Integrated communicative watch

#This invention relates, in general, to portable electronic equipment including integrated electronics and optical displays and, more particularly, to integrated portable electronic and portable communications equipment manufactured in the form of an integrated communicative watch.

#It is becoming quite common for the average individual to carry with them on a daily basis a watch, a pager, a cellular telephone, a small electronic address or data file, a micro-recorder, etc. The problem is that it is difficult and unwieldy to carry at once all of these various communication transceivers, such as pagers and cellular telephones, as well as these small electronic devices, such as clocks, alarms, data storage devices, micro-recorders, etc. Accordingly, consumer markets seek to combine these electronic devices, and thus continue to request smaller portable electronic devices which have greater functional features.

#Generally speaking, the average person will wear a plurality of clothing articles on a daily basis to which will be attached or placed in a pocket of the clothing, a portable electronic device, such as a cellular telephone, a pager, a PDA, a micro-recorder, a small electronic address or data file, a clock/alarm, or some other similar portable electronic device. The problem is that it is often difficult and unwieldy to carry various communication transceivers, such as cellular phones, pagers and other devices.

#The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the claims. The invention itself, however, as well as other features and advantages thereof will be best understood by reference to detailed descriptions which follow, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1A is an isometric view of an integrated communicative watch with smart straps according to the present invention;

#FIG. 1B is an isometric view of an integrated communicative watch with smart straps according to the present invention;

#While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.

#Referring now to FIG. 1A, there is illustrated therein an isometric view, an integrated communicative watch 10 having included as a part thereof, a plurality of straps or bands (discussed presently), for attaching the device to a user's wrist. As disclosed, any number of portable electronic devices, such as portable communications equipment, such as a two-way communication device, in the form of a radio frequency receiver and a radio frequency transmitter, infra-red communications utilizing light emitting diode/vertical cavity surface emitting laser technology, and/or a paging device can be included in the device 10 of the present invention. Additionally, portable electronic devices such as a data bank or file, a SMART CARD storage and reader device, a micro-recorder, a micro-scanner, or portable scanner, such as a micro-electronic mechanical scanner made of silicon and including red, green and blue visible light beams, etc. can be included as an integrated part of the communicative watch 10 as disclosed herein. In this particular embodiment, disclosed is device 10 including an electronic unit 12 intended to be worn, for example, on a user's wrist. Typically, device 10 includes a watch and may be adapted for personal communication or personal computing. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, device 10 includes a conventional watch face and timing mechanism 14 as well as, for example, speaker and microphone means 16 and 18, respectively. Alternatively, if the device incorporates a pager and/or cellular telephone, there might be a small liquid crystal display and an audio annunciator. The electronics necessary for making a watch, or for that matter, a portable cellular phone, two-way radio or selective radio receiver, such as a pager, are well known in the art, and may be incorporated into the electronic unit 12. Electronic unit 12 is housed in a housing 13 typically made of any suitable well-known material in the art, such as plastic, metal, resin, or the like, as well as being formed by any well-known method in the art, such as molding, milling, or the like. However, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, high impact plastic materials are injection molded to form housing 13.

#The communication device and watch are incorporated into a housing 13 which includes at least first and second attachment clips 22 and 24. The attachment clips 22 and 24 may be simple pins or dowels as are commonly found in wristwatch applications for mechanically connecting a wrist band, or a plurality of straps, 26 to the watch. The clips 22 and 24 are further adapted to act as electrical contacts, electrically connecting electronic unit 12 to a plurality of functional electronics integrated with wrist band 26, including a power source 20 and transceiving means 15, for receiving and transmitting messages. While power source 20 integrated with device 10 and to which clips 22 and 24 are in electrical interface may be a conventional, prismatic or cylindrical battery cell, it is contemplated that such power source 20 will instead be fabricated of a conformal flexible material, thereby forming a flexible battery cell, which is further adapted and integrated with wrist band 26 (discussed presently). Flexible, conformed energy storage devices, and methods for making same, are fully disclosed in commonly assigned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/494,463, filed on Jun. 23, 1996 in the name of Louie, et al., and entitled, "PACKAGING FOR AN ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICE AND DEVICE USING SAME", the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.