Abstract:
A kinetically-powered wrist-worn electronic device is apparatus that includes a portable computing device, a wrist strap, a weight, and a generator. The portable computing device runs an operating system responsible for managing and distributes computing resources to various application software on the present invention. A wireless communication module accesses a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a wide area network (WAN) and enables the portable computing device to communicate with external computing devices. The wrist strap secures the portable computing device onto the wrist of the wearer. The weight uses a swinging mass which is designed to oscillate whenever the wearer moves his or her wrist. The generator harnesses and transforms the kinetic energy generated by the oscillating weight into usable electrical energy to power the portable computing device. The electrical energy is stored in a portable power which transfers the electrical energy to the portable computing device.

Description:
[0001]    The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 62/350,444 filed on Jun. 15, 2016. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a kinetically-powered wrist-worn electronic device. More specifically, the kinetically-powered wrist-worn electronic device utilizes a generator mounted with a weight, which, when perturbed, generates electrical energy that is harnessed inside a portable power supply and used to power a portable computing device. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Lithium-ion batteries are the current state of the art in battery technology. Lithium-ion batteries provide the highest energy density out of any commercially available battery chemistry. However, even with the use of batteries with high energy densities, modern electronic devices have a hard time lasting for a whole day under heavy use. Further, storing large amount of electrical energy in a confined space is inherently dangerous. Lithium-ion batteries and similar high-density batteries are susceptible to combust when the outer housing is damaged. 
         [0004]    Smartwatches are a growing trend because of their convenience and portability. However, smartwatches have very small interior compartments incapable of containing anything other than a very small battery. Current rechargeable battery technology, such as lithium-ion batteries, typically cannot supply enough power to a smartwatch for an entire day of usage. These devices need a reliable source of power to function for an entire day. 
         [0005]    Conventional wrist watches use a variety of self-charging mechanisms to replenish power to the battery. This allows most wrist watches to operate for months or years without having to have the battery replaced or recharged. One such mechanism converts the kinetic energy generated by the natural movement of the wearer to electrical energy which is then used to recharge a battery. 
         [0006]    The present invention provides a self-recharging power source, which can be used to augment or replace the rechargeable battery used in conventional electronic device. The present invention uses a person&#39;s natural motion to generate kinetic energy which is then transformed into electrical energy with the use of a generator. A suspended weight oscillates when the wearer moves his or her wrist. The suspended weight is connected to a generator which transforms the kinetic energy of the oscillating suspended weight to electrical energy. The electrical energy is then stored in a battery and distributed to a portable computing device found in a smartwatch. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the weight, the generator, the portable power supply, and the power-management integrated circuit engaged together in the preferred manner. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the generator, the portable power supply, and the power-management integrated circuit. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the kinetically-powered wrist-worn electronic device. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  shows the weight, the generator and the portable computing device engaged inside the housing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a detail view of the portable computing device positioned within the housing. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a diagram showing the electronic connections of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a diagram showing the electrical connection of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
         [0015]    The present invention is a kinetically powered wrist-worn device. The kinetically powered wrist-worn device converts kinetic energy created by the wearer&#39;s motion to electrical energy, which can be used to power a portable computing device. In reference to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 , the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a portable computing device  1 , a wrist strap  2 , a weight  3 , and a generator  4 . The wrist strap  2  is used to retain the portable computing device  1 , the weight  3 , and the generator  4  on the wearer&#39;s wrist. Mounting the present invention on the wearer&#39;s wrist maximizes the kinetic energy that can be harvested. This is because the wrists are one or the few areas of human anatomy that is in frequent motion. In alternate embodiments however, the present invention can be worn anywhere on the wearer&#39;s body such as the arms, the waist, or the head. The wrist strap  2  is a band that is preferably made of polymeric or fabric materials, that wrap around the wrist of the wearer. A male end and a female end of the wrist strap  2  may be fashioned with selectively fastening mechanism. For example, a buckle mounted to the male end may form a selective coupling with a plurality of holes positioned longitudinally along the female end. Alternately, the fastening mechanism may also comprise snap locks, magnetic fasteners, hook-and-loop fasteners, and/or similar fastening mechanisms. The portable computing device  1  further comprises a housing  12 , a touchscreen  13 , a microprocessor  14 , and a portable power supply  15 . The portable computing device  1  runs on an operating system that allows various applications layered. The generator  4  comprises a rotor  41  and a stator  42 . The generator  4  harvests the kinetic energy generated when the wearer is in motion and transforms the kinetic energy into electrical energy. The generator  4  then supplies this electrical energy to the portable power supply  15 , as the power level is being drained. 
         [0016]    As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the wrist strap  2  is externally mounted onto the housing  12 . The housing  12  protects the electrically operated components from environmental elements such as moisture that can interfere with the electrical circuitry. The housing  12  may be waterproof and dustproof allowing the wearer to use the present invention in wet or dry environments. The touchscreen  13  is mounted into the housing  12 . The touchscreen  13  is positioned on an easily observable area on the outer surface of the housing  12 . A graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on the touchscreen  13  allows the wearer to interact with the system software of the present invention. The housing  12  also contains a microprocessor  14  that is electrically connected to the touchscreen  13 . The microprocessor  14  processes touch inputs generated by the user and outputs information on the touchscreen  13 . In addition to the touchscreen  13 , the microprocessor  14  may be in electrical connection with a plurality of output devices. The plurality of output devices includes, but is not limited to, speakers, printers, cameras, modems, discs, secure digital (SD) cards, and the like. 
         [0017]    As can be seen in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 6 , the weight  3  is oscillatably mounted inside the housing  12 . The weight  3  mounts to the housing  12  in a manner which allows the weight  3  to move independently inside the housing  12 . This motion creates the kinetic energy used to drive the generator  4 . The weight  3  is also torsionally connected to the rotor  41 . The torsional connection transfers kinetic energy generated by the oscillating weight  3  to the rotor  41 . This causes the rotor  41  to rotate and create a magnetic field which generates an electrical current in the stator  42 . The stator  42  is electrically connected to the portable power supply  15  which allows an electric current to travel between the stator  42  and the portable power supply  15 . The portable power supply  15  is also electrically connected to the microprocessor  14  and the touchscreen  13 . This enables the portable power supply  15  to independently supply energy to the touchscreen  13  and the microprocessor  14 . In alternate embodiments, a power management controller in electrical connection with the portable power supply  15  supplies energy to various electrically operated components. The power management controller is used to modulate the power supplied to a particular component, without effecting the power available to other components. 
         [0018]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the preferred embodiment of the weight  3  further comprises a swinging mass  31  and a sun gear  32 . The swinging mass  31  is swivelably mounted within the housing  12  about a rotation axis  33 . The rotation axis  33  is rotatably mounted to a lateral wall of the housing  12 . Mounting the swinging mass  31  on the rotation axis  33  frees the swinging mass  31  to move in relation to the housing  12 . Thus, the swinging mass  31  may rotate even when the housing  12  is rotationally static. In the mounted position, the center of mass of the swinging mass  31  is offset from the rotation axis  33 . Any movement in horizontal direction, causes the swinging mass  31  to start swinging about the rotation axis  33  which generates kinetic energy. The sun gear  32  is engaged to the rotor which allows the sun gear  32  to transfer kinetic energy to the rotor  41  in the form of torque. The sun gear  32  is coaxially positioned on with the rotation axis  33 . The sun gear  32  is also torsionally connected to the swinging mass  31 . Rotational motion generated by the swinging mass  31  is transferred to the sun gear  32  via the torsional connection. Alternately, the sun gear  32  may be integrated to the swinging mass  31  which causes both the swinging mass  31  and the sun gear  32  to move together. In such a case, the sun gear  32  and the swinging mass  31  are placed adjacent to each other along the rotation axis  33 . 
         [0019]    Again, referring to  FIG. 1 , in another feature of the swinging mass  31 , the swinging mass  31  comprises a peripheral portion  311  and central portion  312 . The peripheral portion  311  and a central portion  312  are positioned offset from each other along the rotation axis  33 . A sloping lateral surface offsets the peripheral portion  311  from the central portion  312 . This also creates a concave side opposite the central portion  312  and the peripheral portion  311  which creates a space that can be used to house other components of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the swinging mass  31  has a semicircular profile. The semicircular profile ensures that the center of mass remains offset from the rotation axis  33 . This condition is crucial to enable the swinging mass  31  to successfully swing about the rotation axis  33 . The shape of swinging mass  31  must be optimized to maximize the moment of inertia, which increases the resultant torque available to the rotation axis  33 . In order to do so, the center of mass must be placed at a radially distant position from the rotation axis  33 . Further, it is preferable to concentrate the mass density around the outer rim of the swinging mass  31 , which displaces the center of mass to the farthest point from the rotation axis  33 . Even the smallest disturbance in the horizontal direction, will cause the swinging mass  31  to swing rapidly and generate a large amount of kinetic energy. In alternate embodiments, the swinging mass  31  can be rectangular, or generally polygonal in shape. 
         [0020]    Again, referring to  FIG. 2 , the rotor  41  of the present invention further comprises a planet gear  411  and a magnet  412 . The stator  42  comprises a plurality of induction coils  421 . The planet gear  411  is engaged to the sun gear  32  of the weight  3 . The planet gear  411  is fashioned with a plurality of teeth that interlocks with a matching plurality of teeth disposed on the sun gear  32 . The planet gear  411  is tangentially positioned to the sun gear  32 , allowing the sun gear  32  to transfer rotational motion, or torque, to the rotor  41 . Since the planet gear  411  is substantially smaller than the sun gear  32 , the planet gear  411  spins significantly faster than the sun gear  32 . This relation causes the planet gear  411  to amplify the high-torque, low-power input provided by the sun gear  32  into a high-power, low-torque output. The amplified output is used to drive the magnet  412 , which is coaxially mounted to the planet gear  411 . This specific gearing arrangement allows the magnet  412  to spin several times for each swing of the swinging mass  31 . Using the amplified output, the magnet  412  is able to produce a powerful magnetic field. 
         [0021]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the magnet  412  is preferably a dipole magnet with the positive and the negative portions positioned opposite each other. The plurality of induction coils  421  is mounted within the housing  12 . The plurality of induction coils  421  is made of highly conductive metallic materials. The plurality of induction coils  421  is wound around a core made of high-strength rigid material. For example, in one possible embodiment, the plurality of induction coils  421  is constructed out of insulated copper wires wound around an iron core. This allows the plurality of induction coils  421  to be in electromagnetic communication with the magnet  412 . The plurality of induction coils  421  must be placed in close proximity to the magnet  412  for effective magnetic induction to occur. Spinning the magnet  412  at a high speed creates a varying magnetic field which causes magnetic induction within the plurality of induction coils  421 . In the presence of varying magnetic field, a small electrical current is generated in the plurality of induction coils  421 . The plurality of induction coils  421  is electrically connected to the portable power supply  15 . The electrical connection facilitates transference of the electrical current from the plurality of induction coils  421  to the portable power supply  15 . The electrical current is used to fully or partially recharge the portable power supply  15 . In one possible embodiment, the generator  4  may produce enough power to keep the portable power supply  15  at full power for the usable life of the present invention. In another possible embodiment of the present invention, the generator  4  may act as a complementary power source which prolongs the life of the portable power supply  15  but is not meant to power the present invention in perpetuity. In such a case, the portable computing device  1  is provided with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port which can be used to supply electrical energy to the portable power supply  15 . The preferred embodiment of the stator  42  comprises a flat core  422 . The plurality of induction coils  421  is wrapped around the flat core  422  in an elliptical fashion. This allows the stator  42  to occupy a smaller space within the housing  12 . 
         [0022]    In reference to  FIG. 5 , the portable computing device  1  of the present invention may further comprise a power-management integrated circuit  43 . The power-management integrated circuit  43  is electrically connected to the generator  4 . The power-management integrated circuit  43  regulates the electrical energy coming from the generator  4  and sends the regulated electrical energy to the portable power supply  15 . During the regulation process, the periodic supply of power from the generator  4  may be accumulated and transferred as a continuous supply electrical energy to the portable power supply  15 . The regulation process may include various additional steps in other possible embodiments of the present invention. The power-management integrated circuit  43  is also electrically connected to the portable power supply  15 . The power-management integrated circuit  15  in also electrically connected to the microprocessor  14 . This allows the power-management integrated circuit  15  to control how the electrical energy generated by the generator  4  is distributed between the electrically operated components. The preferred embodiment of the portable power supply  15  is a rechargeable lithium ion battery that is well suited for powering a small portable computing device  1 . Alternately, the portable power supply  15  may use batteries having various other chemistries such as nickel-metal-hydride or lead-acid. The portable power supply  15  may also comprise solar power. 
         [0023]    Also referring  FIG. 5 , the portable computing device  1  of the present invention further comprises a wireless communication module  16 . The wireless communication module  16  allows the portable computing device  1  to access public or private networks. The wireless communication module  16  is enclosed within the housing  12 . The wireless communication module  16  is also electronically connected to the microprocessor  14 . A wireless local access area network (WLAN) permits the wireless communication module  16  to enable short range communication between the microprocessor  14  and another external computing device. Various types of data can be exchanged between the external computing device and the microprocessor  14  via WLAN. Internet connectivity is enabled through a wide area network (WAN). WAN permits the wireless communication module  16  to send and receive data to and from remotely located computing devices. The wireless communication module  16  is electrically connected to the portable power supply  15 . 
         [0024]    In reference to  FIG. 7 , the portable computing device  1  of the present invention further comprises a digital storage module  17 . The digital storage module  17  stores various types data that can be accessed by the microprocessor  14 . Various types of media such as images, videos, software applications, system software, and/or the like is stored in the digital storage module  17 . As such, the digital storage module  17  is mounted within the housing  12  and is electronically connected to the microprocessor  14 . 
         [0025]    Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.