One of the most successful categories of electronic wearable devices is one\r\nthat most people never think of – hearing aids. This patent was filed in 1939\r\nand features a wearable bone-conduction hearing aid.
U.S. Patent number: 2249572
Filed: March 22, 1939
Publication date: July 15, 1941
Assignee: Dora Lieber, Lieber Patents Corp.
Image taken from U.S.\r\nPatent 2249572 – Digitized by Google
To read more about wearables, visit ZDNet’s special feature: Wearables – Fit\r\nfor Business?
Speculation has been rampant that Samsung has revealed its new smartwatch\r\nvia patent applications published by the United States Patent and Trademark\r\nOffice (USPTO).
As reported by ZDNet, this wearable could not only be controlled through gestures, but also come equipped with image recognition technology. There were a total of eight patents published that document this product.
The patent is described on Google Patent Search as a mobile electronic\r\ndevice and it looks similar to Motorola’s Android Wear Moto 360.
U.S. Patent number: 20140143678
Filed: Aug. 30, 2013
Publication date: May 22, 2014
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd.
Image taken from U.S. Patent number 20140143678 – Digitized by Google
To read more about wearables, visit ZDNet’s special feature: Wearables – Fit\r\nfor Business?
Samsung filed this patent eight years ago, in 2006, and described it as “a wrist watch-type headset assembly for\r\nwirelessly communicating with a portable terminal…” It’s a wrist-worn device that communicates with a headset with a Bluetooth module.
U.S. Patent number: 20070042821
Filed: Aug. 22, 2006
Publication date: Feb. 22, 2007
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd.
Image taken from U.S. Patent 20070042821 – Digitized by Google
To read more about wearables, visit ZDNet’s special feature: Wearables – Fit\r\nfor Business?
One of Apple’s recently published patents details a wrist-worn pedometer with enhanced processing algorithms. It calculates the amount of steps taken based on the user’s location.
U.S. Patent number: 20140074431
Filed: Sept. 10, 2012
Publication date: March 13, 2014
Assignee: Apple Inc.
Image taken from U.S. Patent 20140074431 – Digitized by Google
To read more about wearables, visit ZDNet’s special feature: Wearables – Fit\r\nfor Business?
Google has filed a series of patents for various contact lens that capture image data. This version allows the viewer to see a “thin image capture component integrated on or within a contact lens”, otherwise known as a camera.
U.S. Patent number: 20140098226
Filed: Oct. 8, 2012
Publication date: April 10, 2014
Assignee: Google Inc.
Image taken from U.S. Patent 20140098226 – Digitized by Google
To read more about wearables, visit ZDNet’s special feature: Wearables – Fit\r\nfor Business?
Sony has filed a patent for a wig with built-in sensors for inputing data. The patent, for what Sony has called a “smartwig”, is designed to hide the wearable device from view.
Speculation has been rampant that Samsung has revealed its new smartwatch\r\nvia patent applications published by the United States Patent and Trademark\r\nOffice (USPTO).
The patent is described on Google Patent Search as a mobile electronic\r\ndevice and it looks similar to Motorola’s Android Wear Moto 360.
U.S. Patent number: 20130311132
Filed: May 10, 2013
Publication date: Nov. 21, 2013
Assignee: Sony Corp.
Image taken from U.S. Patent 20130311132 – Digitized by Google
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No patent gallery on wearables would be complete without the original Google Glass patent. This is it.
U.S. Patent number: 20130044042
Filed: Aug. 18, 2011
Publication date: Feb. 21, 2013
Assignee: Google Inc.
Image taken from U.S. Patent 20130044042 – Digitized by Google
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This particular patent hinted at a possible thick frame option, LTE, dual batteries and more for Google Glass.
U.S. Patent number: 20130235331
Filed: March 7, 2012
Publication date: Sept. 12, 2013
Assignee: Google Inc.
Image taken from U.S. Patent 20130235331 – Digitized by Google
To read more about wearables, visit ZDNet’s special feature: Wearables – Fit\r\nfor Business?
Fitbit has released a number of activity tracker patents, and this is one of the latest. The images shows that it can be worn in various spots on the body. What’s different about this one is it will include a coupon, based on the amount of exercise by the user, to encourage additional activity through a reward system. The activity tracker will use a chemical motion detector to determine when an activity threshold has been reached and a coupon is issued.
According to the patent, “The present application is directed to an interactive coupon redeemable \r\nby the holder after having participated in physical activity for a \r\npredetermined period of time.”
U.S. Patent number: 20140143038
Filed: Jan. 27, 2014
Publication date: May 22, 2014
Assignee: Fitbit Inc.
Image taken from U.S. Patent 20140143038 – Digitized by Google
To read more about wearables, visit ZDNet’s special feature: Wearables – Fit\r\nfor Business?
These augmented reality glasses include a processor that assists with event and sensor-triggered user movement controls. This is one of a series of patents that attracted plenty of attention, with Microsoft reportedly paying up to $150 million for IP assets for the patents from Osterhout Design Group.
U.S. Patent number: 20120206485
Filed: Jan. 3, 2012
Publication date: Aug. 16, 2012
Assignee: Osterhout Group Inc.
Image taken from U.S. Patent 20120206485 – Digitized by Google
To read more about wearables, visit ZDNet’s special feature: Wearables – Fit\r\nfor Business?
Teena Maddox is a VP at Brodeur Partners. She is a former Associate Managing Editor at TechRepublic. Teena's lifelong journalism career has included writing on staff for publications including People magazine, W magazine and Women's Wear Daily.
