Granted Patent B2

US 12,237,700 · App. 18/234,180 · Granted Feb 25, 2025

Inventors: Kenneth Jason Sanchez (San Francisco, CA); Theobolt N. Leung (San Francisco, CA); Eric Dahl (Newman Lake, WA)

Assignee: QUANATA, LLC

H02J7/0042A44C9/0053H02J7/00032H02J7/0047H02J7/02

Abstract

Claims (41)

1. A smart ring comprising:

a housing configured to be worn on a finger;

a controller in mechanical connection with the housing;

a power source in mechanical connection with the housing and configured to provide energy to the controller; and

a charging unit in mechanical connection with the housing and configured to convert a first form of energy into a second form of energy, the charging unit being operationally coupled to the power source to provide the second form of energy to the power source to replenish energy provided by the power source;

wherein the first form of energy is one of radiating or evanescent electromagnetic fields or a non-electrical energy and the second form of energy is a direct current; and

wherein the controller executes instructions to control operation of one or more input/output components including a user interface in mechanical connection with the housing and configured to provide information to a user.

2. The smart ring of claim 1 , wherein the first form of energy is the non-electrical energy including one of motion energy or thermal energy.

3. The smart ring of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a processing unit configured to operate in a low-power mode when the energy available from the power source is less than a threshold.

4. The smart ring of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to estimate a charging rate at which the power source receives the energy from the charging unit; and

the user interface is configured to indicate when the charging rate is above a threshold.

5. The smart ring of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes two or more removably connected parts.

6. The smart ring of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a ring-shaped component and a platform in mechanical connection with the ring-shaped component.

7. The smart ring of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured for attachment to a second ring.

8. The smart ring of claim 7 , wherein the housing includes a grooved clip-on component configured to attach the housing to the second ring.

9. The smart ring of claim 1 , wherein the one or more input/output components include a visual indicator that illuminates in a manner that indicates one of a replenishment of the energy provided by the power source or a rate of the replenishment of the energy provided by the power source.

10. A method for charging a smart ring comprising:

providing, by a power source in mechanical connection with a housing of the smart ring, energy to a controller in mechanical connection with the housing;

converting, by a charging unit in mechanical connection with the housing, a first form of energy into a second form of energy, the first form of energy being one of radiating or evanescent electromagnetic fields or a non-electrical energy and the second form of energy is a direct current;

providing, by the charging unit, the second form of energy to the power source to replenish energy provided by the power source; and

controlling, by the controller, operation of one or more input/output components including a user interface in mechanical connection with the housing and configured to provide information to a user.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first form of energy is the non-electrical energy including one of motion energy or thermal energy.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

operating, by the controller, in a low-power mode when the energy available from the power source is less than a threshold.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

estimating, by the controller, a charging rate at which the power source receives the energy from the charging unit; and

indicating, to the user, when the charging rate is above a threshold.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more input/output components includes a visual indicator that illuminates in a manner that indicates one of a replenishment of the energy provided by the power source or a rate of the replenishment of the energy provided by the power source.

15. A smart ring comprising:

a housing means configured to be worn on a finger;

a means for controlling operation of one or more input/output components in mechanical connection with the housing means;

a power source means in mechanical connection with the housing means and configured to provide energy to the means for controlling operation; and

charging means in mechanical connection with the housing means and configured to convert a first form of energy into a second form of energy, the charging means being operationally coupled to the power source means to provide the second form of energy to the power source means to replenish energy provided by the power source means;

wherein the first form of energy is one of radiating or evanescent electromagnetic fields or a non-electrical energy and the second form of energy is a direct current; and

one or more input/output means including a means, in mechanical connection with the housing means, for providing information to a user.

16. The smart ring of claim 15 , wherein the first form of energy is the non-electrical energy including one of motion energy or thermal energy.

17. The smart ring of claim 15 , wherein the means for controlling operation includes processing means configured to operate in a low-power mode when the energy available from the power source means is less than a threshold.

18. The smart ring of claim 15 , wherein the means for controlling operation is configured to estimate a charging rate at which the power source means receives the energy from the charging means; and

a means for providing information to the user is configured to indicate when the charging rate is above a threshold.

19. The smart ring of claim 15 , wherein the housing means includes two or more removably connected parts.

20. The smart ring of claim 15 , wherein the one or more input/output means includes a visual indicator that illuminates in a manner that indicates one of a replenishment of the energy provided by the power source means or a rate of the replenishment of the energy provided by the power source means.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (255)

Cited By (16)

US 12,413,163 US 12,479,445 US 12,499,759 US 12,500,429 US 12,504,784 US 12,515,677 US 12,537,385 US 12,597,790 US 12,602,111 US 12,614,451 US 12,640,120 US 12,643,553 US 12,651,919 US 12,675,562 US 12,700,041 US 12,703,400