IP Library Granted Patent US 10,699,177
Granted Patent B2
US 10,699,177 · App. 16/488,707 · Granted Jun 30, 2020

Electronic tag

Inventors: Henrik Bengtsson (Lund, SE); Peter Lerup (Limhamn, SE); Pontus Oldberg (Tomelilla, SE)
Assignee: Sony Corporation
G06K19/0723A63B24/0062H04B5/0062H04W4/80A63B2220/833A63B2225/52A63B2225/54
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,699,177
App. No.
16/488,707
Granted
Jun 30, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic tag ( 1 ) with a Bluetooth (BT) transmitter and a proximity sensor is configured to automatically, when an object ( 30 ) enters a detection zone of the proximity sensor, switch from a default sleep mode, in which the BT transmitter is deactivated, to an active mode in which the BT transmitter transmits a data package including an identifier of the electronic tag ( 1 ). A data collection system may include system devices ( 100 ) provided with a respective electronic tag ( 1 ) that stores a unique identifier of the system device ( 100 ), and a computer system ( 50 ) that receives the identifier from a portable electronic device ( 30 ) configured to intercept data packets from electronic tags ( 1 ). The system devices ( 100 ) may comprise exercise devices, and the data collection system may be a workout system that allows users of the exercise devices to automatically track their workout.

Claims (32)

1. A data collection system, comprising:

a plurality of system devices comprising exercise devices, wherein each exercise device comprises a monitoring system for determining workout data for the exercise device, and a wireless transmitter for transmitting the workout data together with a device identifier that is associated with the exercise device, wherein at least a subset of the exercise devices are arranged in a common facility,

an electronic tag comprising:

a wireless short-range transmitter,

a proximity sensor configured to detect presence of an object within a detection zone, and

a control unit electrically connected to the proximity sensor and the wireless short-range transmitter,

wherein the control unit is configured to selectively, when the proximity sensor detects presence of the object within the detection zone, activate the wireless short-range transmitter to transmit a data package comprising an identifier of the electronic tag,

wherein the electronic tag is arranged to be associated with a respective exercise device among said plurality of system devices such that the associated exercise device is located within range of the short-range wireless transmitter in the electronic tag and all other system devices among the plurality of system devices are located beyond the range of the short-range wireless transmitter, and

wherein the identifier of the electronic tag is the device identifier which is unique to the associated exercise device, and

a computer system configured to receive the device identifier from a portable electronic device that has intercepted the data package transmitted by the electronic tag and extracted the device identifier from the data package, and

a relay device which is arranged in the common facility and is configured to receive the workout data and the device identifier from the wireless transmitter and transmit the workout data and the device identifier to the computer system.

2. The data collection system of claim 1 , wherein the workout data comprises at least one of a weight being used with the exercise device and a number of repetitions of using of the weight.

3. The data collection system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is configured to, after receiving the device identifier from the portable electronic device and after receiving the workout data and the device identifier transmitted by the wireless transmitter of the exercise device, transmit information related to the workout data to the portable electronic device or to a feedback device associated with the exercise device.

4. A method of operating a portable electronic device, comprising:

receiving a data package from an electronic tag that is configured to detect an object in proximity of the electronic tag, and, upon detection of the object, transmit a data package comprising an identifier of the electronic tag,

extracting the identifier of the electronic tag from the data package,

obtaining inertial data from an inertial sensor in the portable electronic device,

detecting, based on the inertial data, a predefined docking state on the electronic portable device in relation to the electronic tag, and

communicating, upon detection of the predefined docking state, the identifier to a computer system.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the predefined docking state corresponds to the portable electronic device being brought into contact with the electronic tag.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining a motion of the portable electronic device based on the inertial data, wherein said detecting the predefined docking state comprises detecting that the motion represents an impact of the portable electronic device onto the electronic tag.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining a current orientation of the portable electronic device based on the inertial data, wherein said detecting the predefined docking state comprises detecting that the current orientation matches a predefined orientation.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the predefined orientation represents a reference plane of the electronic tag, said reference plane being defined in relation to the direction of gravity.

9. A portable electronic device, which is configured to:

receive a data package from an electronic tag that is configured to detect an object in proximity of the electronic tag, and, upon detection of the object, transmit a data package comprising an identifier of the electronic tag,

extract the identifier of the electronic tag from the data package,

process inertial data from an inertial sensor in the portable electronic device to detect a predefined docking state of the portable electronic device in relation to the electronic tag,

communicate, when the predefined docking state is detected, the identifier to a computer system.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the predefined docking state corresponds to the portable electronic device being brought into contact with the electronic tag.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 9 , which is configured to determine its motion based on the inertial data, wherein detecting the predefined docking state comprises detecting that the motion represents an impact of the portable electronic device onto the electronic tag.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 9 , which is configured to determine its current orientation based on the inertial data, wherein detecting the predefined docking state comprises detecting that the current orientation matches a predefined orientation.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the predefined orientation represents a reference plane of the electronic tag, said reference plane being defined in relation to the direction of gravity.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 5, 2025
From: LUMOS HOLDING US ACQUISITION CO.
To: TCW ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071937/0730 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2023
From: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
To: LUMOS HOLDINGS US ACQUISITION CO.
Reel/Frame 065495/0816 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 24, 2023
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065330/0349 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 11, 2020
From: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS INC.
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054333/0972 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 24, 2019
From: BENGTSSON, HENRIK; LERUP, PETER; OLDBERG, PONTUS
To: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 050811/0219 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,453,894