WO2007039505A1

WO2007039505A1 - Wearable electronic apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2007039505A1
Application number: PCT/EP2006/066684
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giampietro Tecchiolli; Giorgio Pezzulli; Stefano Adami; Giuseppe Mincolelli
Original assignee: Eurotech Spa
Priority date: 2005-09-26
Filing date: 2006-09-25
Publication date: 2007-04-12
Also published as: ITUD20050157A1

Abstract

Wearable electronic apparatus (10) comprising a rigid structure (11) with the at least partial function of a bracelet, able to be associated with the wrist and/or forearm of the user, and a display unit (13) for operating data mounted on the rigid structure (11), the rigid structure (11) comprising an inner surface (16) shaped and selectively adaptable to the terminal part of the radial flank of the user's forearm, so as to allow, on each occasion, an adaptation in size of the rigid structure (11) to the radial flank of the forearm, in order to guarantee a stable and univocal positioning of the rigid structure (11) substantially with any size whatsoever of the radial flank of the forearm. The display unit (13) is mounted outside the rigid structure (11), in substantial correspondence with the shaped inner surface (16), so as to face towards the user when the electronic apparatus (10) is worn in the natural position of coupling of the rigid structure (11) and the radial flank of the forearm.

Description

"WEARABLE ELECTRONIC APPARATUS" * * * * *

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns an electronic apparatus, such as an electronic processor with a viewer device and integrated display, of the type able to be worn by the user. To be more exact, the electronic apparatus according to the present invention is able to be worn on the user's wrist or forearm, and is provided with an inner surface shaped so as to define a specific positioning, stable and substantially univocal, of the apparatus with respect to the forearm, in such a manner as to prevent erroneous positioning of the apparatus, or accidental movements thereof with respect to the user's wrist or forearm. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Portable electronic apparatuses are known, such as wrist processors, known by the English term "wearable", such as Personal Assistants (PA), Personal Enhancement (PE), smart viewers for night sight, or others with integrated graphic interface, or viewer (GUI, Graphic User Interface), which assist the user in performing a variety of operations, or which supply the user with an increase in his/her perceptive or active capacities.

Among the main characteristics required from a wearable device are optimization of the ergonomics and maximum integration in the clothes of the user, at the same time guaranteeing effective access, particularly to a user interface (MMI, Man Machine Interface) , such as for example a keyboard with function keys, a joy pad, a display interface, etc.

In the event of continuous professional use, which may extend for many hours, accessibility to the interface for the user becomes fundamental for a functional, comfortable and effective use of the apparatus.

To be more exact, in apparatuses that can be worn on the wrist, which are worn substantially like a watch, the MMI interface comprises, normally on the same plane, which is the plane of the open hand, and in a close-up position, both a display unit, for example an integrated display, and also a data introduction unit, for example consisting of a keyboard or other equipment .

Moreover, in electronic apparatuses wearable on the wrist, it is also necessary to take into consideration features such as ergonomics, wearability, comfort and usability, since a prolonged use could cause tiredness to the limb and discomfort to the user.

The display unit and the data introduction unit are normally mounted on a rigid structure of the ergonomic and/or surrounding type, provided with a bracelet to attach it to the wrist; the rigid structure is conformed so that, once the electronic apparatus is being worn naturally, the

MMI interface is disposed on a plane substantially parallel to and above the plane defined by the back of the forearm.

As far as the display unit is concerned, according to the information to be represented and/or the type of interaction required of the user, it can vary considerably in size, shape, technology, appearance of the information displayed, and other parameters.

In any case, the data introduction unit must be easily accessible and usable for the user and it must not interfere with the display system in any way.

To be more exact, in the case of specific function keys, only a tactile accessibility is required; vice versa, when the data introduction unit works in synergy with the display unit, accessibility must also be visual.

With such known wearable electronic apparatuses, because of the positioning of the MMI interface parallel to the back of the forearm, in order to display the data supplied by the display means, the user must necessarily rotate the wrist in order to direct the entire apparatus, so that the display unit is facing towards the field of vision of the user.

It must also be considered that the displays normally used in such electronic apparatuses have optical characteristics that depend on the angle of vision of the user; therefore, an optimum display of the data is had only in the condition when the display is substantially perpendicular to the range of vision of the user.

This operation to direct and position the display in optimum manner, apart from being rather empirical, also becomes particularly complex, and at times dangerous, for the user, especially when the latter is carrying out his/her manual tasks and, in the meantime, needs to interact with the device without having to interrupt the operation he/she is performing, or in any case, as far as possible, without having to modify the position of his/her body.

Furthermore, the normal positioning of the MMI interface on the plane parallel to and above the back of the forearm, determines an exposed positioning of the display, when the user is carrying out his operating steps.

Known wearable electronic apparatuses always have an on/off switch for the system, which entails a further need to bend the wrist, with the disadvantages described above. Electronic apparatuses wearable on the wrist or forearm are also known, for example from the US patents US-A- 6,036,093 and US-A-5 , 856 , 660 and from the international patent application WO-A-96/24093, having the display unit and the data introduction unit disposed on two different planes. These apparatuses also comprise the inner surface of the bracelet and of the case that supports the two units, the display unit and the data introduction unit, pre-shaped anatomically, to adhere to the user's wrist or forearm when worn.

In these known apparatuses, however, the shaping is substantially rigid and pre-sized both according to anatomical standards of the wrist or forearm, and also according to a pre-defined angular positioning of the display and keyboard with respect to the plane defined by the back of the forearm.

The pre-shaping is therefore ineffective and does not guarantee a constant univocal positioning, especially in those cases where the user has a wrist or forearm that is fatter or thinner than common standards, or where for particular operating requirements the apparatus is worn above clothes, such as for example work overalls, protective sleeves or other. In these situations, in fact, known apparatuses can be subject to relative accidental rotations with respect to the wrist or forearm, losing the correct positioning required and causing operating difficulties to the user.

One purpose of the present invention is to achieve a wearable electronic apparatus which allows the user to interact with the MMI interface also without the need to make rotations of the wrist, and keeping the position of his/her body substantially unchanged.

Another purpose of the present invention is to achieve an electronic apparatus which is ergonomic, comfortable to use and which at the same time guarantees an effective access to the MMI interface.

Another purpose is to achieve a wearable electronic apparatus that guarantees a stable and univocal positioning, substantially with any size of the wrist or forearm, or in the case where it is not worn in direct contact with the user's skin.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claim, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

In accordance with the above purposes, a wearable electronic apparatus according to the present invention comprises at least a rigid structure with the at least partial function of a bracelet, able to be associated with the wrist and/or forearm of the user, and a unit to display operating data mounted outside on the rigid structure.

According to a characteristic feature of the present invention, the rigid structure comprises a shaped inner surface selectively adaptable to the terminal part of the radial flank of the user's forearm, so as to allow, on each occasion, an adaptation in size to the forearm of the electronic apparatus according to the present invention, guaranteeing a stable and univocal positioning of the apparatus substantially whatever the real size of the user's forearm may be.

Moreover, the display unit is mounted in substantial correspondence with the shaping of the inner surface, so as to be always and univocally with no substantial possibility of play and uncontrolled movements, facing towards the user when the electronic apparatus is worn in the natural position of coupling of the rigid structure and the forearm/wrist .

In this way, we have an optimum and univocal positioning and visibility of the display unit while the operating activities are being carried out, substantially with no risk that the apparatus could accidentally rotate, losing the correct operating position as set at the beginning, and without ever needing to rotate the wrist and/or to vary the position of the body.

Moreover, the position of the display unit facing towards the user guarantees a satisfactory protection from accidental knocks and damage to the display unit.

Another advantage deriving from the adaptability in size of the inner surface of the apparatus according to the present invention is that in this way the apparatus can also be worn above clothing, without accidental variations taking place in the positioning of the display unit with respect to the position set at the beginning.

The adaptability of the inner surface also allows to vary, even only slightly, the angular position of the apparatus with respect to the position provided by the shaping, for example in order to meet particular operating and/or positioning requirements, but without causing prolonged inconvenience to the user and guaranteeing in any case a stable and univocal positioning of the apparatus during the operating steps.

In a preferential form of embodiment, the display unit, when the electronic apparatus is being worn, is disposed substantially inclined, advantageously perpendicular, to a plane defined by the back of the forearm, so as to be facing towards the user even when the latter 's arms are in an operating position stretched forwards above the height of the shoulders.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein: - fig. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a wearable electronic apparatus according to the present invention applied to the arm of a user; - fig. 2 is a lateral view, partly in section, of the wearable electronic apparatus in fig. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF EMBODIMENT

With reference to the attached drawings, an electronic apparatus 10 according to the present invention is of the type that can be worn on the forearm or wrist and comprises a rigid structure 11 provided with a bracelet 12 to attach it to the wrist, or to the forearm, and on which a display unit 13 and a data introduction unit 15 are mounted.

Purely to give a non-restrictive example, the electronic apparatus 10 is in this case a wrist processor, commonly known in English as "wearable", able to assist the user in performing a variety of operations.

The rigid structure 11 comprises a shaped inner surface 16 to which the ends of the bracelet 12 are attached, and an outer surface 17 on which the display unit 13 and the data introduction unit 15 are mounted. To be more exact, the inner surface 16 is able to be positioned longitudinally close to the forearm and wrist of the user and has a substantially C-shaped transverse shape (fig. 2), so as to couple with and adapt to, in this case anatomically, the terminal part of the radial flank of the forearm. In this way, the electronic apparatus 10, once worn in the natural position of coupling of the rigid structure 11 and the forearm/wrist, is disposed in a stable and univocal position in close proximity to said radial flank of the forearm and the wrist.

In this case, the inner surface 16 is provided with a concave part 16a which faithfully reproduces the anatomical profile of the radial flank of the user's forearm, but it is not excluded that the inner surface 16 may also be shaped in a less precise way, in any case such as to adapt to the sizes and shape of each specific radial flank of the forearm and allow to wear the electronic apparatus 10 comfortably in a stable and univocal position. The display unit 13 is mounted on the outer surface 17 of the rigid structure 11, in substantial correspondence with the concave part 16a of the inner surface 16. When the electronic apparatus 10 is being worn, the display unit 13 is disposed autonomously facing towards the user and inclined, advantageously substantially perpendicular, to the plane defined by the back of the forearm.

The inner surface 16 also has a substantially plane part 16b, normally disposed in close proximity to the back of the forearm. On the outer surface 17, in correspondence with said substantially plane part 16b, in this case the data introduction unit 15 is mounted.

Advantageously, the C-shaping of the inner surface follows the anatomical form of the cross section of the forearm and the wrist only for a limited arc, so that the electronic apparatus 10 is more easily adaptable to the real size of the user's forearm and wrist and therefore can be worn more comfortably substantially by any user, irrespective of the size of the forearm. Advantageously, the inner surface 16 can be made with a material that retains a given shape, so as to guarantee, for a substantially indefinite time and with a greater precision in coupling, that the stable and univocal positioning set at the beginning can be maintained during the operating steps, and make it even more comfortable to use when worn.

The inner surface 16 is lined with a soft material, such as for example non-toxic and non-allergic rubber, so as to make the rigid structure 11 comfortable and ergonomic when worn. Advantageously, the material for lining the inner surface 16 also has the characteristic of guaranteeing a partial ventilation of the skin; this characteristic is particularly significant, especially when the electronic apparatus 10 is worn in direct contact with the skin. The bracelet 12 is made of elastic and non-toxic material; it guarantees optimum wearability and comfort, the attachment of the electronic apparatus 10 to the user's wrist, and the overall strength of the whole.

The cooperation between the bracelet 12 and the C-shaping of the inner surface 16 of the rigid structure 11 guarantees adaptability in size to the user's forearm/wrist and stability of positioning of the electronic apparatus 10 to the forearm/wrist of the user, preventing the accidental reciprocal rotation of the two, and hence an incorrect positioning of the display unit 13.

The display unit 13, as we said, is mounted in substantial correspondence with the concave part 16a of the inner surface 16, so as to be inclined to the plane of the back of the forearm and, in this case, consists of a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) 19 of rectangular shape, with a minimum useful diagonal of about 90 mm and a visual area of about 54x70 mm.

Purely to give a non-restrictive example, the display 19 is of the type made with TFT technology ( Thin Film Transistor) transmissive or transflective, having rear illumination with white or amber-colored LEDs, a chromatic resolution of 262k colors, and an integrated touch screen input interface, possibly provided with a pen, not shown, for a more complex interaction.

The data introduction unit 15 is provided, depending on the type of interaction that must be made with the user, with a plurality of known input types. For example, the data introduction unit 15 comprises a keyboard 20 with function keys which, possibly assisted by the integrated touch screen system in the display 19, allow to set and program the functioning parameters of the electronic apparatus 10 manually. The data introduction unit 15 also comprises a microphone, not shown here, and/or other more or less complex pointer and selection systems.

According to a variant, the microphone can be disposed on a remote support, such as for example a helmet, a pair of headphones, an ear-piece or other.

In general, the elements that make up the data introduction unit 15 are mainly located on the outer surface 17 of the rigid structure 11, in correspondence with the plane part 16b of the inner surface 16, since they must be accessible to the user even only by touch without needing to look at the electronic apparatus 10, but it is not excluded that some of the elements can also be disposed close to the display 19.

For example, the keys that determine a change in the data displayed are advantageously disposed immediately around the display 19 in positions such that, when they are pressed, this does not entail the momentary positioning of the user's hand over the display 19.

The data introduction unit 15 also comprises activation buttons and keys, not shown here, having special functions, such as for example to reset settings, to switch on/off, and others, which are not used during the normal interaction with the electronic apparatus 10, but which must, however, be protected from possible accidental pressure during the operating steps. These activation keys are advantageously localized at not immediately accessible points of the rigid structure 11, and are possibly protected by specific shells made on the outer surface 17 of the rigid structure 11.

Inside the rigid structure 11 a feed unit 23 is disposed, commonly formed by one or more feed batteries .

In this case the feed unit 23 is of the "hot" replaceable type, that is, during the functioning of the electronic apparatus 10, without having to interrupt the operations performed by the user and without obstructing the view of the display 19, or modifying the attachment thereof or its position with respect to the forearm. Advantageously, the feed unit 23 is positioned inside the rigid structure 11 so as not to compromise a balanced disposition of the weight, and so as to maintain the ergonomics and overall wearability of the electronic apparatus 10 once attached to the user's forearm. It is clear, however, that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the electronic apparatus 10 as described heretofore, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, it comes within the scope of the present invention to provide that the electronic apparatus 10 is provided with an energy saving device, for example of the type described in the Italian application for a patent of industrial invention IT-A-UD2005A000074 in the name of the Applicant. It also comes within the scope of the present invention to provide that the display unit 13 and the data introduction unit 15 are both mounted on the outer surface 17 of the rigid structure 11, in correspondence with the concave part 16a of the shaping of the inner surface 16.

According to another variant, the bracelet 12 may not be provided and the rigid structure 11 is made of an at least partly elastic material in order to close gripper-wise with a slight pressure on the forearm and on the wrist of the user.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of improved wearable electronic apparatus, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the scope of protection defined thereby.

Claims

1. Wearable electronic apparatus comprising at least a rigid structure (11) with the at least partial function of a bracelet, able to be associated with the wrist and/or forearm of the user, and a display unit (13) for operating data mounted on said rigid structure (11), characterized in that said rigid structure (11) comprises an inner surface (16) shaped and selectively adaptable to the terminal part of the radial flank of the user's forearm, and able to allow, on each occasion, a substantially univocal adaptation in size of said rigid structure (11) to said radial flank of the forearm, in order to guarantee a correlated stable and univocal positioning of said rigid structure (11) substantially with any size whatsoever of said radial flank of the forearm, and in that said display unit (13) is mounted outside said rigid structure (11), in substantial correspondence with said shaped inner surface (16), so as to face towards the user when said electronic apparatus (10) is worn in the natural position of coupling of said rigid structure (11) and said radial flank of the forearm.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, characterized in that said display unit (13), when said electronic apparatus (10) is being worn, is disposed in an inclined position with respect to a plane defined by the back of the user's forearm.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2, characterized in that said display unit (13), when said electronic apparatus (10) is being worn, is disposed in a position substantially perpendicular to said plane defined by the back of the user's forearm.

4. Apparatus as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said rigid structure (11) is provided with a bracelet (12) to attach it around the wrist or to the forearm of the user.

5. Apparatus as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said inner surface (16) is substantially C-shaped, and is provided with a concave part (16a) which follows, for at least a determinate arc, the anatomical profile of the radial flank of the user's forearm.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5, characterized in that said inner surface (16) also has a substantially plane part (16b) able to couple with the back of the user's forearm, outside said rigid structure (11), at least part of a data introduction unit (15) being mounted in correspondence with said substantially plane part (16b).

7. Apparatus as in claim 5 or 6 , characterized in that said inner surface (16) is lined outside with a soft and transpiring material, so as to make said electronic apparatus (10) comfortable once worn.

8. Apparatus as in any claim from 5 to 7 , characterized in that said inner surface (16) is made with a material that retains a given shape.

9. Apparatus as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that it also comprises a feed unit (23) disposed inside said rigid structure (11) in order not to compromise a balanced disposition of the weight of the electronic apparatus (10).

10. Apparatus as in claim 9, characterized in that said feed unit (23) consists of one or more feed batteries of the "hot" replaceable type, that is, even during the functioning of said electronic apparatus (10), without having to interrupt the operations carried out by the user and without obstructing the view of the display unit (13).