Controller, method, and computer program, for controlling a wearable electronic device

Abstract

There is provided techniques for controlling a wearable electronic device. A method is performed by a controller. The method comprises recognizing, from sensor data, user activity of a user wearing the wearable electronic device. The method comprises providing a control signal to a shape-shiftable material in the wearable electronic device for resizing the wearable electronic device. The control signal depends on the recognized user activity. The control signal indicates a fit of the wearable electronic device to the user.

Description

[0001] CONTROLLER, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM, FOR CONTROLLING A WEARABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] Embodiments presented herein relate to a controller, a system, a method, a computer program, and a computer program product for controlling a wearable electronic device.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] In general terms, wearable electronic devices are electronic devices that are designed to be worn on one or more body parts by the user. Non-limiting examples of wearable electronic devices are in-ear headsets (also referred to as in-ear monitors), on-ear headsets (also referred to as earbuds, or the like), over-ear headsets, smart watches, and eyewear (such as smart glasses).

[0006] How a wearable electronic device anatomically fits to a user might depend on different factors, such as the anatomy of the user, as well as how adjustable, in terms of the fit, the wearable electronic device is. Taking in-ear headsets as a non-limiting and illustrative example, while in-ear headsets are designed to fit snugly into the user’s ears, there are still some instances when they keep falling out or sit too tight (and thereby create discomfort). The following are some of the most common reasons why.

[0007] Unique body size and shape: As with the majority of products in the market, most wearable electronic devices come in a one-size-fits-all size that is designed to cater to the majority of the population. However, as an example it has been found that each person’s ears are actually more unique than fingerprints. This makes this one-size- fits-all approach to not really cater to a lot of people most of the time. One way to mitigate this issue can be to select a wearable electronic device with the right fit, and / or a wearable electronic device that allows for its fit to be adjusted. As a nonlimiting example, most in-ear headsets have replaceable tips with different sizes included in the product packaging.

[0008] Some wearable electronic devices manufactured today are fitted with silicone parts and / or plastic parts. Unfortunately, these materials are more prone to becoming slippery whenever sweat accumulates. That is why, while both are standard materials, wearable electronic devices made from these materials tend to fall off more easily than other materials like foam or fabric.

[0009] Some wearable electronic devices might be difficult to be worn in the correct way. As a non-limiting example, since some, or even most, in-ear headsets are designed and molded specifically to fit either the left or the right ear, placing the wrong in-ear headsets on the wrong ear will most likely cause the in-ear headsets to fall off. Additionally, some in-ear headsets, like those with around-the-ear designs are designed to be worn in a special manner. Not utilizing these designs will bypass the manufacturer’s attempt in fixing the in-ear headset’s fit.

[0010] Some wearable electronic devices might be unsuitable for the user’s activity. Since not all wearable electronic devices are made to withstand rigorous activities that require so much jerking and jolting (e.g., during dancing or gymnastics), some wearable electronic devices may not be able to stay in place even if being manually and repeatedly adjusted.

[0011] One way to overcome the above issues is for the user to wear some other fabric, piece of clothing, accessory, or the like, on top of the wearable electronic devices, such as ear warmers. This could actually hold in-ear headsets as well as on-ear headsets in place. However, this might be impractical and not suitable for all types of wearable electronic devices.

[0012] Another way to overcome the above issues is for the user to use some third-party accessories to prevent the wearable electronic device to fall off. However, such third- party accessories might be cumbersome to use, expensive, or not even available for all types of wearable electronic devices.

[0013] Another way to overcome the above issues is for the user to have wearable electronic devices with a customized, or tailored, fit. However, such wearable electronic devices might be expensive. Further, one customized, or tailored, fit might not be suitable for all user activities.

[0014] US 9,571,915 B2 describes use of Electro-Active polymer (EAP) technology in headsets. The functionality is controlled by the user from a controller. The controller is positioned along a cable between a source and the headset. The controller provides for the user to adjust the EAP on the headset to provide a more comfortable and / or secure fit and / or adjust in step with the input audio signal. The controller maybe held and manipulated by the user. Hence, this still requires the user to manually and repeatedly adjust the the EAP on the headset.

[0015] Hence, there is still a need for enabling a wearable electronic device to properly fit (in anatomy sense) the user.

[0016] SUMMARY

[0017] An object of embodiments herein is to address the above issues.

[0018] A particular object is enabling a wearable electronic device to properly fit (in anatomy sense) the user without experiencing the above issues, or where the above issues at least are mitigated or reduced.

[0019] Another particular object is enabling a wearable electronic device to properly fit (in anatomy sense) the user without requiring manual input.

[0020] According to a first aspect there is presented a a controller for controlling a wearable electronic device. The controller comprises processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to cause the controller to recognize, from sensor data, user activity of a user wearing the wearable electronic device. The processing circuitry is configured to cause the controller to provide a control signal to a shape-shiftable material in the wearable electronic device for resizing the wearable electronic device. The control signal depends on the recognized user activity. The control signal indicates a fit of the wearable electronic device to the user.

[0021] According to a second aspect there is presented a system for activity-based resizing of a wearable electronic device. The system comprising a controller according to the first aspect and the wearable electronic device.

[0022] According to a third aspect there is presented a method for controlling a wearable electronic device. The method is performed by a controller. The method comprises recognizing, from sensor data, user activity of a user wearing the wearable electronic device. The method comprises providing a control signal to a shape-shiftable material in the wearable electronic device for resizing the wearable electronic device. The control signal depends on the recognized user activity. The control signal indicates a fit of the wearable electronic device to the user.

[0023] According to a fourth aspect there is presented a computer program for controlling a wearable electronic device. The computer program comprises computer code which, when run on processing circuitry of a controller, causes the controller to perform actions. One action comprises the controller to recognize, from sensor data, user activity of a user wearing the wearable electronic device. One action comprises the controller to provide a control signal to a shape-shiftable material in the wearable electronic device for resizing the wearable electronic device. The control signal depends on the recognized user activity. The control signal indicates a fit of the wearable electronic device to the user.

[0024] According to a fifth aspect there is presented a computer program product comprising a computer program according to the fourth aspect and a computer readable storage medium on which the computer program is stored. The computer readable storage medium could be a non-transitory computer readable storage medium.

[0025] Advantageously, these aspects do not suffer from the issues disclosed above.

[0026] Advantageously, these aspects enable the wearable electronic device to properly fit (in anatomy sense) the user without experiencing the above issues.

[0027] Advantageously, these aspects enable the fit of the wearable electronic device to the user to be adapted based on the user activity.

[0028] Advantageously, these aspects enable the fit of the wearable electronic device to the user to be adapted without requiring user interaction. That is, these aspects enable the wearable electronic device to be properly fit (in anatomy sense) to the user without requiring manual input.

[0029] Other objectives, features and advantages of the enclosed embodiments will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, from the attached dependent claims as well as from the drawings. Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to "a / an / the element, apparatus, component, means, module, step, etc." are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, module, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated.

[0030] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The inventive concept is now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a system according to an embodiment;

[0033] Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 are flowcharts of methods according to embodiments;

[0034] Fig. 3, Fig. 5, and Fig. 6 schematically illustrate wearable electronic devices according to embodiments;

[0035] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing functional units of a controller according to an embodiment;

[0036] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing functional modules of a controller according to an embodiment; and

[0037] Fig. 9 shows one example of a computer program product comprising computer readable storage medium according to an embodiment.

[0038] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The inventive concept will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the inventive concept are shown. This inventive concept may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concept to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description. Any step or feature illustrated by dashed lines should be regarded as optional.

[0040] As noted above, there is still a need for enabling a wearable electronic device to properly fit (in anatomy sense) the user.

[0041] In further detail, current wearable electronic devices do not adapt size and form to the user activity when worn by the user. This might cause some types of wearable electronic devices to easily fall off the user when the user engages in some activities such as running, or at least when changing from some activity to another activity, such as from walking to running.

[0042] At least some of the herein disclosed embodiments are based on using sensor data to recognize the user activity and adapt the size and / or form of the wearable electronic device to match the user activity such as to reduce the wearable electronic device from, on the one hand, being fit so loosely that it eventually may fall off the user and, on the other hand, not to be fit so tightly that it is uncomfortable for the user over the time of usage.

[0043] The embodiments disclosed herein therefore relate to techniques for controlling a wearable electronic device no. In order to obtain such techniques there is provided a controller 700, a method performed by the controller 700, and a computer program product comprising code, for example in the form of a computer program, that when run on a controller 700, causes the controller 700 to perform the method.

[0044] Fig. 1 illustrates a system 100 for activity-based resizing of a wearable electronic device no. The system 100 comprises a controller 700 and the wearable electronic device 110. The controller 700 might be provided in the wearable electronic device 110 or in a user equipment 150. The wearable electronic device 110 and the user equipment 150 are configured for communication with each other via communication interfaces (Comm.) 118, 160. This communication might either be wireless (such as over a radio interface) or be wired (such as over an electric cable). Hence, the communication interfaces 118, 160 might be configured for wireless or wired communication. For example, the communication interfaces 118, 160 might be a radio interface and implement one or more standards and / or protocols for wireless communication. For example, the communication interfaces 118, 160 might be an electronical connector, such as a cable connector, that enables the wearable electronic device no to be plugged to the user equipment 150.

[0045] Starting with the wearable electronic device 110, the wearable electronic device no comprises a shape-shiftable material 112. The shape-shiftable material 112 is a material that is able to change shape by means of transitioning into different configurations causing e.g., the volume and / or proportions of the material to change. Examples of such materials will be disclosed. In general terms, the shape-shiftable material 112 is controlled by the controller 700. The wearable electronic device 110 might further comprise one or more sensors 114, such as an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a microphone, etc. for obtaining sensor data. Examples of sensor data will be disclosed below. Further, the wearable electronic device no might comprise a power source, such as a battery 116 for powering the wearable electronic device no. The wearable electronic device 110 might further comprise a controller 700. Further aspects of the controller 700 will be disclosed below.

[0046] Continuing with the user equipment 150, the user equipment 150 might comprise a controller 700. This is the case when the controller 700 is not part of the wearable electronic device 110. The user equipment 150 might further comprise entities, such as a camera 152, an IMU 154, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) unit 162, a microphone 164, as well as other sensors 168, for obtaining sensor data. Further, the user equipment 150 might comprise a power source, such as a battery 156 for powering the user equipment 150.

[0047] Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating embodiments of methods 200 for controlling a wearable electronic device no. The methods 200 are performed by the controller 700. The methods 200 are advantageously implemented by means of computer programs 920.

[0048] In general terms, the controller 700 is configured to map user activity to a control signal. The control signal is provided as input to the wearable electronic device no (i.e., to the shape-shiftable material 112 in the wearable electronic device 110) for resizing the wearable electronic device 110. In order to accomplish this, the controller 700 needs to recognize the user activity of a user wearing the wearable electronic device 110. S102: The controller 700 recognizes, from sensor data, user activity of a user wearing the wearable electronic device no.

[0049] S104: The controller 700 provides a control signal to a shape-shiftable material 112 in the wearable electronic device no for resizing the wearable electronic device 110. The control signal depends on the recognized user activity. The control signal indicates a fit of the wearable electronic device 110 to the user.

[0050] Hence, the controller 700 will recognize that there is a change in user activity and cause the fit of the wearable electronic device 110 to the user to be adapted accordingly for the recognized activity.

[0051] It follows from the above that the wearable electronic device 110 adapts, by means of the shape-shiftable material 112, its fit to the user based on the control signal received from the controller 700. It also follows from the above that the shape-shiftable material 112 is configured to receive the control signal from the controller 700 for resizing the wearable electronic device no. As disclosed above, the control signal depends on a recognized user activity (or change of user activity), and the control signal indicates a fit of the wearable electronic device no to the user. The wearable electronic device 110 is, by the shape-shiftable material 112, thereby adapted based on the recognized user activity.

[0052] Embodiments relating to further details of controlling a wearable electronic device 110 as performed by the controller 700 will now be disclosed with continued reference to Fig. 2.

[0053] In some embodiments, the controller 700 is either part of, integrated with, or collocated with, the wearable electronic device 110. In some embodiments, the controller 700 is either part of, integrated with, or collocated with, a user equipment 150 configured to communicate with the wearable electronic device no. In this way, in one alternative, the herein disclosed embodiments can be implemented solely in the wearable electronic device no, and in another alternative, the wearable electronic device 110 is instructed by an accompanying controller 700 e.g., implemented in a user equipment 150. There may be different types of sensor data, and hence different types of sensor devices, or other sources of information, from which the sensor data can be obtained. In some embodiments, the sensor data is obtained by the controller 700 from any, or any combination, of: an IMU, a microphone, a camera, a humidity sensor, a pedometer. In some embodiments, the sensor data is obtained by the controller 700 from a user equipment 150 or the wearable electronic device no itself. Non-limiting examples of sensor data are the pulse of the user, the blood oxygen level of the user, the body temperature data of the user, ambient light that the user is exposed to (that can give information of the situation of the user, e.g., whether the user is located indoors or outdoors, etc.), gyroscope data (that can be indicative of user orientation, user rotation, etc.), IMU data (that can be indicative of user movement increasing or decreasing), humidity data (that can be indicative of that the user starts sweating).

[0054] There can be different ways for the controller 700 to recognize the user activity. In some aspects, the controller 700 compares the obtained sensor data to different patterns so as to match the sensor data to the correct user activity. The controller 700 might therefore have access to a set of models for changing the shape-shiftable material 112. Thus, in some embodiments, the controller 700 is configured to recognize the user activity from the sensor data by comparing the sensor data to different activity-labelled sensor data patterns. The user activity can then be defined by the activity of the activity-labelled sensor data pattern that is most similar to (i.e., that matches) the sensor data. Here, any suitable similarity measure, such as correlation, can be used. In this respect, there might be different activities, each with its own set of activity-labelled sensor data patterns. In other examples, the user activity is determined from different combinations of sensor values. In general terms, the activity is a physical activity, such as running, walking, standing, sitting, laying down, etc. Further “Inertial-Measurement-Unit-Based Novel Human Activity Recognition Algorithm Using Conformer” by Yeon-Wook Kim et al in Sensors 2022, 22, 3932, https: / / doi.org / 1o.339o / s221o3932, as available per 20 June 2023 describes human activity recognition based on device sensor(s) such as e.g., an IMU.

[0055] In general terms, it is expected that the higher the level of activity the tighter fit of the wearable electronic device no to the user could be preferable and vice versa. In particularly, in some embodiments, the user activity has an intensity, and the control signal pertains to an increasingly tighter fit of the wearable electronic device no to the user with increasing intensity of the user activity. As an example, the fit of the wearable electronic device no to the user should be tighter for the activity “user is running” than for the activity “user is walking”, and vice versa. Thus, if the controller 700 recognizes that the user is changing his / her activity from walking to running, then the fit of the wearable electronic device no to the user should be tightened (e.g., because the user activity level is increasing).

[0056] There can be different ways in which the shape-shiftable material 112 causes the wearable electronic device 110 to be resized. In general terms, the wearable electronic device 110 can be resized in terms of its volume being increased or decreased. Therefore, in some embodiments, the shape-shiftable material 112 is by the control signal caused to either expand or shrink. For some types of wearable electronic devices 110, and as will be disclosed in further detail below, increasing the size might allow for a tighter fit, and vice versa. However, for other types of wearable electronic devices no, and as will be disclosed in further detail below, increasing the size might allow for a tighter fit, and vice versa.

[0057] The control signal might be different, or contain different parts, for different parts of the wearable electronic device no. Particularly, in some embodiments, the wearable electronic device 110 has a right part and a left part. A non-limiting example of this is a wearable electronic device in terms of an in-ear headset 100a, 100b, where one part is adapted to be inserted into the user’s right ear and another part is adapted to be inserted into the user’s left ear. The control signal as provided to the shape-shiftable material 112 in the right part of the wearable electronic device 110 can then be different, or comprise a different part, from the control signal as provided to the shape-shiftable material 112 in the left part of the wearable electronic device no. This could be the case where the user is tilting his / her head to either the right or the left and where the fit thus needs to be different for the right side and the left side to compensate for this tilting. That is, in some embodiments, the control signal can then be configured to cause the shape-shiftable material 112 in the right part of the wearable electronic device no to shift shape in a different manner than the shapeshiftable material 112 in the left part of the wearable electronic device 110 depending on an estimated orientation of the one or more body parts. The orientation might either be detected as part of the user activity or from auxiliary information, or sensor data. That is, in some embodiments, the orientation of the one or more body parts is either estimated by the controller 700 based on analyzing the sensor data or provided to the controller 700 as sensor data or auxiliary information.

[0058] In some aspects, the control signal is adapted for the wearable electronic device no to maintain a constant pressure with respect to the one or more body parts of the user where the wearable electronic device 110 is worn even if the temperature (of the user and / or the shape-shiftable material 112) changes for some given user activity. That is, the wearable electronic device no might be wearable on at least one body part of the user, and the processing circuitry 710 might further be configured to cause the controller 700 to perform (optional) step S106:

[0059] S106: The controller 700, responsive to having obtained an indication of resizing of the one or more body parts, adapts the control signal to maintain constant tightness of the fit of the wearable electronic device 110 to the user. The term “constant” is here interpreted as including some tolerance that might depend on the user activity, be of a fixed value, or be adjustable by the user. Further, by “constant tightness” is meant that essentially the same pressure should be provided against the one or more body parts on which the wearable electronic device no is worn.

[0060] Additionally or alternatively, pressure sensors provided in the shape-shiftable material 112 might in real-time measure the pressure of the wearable electronic device no to the user at multiple points on the surface of the wearable electronic device 110 and adaptively change its size so that the pressure will be evenly distributed for the user’s anatomy. Therefore, in some embodiments, the shapeshiftable material 112, responsive to having obtained an indication of resizing of the one or more body part, is adapted to maintain constant tightness of the fit of the wearable electronic device 110 to the user. In general terms, a higher pressure generally corresponds to a tighter fit, and vice versa.

[0061] Further, it is envisioned that different users, or even one and the same user, might for one and the same user activity have different preferences in terms of how tight the wearable electronic device no should fit to the user. Therefore, in some embodiments, the processing circuitry 710 further is configured to cause the controller 700 to perform (optional) step S108: Sio8: The controller 700, responsive to having obtained user input identifying a tightness of the fit of the wearable electronic device no to the user for a given user activity, adapts the control signal for the fit of the wearable electronic device no to the user to be at least of this given tightness for this given user activity.

[0062] In this respect, if there is a conflict between different settings, the user specifies a first fit of the wearable electronic device 110 to the user for a given user activity whereas the controller 700 has already determined a second fit, different from the first fit of the wearable electronic device 110 to the user for the same given user activity, then the controller 700 needs to select one of the first fit and the second fit, or even select some third fit (e.g., representing a mean value of the first fit and the second fit). In some embodiments, the control signal is adapted for the fit of the wearable electronic device no to the user to at least be above a threshold value. In this way, the controller 700 can determine the control signal in a way to reduce the risk that the fit is so loose that there is a risk that the wearable electronic device no eventually may fall off the user.

[0063] Further, when wearing the wearable electronic device 110 for the first time, the user might calibrate a preferred fit (ranging from a comparatively loose fit to a comparatively tight fit.) for different activity levels. This could be done through, for example, voice commands, gestures, interaction with the wearable electronic device 110 or an application run in the user equipment 150. Once the user continues to wear the wearable electronic device 110, the fit can thus be changed or updated to match the calibrated fit.

[0064] The controller 700 might further be configured to adapt the control signal for the fit of the wearable electronic device no to, in turn, be adaptive to when the wearable electronic device no is to be removed from the user and / or be worn by the user. In general terms, the fit of the wearable electronic device 110 needs to be relatively loose when the wearable electronic device 110 is to be removed from the user and / or when the user is going to wear the wearable electronic device 110. Therefore, in some embodiments, the processing circuitry 710 further is configured to cause the controller 700 to perform (optional) step S110.

[0065] S110: The controller 700, responsive to having obtained user input identifying either removal of the wearable electronic device no from the user or the wearable electronic device no being worn by the user, adapts the control signal for the fit of the wearable electronic device no to be as loose as possible.

[0066] There could be different examples of wearable electronic devices no as illustrated in Fig. 3. In some examples, the wearable electronic device 110 is any of: an in-ear headset, an on-ear headset, an over-ear headset 100a, a smart watch 100b, an eyewear 100c. An example where the wearable electronic device 110 is an in-ear headset ood is illustrated in Fig. 5. According to a first example, the shape-shiftable material 112 is provided in a body of the in-ear headsetiood. In this way, the in-ear headset ood can be adaptively resized to loosen and tighten its fit to the user’s ears depending on the control signal. According to a second example, the shape-shiftable material 112 is provided in a head-strap of the over-ear headset 100a (or the on-ear headset). In this way, the head-strap of the on-ear headset or the over-ear headset 100a can be adaptively resized to loosen and tighten the fit of the on-ear headset or the over-ear headset 100a to the user’s head depending on the control signal. According to a third example, the shape-shiftable material 112 is provided in a wriststrap of the smart watch 100b. In this way, the wrist-strap of the smart watch 100b can be adaptively resized to loosen and tighten the fit of the smart watch 100b to the user’s wrist depending on the control signal. According to a fourth example, the shape-shiftable material 112 is provided in a sidepiece, or even a retainer, of the eyewear 100c. In this way, the sidepiece or retainer of the eyewear 100c can be adaptively resized to loosen and tighten the fit of the eyewear 100c to the user’s head depending on the control signal. In this way, the in-ear headset rood can be expanded when the user activity changes from walking to running, the head-strap of the on-ear headset or the over-ear headset 100a can be tightened when the user activity changes from walking to running, the wrist-strap of the smart watch 100b can be tightened when the user activity changes from walking to running, the sidepiece or retainer of the eyewear 100c can be tightened when the user activity changes from walking to running, and vice versa.

[0067] In further examples the wearable electronic device no is, or is part of, a necklace, a bracelet, a ring, a glove, a body suit, footwear, a belt, or the like.

[0068] Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method 400 for controlling a wearable electronic device no according to at least some of the herein disclosed embodiments. S201: A user starts wearing the wearable electronic device no. The user might have a predefined fit of the electronic device no or might define his / her own fit.

[0069] S202: As the user wears the wearable electronic device 110, the controller 700 will monitor the user activity by analyzing sensor data. The data rate (i.e., the rate at which sensor data is obtained by the controller 700) could differ depending on the currently recognized user activity level and the preferred latency before any adjustment is made.

[0070] S203: The controller 700 checks whether a change in user activity is detected or not. Step S202 is entered again (possibly after some delay) if no change in user activity is detected. Step S204 is entered if a change in user activity is detected.

[0071] S204: The controller 700 determines whether the change in user activity triggers a need to adjust (i.e., increase or decrease) the fit of the wearable electronic device no to the user.

[0072] S205: The controller 700, responsive to having determined that the fit needs to be tightened, provides control signal to the shape-shiftable material 112 in the wearable electronic device no for tightening the fit of the wearable electronic device 110 to the user.

[0073] S206: The controller 700, responsive to having determined that the fit needs to be loosened, provides control signal to the shape-shiftable material 112 in the wearable electronic device 110 for loosening the fit of the wearable electronic device 110 to the user.

[0074] It follows from the above that the fit thus should have at least two levels; one tighter and one looser. The steps between the levels could be discrete or continuous (e.g., depending on whether the control signal is digital or analog). Once the control signal has been sent, and the fit thus has been set accordingly, step S202 can be entered again.

[0075] Further, whilst the example in Fig. 4 is described with a single sequence of actions, it is envisioned that one separate sequence of actions can be executed for each part of the wearable electronic device no. In this way, the fit can be adjusted so that the shape-shiftable material assumes different forms which could result in tighter fit to one portion of the body part on which the wearable electronic device no is worn and a looser fit to another portion of the body part on which the wearable electronic device no is worn. For example, for an in-ear headset, the part of the wearable electronic device no that is placed within an inner portion of the ear canal might provide a looser fit than the part of the wearable electronic device no that is placed at the outer portion of the ear canal (since it is the fitting at the outer portion of the ear canal that needs to be tight enough to prevent the in-ear headset from falling out).Aspects of the shape-shiftable material 112 will be disclosed next.

[0076] In general terms, one property of the shape-shiftable material 112 is the ability to change the mechanical dimensions of the wearable electronic device 110. This shapeshiftable material 112 could be an electroactive polymer (EAP), a piezo electric material, fluid-controlled material (i.e., a material that can change in size by changing the pressure of a fluid) or some other material that can change by controlling a voltage, current, or pressure. In Fig. 5 an illustration is provided where the shapeshiftable material 112 is in a wearable electronic device in terms of an in-ear headset rood and where the size of the shape-shiftable material 112 causes the in-ear headset rood to change between a first size (as represented by diameter Di in Fig. 5(a)) and a second size (as represented by diameter D2 in Fig. 5(b)). In Fig. 5(a) the shapeshiftable material 112 is in a first state where the shape-shiftable material 112 is of a smaller size, not adding to the size of the in-ear headset. In Fig. 5(b) the shapeshiftable material 112 is in a second state where the shape-shiftable material 112 is of a larger size, adding to the size of the in-ear headset. That is, the size of the in-ear headset increases from Fig. 5(a) to Fig. 5(b), i.e., D2 > Di.

[0077] Aspects of how to measure pressure between the wearable electronic device no will be disclosed next.

[0078] To be able to measure pressure between the wearable electronic device no and the user, the wearable electronic device 110 could be provided with a pressure sensitive material. Two examples of pressure-sensitive materials that can be used for this purpose are piezoresistive materials and polymer-based materials. These materials are used in pressure sensors and transducers, which are devices that convert a mechanical pressure into an electrical signal. Piezoresistive materials typically consist of a semiconducting or metallic material that has a resistance that changes when it is deformed by an applied pressure. The resistance change is then used to measure the pressure. One example of a piezoresistive material is silicon. When silicon is made into a thin, highly doped layer, it becomes piezoresistive and can be used to measure pressure. Polymer-based pressure sensors are widely used in flexible and wearable applications. These sensors can be fabricated using low-cost, scalable methods such as screen printing, and can be integrated with other electronic components on a flexible substrate.

[0079] Fig. 6 illustrates a wearable electronic device no in terms of an in-ear headset lood. It is schematically illustrated that the in-ear headset rood comprises a layer of a shape-shiftable material 112, such as EAP, and a pressure sensor layer 600. Fig 6(a) illustrates an example where the shape-shiftable material 112 has expanded and exhibits a pressure P is on the pressure sensor layer, whereas in Fig 6(b) illustrates an example without any such expansion or pressure. When the EAP material is expanding, and thus exhibits the pressure P, the pressure sensor layer will experience increasing pressure, causing the distance di to be smaller than the distance d2. . The pressure sensor layer can be used to measure the force as produced by the wearable electronic device no towards the skin of the user. The pressure sensor layer has the mechanical structure of a polymer-based pressure sensor. The pressure sensor layer is composed of a thin film of a pressure-sensitive polymer, such as a conductive polymer or a piezoresistive polymer, deposited on a flexible substrate, such as a polymer film or a fabric.

[0080] One common method for fabricating a polymer-based pressure sensor is using a pressure-sensitive polymer that changes its electrical conductivity when it is deformed by an applied pressure. The polymer is deposited on a flexible substrate in the form of a thin film, and then patterned into a grid or array of small, isolated squares or rectangles, called "sensing elements," which are connected to electrical leads. These elements are usually isolated from the substrate by an insulating layer. When a pressure is applied to the thin film of polymer, it causes the sensing elements to deform slightly. This deformation changes the electrical conductivity of the polymer, and as a result, the resistance of the material changes. The change in resistance can then be measured and used to determine the pressure. Piezoresistive polymers have the ability to change their resistance when deformed.

[0081] These materials can be deposited in a similar way as conductive polymers, but instead of measuring the change in conductivity, the change in resistance is measured.

[0082] In some cases, multiple layers of polymer or other materials can be used to enhance the sensitivity of the sensor, or to provide additional functionality, such as temperature or humidity compensation.

[0083] In summary, the mechanical structure of a polymer-based pressure sensor is a thin film of a pressure-sensitive polymer deposited on a flexible substrate, which is then patterned into a grid or array of small, isolated elements that are connected to electrical leads. When pressure is applied to the material, the resistance or conductivity of the element’s changes, which can be used to measure the pressure.

[0084] Fig. 7 schematically illustrates, in terms of a number of functional units, the components of a controller 700 according to an embodiment. Processing circuitry 710 is provided using any combination of one or more of a suitable central processing unit (CPU), multiprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), etc., capable of executing software instructions stored in a computer program product 910 (as in Fig. 9), e.g. in the form of a storage medium 730. The processing circuitry 710 may further be provided as at least one application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0085] Particularly, the processing circuitry 710 is configured to cause the controller 700 to perform a set of operations, or steps, as disclosed above. For example, the storage medium 730 may store the set of operations, and the processing circuitry 710 maybe configured to retrieve the set of operations from the storage medium 730 to cause the controller 700 to perform the set of operations. The set of operations maybe provided as a set of executable instructions.

[0086] Thus the processing circuitry 710 is thereby arranged to execute methods as herein disclosed. The storage medium 730 may also comprise persistent storage, which, for example, can be any single one or combination of magnetic memory, optical memory, solid state memory or even remotely mounted memory. The controller 700 may further comprise a communications (comm.) interface 720 at least configured for communications with other entities, functions, nodes, and devices. As such the communications interface 720 may comprise one or more transmitters and receivers, comprising analogue and digital components. The processing circuitry 710 controls the general operation of the controller 700 e.g. by sending data and control signals to the communications interface 720 and the storage medium 730, by receiving data and reports from the communications interface 720, and by retrieving data and instructions from the storage medium 730. Other components, as well as the related functionality, of the controller 700 are omitted in order not to obscure the concepts presented herein.

[0087] Fig. 8 schematically illustrates, in terms of a number of functional modules, the components of a controller 700 according to an embodiment. The controller 700 of Fig. 8 comprises a number of functional modules; a recognize module 810 configured to perform step S102, and a provide module 820 configured to perform step S104. The controller 700 of Fig. 8 may further comprise a number of optional functional modules, such as any of a (first) adapt module 830 configured to perform step S106, a (second) adapt module 840 configured to perform step S108, and a (third) adapt module 850 configured to perform step S110.

[0088] In general terms, each functional module 810:850 may in one embodiment be implemented only in hardware and in another embodiment with the help of software, i.e., the latter embodiment having computer program instructions stored on the storage medium 730 which when run on the processing circuitry makes the controller 700 perform the corresponding steps mentioned above in conjunction with Fig 8. It should also be mentioned that even though the modules correspond to parts of a computer program, they do not need to be separate modules therein, but the way in which they are implemented in software is dependent on the programming language used. Preferably, one or more or all functional modules 8io:85omay be implemented by the processing circuitry 710, possibly in cooperation with the communications interface 720 and / or the storage medium 730. The processing circuitry 710 may thus be configured to from the storage medium 730 fetch instructions as provided by a functional module 8io:85oand to execute these instructions, thereby performing any steps as disclosed herein.

[0089] As disclosed above, the controller 700 maybe provided as a standalone device or as a part of at least one further device. A first portion of the instructions performed by the controller 700 maybe executed in a first device, and a second portion of the of the instructions performed by the controller 700 may be executed in a second device; the herein disclosed embodiments are not limited to any particular number of devices on which the instructions performed by the controller 700 maybe executed. Hence, the methods according to the herein disclosed embodiments are suitable to be performed by a controller 700 residing in a cloud computational environment. Therefore, although a single processing circuitry 710 is illustrated in Fig. 7 the processing circuitry 710 may be distributed among a plurality of devices, or nodes. The same applies to the functional modules 810:850 of Fig. 8 and the computer program 920 of Fig. 9-

[0090] Fig. 9 shows one example of a computer program product 910 comprising computer readable storage medium 930. On this computer readable storage medium 930, a computer program 920 can be stored, which computer program 920 can cause the processing circuitry 710 and thereto operatively coupled entities and devices, such as the communications interface 720 and the storage medium 730, to execute methods according to embodiments described herein. The computer program 920 and / or computer program product 910 may thus provide means for performing any steps as herein disclosed.

[0091] In the example of Fig. 9, the computer program product 910 is illustrated as an optical disc, such as a CD (compact disc) or a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a Blu-Ray disc. The computer program product 910 could also be embodied as a memory, such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) and more particularly as a non-volatile storage medium of a device in an external memory such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a Flash memory, such as a compact Flash memory. Thus, while the computer program 920 is here schematically shown as a track on the depicted optical disk, the computer program 920 can be stored in any way which is suitable for the computer program product 910.

[0092] The inventive concept has mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the inventive concept, as defined by the appended patent claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A controller (700) for controlling a wearable electronic device (110), wherein the controller (700) comprises processing circuitry (710), and wherein the processing circuitry (710) is configured to cause the controller (700) to: recognize, from sensor data, user activity of a user wearing the wearable electronic device (110); and provide a control signal to a shape-shiftable material (112) in the wearable electronic device (110) for resizing the wearable electronic device (110), wherein the control signal depends on the recognized user activity, and wherein the control signal indicates a fit of the wearable electronic device (110) to the user.

2. The controller (700) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor data is by the controller (700) obtained from any, or any combination, of: an inertial measurement unit (114, 154), a microphone (114, 164), a camera (152), a humidity sensor, a pedometer, a user equipment (150), the wearable electronic device (110).

3. The controller (700) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller (700) is configured to recognize the user activity from the sensor data by comparing the sensor data to different activity-labelled sensor data patterns, where the user activity is defined by the activity of the activity-labelled sensor data pattern that is most similar to the sensor data.

4. The controller (700) according to any preceding claim, wherein the user activity has an intensity, and wherein the control signal pertains to an increasingly tighter fit of the wearable electronic device (110) to the user with increasing intensity of the user activity.

5. The controller (700) according to any preceding claim, wherein the wearable electronic device (110) has a right part and a left part, and wherein the control signal as provided to the shape-shiftable material (112) in the right part of the wearable electronic device (110) is different from the control signal as provided to the shapeshiftable material (112) in the left part of the wearable electronic device (110).

6. The controller (700) according to claim 5, wherein the wearable electronic device (110) is wearable on one or more body parts of the user, and wherein the control signal is configured to cause the shape-shiftable material (112) in the right part of the wearable electronic device (110) to shift shape in a different manner than the shape-shiftable material (112) in the left part of the wearable electronic device (no) depending on an estimated orientation of said one or more body parts.

7. The controller (700) according to claim 6, wherein the orientation of said one or more body parts is either estimated by the controller (700) from the sensor data or provided to the controller (700) as sensor data or auxiliary information.

8. The controller (700) according to any preceding claim, wherein the wearable electronic device (no) is wearable on a body part of the user, and wherein the processing circuitry (710) further is configured to cause the controller (700) to: responsive to having obtained an indication of resizing of said body part, adapt the control signal to maintain constant tightness of the fit of the wearable electronic device (110) to the user.

9. The controller (700) according to any preceding claim, wherein the processing circuitry (710) further is configured to cause the controller (700) to: responsive to having obtained user input identifying a tightness of the fit of the wearable electronic device (110) to the user for a given user activity, adapt the control signal for the fit of the wearable electronic device (110) to the user to be at least of said given tightness for said given user activity.

10. The controller (700) according to claim 9, wherein the control signal is adapted for the fit of the wearable electronic device (110) to the user to at least be above a threshold value.

11. The controller (700) according to any preceding claim, wherein the processing circuitry (710) further is configured to cause the controller (700) to: responsive to having obtained user input identifying either removal of the wearable electronic device (110) from the user or the wearable electronic device (110)being put on the user, adapt the control signal for the fit of the wearable electronic device (no) to be as loose as possible.

12. The controller (700) according to any preceding claim, wherein the controller (700) is either part of, integrated with, or collocated with, the wearable electronic device (no), or part of a user equipment configured to communicate with the wearable electronic device (110).

13. A system (100) for activity-based resizing of a wearable electronic device (110), the system (100) comprising a controller (700) according to any preceding claim and the wearable electronic device (110).

14. The system (100) according to claim 13, wherein the wearable electronic device (110) comprises a shape-shiftable material (112) configured to receive a control signal from the controller (700) for resizing the wearable electronic device (no), wherein the control signal depends on a recognized user activity, and wherein the control signal indicates a fit of the wearable electronic device (110) to the user that by the shape-shiftable material (112) thereby is adapted based on the recognized user activity.

15. The system (100) according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the shape-shiftable material (112) is by the control signal either expanded or shrunk.

16. The system (100) according to any of claims 13 to 15, wherein the wearable electronic device (110) is wearable on a body part of a user, and wherein the shapeshiftable material (112), responsive to having obtained an indication of resizing of said body part, is adapted to maintain constant tightness of the fit of the wearable electronic device (110) to the user.

17. The system (100) according to any of claims 13 to 16, wherein the wearable electronic device (110) is any of: an in-ear headset (100a, 100b), an on-ear headset, an over-ear headset (100a), a smart watch (100b), an eyewear (100c).

18. The system (100) according to claim 17, wherein the shape-shiftable material (112) is provided in a body of the in-ear headset (100a, 100b).19- The system (100) according to claim 17, wherein the shape-shiftable material (112) is provided in a head-strap of the on-ear headset or the over-ear headset (100a).

20. The system (100) according to claim 17, wherein the shape-shiftable material (112) is provided in a wrist-strap of the smart watch (100b).

21. The system (100) according to claim 17, wherein the shape-shiftable material (112) is provided in a retainer of the eyewear (100c).

22. A method (200) for controlling a wearable electronic device (110), wherein the method is performed by a controller (700), and wherein the method comprises: recognizing (S102), from sensor data, user activity of a user wearing the wearable electronic device (110); and providing (S104) a control signal to a shape-shiftable material (112) in the wearable electronic device (110) for resizing the wearable electronic device (110), wherein the control signal depends on the recognized user activity, and wherein the control signal indicates a fit of the wearable electronic device (110) to the user.

23. A computer program (920) for controlling a wearable electronic device (110), the computer program comprising computer code which, when run on processing circuitry (710) of a controller (700), causes the controller (700) to: recognize (S102), from sensor data, user activity of a user wearing the wearable electronic device (110); and provide (S104) a control signal to a shape-shiftable material (112) in the wearable electronic device (110) for resizing the wearable electronic device (110), wherein the control signal depends on the recognized user activity, and wherein the control signal indicates a fit of the wearable electronic device (110) to the user.

24. A computer program product (910) comprising a computer program (920) according to claim 23, and a computer readable storage medium (930) on which the computer program is stored.

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