Gyroscopic alerting mechanism for portable communications device
OwnerGary S. Shusterinventor
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Abstract
A portable communications device, such as a mobile phone, includes a novel tactile alerting mechanism capable of alerting the user of an incoming communication or other event. A gyroscopic mechanism is coupled to a housing of the portable communications device and controlled by a processor. The processor is configured to control a spin velocity of the gyroscopic mechanism based on receiving an alert of an incoming call or message, or detecting a fall. The gyroscopic mechanism may spin up or change a spin state to provide a tactile signal via the housing of the communications device, by imparting stabilizing force to the housing that can be felt by a person wearing the communications device, or to change an orientation of the device while falling.
Claims20
A wireless communications device, comprising:
- a transceiver circuit configured to transmit and receive wireless communication signals, the circuit comprising a processor configured to detect an incoming signal in response to input received by the transceiver circuit;
- a housing enclosing the transceiver circuit;
- and
- a gyroscopic mechanism fixed to the housing and coupled to the processor for exerting a stabilizing force on a user, wherein the processor is configured to control a rotational velocity of the gyroscopic mechanism in response to detecting the incoming signal, based at least in part on a rigidity needed to signal the user.
A system comprising:
- a wireless communications device having a transceiver circuit configured to transmit and receive wireless communication signals, the circuit comprising a processor configured to detect an incoming signal in response to input received by the transceiver circuit;
- a second device, wirelessly coupled to the wireless communications device;
- a gyroscopic mechanism fixed to or incorporated into the second device, wherein the gyroscopic mechanism exerts a stabilizing force on the second device in response to the processor of the wireless communications device detecting the incoming signal.
A method comprising:
- receiving a GPS signal by a wireless communications device;
- and
- activating, based on the GPS signal, a first gyroscopic mechanism coupled or fixed to the wireless communications device, the first gyroscopic mechanism configured to provide a first tactile alert signal exerting a first stabilizing force on a user of the wireless communications device, the first tactile alert signal indicating an action the user is to take with regard to a direction the user is heading.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.