NFC-Activated Wearable Circuit for Shelf-Life and Pairing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable devices, such as health monitoring patches, face challenges in easy and reliable activation and pairing due to issues with battery pre-discharge and incorrect Bluetooth pairing, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of Near Field Communication (NFC) to activate wearable devices by detecting an electromagnetic field, eliminating the need for physical switches and enabling reliable device-patient pairing through NFC tags and transmitters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a physical switch is used to activate the wearable device, then the device can be manually powered on, but the device complexity increases and manufacturing costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical switch with an electromagnetic field-based activation system. The NFC transmitter generates an electromagnetic field that is detected by the electromagnetic field detection circuit, which then triggers the switching circuit to activate the device. This substitution eliminates the need for physical switches while maintaining ease of activation through contactless NFC interaction.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If the wearable device is placed in standby mode to extend shelf life, then power consumption is reduced, but the device still experiences gradual battery discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by keeping the device completely deactivated during storage and only activating it when needed through NFC interaction. The switching circuit remains in a high-impedance state during storage, preventing any significant power consumption. This approach maximizes shelf life by eliminating standby power drain while allowing immediate activation when the NFC transmitter is brought near the device.
3Adaptability or versatility
If Bluetooth pairing is used for device-patient pairing, then wireless communication is established, but incorrect pairing may occur leading to reliability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces NFC as an intermediary pairing mechanism before Bluetooth communication. The electromagnetic field detection circuit detects the NFC transmitter's electromagnetic field and extracts identification information, which is then used to establish a reliable pairing between the wearable device and the patient's device. This two-stage approach (NFC for initial pairing, Bluetooth for data transmission) ensures accurate pairing while maintaining wireless communication versatility.
4Reliability
If sealed packaging is used to protect the battery, then the battery is protected from environmental factors, but pre-discharge may occur rendering the device non-functional
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by maintaining the switching circuit in a high-impedance state during sealed storage, which prevents any significant power consumption and battery pre-discharge. The device remains completely inactive until the NFC transmitter is brought near, at which point the electromagnetic field detection circuit triggers the switching circuit to activate the device. This approach ensures the battery remains fully charged during storage while allowing easy activation through NFC.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for cost-effective, reliable, and efficient activation of wearable devices, extending shelf life by avoiding power consumption in standby mode and ensuring accurate pairing, thus reducing operational and manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
an electromagnetic field detection circuit coupled to the switching circuit for detecting an electromagnetic field generated by an NFC transmitter within the detection range of the electromagnetic field detection circuit
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention contemplates a method of activating a wearable device, the method comprising the step of detecting an electromagnetic field generated by a Near Field Communication (“NFC”) transmitter within a detection range of an electromagnetic field detection circuit of the wearable device. In response to detecting the electromagnetic signal, the method further contemplates emitting a trigger signal to trigger a flip-flop, wherein triggering the flip-flop causes a switching transistor to switch between at least one of an activated state and a deactivated state, and wherein causing the switching transistor to switch between at least one of the activated state and the deactivated state, switches a connection between an electronic circuit and a power supply between at least one of a on state and an off state.