# US 12,182,328 B2 · Wearable electronic device for inducing transient sensory events as user feedback

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- Number: US 12,182,328 B2
- Document ID: US12182328B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/208,109
- Filed: 2023-06-09
- Published: 2023-12-14
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2022-06-10
- Assignees: Afference Inc.
- Applicants: Afference Inc.
- Inventors: Jacob Segil; Craig Field Sampson; Dustin Tyler; Sergio Alonso Marquina; Nicholas Daniel Phillips-Tanchuico
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12182328B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/016: {Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user}
- G06F 3/014: {Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A wearable electronic device includes an electrode array for transdermal stimulation of a sensory nerve that itself innervates a body part distal to a worn location of the wearable electronic device. The transdermal stimulation is configured to induce an electrical current or voltage that evokes a sensory impression at an area innervated by the sensory nerve, not at the stimulated sensory nerve itself. In one implementation, the wearable electronic device takes a finger ring form factor worn on a proximal phalanx of an index finger. In this configuration, the wearable electronic device can stimulate a portion of a branch of the median nerve extending through the index finger. Upon stimulation of the median nerve, a user wearing the finger ring may perceive pressure applied to the user's fingertip.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wearable electronic device comprising:
a first adjustable ring defining a first inside surface, the first adjustable ring comprising a first electrode protruding from the first inside surface and configured to contact a first finger of a user;
a second adjustable ring defining a second inside surface, the second adjustable ring comprising a second electrode protruding from the second inside surface and configured to contact a second finger of a user;
a harness positioned over a user's hand, the harness comprising:
a circuit operably coupled to the first and the second electrode; and
a harness cover positioned over the flexible circuit; and
a chamber coupled to the harness and positioned over a wrist, the chamber housing:
a battery;
a contact structure; and
electrical circuitry operably coupled to the circuit and configured to communicably couple to a memory resource and a processing resource, the processing resource configured to cooperate with the memory resource to access at least one executable asset to instantiate an instance of software configured to execute a stimulation to at least the first electrode, the stimulation evoking a sensory impression in an area of the first finger distal to the first electrode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wearable device of claim 1, wherein:
the first adjustable ring defines a first tab and a second tab, each the first and second tab extending from an outside surface of the first adjustable ring opposite the first inside surface;
in a default configuration, a diameter of the first adjustable ring is a first length; and
in a worn configuration, the diameter of the first adjustable ring is a second length greater than the first length.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The wearable device of claim 1, wherein a portion of a wall of the first adjustable ring overlaps with a second portion of the wall of the first adjustable ring.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The wearable device of claim 1, wherein:
the first adjustable ring defines a first tab and a second tab, each the first and second tab extending from an outside surface of the first adjustable ring opposite the first inside surface; and
the outside surface defines channels configured to fix a position of the first tab with respect to the second tab.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The wearable device of claim 1, wherein:
the contact structure is an anode is configured to contact a user's skin; and
the anode defines a current return path from each the first and second electrode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The wearable device of claim 1, comprising:
a first connector coupling the first adjustable ring to the flexible circuit; and
a second connector coupling the second adjustable ring to the flexible circuit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The wearable device of claim 1, wherein:
the harness cover includes a flexible fabric; and
the chamber is coupled to a flexible band configured to wrap around the wrist.

### Claim 8

A wearable electronic device, comprising:
at least two adjustable rings configured to be worn over a respective finger of a user, each adjustable ring comprising a respective array of electrodes, the array of electrodes define a portion of an inside surface of each of the at least two adjustable rings and are configured to contact a user's finger;
a harness comprising a flexible circuit operably connecting each array of electrodes to a stimulation board and a battery;
a stimulation board operably coupled to the flexible circuit and configured to communicably couple to a memory resource and a processing resource, the processing resource configured to cooperate with the memory resource to access at least one executable asset to instantiate an instance of software configured to execute a stimulation to each respective array of electrodes, the stimulation evoking a sensory impression in an area of the respective finger distal to the respective array of electrodes; and
a housing coupled to the flexible circuit and configured to house the stimulation board and the battery.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The wearable electronic device of claim 8, wherein:
each electrode of the array of electrode defines a cylindrical profile.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The wearable electronic device of claim 8, wherein:
the at least two adjustable rings comprise wires extending around a circumference of each adjustable ring of the at least two adjustable rings; and
each adjustable ring of the at least two adjustable rings comprise adjusting tab configured to adjust a size of the each adjustable ring.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The wearable electronic device of claim 8, wherein:
the sensory impression in the area of the respective finger is a user's fingertip.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The wearable electronic device of claim 8, wherein:
the instance of software is configured to receive a signal from a separate electronic device, the signal comprising an instruction to evoke the sensory impression comprising a sense impression modality and a sense impression area.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The wearable electronic device of claim 12, wherein the separate electronic device comprises a virtual computing environment.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The wearable electronic device of claim 13, wherein the sense impression modality is selected from:
a pressure sense impression;
a temperature sense impression;
a texture sense impression; or
a time-varying mechanical sense impression.

### Claim 15

A wearable device comprising:
a first adjustable ring comprising a first array of electrodes configured to contact a first finger of a user;
a second adjustable ring comprising a second array of electrodes configured to contact a second finger of a user, different from the first finger;
a flexible circuit operably coupling to each the first and second array of electrodes and extending from a portion of a user's hand to a user's wrist;
a battery;
a communications module operably coupled to the flexible circuit and the battery, the communications module communicably coupled to a memory resource and a processing resource, the processing resource configured to cooperate with the memory resource to access at least one executable asset to instantiate an instance of software configured to execute a stimulation to the first and the second array of electrodes, the stimulation evoking a sensory impression in an area of the respective finger distal to the respective array of electrodes; and
an anode configured to contact the user's wrist and secured via an adjustable strap.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The wearable device of claim 15, wherein a first electrode of the first array of electrodes is formed from a first metal and a second electrode of the array of electrodes is formed from a second metal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The wearable device of claim 15, comprising:
a harness cover sandwiching the flexible circuit, the harness cover comprising a knit material.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The wearable device of claim 17, comprising:
a first connector electrically coupling the first adjustable ring to the flexible circuit; and
a sheath coupled to the first adjustable ring and to the harness cover, the sheath covering the first connector.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The wearable device of claim 15, wherein:
the flexible circuit is mechanically coupled to a housing configured to be worn over the user's wrist;
the housing defines an opening; and
the anode extends through the opening of the housing.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The wearable device of claim 15, wherein:
the first array of electrodes comprises a pair electrodes along a height of the first adjustable ring; and
each pair of electrodes are separated from an adjacent pair of electrodes by an angle between 35 degrees and 65 degrees.