Sensor and wearable devices

Abstract

To provide a sensor device that extends the functions of a wearable device without impairing workability of a user.SOLUTION: A sensor device, together with a smart device and a band that enables the smart device to be worn on a forearm of a user, constitutes a wearable device. The sensor device includes: a first end portion arranged at a side of the hand of the user when the wearable device is worn; a second end portion arranged at a side of the elbow of the user when the wearable device is worn; and an attachment portion to be attached to the band, the attachment portion being offset to the side of the first end portion, relative to a midpoint position positioned at the midpoint between the first end portion and the second end portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sensor device and a wearable device. [Background technology]

[0002] One type of wearable device known is a wristwatch-type device worn on the forearm. A wristwatch-type device includes a smart device and a band that allows the smart device to be worn on the user's forearm. An example of a smart device is known as a smartwatch. In addition to displaying the date and time, a smartwatch has a variety of functions, such as health management, incoming call notification, voice communication, information communication, and music playback.

[0003] Some people want these wearable devices to have expanded functionality, so that they can have not only the functions of smart devices but also sensor device functions that smart devices do not have. Naturally, it is also desirable that such functionality not impair the user's operability. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2016-535349 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a sensor device that expands the functionality of a wearable device without impairing the user's operability, and a wearable device that includes the sensor device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A wearable device according to an embodiment includes a smart device, a band that allows the smart device to be worn on a user's forearm, and an RFID reader attached to the smart device via the band. The RFID reader has a first end that is positioned near the user's hand when worn, a second end that is positioned near the user's elbow, and an attachment portion that is attached to the band and is offset toward the first end from an intermediate position between the first and second ends. The RFID reader is attached to the band so that it is positioned on the opposite side of the smart device across the user's forearm when worn, and the first end of the RFID reader is located on the same side as the first end or closer to the elbow than the smart device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a wearable device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the wearable device according to the embodiment as seen from a different direction than that shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a wearable device according to an embodiment in which the display of the display unit is different from that in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of how the wearable device according to the embodiment is worn, with the hand outstretched. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of how the wearable device according to the embodiment is worn, in which the hand is flexed. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of how a wearable device according to a comparative example is worn with an outstretched arm. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of how a wearable device according to a comparative example is worn, in a state where the hand is flexed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings, in which like elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and the drawings are schematic or conceptual.

[0009] 1 to 3 are perspective views showing a wearable device 10 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the wearable device 10 includes a wristwatch-type device 20 and a sensor device 50 attached to the wristwatch-type device 20.

[0010] The wristwatch-type device 20 includes a smart device 30 and a band 40 that allows the smart device 30 to be worn on the front end of the user's forearm. Here, the front end of the forearm refers to the distal end of the forearm, i.e., the end of the forearm closest to the hand. Accordingly, in the following description, expressions relating to front and back will follow this. That is, the side closer to the hand is referred to as the front, and the side closer to the elbow is referred to as the rear. Here, the hand refers to the part forward of the wrist.

[0011] For example, the smart device 30 is a smartwatch. The smart device 30 has a variety of functions, such as a date and time display function, a health management function, an incoming call notification function, a voice call function, an information communication function, and a music playback function.

[0012] The smart device 30 has a display unit 31 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) that displays information. For example, the display unit 31 has a touch screen that uses a liquid crystal display or the like. In other words, the display unit 31 functions as an information input / output device. Although not shown, the smart device 30 also has a built-in microcomputer that processes information displayed on the display unit 31 and information input from the display unit 31. The microcomputer also works with necessary devices to perform the various functions described above.

[0013] The smart device 30 has a pair of attachment portions 32, 33 for attaching the band 40. Each of the attachment portions 32, 33 has a pair of protrusions and a pin (not shown) supported by the pair of protrusions.

[0014] In this embodiment, one end of the band 40 is connected to the attachment portion 32 by a pin (not shown). For example, the band 40 has a through-hole at one end, and a pin supported by a pair of protrusions is passed through this through-hole, thereby connecting the band 40 to the attachment portion 32.

[0015] The band 40 is folded back around the pin of the attachment portion 33. A fastening portion 42 is provided at the other end of the band 40, and this fastening portion 42 fastens the other end of the band 40 at a desired position in the middle of the band 40.

[0016] The sensor device 50 has a function of reading information by wireless communication. For example, the sensor device 50 is an RFID reader. The sensor device 50 has a function of reading information written in an RF tag by using radio waves or electromagnetic waves. The sensor device 50 may also have a function of writing information to an RF tag by using radio waves or electromagnetic waves. The sensor device 50 also has a function of transmitting the read information to the smart device 30 by wireless communication.

[0017] The sensor device 50 has an external shape that is approximately rectangular parallelepiped. For convenience, the following assumption is made here: "approximately rectangular parallelepiped" refers to a solid having six faces corresponding to the six planes of a rectangular parallelepiped. Furthermore, the faces of the solid do not need to be flat, but may be curved.

[0018] Furthermore, the surface of sensor device 50 that faces the forearm when wearable device 10 is worn is referred to as the bottom surface, and the surface opposite the bottom surface is referred to as the top surface. In addition to the bottom and top surfaces, sensor device 50 has two pairs of side surfaces that face each other. As shown in FIG. 1, an axis La passing through the center of one pair of side surfaces and an axis Lb passing through the center of the other pair of side surfaces are set. Axis La and axis Lb are perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to each other.

[0019] The sensor device 50 has a dimension along the axis La that is larger than the dimension along the axis Lb that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the axis La. Correspondingly, hereinafter, the axis La will also be referred to as the major axis La, and the axis Lb will also be referred to as the minor axis Lb, as appropriate.

[0020] The sensor device 50 is attached to the band 40 so as to be positioned on the opposite side of the smart device 30 with respect to the user's forearm when the wearable device 10 is worn. The sensor device 50 is attached to the wristwatch type device 20 so that the minor axis Lb is aligned with the band 40.

[0021] The sensor device 50 is larger than the smart device 30 in at least a dimension along the axis La. For example, the dimension of the sensor device 50 along the axis La is larger than the dimension of the smart device 30 along the axis La. Furthermore, the dimension of the sensor device 50 along the axis Lb may be larger than the dimension of the smart device 30 along the axis Lb.

[0022] The sensor device 50 has an attachment portion 51 that is attached to the band 40. For example, the attachment portion 51 is an elongated through-hole through which the band 40 is passed. The through-hole extends through the sensor device 50 along the minor axis Lb.

[0023] However, the configuration of the attachment portion 51 is not limited to this. The attachment portion 51 may have any configuration as long as it can attach the sensor device 50 to the band 40. For example, the attachment portion 51 may be a pair of U-shaped pins fixed to the sensor device 50. In this configuration example, the band 40 is passed through the gap between the sensor device 50 and the U-shaped pins.

[0024] 4 and 5 are diagrams showing an example of how the wearable device 10 according to the embodiment is worn. FIG. 4 illustrates a state in which the hand 83 is outstretched, and FIG. 5 illustrates a state in which the hand 83 is flexed, i.e., a state in which the joint of the wrist 82 is bent toward the palm 85. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the wearable device 10 is worn on the front end of the forearm 81 of the user's left arm. In this wearing example, the wearable device 10 is worn on the front end of the forearm 81 with the smart device 30 located on the back of the hand 84 side and the sensor device 50 located on the palm 85 side.

[0025] The orientation of the wearable device 10 is determined according to the orientation of the display unit 31 of the smart device 30. That is, the wearable device 10 is worn on the front end of the forearm 81 so that the upper side of the display unit 31 of the smart device 30 is on the little finger side of the hand 83.

[0026] The position of the attachment portion 51 of the sensor device 50 will be described below in relation to the state when the sensor device 50 is worn. For convenience, the first end portion positioned on the side of the user's hand 83 when the wearable device 10 is worn will be referred to as the front end portion 52, and the second end portion positioned on the side of the user's elbow will be referred to as the rear end portion 53. The intermediate position between the front end portion 52 and the rear end portion 53 will be referred to as the intermediate position 54. The distance along the long axis La between the front end portion 52 and the intermediate position 54 is the same as the distance along the long axis La between the rear end portion 53 and the intermediate position 54.

[0027] 4 and 5, a line Lc is set that passes through the intersection of the intermediate position 54 and the major axis La, and a line Ld is set that passes through the intersection of the front end portion 52 and the major axis La. Both the line Lc and the line Ld are perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to both the major axis La and the minor axis Lb (see FIG. 1).

[0028] The mounting portion 51 of the sensor device 50 is provided offset toward the front end 52 with respect to an intermediate position 54 located midway between the front end 52 and the rear end 53. That is, with respect to the position along the longitudinal axis La, the center of the mounting portion 51 is shifted toward the front end 52 from the intermediate position 54. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the mounting portion 51 is positioned toward the front end 52, deviating from a line Lc passing through the intermediate position 54. For example, the entire mounting portion 51 is positioned between the line Lc passing through the intermediate position 54 and the line Ld passing through the front end 52.

[0029] Furthermore, since the mounting portion 51 is positioned as described above, the front end portion 52 of the sensor device 50 is not located forward of the smart device 30. In other words, the straight line Ld passing through the front end portion 52 either crosses the smart device 30 or is tangent to the front end of the smart device 30.

[0030] 5, even when the hand 83 is flexed, that is, when the joint of the wrist 82 is bent toward the palm 85, the hand 83 does not come into contact with the sensor device 50. In other words, the sensor device 50 does not interfere with the work of the user.

[0031] A wearable device 60 according to a comparative example will now be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 are diagrams showing an example of wearing a wearable device 60 according to a comparative example. Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 depict the same state of a hand 83 as Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, respectively.

[0032] A wearable device 60 according to the comparative example is similar to the wearable device 10 according to the embodiment, except that the position of the attachment portion 51 of the sensor device 50 is different.

[0033] That is, the wearable device 60 includes a wristwatch type device 20 and a sensor device 50. However, the attachment portion 51 of the sensor device 50 is provided at an intermediate position 54. That is, the center of the attachment portion 51 is located at the intermediate position 54. In other words, the attachment portion 51 is provided at a position where the straight line Lc passing through the intermediate position 54 intersects with the center of the attachment portion 51.

[0034] With such an arrangement of the attachment portion 51, as shown in Fig. 7, when the hand 83 is flexed, that is, when the joint of the wrist 82 is bent toward the palm 85, the hand 83 comes into contact with the sensor device 50. This may cause the sensor device 50 to affect the operability of the user.

[0035] An example of how wearable device 10 is used in an apparel store is described below. In this example, the user is a salesperson at the apparel store, and sensor device 50 is an RFID reader. Before being put out, an RF tag with information about the product is attached to each product, such as clothing.

[0036] When a product is put on display or displayed in a store, the product is carried, for example, by a store clerk wearing wearable device 10. At that time, sensor device 50 reads information about the product from the RF tag attached to the product.

[0037] The sensor device 50, which is an RFID reader, can read information on multiple products simultaneously. Furthermore, because the sensor device 50 has a wide recognition range, the store clerk does not need to search for RF tags to read the information. In other words, the store clerk can have the sensor device 50 read the information on multiple products without the effort of reading the information.

[0038] The sensor device 50 also transmits the read information to the smart device 30 via wireless communication. The smart device 30 stores the received information. The smart device 30 can display the requested information upon request.

[0039] For example, in response to a question from a customer who is interested in a certain product, a store clerk wearing the wearable device 10 can operate the smart device 30 to display information about the product on the display unit 31 of the smart device 30, as shown in Fig. 2. For example, the information displayed on the display unit 31 includes image information and text information. The text information includes information such as the product name, price, material and function of the product, concept, tips and advice on how to wear the product, etc.

[0040] This allows the store clerk to quickly provide the customer with accurate information about the product without having to search for tags or the like.

[0041] Furthermore, for example, a store clerk can request the wearable device 10 to display information about the next product to be put out. In response to the request, the sensor device 50 wirelessly reads information about the sold product from a cash register system or the like and transmits it to the smart device 30. Based on the received information, the smart device 30 displays information about the next product to be put out on the display unit 31, as shown in FIG.

[0042] This allows store clerks to easily obtain information about the next product to be stocked, which contributes to improving the efficiency of stocking work and reducing stocking errors.

[0043] As described above, according to the embodiment, a sensor device 50 is provided that expands the functionality of the wristwatch type device 20 without impairing the user's operability. Furthermore, the sensor device 50, or the cooperation between the sensor device 50 and the smart device 30, provides a wearable device 10 to which functions of the sensor device 50 that are not present in the smart device 30 are added. Furthermore, in the wearable device 10, the sensor device 50 added to the smart device 30 does not impair the user's operability.

[0044] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been shown in which the wearable device 10 is worn on the front end of the forearm 81, with the smart device 30 placed on the back of the hand 84 and the sensor device 50 placed on the palm 85. However, the manner in which the wearable device 10 is worn is not limited to this. Contrary to this wearing example, the wearable device 10 may be worn on the front end of the forearm 81, with the smart device 30 placed on the palm 85 and the sensor device 50 placed on the back of the hand 84.

[0045] Even when worn in this manner, even when hand 83 is dorsiflexed, that is, when the joint of wrist 82 is bent toward back of hand 84, hand 83 does not come into contact with sensor device 50. In other words, sensor device 50 does not interfere with the work of the user.

[0046] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, they are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the claims. The inventions described in the original claims of this application are set forth below. [1] A sensor device that constitutes a wearable device together with a smart device and a band that allows the smart device to be worn on a user's forearm, a first end portion that is positioned on the side of the user's hand when the wearable device is worn; a second end portion that is positioned on the side of the user's elbow when the wearable device is worn; an attachment portion attached to the band, the attachment portion being offset toward the first end portion with respect to an intermediate position between the first end portion and the second end portion; Equipped with Sensor device. [2] Smart devices and a band that allows the smart device to be worn on a user's forearm; A sensor device attached to the smart device via the band, a first end portion that is positioned on the side of the user's hand when worn; a second end portion that is positioned on the side of the user's elbow when worn; an attachment portion attached to the band, the attachment portion being offset toward the first end portion with respect to an intermediate position between the first end portion and the second end portion; a sensor device comprising: A wearable device comprising: [3] The sensor device is attached to the band so that, when worn, it is positioned on the opposite side of the smart device across the user's forearm. [2] A wearable device according to the present invention. [4] The sensor device is an RFID reader. A wearable device according to any one of [2] to [3]. [5] The smart device is a smart watch. A wearable device according to any one of [2] to [4]. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10...wearable device, 20...wristwatch-type device, 30...smart device, 31...display unit, 32, 33...mounting unit, 40...band, 42...fastening unit, 50...sensor device, 51...mounting unit, 52...front end, 53...rear end, 54...intermediate position, 81...forearm, 82...wrist, 83...hand, 84...back of hand, 85...palm.

Claims

1. Smart devices and a band that allows the smart device to be worn on a user's forearm; An RFID reader attached to the smart device via the band, a first end that is positioned on the side of the user's hand when worn; a second end portion disposed on the side of the user's elbow when worn; an attachment portion attached to the band, the attachment portion being offset toward the first end with respect to an intermediate position between the first end and the second end; an RFID reader comprising: Equipped with the RFID reader is attached to the band so as to be positioned on the opposite side of the smart device across the user's forearm when worn; The first end of the RFID reader is on the same side as the smart device or on the elbow side of the smart device. Wearable device.

2. The smart device is a smart watch. The wearable device of claim 1 .

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