Abstract:
The method is for interacting with a wearable interactive device. A pathway extends through an interactive device that is non-slidably attached to the pathway. The pathway has a first end and a second end. At least one end of the pathway is attached to a body of a user. The user accelerates the device in a first direction. A sensor senses the acceleration in the first direction. The sensor triggers a motor to move gears so that the device travels towards the first end of the pathway. The user accelerates the device in a second opposite direction. The sensor triggers the device to move towards the second end of the pathway.

Description:
PRIOR APPLICATION 
   This is a US national patent application claiming priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/746,307, filed 3 May 2006. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The method relates to a method for using a wearable interactive movable device. The device is an interaction concept that can be used for or by various products, contexts, users, etc. The device can be controlled by different kinds of inputs including, but not limited to, movement, sound, or temperature, and transfer this to different kinds of output including, but not limited to, self-movement, sound, or light. 
   BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   Various interactive devices have been available in the past. For example, interactive embodiments that may visually represent the user with bodily and physical appearances have been used in virtual environments for some time. However, the emphasis of today&#39;s devices is often technology driven. When the interaction is based on and with the focus on technology, the resulting device may not fully take advantage of the user&#39;s need and natural behavior when the device is used. There is a need for an interactive device that is fun to use and that takes full advantage of the natural behavior of the user in order to focus on the aesthetic experience of the interaction between human movement and technology. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   The method of the present invention provides a solution to the above-outlined problems. More particularly, the method is for interacting with a wearable interactive and movable device. A pathway such as a wire extends through at least one interactive movable device that is non-slidably attached to the wire. The wire has a first end and a second end. Preferably, at least one end of the wire is attached to a body of a user. The device can also be used by a plurality of users, by attaching the first end to the body of the first user, and the second end to the body of the second user or by draping the wire around the other users. The user accelerates the device in a first direction. An accelerometer or any other sensor device such as a gyro senses the acceleration in the first direction. The sensor triggers a motor, or any other organ/arrangements that make the device move along the pathway, to move gears so that the device travels towards the first end of the wire for a predetermined time period or any other predetermined or random behavior. The user accelerates the device in a second opposite direction. The sensor triggers the device to move towards the second end of the wire. The device&#39;s movement could also be triggered by other input than motion, such as sound, speech, etc. The movement input or other input could also cause output such as sound, lights, in addition to or replaced by the device&#39;s movement. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a user in a raised position with the device in a raised position; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the user in a lowered position; 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the user in the raised position; and 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the device with the cover removed. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   With reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , the device  100  of the present invention has a pathway  102  extending therethrough so that the device  100  may move up and down the pathway  102  when it is triggered to move or to stand still. The pathway  102  may be any suitable flexible and bendable or stiff pathway such as wire, thread, chain, non-flexible tracks or any other pathway for the device to follow. Preferably, the device  100  is non-slidably attached to the pathway  102 . The pathway may be about 1-2.5 meters long or any other suitable distance. Each end of the pathway  102  may have fasteners  114 ,  115 , such as Velcro straps, so that one or both ends of the pathway  102  may be removably attached to a body  116  or a user  118 . The ends may also be attached to other attachments that in their turn are attached to a user/person or body, machine etc. As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the device  100  has a motor  104  and cog/gear wheels  106 , or any other arrangements that facilitates the device&#39;s movement along the pathway, as well as the possibility of holding its position stand still, that are in operative engagement with the pathway  102 . The device  100  also has a battery  103  or any other suitable power source that is rechargeable or replaceable, a circuit board  105  and an on/off button  107 . The board  105  may be connected to a sensor  112 , micro-controller  120  and motor controller  122 . The sensor  112  may be an accelerometer that senses or captures the movement of the device such as when the device  100  is moved upwardly, downwardly or in any direction by the user  118 . The sensor may also be a motion sensor and/or other sensors for sound etc. The movement could be triggered by other technical factors such as magnetism, induction, air pressure differences etc. For example, the sensor  112  senses acceleration and deceleration of the device  100 . The sensor  112  could also be triggered by other input such as sound, temperature, vibration, pressure or any other suitable input. The device may have several sensors that are either identical or different. For example, the sensor may be designed to sense accelerations and decelerations in the xyz-dimensions. In this way, the sensor  112  may not be activated or does not provide any output in terms of additional motion along the pathway when the device  100  is still or moving at a constant velocity. 
   The device may be configured to keep track of its own position along the pathway  102  including when the device  100  is at an end or beginning of the pathway. The device  100  can communicate, both wirelessly and wired, with an external device such as computer, mobile telephone, personal digital assistance or any other electronic device if desired. 
   The device  100  also has the programmable micro-controller  120  that may be used to program different behaviors of the device such as the direction and how long the device  100  is to move along the pathway  102  as the sensor  112  senses movements or other sensors senses various input. The micro-controller is connected to the motor controller  122  that controls the motor or alternative motion trigger arrangements. 
   In operation, the user may attach one or both ends of the wire to the body. For example, the user  118  may attach fastener  114  on a wrist and fastener  115  on an ankle so that the device  100  is disposed on the pathway  102  between the outer ends  124 ,  126  thereof. In this way, the device  100  hangs on the body  116  of the user  118  and is non-slidably attached to the wire. The device  100  has gears  106  that grab the pathway  102  so that the device  100  may not slide when the device  100  is stationary or when it is programmed to be stationary. The sensor  112  may sense accelerations and decelerations of the device  100  in space as the user  118  moves the device  100 . Preferably, the sensor  112  senses movements of the device  100  at certain time intervals. The sensor  112  may also continuously sense movements of the device  100 . The sensor  112  is through one or more micro-controllers in operative engagement with the motor  104  so that the sensor  112  triggers the motor  104  to operate when the sensor  112  senses that the device  100  is accelerated in space. For example, the sensor may send its data to a micro-controller. The micro-controller then interpret the data, and decide which outputs it should trigger, e.g. movement, stillness, sound, lights, etc. The possible interpretations can be controlled through programming of the micro-controller. In this way, the device  100  may move upwardly towards the fastener  114  or downwardly towards the fastener  115  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) along the pathway  102  when the motor is triggered to operate by the sensor  112 . It may be possible to program the device so that the device  100  only moves when the sensor is not activated such as when the velocity is constant. More particularly, the sensor  112  senses an accelerating movement in a downward movement, such as when the user  116  bends the user&#39;s knees, as indicated by a first arrow  128 . This triggers the motor  104  to start to drive the gears  106  so that the device  100  travels along the pathway  102  from a position  130  to a lower position  132  on the wire. It may also be possible to design the device  100  so that the device travels in the opposite direction or so that the device rotates about the pathway  102 . 
   The user may make the device  100  climb on the pathway  102  by moving standing up again, as shown in  FIG. 3  and indicated by the second arrow  129  in  FIG. 2 , or raising the arm upwardly so that the device  100  is moved upwardly from a position  134  (kneeled-down position shown in  FIG. 2 ) to a position  136  (raised position shown in  FIG. 3 ) in space. The sensor  112  senses this upward acceleration and triggers the motor to move the device upwardly from the position  132  on the pathway  102  back to position  130  on the pathway  102 . The arm may be used to indicate the direction of how the user intends the device to travel on the pathway  102 . The device  100  may thus be programmed so that an upward movement of the device  100  in space also triggers the device  100  to travel upwardly on the pathway  102  for a predetermined time such as 5 seconds or any other suitable time period or any other suitable behavior such as its speed. In this way, the length of the movement of the device  100  on the pathway  102  may be independent of the length of the movement of the device  100  by the user  118 . Once the device  100  has been triggered to move, it may be set to move the predetermined time even though the user may have stopped moving the device  100  in space. When the predetermined time is up, the device  100  stops on the wire. To make the device  100  move again on the wire, it may be necessary to accelerate or decelerate the device in space again. Of course, the device  100  could be programmed to travel in the opposite direction. 
   As indicated above and shown in  FIG. 2 , the user may make the device  100  move downwardly by bending down a bit so that the sensor  112  senses a downward movement. The device  100  then travels downwardly the predetermined time. The user may then make the device go upwardly by standing up, as shown in  FIG. 3 , so that the sensor  112  senses the upward movement of the device  100  and triggers the device to climb on the pathway  102 . The device  100  could be programmed so that it either stops traveling on the wire or starts traveling in the opposite direction when the device  100  reaches one of the two ends of the pathway  102 . 
   The device is able to keep track of its own position on the pathway, including detection of end positions. The device can communicate, both wirelessly and wired, with an external device, e.g. computer, mobile phone, PDA, etc. 
   While the present invention has been described in accordance with preferred compositions and embodiments, it is to be understood that certain substitutions and alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.