Sensor-Enabled Case Back for Fashion Timepiece
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Fashion wristwatches and other ornamental jewelry lack integration of 'smart' technology that can monitor health and fitness data without compromising their aesthetic appeal or interfering with their timekeeping functions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a sensor package with a battery-powered motion sensor and wireless communication capabilities into the case back of fashion accessories, allowing for independent operation from the watch movement and enabling wireless data communication with external devices, while maintaining the original appearance through compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a sensor package with battery is integrated into the case back, then health and fitness monitoring capabilities are added, but the profile and complexity of the timepiece body increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor package is segregated into a separate removable case back assembly rather than being integrated into the main timepiece body. This allows the sensor functionality to be added without permanently increasing the complexity of the core timepiece structure, and the case back can be removed or replaced independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The case back is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both a structural component of the timepiece body and a housing for the sensor package. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby managing complexity while adding health monitoring capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a battery-powered sensor package is added to the case back, then motion monitoring is enabled, but the volume and weight of the timepiece body increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor package components (sensor, battery, circuit board) are nested within the existing case back structure. The sensor is mounted on a circuit board that fits within the case back housing, and the battery is positioned in an integrated battery holder, maximizing space utilization without significantly increasing the overall volume of the timepiece body.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a sensor package with wireless communication is integrated, then data communication with external devices is enabled, but the device complexity and power management requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless communication functionality is extracted as part of the sensor package in the case back, separate from the main timepiece body electronics. This extraction allows the communication system to operate independently with its own power management, reducing the complexity burden on the core timepiece movement and timing mechanisms.
4Reliability
If the sensor package operates independently from the movement, then timekeeping and sensor functions are decoupled, but the number of components and assembly steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The independent operation of the sensor package is achieved through physical segmentation - the case back with sensor package can be removed and replaced independently from the timepiece body and movement. This segmentation maintains functional independence while simplifying assembly, as the case back assembly can be pre-tested and installed as a single unit without requiring complex integration with the movement assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
In a general aspect, an ornamental jewelry piece, such as a watch, a ring or a bracelet, includes a sensor package. In some aspects, a timepiece includes a timepiece body having an interior surface that defines a cavity. The timepiece includes a sensor package and a movement in the cavity. The sensor package includes a sensor that monitors the user and a battery that powers the sensor. The movement operates independent of the battery in the sensor package. In some instances, the sensor package tracks fitness data based on motion detected by the sensor and generates an output to the user based on the fitness data.