Abstract:
Interactive jewelry, watches and accessories which when placed in proximity to other pieces of like-interactive jewelry, watches or accessories will respond with visual, audible, electromagnetic and/or mechanical response/notification. The jewelry, watches and accessories can be comprised of a decorative portion and a functional portion. The interactive jewelry, watches and accessories can include, but not be limited to, the following: rings, bracelets, anklets, necklaces, brooches, earrings, pins, watches, key-chains, hairpieces, body piercing components, headbands, writing utensils, book-bag, binders, hats, purses, glasses, or other article of clothing, or other static objects, or other portable objects; interactive jewelry, watches and accessories can also be applied directly to the skin of the wearer or other surface with an adhesive, Velcro or other attaching agents.

Description:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH &amp; DEVELOPMENT  
       [0001] This invention was not made under any Government contract nor with any Government funds and was not Federally sponsored in any other way. 
     
    
     
       CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0002]    (if applicable)  
           [0003]    This is an original application.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    Most conventional jewelry items have no interaction with other jewelry. They are simply objects of ornamentation from simple dime store rings to exquisite masterpieces of artistic creation and value.  
           [0005]    Crude attempts have been made to develop interactive jewelry. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,695 to Fromm, one of the jewelry items is provided with an electrical display with an open electrical circuit and requires the presence of another matching jewelry item to contact the open electrical circuit to complete the circuit and initiate the operation of the electrical display. The preferred electrical display in Fromm is a light placed under a translucent stone in a ring. The electrical contacts are either specially shaped to make a given ring only engage with a particular matching ring or are magnetic switches. We might term these “engagement rings.” 
           [0006]    Proximity sensors are known for military operations, which interact without requiring physical contact. Proximity sensors are also known in home confinement sentenced prisoner bracelets, but those alarm in response to the absence of a signal. Other systems alarm in response to presence of a signal from a remote unit. For example in Pilney et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,883 a proximity alert system for hunters is shown, which alarms if two hunters get too close to each other. However, this is a large unit not practical for jewelry.  
           [0007]    It would be desirable to provide jewelry, watches and accessories that could interact at a close distance prior to actual contact and yet be selective as to interaction to provide wearers with enjoyment without requiring physical adjacency.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The invention in one exemplary embodiment is an interactive jewelry item which includes a first functional portion, which we call a TSR (transmitter, sensor, responder) unit, including a power source, a proximity sensor, a transmitter, and a responder. The sensor is for detecting a like second functional portion or TSR in proximity to the first TSR and for generating a mutual response between the TSRs when the jewelry items are proximate, and thus before they are physically adjacent. Unlike the “engaging rings” of the Fromm patent above, the interactive jewelry of this invention does not close any circuit when adjacent, but rather activates a response prior to adjacency, namely when the jewelry items are proximate before adjacency. An additional function could be added that would only be triggered by physical adjacency as in Fromm, but that is optional. In one exemplary embodiment, the response signal is a visual light of a desired color and the items are matching rings. In a second exemplary embodiment, at least one of the jewelry items has multiple colors and can detect which, if any, of a plurality of other TSRs are proximate to the jewelry item and respond with appropriate colors. In another exemplary embodiment, one jewelry item is a necklace and in another exemplary embodiment, a purse. The jewelry items may likewise be, by way of example and without limitation, clothing, toys, books, sports objects, bicycles, watches and accessories that can be worn, carried or otherwise attached in some manner to a person or object. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of two hands, each with an exemplary interactive jewelry item ring thereon,  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of three exemplary interactive jewelry items, a purse, a ring and a necklace, with the purse and ring interacting in exemplary fashion and the necklace not responding,  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary multi-response interactive jewelry items, one of the multiple responders being responsive with light, sound or action and the other being responsive with multicolor lights, and  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another exemplary of multi-response interactive jewelry items, one being a watch and another a bracelet, each with a response selector. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    The following special definitions are used in this specification. “Jewelry” means any holder for the TSRs that serves a similar function to jewelry, being portable and decorative. For example a child&#39;s bike, shirt, athletic item, game item, toy or the like could each be “jewelry” if it includes a TSR. “Signal” may be infrared, visible light, sound, electrical current, alphanumeric display, or any other means of communication capable of activating a device. “Thermometer” means any temperature sensing device, electronic or otherwise, not merely convention glass bulb thermometers. “Fromm system” as used herein means a system similar to that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,695 to Fromm that, unlike TSRs that are remotely activated, is not activated by proximity but instead requires adjacency, i.e. physical contact or interengagement, to cause an electrical circuit to close.  
         [0014]    In the specific embodiment illustrated, a cylindrical decorated ring has a TSR. The “jewelry” of the invention can have a number of different shapes, sizes, colors and materials not limited in any way to the specific embodiment depicted below and can even be items not normally considered as jewelry; the “jewelry” could also include, by way of example, as an electronic display.  
         [0015]    Referring to FIG. 1, a first exemplary interactive ring  100  is worn by a person (not shown) on a first hand  101  and a second exemplary interactive ring  102  is worn by a second person (not shown) on a second hand  103 . Ring  100  has a selfpowered transmitter-sensor-responder (“TSR”) unit  104  and ring  102  has a TSR  105 . When rings  100  and  102  are within a certain distance, for example two feet, of each other, TSR  104  and TSR  105  glow. The power source (not shown) for TSR  104 , and for all TSRs shown below is a battery, although a power cord to another source of electricity, or another electrical power source such as a solar panel, could be substituted.  
         [0016]    Referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary ring  200 , similar to ring  100 , is placed near a necklace  201  and a purse  202 . Ring  200  has a housing  207  attaching a TSR  204  to ring  200 . Ring  200  also has decorative art  203 ,  205  and  206  which can be decals, stencils, paintings, engravings or any other form of decoration desired. Ring  200 , necklace  201  and purse  202  have TSR  204 ,  215  and  216 . TSR  204  includes a transmitter  208 , a sensor  209 , and a responder  210 . Responder  210  is a translucent globe with a light bulb, audible indicator (not shown) or LCD/LED (not shown) underneath.  
         [0017]    Transmitter  208  emits signals  211  to necklace  201  and purse  202  for receipt by TSR  215  and TSR  216 , respectively. TSR  215  does not respond, but TSR  216  receives the signal from TSR  204  and activates responder  216  which in this example is a glowing light emitting a light signal  217 . Likewise TSR  216  transmits a signal  212  which sensor  209  senses and in response to signal  212  sensor  209  triggers responder  210  to provide an audible indication (not shown), an LCDILED message (not shown) or, a a response signal  214  such as light glowing from a translucent stone  213 . This results in a selective response where necklace  201  does not respond to ring  200  but purse  202  starts responding as ring  200  approaches purse  202 . It is expected that kids will love this selective effect, particularly when boyfriend and girlfriend are wearing matching items such as a boy wearing ring  200  and his girlfriend carrying purse  202 . Many other jewelry items could be substituted since TSR  104 ,  105 ,  204 ,  215  and  216  are attachable to nearly any type of item. Thus, as noted above, “jewelry” in this present application merely means an item having a TSR. While exemplary TSRs are shown in FIGS.  1 - 4 , it will be understood that many variations can be used. This will be clearer after reviewing FIGS.  3 - 4 , and the associated description below.  
         [0018]    In the prior art engagement rings (Fromm), the selectivity of response was provided by specially shaped contacts, which means that physical interengagement of the rings is required. With the exemplary embodiment using proximity sensing, the selectivity must be done remotely, and this is accomplished by special signals transmitted by TSRs  204 ,  215  and  216 . The use of signals allows a more complex interaction between ring  200 , necklace  201  and purse  202 . For example, ring  201  could instead activate a particular responder on necklace  201  but activate a different type of responder on purse  202 .  
         [0019]    With current and future wireless technology, a data stream could be incorporated into signals  211  and  212 . Sensor  209  of TSR  204  could be programmed so as to require a particular data string to be received by sensor  209  in order to activate responder  210 . Likewise, responder  210  could be programmed to respond with a data stream to produce on TSR  216  a text message or a digital image or an audio stream or video stream to provide any of a wide variety of multimedia data interaction to the ring. In the prior art device of Fromm, no such complicated signal is envisioned but rather only a go-nogo type response. This data stream interaction would allow special capabilities to the jewelry, whether done remotely as we prefer, or done via direct contact. TSR  204  has a data port  218  for this purpose. Port  218  can be connected to a personal computer or PDA  219  by a cable  220  for data entry into TSR  204 . For example, the entered data might, by way of example, be the criteria “single, male, college educated, cowboy, 25 years old, looking for a single, female, college educated, doctor, 20-30 years old”. This message would then be transmitted as signal  211  to TSR  215  of necklace and TSR  216  of purse  202 . In this example, TSR  215  or necklace  201  was programmed in similar fashion to TSR  204 , but with the criteria “single, female 15, looking for male high school athlete 16-18” and thus does not respond since TSR  215  detects that there is no match. On the other hand, TSR  216 , which has been programmed, for example, with the criteria “single, female, college educated, doctor, 23 years old looking for a single, male, college educated, cowboy, 20-30 years old”. TSR  204  and  216  thus interpret signals  211  and  212  to indicate a match and TSR  204  and  216  glow in response to the match. In this way we have a means for pre-qualification of prospective dates, without need for dumb questions, in minimal time. Or, on a simpler scale, TSR  204  simply might be encoded with “square dancer”, TSR  215  with “sailor” and TSR  216  also encoded “square dancer”. TSR  204  and TSR  216  would glow in response to the match, but TSR  215  would not glow, indicating no other sailor TSR within range.  
         [0020]    This interactive jewelry could thus serve to facilitate more reliable dating. Alternative input devices such as PDA  219  could be used to enhance this effect. TSR  204  could instead come pre-programmed, if desired, so that a religious group or activist group could, for example, give interactive jewelry to its members so that they could recognize each other more easily and reliably. This would allow the jewelry to serve an identification function, which might prove useful as a ticket at a convention or the like, a gatekeeper merely having to check to see if the person&#39;s jewelry item glows or otherwise responds upon attempted admission. This would also work for amusement parks, sports events, school security and the like.  
         [0021]    Referring to FIG. 3, a multi-response bracelet  300  on a hand  301  is shown spaced from four interactive rings  302 ,  303 ,  304  and  305 . In this exemplary embodiment, bracelet  300  has a responder  306 . Responder  306  is configured to respond to TSRs like  310  of ring  302 . Responder  306  responds if associated TSRs  310 - 313  on rings  302 - 305 , respectively, is within a sphere  314  having a radius  315  of some predetermined length centered on bracelet  300 , for example  15  feet. Ring  305  is outside of sphere  314  and thus TSR  313  does not activate responder  306  on bracelet  300  or vice versa. Responder  306  would preferably be a TSRs also, so that TSRs  310313  on rings  302 - 305  are activated to provide a response, such as a light glow, when TSRs  310 - 313  are within sphere  314 . Multiple responders could be integral in a single responder, such as being different colored bulbs under portions of a single translucent jewelry stone. Responder  306  could be a TSR that only responds when all four TSRs  310 - 313  are not within sphere  314 , thus indicating absence rather than presence. In fact, the responder could be configured to respond to absence, rather than presence, of rings  302 - 305 , respectively. This would be useful for activating an alarm if a ring is outside sphere  314  and identifying which ring caused the alarm. That embodiment is somewhat analogous to prisoner security bands but in relation to jewelry.  
         [0022]    Another four responders  320 - 323  are shown on a purse  324  with a sensor  325  and transmitter  327  and are of stepped signal strength and/or frequency response and are configured so that if one TSR  310 - 313  is within a certain preset sphere  326  about purse  325 , only responder  320  activates. If two of TSRs  310 - 313  are within sphere  326 , two responders  320  and  321  activate. If three of TSRs  310 - 313  are within sphere  326 , as is shown in FIG. 3, three of responders  320 - 322  activate. If all four TSRs  310 - 313  are in sphere  326 , all four responders  320 - 323  activate. This would be quite useful for a mother (not shown) keeping track of her kids (not shown) and for the kids, from the response on their respective one of TSRs  310 - 313  to know their mother is close by. The mother would put one ring  302 - 305  on each kid and the number of lights on purse  324  would show how many of those kids are within a preset distance of the mother.  
         [0023]    As an added feature, a buzzer, beeper and/or visual indicator could be activated if less than all the rings  302 - 305  are within sphere  326 . This would alert the mother that one or more rings  302 - 305  is/are too far away, so that the mother can check purse  325  to see the how many kids are close by and how many are not and which ones are not within spheres  314  or  316 .  
         [0024]    The responders  306  or  320 - 323  could alternatively be set so that each responder measures the presence or absence of all the rings  302 - 305  within a respective sphere  317 ,  316 ,  314  and  329 . Alternatively, the responders could be set to measure the presence of a given number of rings in an annulus between spheres, such as between sphere  317  and sphere  314 , which in FIG. 3 would be rings  302  and  303 .  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another multi-response jewelry item pair including an exemplary wristwatch  400  and an exemplary bracelet  401 . Wristwatch  400  has a watch body  402  that includes a transmitter  403 , a sensor  404 , a battery  405 , a responder  406  and a response selector  407 . In similar fashion, bracelet  401  has a bracelet body  408  which includes a transmitter  409 , a sensor  410 , a battery (not shown), a responder  411  and a response selector  412 . The response selections for selector  412  could include, but not be limited to: temperature measured by either watch  400  or bracelet  401  or temperature of both watch  401  or bracelet  402 , or the temperature of the person (not shown) wearing watch  401  or bracelet  402 . In this exemplary embodiment, watch  400  and bracelet  401  have conditions that are set to various values. Watch  400  has Condition #1 set to “5” whereas bracelet  401  has Condition #1 set to “7”. With this combination of “5” and “7”, both devices are, by way of example, set to react by flashing a red light at 3 flashes per second. Other combinations would produce different lights, action, sound, text message or other desired output. Small, commonly available or custom designed microchips can be used to provide the desired signal transmission, signal sensing, responder activation and response selection. Common wafer type watch batteries are used in the exemplary embodiments, but other power sources will also work. When items have temperature-sensing abilities, a common digital thermometer device (not shown) is used. For example, the digital thermometer can be used to measure the wearer&#39;s (and/or the ambient) temperature. The reading from the digital thermometer then serves as input to the transmitter and/or sensor in determining the action performed by the TSR (including, but not limited to flashing a light, setting a display, causing a vibration, etc.).  
         [0026]    The combinations of measurements, codes, response selections and signals, are thus seen to be possible in a myriad variety of ways, depending on what is needed or desired in a given situation. While the “jewelry” is depicted in the exemplary embodiments as jewelry and accessories, it will be apparent that the concepts disclosed are applicable to a wide variety of devices where proximity sensing is useful. In simple versions, the system can be a simple proximity lighting activation as in FIG. 1. In more complex versions, circuitry could be adapted to sense a variety of parameters. As miniaturization of circuitry continues, and capabilities increase, such parameters as temperature, conductivity or resistance, visual image match, and numerous other parameters might be set as the criteria for the responders to respond. While the response is depicted in terms of glowing lights in FIGS.  1 - 4 , the response could be a more complex response such as an image display, a data display or other similar display. The interactive jewelry is thus capable of a wide variety of proximity sensing and response, limited in large sense only by the abilities of the circuit builder, which are becoming more and more sophisticated with every passing year. The invention is thus forward looking in encompassing future interactive jewelry which uses the basic concepts disclosed herein but merely add new circuitry to produce new or more detailed sensing, transmitting and responding capabilities.  
         [0027]    There could be added to any of the interactive jewelry noted above a Fromm system, although the TSRs are more versatile in application due to the variety of signals which can be transmitted.  
         [0028]    While there have been described above the principles of this invention in connection with specific exemplary embodiments, it should be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example, and not as a limitation to the scope and specific embodiment of the invention.