
G01N27/22G01R27/2605G01R33/02G01R33/06G01R33/072G06K19/06206
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,702,841
App. No.
15/174,446
Granted
Jul 11, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates devices and methods using swipe detection. A swipeable computer of the present invention comprises a capacitive detector having an output, a switchable magnetic field sensor having an output, a memory unit, and a logic unit. The memory unit stores a standard capacitance change and a standard magnetic field change. The logic unit is electrically connected to the capacitive detector output, the switchable magnetic field sensor, the switchable magnetic field sensor output, and the memory unit. The logic unit of the swipeable computer is adapted to determine if the capacitive detector output corresponds to the standard capacitance change, to enable the switchable magnetic field sensor if the change in capacitance corresponds to the standard capacitance change, and to determine if the switchable magnetic field sensor output corresponds to the standard magnetic field change.

Claims (30)

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for detecting a swipe of a swipeable computer in a magnetic card reader, the swipeable computer including: a display, a button, a wireless communication unit, a power source, a dynamic magnetic emulator, a capacitive detector having an output, a switchable magnetic field sensor having an output, a memory unit storing a standard capacitance change and a standard magnetic field change, and a processor electrically connected to the capacitive detector output, the switchable magnetic field sensor, the switchable magnetic field sensor output, and the memory unit, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor of the swipeable computer to:

sense, with the capacitive detector, a change in capacitance;

determine if the change in capacitance corresponds to the standard capacitance change;

enable the magnetic field sensor if the change in capacitance corresponds to the standard capacitance change;

sense, with the switchable magnetic field sensor, a magnetic field change; and

determine if the magnetic field change corresponds to the standard magnetic field change.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , further having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to sense the change in capacitance via sensing a plurality of capacitive changes with a plurality of capacitive sensors.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , further having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to sense the change in capacitance via sensing a plurality of capacitive changes with a plurality of capacitive sensors offset from each other in a direction of the swipe.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the standard capacitance change is a change in capacitance associated with initiation of a swipe in a standard magnetic card reader.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the standard magnetic field change is a change in magnetic field associated with initiation of a swipe in a standard magnetic card reader.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for detecting a swipe of a swipeable computer in a magnetic card reader, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a processor of the swipeable computer to:

sense a change in capacitance;

determine if the change in capacitance corresponds to a standard capacitance change;

enable a magnetic field sensor if the change in capacitance corresponds to the standard capacitance change;

sense a magnetic field change; and

determine if the magnetic field change corresponds to a standard magnetic field change.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6 , further having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to sense the change in capacitance via sensing a plurality of capacitive changes with a plurality of capacitive sensors.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6 , further having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to sense the change in capacitance via sensing a plurality of capacitive changes with a plurality of capacitive sensors offset from each other in a direction of the swipe.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the standard capacitance change is a change in capacitance associated with initiation of a swipe in a standard magnetic card reader.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the standard magnetic field change is a change in magnetic field associated with initiation of a swipe in a standard magnetic card reader.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon logic for detecting a motion of a swipeable computer, wherein the logic, when executed, causes a logic device to:

sense, with a capacitive detector of the swipeable computer, a change in capacitance;

determine if the change in capacitance corresponds to a standard capacitance change;

enable a magnetic field sensor of the swipeable computer for a defined period of time if the change in capacitance corresponds to the standard capacitance change;

sense, with the switchable magnetic field sensor, a magnetic field change; and

determine if the magnetic field change corresponds to a standard magnetic field change.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , further having stored thereon logic that, when executed, causes the logic device to sense the change in capacitance via sensing a plurality of capacitive changes with a plurality of capacitive sensors.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , further having stored thereon logic that, when executed, causes the logic device to sense the change in capacitance via sensing a plurality of capacitive changes with a plurality of capacitive sensors offset from each other in a direction of the swipe.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the motion is a swipe in a magnetic card reader and the standard capacitance change is a change in capacitance associated with initiation of a swipe in a standard magnetic card reader.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the motion is a swipe in a magnetic card reader and the standard magnetic field change is a change in magnetic field associated with initiation of a swipe in a standard magnetic card reader.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 7, 2017
From: COIN, INC,
To: FITBIT, INC.
Reel/Frame 042934/0825 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 7, 2017
From: PARASHAR, KANISHK; BALAKRISHNAN, KARTHIK; FOREMAN, BRET; NORDEEN, RORY
To: COIN, INC.
Reel/Frame 042935/0339 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 14665747 · Mar 23, 2015
Continuation 14257730 · Apr 21, 2014
Continuation 13974524 · Sep 24, 2013
Related Publication 20160282292A1 · Sep 29, 2016