Patent Publication Number: US-2018033264-A1

Title: Vibratory alert device

Description:
This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 15/233,656 filed on Aug. 10, 2016, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/213,375 filed on Mar. 14, 2014, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,443,402, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/792,536 filed on Mar. 15, 2013, and this application hereby incorporates herein by reference that provisional application into this application. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The technology described herein relates generally to electronic alert devices and more particularly to electronic alert devices that communicate with a host device, such as a cellular telephone, to provide an alert about an event or other action at the host device. 
     Cellular telephones, smartphones, tablet computers, wireless communication devices, etc. often use an audible signal, such as a ring tone, to indicate an incoming voice phone call or incoming text (Short Message Service or SMS) message or incoming email. These audible tones can be annoying in some cases (e.g. the ring tone occurs in a quiet concert hall) or can be difficult to hear in other cases (e.g., the tone occurs in a noisy restaurant or bar, etc.). In these cases, it is often desirable to use a vibratory alert device that can be worn closely on a user such that the vibratory alert device is close to or touching the user&#39;s skin. Vibrations from such a device can be felt by the user but can also be relatively quiet such that, from a sufficient distance from the user, the vibrations are not audible to others (or perhaps even to the user). Thus, vibratory alert devices can provide a relatively quiet alert to the user whether the user is in an environment that requires silence or is in a very noisy environment. Also, the vibratory alert device can be used in those situations in which the cellular telephone, or other device that is paired with the vibratory alert device, cannot be kept near the user (e.g., the cellular telephone or other device is in the user&#39;s purse or briefcase or backpack, etc.). 
     One example of a class of vibratory alert devices is the recently developed smartwatch which is an accessory of a smartphone, such as an iPhone; the smartwatch is paired to work, through Bluetooth Low Energy wireless communication, with the smartphone and provides vibratory alerts and includes a sophisticated touch based user interface that is displayed on a display device of the smartwatch. The touch screen on these types of devices is one of several input devices as they often include multiple buttons for a user to press to control or configure the smartwatch. These smartwatches are complicated and large and are worn on a user&#39;s wrist. U.S. Pat. No. 8,421,607 provides another example of a vibratory alert device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DESCRIPTION 
     In one embodiment, a simplified Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) compliant vibratory alert device can be paired with a host device or another device, such as a smartphone or cellular telephone or tablet computer or personal digital assistant or other wireless communication device, to provide vibratory alerts, from the host device, to a user. The vibratory alert device can, in one embodiment, use a non-rechargeable battery (such as a lithium or an alkaline coin-shaped battery) to provide power to the vibratory alert device. In one embodiment, the insertion or activation of the non-rechargeable battery in the housing of the alert device automatically causes the alert device to pair (e.g., through a conventional BLE bonding protocol or Bluetooth pairing protocol) with the host device, and after the alert device is paired, at least a portion of the alert device remains on continuously. In one embodiment, a battery monitoring circuit can monitor the state of charge of the non-rechargeable battery and can cause a wireless transceiver (for example, a BLE transceiver or Bluetooth transceiver) in the alert device to transmit one or more low battery messages to the host device or another device, and these messages can be used as a reminder to the user to replace the non-rechargeable battery. In one embodiment, the vibratory alert device has no buttons, no switches, no input devices, no display, no indicator lights, no ports, and no plugs for electrical connections; control of the alert device is provided solely by inserting or activating the non-rechargeable battery and by selecting one or more settings or options on the host device. In one embodiment, the user loads a software application on the host device which can be used to select one or more options that control how the vibratory alert device operates. For example, the vibrations from the alert device can be set so that they are substantially inaudible yet can still be felt by the user when the alert device is attached to the user&#39;s clothing or is positioned close to the user&#39;s skin. In one embodiment, the alert device is designed to be worn under the user&#39;s clothing and is hidden from view; hence, a display is not needed for this embodiment. In one embodiment, the vibratory alert device can include a spring based clip that can be used to attach the alert device to the user&#39;s clothing; in another embodiment, the vibratory alert device can be attached to straps or to a chain so that it can be worn like a watch or a necklace or an earring. In one embodiment, the vibratory alert device can have a small cylindrical shape (e.g., less than 25 mm in diameter along a cross section and be less than 5 mm in thickness) and can be waterproof or water-resistant. In another embodiment, the vibratory alert device can have a substantially oval shape and can be waterproof or water-resistant; for example, the vibratory alert device can have an oval shape that has a length in a range of about 25 to 45 mm and a width in a range of about 15 to 30 mm and a thickness in a range of about 5 to 15 mm. The oval shape can be small enough that the vibratory alert device can be clipped or otherwise attached to a user&#39;s body or clothing (or accessories such as jewelry). 
     In one embodiment, the non-rechargeable battery is insertable into and removable from the housing of the vibratory alert device by the user; for example, in one embodiment the housing has two portions that snap together through interlocking clasps or that screw together so that the user can insert or remove the non-rechargeable battery without any tools. In another embodiment, an interchangeable door can be removed from the housing to obtain access to a non-rechargeable battery in a battery compartment of the housing. The interchangeable door can include a first mounting surface that is complementary to a second mounting surface within the battery compartment, and the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface can form a bayonet or screw mount that is used to removably couple the interchangeable door to the housing. The interchangeable door can be part of a set of interchangeable doors, each having a different type of attachment devices (e.g. one of a clip, an eyelet, a ring, a magnet, a Velcro surface, or an alligator clip), and the user selects the interchangeable door to use based on the attachment device. 
     The door can also be a simple flat minimal size object, which has a slot so it can be opened with a coin. In this configuration, the device is kept to its thinnest size, so it can be comfortable in a pants pocket, or worn by placing it in a pocket of a wrist strap, or held directly to the user&#39;s skin with adhesive tape like that used for medical dressings. 
     In one embodiment, when the user first receives the vibrator, the non-rechargeable battery is either not electrically connected to the vibrator (for example, a plastic insulator separates one or more battery contacts from contacts in the vibrator) or is physically not in the vibrator. In order to activate the vibrator, the user either removes the insulator or inserts the non-rechargeable battery into the vibrator. The user, in one embodiment, can also load a software application on the host device (such as a smartphone) to receive the low battery message from the vibrator and to display that message (on a display of the another device such as a host device) to the user. The activation of the vibrator (e.g., by inserting the battery) will, in one embodiment, cause the vibrator to wirelessly pair or bond with the host device on which the software application has been loaded. No buttons, no switches, or other input devices on the vibratory alert device need to be pressed or used to cause the pairing in one embodiment. After the vibrator has been powered on (through the activation of the vibrator by inserting the battery), at least a portion (e.g. a timer and a wake-up circuit) of the vibrator remains always on until the battery runs out of charge (which can be about 2-6 months in the case of certain large capacity coin-shaped batteries). Prior to the battery running out of charge, a battery monitoring circuit, which is coupled to the battery and to a processing system in the vibratory alert device, detects a low battery state and causes the processing system to send a low battery message, through the wireless transceiver, to the host device which can present (e.g. display) a low battery message or warning on the host device to the user. That low battery message will cause the user to change the battery; when the battery is changed the vibratory alert device can either use stored settings for the pairing with the host device to continue the pairing or repeat the initial pairing operation again. When the host device receives a voice phone call (or other communication such as a notification), the host device transmits an alert signal to the vibratory alert device which causes the vibrator in the alert device to vibrate (thereby alerting the user about the call or other communication). 
     In one embodiment, the vibratory alert device can include an alarm clock functionality in which a user sets an alarm (e.g. a wake-up time or other time) on the host device through one or more apps on the host device, and the vibratory alert device vibrates at the set time. The vibratory alert device can be set (through the host device) to vibrate for only a user specified or predetermined (system) period of time (e.g. vibrate for 15 seconds and then automatically stop) or can be set (at the host device) to vibrate continuously or repeatedly and periodically (e.g. 5 seconds on, then 15 seconds off, then 5 seconds on, then 15 seconds off, etc.) until the vibrator is deactivated on the host device. In one embodiment, the vibratory alert device does not include a real-time clock and relies upon a real-time clock in the host device to keep time and to store the selected alarm time and to send a signal to cause the vibrator in the vibratory alert device to vibrate; in an alternative embodiment, the vibratory alert device can include a real-time clock with memory to store the selected alarm time so that the vibrator can vibrate at the selected alarm time without requiring the host device to cause the vibrator to vibrate. 
     In one embodiment, the vibratory alert device can be used as an “electronic leash”, to notify the user when he has accidentally left his phone behind. When the device and the user&#39;s phone are separated by a distance that causes the two devices to be beyond Bluetooth Low Energy range (e.g. 30-200 feet), the device could vibrate. The user&#39;s phone could have settings to prevent the device from vibrating for a predetermined period of time, for example  3  minutes, to ignore a separation when a user might visit a restroom with his phone left on his desk. 
     In one embodiment, the vibratory alert device can have an internal component arrangement in which most of the components are not stacked one on top of another. In this arrangement, the battery and the vibrator and one or both of the printed circuit board (containing the wireless transceiver) and the antenna are not stacked but rather are arranged along a plane such that an imaginary plane can extend through the battery and the vibrator and one or both of the printed circuit board and the antenna. In one embodiment, these components in this arrangement can be contained in a housing that has an oval shape, and the housing can include an interchangeable door, through which a user can replace the battery which can be a non-rechargeable battery. 
     Methods for operating various alert devices are described herein, such as a method of initially pairing the alert device with the host device and a method of sending battery low messages to the another device such as the host device. This disclosure also describes various non-transitory machine readable storage media that can store computer program instructions that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform any one or more of the methods described herein. 
     The above summary does not include an exhaustive list of all aspects of the present invention. It is contemplated that the invention includes all systems and methods that can be practiced from all suitable combinations of the various aspects summarized above, and also those disclosed in the Detailed Description below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. 
         FIG. 1  shows a top perspective view of a vibratory alert device according to one embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  shows a bottom perspective view of the vibratory alert device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  shows a side view of an embodiment of a vibratory alert device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4A  shows an example of a vibratory alert device which includes an embodiment of a clip which can be used to attach the vibratory alert device to a user&#39;s clothing. 
         FIG. 4B  shows another embodiment of a clip on a vibratory alert device which can be used to attach the vibratory alert device to clothing of a user. 
         FIG. 5A  shows an example of the components which can be part of a vibratory alert device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5B  shows an example of the components which can be part of a vibratory alert device according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart which illustrates one method according to an embodiment of the present invention for using a vibratory alert device. 
         FIG. 7  is a flow chart which illustrates another method according to the present invention for using a vibratory alert device. 
         FIG. 8A  shows a top plan view of an embodiment of a vibratory alert device that uses a non-stacked arrangement of components within the housing of the vibratory alert device. 
         FIG. 8B  shows a side view of an embodiment of a vibratory alert device that uses a non-stacked arrangement of components within the housing of the vibratory alert device. 
         FIG. 8C  shows a side view of an embodiment of a vibratory alert device that uses a non-stacked arrangement of components within the housing of the vibratory alert device. 
         FIG. 9A  shows a cross-sectional view of a vibratory alert device in a disassembled state in which an embodiment of an interchangeable door has been removed from the housing of the vibratory alert device. 
         FIG. 9B  shows a cross-sectional view of a vibratory alert device in a disassembled state in which another embodiment of an interchangeable door has been removed from the housing of the vibratory alert device. 
         FIG. 9C  shows a cross-sectional view of a vibratory alert device in a disassembled state in which another embodiment of an interchangeable door has been removed from the housing of the vibratory alert device. 
         FIG. 9D  shows a side view of a vibratory alert device in a disassembled state and shows a bayonet mounting surface on the door  905 . 
         FIG. 9E  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a vibratory alert device and shows the overall oval shape of the device and the battery compartment; the interchangeable door (not shown) has been removed from the device, thereby exposing the battery compartment. 
         FIG. 10A  is a front view of a wrist strap, according to one embodiment, which can hold one or more embodiments of the vibratory alert devices described herein. 
         FIG. 10B  is a back view of the wrist strap shown in  FIG. 10A . 
         FIG. 10C  is a side view of the wrist strap shown in  FIG. 10A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various embodiments and aspects of the inventions will be described with reference to details discussed below, and the accompanying drawings will illustrate the various embodiments. The following description and drawings are illustrative of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to provide a concise discussion of embodiments of the present inventions. 
     Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. The processes depicted in the figures that follow are performed by processing logic that comprises hardware (e.g. circuitry, dedicated logic, etc.), software, or a combination of both. Although the processes are described below in terms of some sequential operations, it should be appreciated that some of the operations described may be performed in a different order. Moreover, some operations may be performed in parallel rather than sequentially. 
     In one embodiment, a vibratory alert device is a simplified and small device that can be attached to clothing or worn as a pendant (e.g., jewelry) or worn on a wrist strap on a user. It can be paired or bonded, in one embodiment, with a host device or another device, such as a smartphone, merely by inserting, or activating, a battery, such as a non-rechargeable battery, into the vibratory alert device and by using a software component on the host device to coordinate the pairing process which is initiated by inserting or activating the battery. The term “paired” is meant to include pairing under a Bluetooth protocol and also include bonding under a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol. In one embodiment, the vibratory alert device does not include any input devices or user activatable buttons or switches. Moreover, in one embodiment, the vibratory alert device does not include any ports, or plugs, or jacks, and in one embodiment includes no outputs or output devices except for the vibrator which provides the vibrations for the vibratory alert device. In an alternative embodiment, the vibratory alert device can include an optional component, such as a biosensor, within the vibratory alert device; this alternative embodiment is described further below. In one embodiment, once the non-rechargeable battery is inserted or otherwise activated in the vibratory alert device, at least a portion of the vibratory alert device remains on until the non-rechargeable battery runs out of power; in one embodiment, prior to doing so, the vibratory alert device transmits one or more battery low messages to the host device which is paired with the vibratory alert device in order to cause the host device to present an alert or warning message to the user that the battery is running low. 
     The vibratory alert device can take a variety of different forms, including a disc-like shape that resembles a coin or a set of coins stacked one on top of another. Alternatively, the vibratory alert device can resemble a polyhedron such as a rectangular prism or other three-dimensional shapes. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show an example of one embodiment of a vibratory alert device which has a disc-like shape which can resemble a coin such as a U.S. nickel or a U.S. quarter or a stack of two nickels or two quarters, stacked one on top of the other. In one embodiment, the diameter of the disc, which has a cylindrical shape, is less than one inch and the thickness of the disc is less than about 5 mm. In another embodiment, the diameter of the disc is about 0.4-0.7 inches and the thickness of the disc is between 3 mm and 6 mm. The vibratory alert device  10  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  includes the top  12  and a bottom  14  and a rim or side  11  between the top  12  and the bottom  14 . In one embodiment, there are no buttons, no switches, and no user activatable input devices on the vibratory alert device  10  and there is no display device and no ports, no plugs, and no jacks on the device. The device includes, in one embodiment, at least one non-rechargeable user insertable and removable battery. In one embodiment, at least one electrical component in the vibratory alert device is at least partially “on” on a continuous basis after the battery is activated or inserted into the vibratory alert device. In one embodiment, there are no outputs on the vibratory alert device  10  except for the vibrator itself. In one embodiment, the vibratory alert device  10  is waterproof or water resistant (for example, the device  10  meets the IPX-6 standard) such that the vibratory alert device is washable should the user forget to detach the vibratory alert device from the user&#39;s clothing. It will be appreciated that the embodiment of the vibratory alert device shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  can include a clip or strap or eyelet or other mechanism to allow the vibratory alert device to be attached to the user or the user&#39;s clothing. For example, the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  can include a clip such as the clips shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
     In one embodiment, either the top  12  or the bottom  14  is removable by the user to expose a battery compartment into which a non-rechargeable battery can be inserted or removed from the vibratory alert device  10 . For example, the top  12  or the bottom  14  may be attached by clasps to the vibratory alert device, and the user can remove the top  12  or the bottom  14  in order to gain access to the battery compartment within the vibratory alert device  10 . In another embodiment, the top  12  or the bottom  14  may have threads which screw into threads on the vibratory alert device to allow that component to be removed from the vibratory alert device when the user seeks to gain access to the battery compartment within the vibratory alert device  10 . 
     In one embodiment, the top  12  and the bottom  14  are flat, smooth surfaces and the rim or side  11  is also a smooth surface. These surfaces may be fabricated from conventional plastics or other materials to provide sufficient durability for everyday use. 
       FIG. 3  shows an alternative embodiment of a vibratory alert device  10 A. The housing of the vibratory alert device  10 A includes two separate portions, a first portion  15  and a second portion  16  which can screw together or snap together. When assembled, the first and second portions  15  and  16  leave a seam  17  which can, in one embodiment, be sealed with an internal gasket located internally within the housing of the vibratory alert device  10 A. The vibratory alert device  10 A includes a top  12 A and a bottom  14 A and includes two portions of the rim of the device, portion  11 A and portion  11 B, which together form the entire rim that separates the top  12 A from the bottom  14 A. In order to expose the battery compartment within the vibratory alert device  10 A, the user can grasp the first portion  15  and the second portion  16  and separate the two if they snap together or unscrew the two portions to gain access to the battery compartment within the vibratory alert device  10 A. Other forms of coupling the first portion  15  and the second portion  16  can also be used. 
     It will be appreciated that the vibratory alert devices shown in  FIG. 3  can include one or more clips or straps or eyelets or other mechanisms to allow these vibratory alert devices to be attached to a user or to a user&#39;s clothing. For example, the clips shown in  FIGS. 4A or 4B  can be used in the embodiments shown in  FIG. 3  to allow the vibratory alert devices  10 A and  21  to be attached to clothing of a user. 
       FIG. 4A  shows an example of a clip that can be used to attach the vibratory alert device  31  to a user&#39;s clothing. The vibratory alert device  31  includes a top  34 , a bottom  33 , and rim  32 , and also includes a clip which includes an arm  35 , a spring  39 , and a post  37 . The post is coupled at one end of the post to the arm  35 , and the other end of the post is coupled to the top  34 . The post  37  allows the arm to pivot up and down. The spring  39  pulls the arm  35  down against clothing which is tucked under the right side of the arm  35 . A user can press the left side of the arm  35  to open the clip to release the clothing from the clip to remove the vibratory alert device  31  from the clothing. Similarly, the user can open the clip to allow the vibratory alert device  31  to be attached to the clothing by pushing down on the left side of the arm  35  which opens a gap between the right side of the arm  35  and the top  34  to allow the clothing to be inserted into that gap, and then the user can release the left side of the arm, and the spring  39  will pull the right side of the arm  35  back down towards the clothing to lock the vibratory alert device onto the clothing.  FIG. 4B  shows an alternative embodiment of a clip  45 , which can be a piece of metal attached at one end to a portion of the top  44  of the vibratory alert device  41 . The metal of the clip  45  can be a resilient spring which in its natural state presses against the top  44  or is positioned close to the top  44 . A user can insert clothing between the clip  45  and the top  44  and the clip  45  will secure the clothing against the top  44  to hold the vibratory alert device  41  onto the clothing of the user. The vibratory alert device  41  includes a top  44  and a bottom  43  and a rim  42  and can have a disc-like shape such as the alert devices shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . It will be appreciated that alternative mechanisms for attaching the vibratory alert device to clothing or to other parts of the user may be used, such as eyelets, or straps, or magnets, or Velcro, etc. If the vibratory alert device includes straps, the user may be able to wear the vibratory alert device on the user&#39;s wrist to use as a wake-up alarm. 
       FIG. 5A  shows an example of a vibratory alert device  101  which includes a housing  103  which can be any one of the housings shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B, 8A, and 9A-9E . The housing  103  can take a substantially cylindrical or disc-like shape or an oval shape or other three-dimensional shapes such as a polyhedron. The housing  103  can contain, within the housing, a plurality of components such as a processing system  107 , a memory  110 , a vibrator  109 , a wireless transceiver  105 , an antenna  105 A, a battery  111 , which can be a non-rechargeable battery which is insertable and removable by the user, and a battery monitoring circuit  112 . The processing system  107  can be a low power microcontroller or microprocessor which is configured to operate in the manner described herein to control the vibrator  109  to which it is coupled and to send and receive signals through the wireless transceiver  105  which communicates with a host device or another device, such as a smartphone, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, or other wireless communication device. In one embodiment, the wireless transceiver  105  is a Bluetooth Low Energy transceiver which is configured to operate in compliance with the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol or standard to communicate with other Bluetooth Low Energy components. In one embodiment, the vibratory alert device  101  operates as a Bluetooth Low Energy peripheral which can be paired with a smartphone using the Bluetooth Low Energy protocols. In another embodiment, the wireless transceiver  105  can be other types of wireless transceivers that can operate in a network, such as a personal area network or in a peer-to-peer manner. The antenna  105 A sends and receives signals to provide communication with the host device which can be a smartphone, a cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, etc. or other wireless communication device. The host device can provide commands to select options, which are described below, and will participate in the pairing or bonding process with the vibratory alert device in order to establish a pairing or bonding, as is known in the art, between the vibratory alert device and the host device. The memory  110  is coupled to processing system  107  and stores data for the processing system and computer code, in certain embodiments, to allow the processing system to operate in the manner and methods described herein. In one embodiment, the memory  110  can store the settings for the pairing or bonding between the vibratory alert device  101  and the host device and can also store the selected options such as one or more different manners of vibrating (see, for example, operation  705  in  FIG. 7 ). Memory  110  can include both volatile RAM (e.g., SRAM) and non-volatile memory, such as flash memory. The non-volatile memory can store the pairing settings indicating the pairing data to allow the vibratory alert device  101  to pair and operate in the paired mode with the another device, such as a host device. The processing system  107  is coupled to the vibrator  109  to control the operation of the vibrator. The processing system  107  controls when the vibrator is turned on and when the vibrator is turned off as well as the types of vibrations based upon the selected options stored in memory  110 . The battery  111  is coupled to the processing system and to other components to provide power to the various components of the vibratory alert device  101 . For example, the battery provides power to the wireless transceiver  105 , the processing system  107 , memory  110 , battery monitoring circuit  112 , and the vibrator  109 . The status of the battery&#39;s charge is monitored by the battery monitoring circuit  112  which can be a conventional battery monitoring circuit that provides an output to the processing system  107  to indicate when the battery becomes low, such as when the charge level of the battery drops below a predetermined threshold. The battery monitoring circuit  112  is coupled to the battery  111  to measure the battery&#39;s charge level and provides an output to the processing system  107  to indicate when the battery  111  falls below a charge level. In this manner, the battery monitoring circuit  112  can cause the processing system to send a low battery message to the host device or another device through the wireless transceiver  105  and the antenna  105 A. This transmission of the low battery message can occur periodically and repeatedly until the battery  111  is replaced by the user. The various components in the vibratory alert device  101  may be coupled, as is known in the art, through one or more buses or other interconnect systems to allow for the processing system  107  to send and receive data and communications through the wireless transceiver  105  and to control the vibrator  109  and to receive signals from the battery monitoring circuit  112 . In one embodiment, the wireless transceiver  105 , the processing system  107 , the memory  110  and the battery monitoring circuit  112  can all be implemented as part of a single System-on-Chip (SOC) Integrated Circuit (IC) which consumes very little power most of the time because only a small portion is always on continuously. In one embodiment, the alert device has no buttons and no user activatable switches and thus is cannot be turned on or off by a button or switch and hence a small portion remains always on continuously. That small portion can be a timer circuit that periodically and repeatedly turns off most of the processing system  107  and turns off the transceiver  105  for a period of time and then wakes up (powers up) these components which determine whether the host device is communicating with the alert device, and if the host device is not communicating with the alert device, then the timer circuit returns most of the processing system  107  and the transceiver  105  to a powered down state, and this cycle repeats unless the alert device is communicating with the host device and/or operating the vibrator (after which it will resume this cycle of sleep (low power) and wake up). In one embodiment, the SOC IC can be configured to operate according to the Bluetooth Low Energy standard or protocol; when bonding is performed according to this protocol, the alert device remains in a bonding mode for a predetermined period of time after the battery is activated. 
     The vibratory alert device  101  shown in  FIG. 5A  can be similar to the vibratory alert device  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  in that, in one embodiment, it does not include an on/off switch and does not include any user buttons or switches and does not include any input device. Further, there is no plug and no port (such as a USB port) and no jacks and no recharging port or jack or plug. Further, in one embodiment, there is no output device other than the vibrator  101  which can, in one embodiment, be directly coupled to or connected to the housing  103  such that vibrations created by the vibrator  109  are directly imparted on the housing  103  to cause the housing  103  to vibrate according to the pattern of vibration provided by the vibrator  109 . The vibratory alert device  101  in  FIG. 5A  can also be waterproof or water resistant, and this can be achieved by using known conventional techniques such as sealing gaskets or sealing materials, such as sealing materials from Gore-Tex from W. L. Gore and Associates of Newark, Delaware. For example, all the components shown in  FIG. 5A  can be incorporated into a sealed compartment which is sealed by ultrasonic welding or other sealing methods or materials, while the battery can be located in a separate section which is kept waterproof by a door with a gasket, such as an O-ring. In another embodiment, sealing gaskets may provide an enclosed chamber which sufficiently seals the chamber from ambient water, etc. 
       FIG. 5B  shows another embodiment of the present invention. In particular,  FIG. 5B  shows a vibratory alert device  131  which includes one or more optional components  143 . In one embodiment, the vibratory alert device  131  can be identical to, in structure and function and operation, the vibratory alert device  101  except for the inclusion of the optional component  143 . In one embodiment, the optional component can be a biometric sensor (e.g. blood pulse sensor) that collects data that is transmitted to the host device, or the optional component can be another type of sensor such as an accelerometer, etc. In one embodiment, the optional component  143  can be clock circuitry and a low power display, such as a bistable liquid crystal display device which shows the time of day on a face or surface of the vibratory alert device. The device  131  can include a wireless transceiver  135  which is similar to the wireless transceiver  105  and an antenna  135 A which is similar to the antenna  105 A. Similarly, the memory  140  and the processing system  137  can be similar to the memory  110  and the processing system  107 . Battery  141  can operate in a similar manner as battery  111 , and the battery monitoring circuit  142  can operate in a similar manner as battery monitoring circuit  112 . The optional component  143  can receive its settings and control through the wireless connection provided by the wireless transceiver  135  and the antenna  135 A. For example, the clock can be set on the host device by providing the time of day from the host device to the clock circuitry in the vibratory alert device  131 , or time from the host device itself can be transmitted periodically over time from the host device to the vibratory alert device  131  which can be used to set time in the clock circuitry of the optional component  143 . The clock circuitry can maintain the time when connection is lost with the host device so that the device  131  can function as a standalone clock or alarm clock. 
     In one embodiment, a vibratory alert device can include an alarm clock (or timer) functionality in which a user sets an alarm (e.g. a wake-up time or other time) on the host device through one or more apps on the host device, and the vibratory alert device vibrates at the set time. For example, the user can use an app created by the entity that designed or created the vibratory alert device to set a wake-up or other time on the host device; the app is installed by the user and runs on the host device. In another embodiment, the user can use a default or system app that already exists on the device (such that the user does not need to install an app created for the vibratory alert device) in order to set a wake-up or other time. The vibratory alert device can either use the real-time clock in the host device or use a real-time clock in the vibratory alert; in most cases, using the real-time clock (RTC) in the host device is preferred. In the case where the RTC in the host device is used to keep track of the alarm (or timer), the host device will store the alarm (or other) time and send a signal to the vibratory alert device to cause it to vibrate; in this case, there is no need for an RTC in the alert device. The host device can send one or more signals over time to cause the vibratory alert device to vibrate repeatedly or periodically or continuously until the alarm is turned off (deactivated) by the user through the user&#39;s input on the host device (e.g. the user touches an icon on a screen of the host device to turn off the alarm or presses a button on the host device to turn off the alarm, etc.). How the vibrator vibrates (e.g. how long; whether it is repeated; interval between repeated vibrations) can be set on the app which the user used to set the alarm time. In the case where the vibratory alert device includes an RTC that can provide alarm clock functionality, the host device can receive the user&#39;s selection of a wake-up time and optionally the user&#39;s selection of other options (e.g. how the vibrator vibrates at the selected time) and transmit those selections to the vibratory alert device which can store those selections and operate the alert device to vibrate at the selected time. When using the vibratory alert device as a wake-up alarm, a user could wear a wrist band or strap, such as the wrist strap shown in  FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C , which can include a pocket (such as the pocket shown in the side view of  FIG. 10C ) to comfortably hold the vibratory alert device. The strap shown in  FIGS. 10A-10C  can be made from polyester and be about 25 mm wide and about 225 mm in length and include Velcro materials for attaching the two ends to each other. 
       FIG. 6  shows a method according to one embodiment which can be used to initialize or set up a vibratory alert device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. The method of  FIG. 6  can be used with any of the vibratory alert devices and can be implemented by a processing system, such as processing system  107 , which performs a method provided by computer program instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, such as memory  110  or memory  140 . While  FIG. 6  shows certain operations in a particular sequence, it will be appreciated that alternative sequences of operations can also be performed. In operation  601 , a software application can be loaded on the host device or the another device, such as a smartphone. This software application can be configured to initialize and pair with the vibratory alert device and to provide for a user interface to allow the user to select options for the vibratory alert device. This software application is normally required to be set in a pairing or bonding mode when the battery is activated in the alert device. In operation  603 , the user can activate or place the battery into the housing of the vibratory alert device. Operation  603  can precede operation  601  in certain embodiments. The activation or placement of the battery into the housing of the vibratory alert device will then invoke a series of operations to initialize the vibratory alert device so that it can be paired or bonded with the host device. Following operation  603 , the vibratory alert device determines whether or not settings for pairing or bonding with the host device have been stored in memory of the vibratory alert device. If the result of this test in operation  605  indicates that settings have been stored, then operation  607  follows operation  605 . In operation  607 , the previously stored settings for paired operation between the vibratory alert device and the host device will be used for future operations. On the other hand, if previously stored settings do not exist in the vibratory alert device, then processing proceeds to operation  609  in which the vibratory alert device, such as vibratory alert device  101 , transmits advertising packets to establish a paired mode of operation between the vibratory alert device and the host device. These advertising packets can comply with Bluetooth Low Energy protocols. In one embodiment, these advertising packets can be filtered by received signal strength indicators as is known in the art and can be filtered by identifiers of manufacturers so that the application loaded and running (in a pairing or bonding mode) on the host device will look for only those units specifying a certain type of vibratory alert device and which are sufficiently close based upon the received signal strength indicator. The transmission of the advertising packets from the vibratory alert device allows for the establishment of a pairing or paired mode of operation between the vibratory alert device and the host device; after an exchange of information in operation  611 , the two devices can be paired together for future operation as is known in the art. Then, in operation  613 , the settings for a paired mode of operation can be stored in non-volatile memory in both the vibratory alert device and in the host device, which can be a smartphone. Processing can then proceed to operation  615 , which may be optional, and in which the vibratory alert device receives commands to select one or more options for operation of the vibratory alert device. Examples of such operations or options are provided in conjunction with operation  705  shown in  FIG. 7 . These options can include which types of communications cause the activation of the vibrator in the vibratory alert device, the type of vibrations provided by the vibrator when it is activated, the pattern of the vibrations, and other features of controlling the vibrator. For example, one set of options which a user can select may include selecting an option which provides for vibrations only in the case of text communications and voice phone call communications but no vibrations for other types of communications, such as email. Moreover, the options can include selecting different patterns of vibrations for different types of communications. For example, the user can select slow vibrations for text communications and fast vibrations for voice phone call communications, etc. The commands received in operation  615  may also include commands for setting the optional clock described in conjunction with vibratory alert device  131  or other commands for setting various parameters for operation of the vibratory alert device. In operation  617 , the vibratory alert device monitors the battery charge level. This operation can occur repeatedly over time by the battery monitoring circuit such as battery monitoring circuit  112  or battery monitoring circuit  142  periodically checking the state of the charge of the battery to determine whether or not the battery&#39;s charge has fallen below a predetermined threshold. If the battery has not fallen below that threshold, then processing returns to operation  615 ; otherwise, if the battery charge level has fallen below that predetermined threshold, then processing proceeds to operation  619  in which the processing system, in response to receiving the battery low message from the monitoring circuit, such as battery monitoring circuit  112 , causes a message to be transmitted through the wireless transceiver, such as wireless transceiver  105 , to the host device or another device to cause the host device or another device to present a battery low message to the user to cause the user to replace the battery in the vibratory alert device. The transmission of the low battery message can occur repeatedly over time until a replacement battery is received, as shown in  FIG. 6 . In particular, following operation  619 , the system determines whether or not a replacement battery has been received (operation  621 ). If it has not, processing reverts back to operation  615 . On the other hand, if a replacement battery has been received, then processing reverts back to operation  605  and continues thereon. 
       FIG. 7  shows a method according to one embodiment for operating a vibratory alert device, such as the vibratory alert device  101  or the vibratory alert device  131 . In operation  701 , the vibratory alert device maintains a wireless communication between the vibratory alert device and the host device, which can be a smartphone or other wireless communication device. As noted above, the vibratory alert device is typically (most of the time when not vibrating or pairing) in a very low power mode in which a small portion of the SOC IC is on (drawing power) and the rest of the SOC IC is off; the small portion includes a timer circuit which periodically and repeatedly wakes up the rest of the processing system and wakes up the transceiver to determine if any communications from the host device are being received, and if no communications are being received, the processing system and the transceivers are turned off while the timer circuit remains on so that it can repeat this process of waking up and then powering down the rest of the system. The wireless communication can be through a conventional Bluetooth or a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol as is known in the art. In operation  703 , the vibratory alert device can receive optional commands from the host device to select options for operation of the vibratory alert device. These options can include selecting which types of communications will cause vibrations and which communications will not cause vibrations and these options can also include the pattern or types of vibrations applied by one or more vibrators of the vibratory alert device. In addition, these commands can also include time to be used to set a clock circuit in the case of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5B  which can include an optional clock and bistable liquid crystal display device or other display device used to display time on a surface of the vibratory alert device. In operation  705 , a processing system within the vibratory alert device can set the options for the vibrator in response to the received commands which were received in operation  703 . For example, the commands may indicate that slow vibrations are to be provided for a text message while fast vibrations are to be provided for a voice phone call, while no vibrations are to be provided for an email, etc. Operation  707  can include monitoring of the battery charge level. These operations are further described in conjunction with  FIG. 6  and will typically be performed over time in order to check the battery level of the device and in order to provide a signal to the host device to cause a reminder to be presented to a user to cause the replacement of the battery in the vibratory alert device. When a communication is received at the host device, the host device will cause a signal to be sent to the vibratory alert device to trigger the vibrator in operation  709  which will in turn cause the vibrator to be vibrated according to one or more selected options in operation  711 . The vibratory alert device can be programmed and controlled from the host device without having any user input devices, such as user buttons or a touch screen, etc. on the vibratory alert device yet, the vibratory alert device can still be set up to be programmed through the host device. 
     In one embodiment, a vibratory alert device can have an internal component arrangement in which most (or all) of the components are not stacked one on top of another. Rather, the components are laid out or arranged along an imaginary plane; this arrangement can reduce the thickness of the vibratory alert device (relative to another vibratory alert device that uses a stacked arrangement). In one embodiment of the non-stacked arrangement, the battery and the vibrator and one or both of the printed circuit board (containing the wireless transceiver such as wireless transceiver  105 ) and the antenna (such as antenna  105 A on a substrate) are not stacked but rather are arranged along a plane such that an imaginary geometric plane can extend through the battery and the vibrator and one or both of the printed circuit board (PCB) and the antenna. In one embodiment, these components in this non-stacked arrangement can be contained in a housing that has an oval shape, and the housing can include a modular door system that includes a set of interchangeable doors (such as the interchangeable doors shown in  FIGS. 9A-9D ) through which a user can replace the battery by opening the particular door that is attached to the housing.  FIGS. 8A-8C  show examples of vibratory alert devices with non-stacked arrangements. As shown in the top plan view of  FIG. 8A , battery  805 , vibrator  807 , PCB  809 , and antenna  811  are not stacked but are arranged along a plane within housing  803  (shown by a dashed oval); the connections between the components in the vibratory alert device  801  are not shown in  FIG. 8A  but it will be understood that such connections are present (such as the electrical connections shown in  FIG. 5A ).  FIG. 8B  shows a side view of an embodiment of  FIG. 8A . In the vibratory alert device of  FIG. 8B , an imaginary plane  812  extends through battery  805 A and vibrator  807 A and PCB  809 A, but does not extend through antenna  811 A. In one embodiment, the imaginary plane is substantially parallel with the top and bottom surfaces (which may include slight curved surfaces) of the housing of the alert device, and the housing can have a substantially oval shape, such as the oval shape of housing  803  in  FIG. 8A . The batteries  805 ,  805 A and  805 B can be conventional non-rechargeable coin-shaped batteries that are user replaceable by opening/removing a door on the housing (see, for example the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 9A-9E ); these batteries can have a top and bottom surface with a rim between those surfaces, and the top surface can be a positive electrode of the battery and the bottom surface can be a negative electrode of the battery, and the plane extends between those surfaces and is parallel to those top and bottom surfaces. In the example shown in  FIG. 8B , none of the components are stacked or overlap (from a top plan view or the side view shown in  FIG. 8B ), but in an alternative embodiment, the antenna  811 A and PCB  809 A can be stacked or at least partially overlap (for example, by sliding the antenna  811 A under the PCB  809 A).  FIG. 8C  shows a side view of another embodiment of  FIG. 8A . In the vibratory alert device of  FIG. 8C , an imaginary plane  814  extends through all four components (the battery  805 B, vibrator  807 B, PCB  809 B and antenna  811 B). In one embodiment, the imaginary plane  814  is substantially parallel with the top and bottom surfaces of the housing of the alert device, and the housing can have a substantially oval shape (such as the housing  803 ). 
       FIGS. 9A-9E  show examples of a modular battery door system in which a set of interchangeable doors, such as doors  905 ,  905 A, and  905 B can attach to the same bayonet (or screw) mount surface  909  in housing  903 , and each interchangeable door in the set can have a different attachment device to allow the user to pick a particular attachment device, depending on the user&#39;s needs. Each of the interchangeable doors includes one of the different attachment devices which can be any one of: a clip (e.g. clip  911 ); an eyelet (e.g. eyelet  911 A); a ring; a magnet or ferrous disk (e.g. magnet  911 B); a Velcro surface; an alligator clip, etc. Each of the interchangeable doors includes a mounting surface (such as mounting surfaces  910 ,  910 A, and  910 B) which forms a bayonet (or screw) mount with a corresponding mounting surface  909  within the battery compartment  908  of the housing  903 . The bayonet (or screw) mount removably couples the door (e.g. door  905  or door  905 A or door  905 B) to the housing  903  and allows the user to remove the door and insert a battery into the battery compartment  908  in the housing  903 . Each of the interchangeable doors, such as doors  905 ,  905 A, and  905 B can include ring gaskets, such as gaskets  907 ,  907 A, and  907 B, that provide water-resistant or waterproof protection of the battery compartment. As shown in  FIG. 9D , the housing  903  can be formed from two parts  903 A and  903 B which can be ultrasonically welded together. Each of the vibratory alert devices  901 ,  901 A and  901 B can use the non-stacked arrangement described herein (see for example  FIGS. 8A-8C ). The modular door system provides the functionality of allowing a battery to be inserted and/or replaced while also giving the user a variety of different attachment devices that can be used interchangeably with the same housing. 
     In one embodiment, a vibratory alert device can be configured to vibrate for a period of time (e.g. 15 seconds) after detecting that it has lost its wireless (radio) connection with the host device, and the host device can also be configured to provide an alert of the lost connection. 
     In one embodiment, a vibratory alert device can be paired with two or more host devices (e.g. a primary and a secondary) and the secondary host device can, upon detecting the presence of the alert device, cause a message to be sent to the primary host device that the presence of the alert device has been detected by the secondary host device. 
     It will be understood that one or more embodiments described herein can be implemented through the use of computer program instructions which are stored on a non-transitory machine or computer readable storage medium which store executable program instructions that cause one or more processors, such as processing system  107  or processing system  137 , to perform one or more of the methods described herein. 
     In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will be evident that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense.