Vibratory alert device

Abstract

A simplified Bluetooth Low Energy or Bluetooth compatible vibrator, that can be paired with a cellular telephone or other device, has in one embodiment no buttons, no switches, no ports, no input device, and no display. The vibrator can use a non-rechargeable battery and can be automatically paired with the cellular telephone (or other device) in response to initially inserting the non-rechargeable battery into the vibrator. A low battery monitoring circuit can detect a low battery condition and cause the vibrator to send a low battery warning message to the cellular telephone to remind the user to replace the non-rechargeable battery.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vibratory alert device, for use with a host device, the vibratory alert device comprising:
 a housing configured to be worn by a user;   a vibrator coupled to the housing;   a wireless transceiver in the housing;   a battery in the housing;   a processing system coupled to the wireless transceiver and coupled to the battery and coupled to the vibrator; and   wherein the vibratory alert device has no buttons, no switches, and no ports and no display and at least a portion of the vibratory alert device is always on after the battery is activated in the housing, and wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to receive an alert signal from the host device which causes the vibrator to vibrate.   
     
     
         2 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 1  wherein the battery is a non-rechargeable battery and the wireless transceiver is a wireless personal area network transceiver. 
     
     
         3 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 2  wherein the wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth Low Energy transceiver and wherein the processing system is configured to wirelessly and automatically pair with the host device in response to the battery being initially inserted into or activated in the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 3  wherein the housing has a substantially cylindrical shape or oval shape and is coupled to a clip that is attachable to clothing of the user. 
     
     
         5 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 4  wherein the vibratory alert device is water resistant. 
     
     
         6 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 5  wherein the housing includes a gasket that seals a joint between a first portion of the housing and a second portion of the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 3  wherein the processing system is configured to communicate with an application executing on the host device, which is a smartphone, and wherein the processing system configures the vibrator to provide different vibratory alerts in response to different commands received from the application. 
     
     
         8 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 7  wherein the application sets all options for the vibratory alert device. 
     
     
         9 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 8  wherein the options comprise: (a) different vibrations for different types of alerts; (b) enabling or disabling one or more types of alerts; (c) enabling all types of alerts; (d) disabling all types of alerts; and wherein no options or commands are selectable directly on the vibratory alert device. 
     
     
         10 . A vibratory alert device, for use with another device, the vibratory alert device comprising:
 a housing configured to be worn by a user,   a vibrator coupled to the housing;   a wireless transceiver in the housing;   a non-rechargeable battery in the housing, the non-rechargeable battery being insertable into the housing and removable from the housing by the user,   a processing system coupled to the wireless transceiver and to the non-rechargeable battery and to the vibrator;   a battery monitoring circuit coupled to the non-rechargeable battery and to the processing system, the battery monitoring circuit being configured to provide a battery low signal to the processing system, and the processing system being configured to transmit, through the wireless transceiver, a battery low message to the another device in response to receiving the battery low signal; and   wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to cause the vibrator to vibrate in response to a signal.   
     
     
         11 . The vibrator alert device as in  claim 10  wherein the processing system is configured to pair wirelessly and automatically with the another device in response to the non-rechargeable battery being initially inserted into or activated in the housing and the another device being set in a pairing mode. 
     
     
         12 . The vibrator alert device as in  claim 11  where the vibratory alert device has no buttons and no ports and no display and is always on after the non-rechargeable battery is inserted and activated to provide power to the vibratory alert device. 
     
     
         13 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 12  wherein the wireless transceiver is a wireless personal area network transceiver and wherein the processing system is configured to communicate with an application that executes on the another device. 
     
     
         14 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 13  wherein the wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth Low Energy transceiver and wherein the housing has a substantially cylindrical or oval shape. 
     
     
         15 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 14  further comprising a clip that is coupled to the housing and is attachable to clothing and the vibratory alert device is water resistant. 
     
     
         16 . The vibratory alert device of  claim 13  wherein the processing system is configured to control the vibrator to provide different vibratory alerts in response to a set of one or more commands from the application. 
     
     
         17 . The vibratory alert device of  claim 16  wherein the application sets all options for the vibratory alert device. 
     
     
         18 . A method of operating a vibratory alert device, the method comprising:
 initiating a pairing operation automatically in response to receiving a battery, or having the battery activated, in a housing of the vibratory alert device, the pairing operation causing the vibratory alert device to be paired with the host device;   storing, in non-volatile memory of the vibratory alert device, information regarding the pairing between the vibratory alert device and the host device such that the vibratory alert device remains paired when a replacement battery is inserted into the housing;   transmitting a battery low signal to the host device in response to detecting that the battery has a charge level below a threshold;   receiving a replacement battery in the housing and resuming the pairing mode, using the stored information, with the host device after the replacement battery replaces the battery.   
     
     
         19 . The method as in  claim 18  further comprising:
 receiving one or more commands from an application executing on the host device, the application configured to select all options for operating the vibratory alert device such that no options are selectable directly on the vibratory alert device. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method as in  claim 19  wherein the battery is a non-rechargeable battery and wherein the vibratory alert device has no buttons, no switches, no ports and no display and wherein the pairing operation is a bonding operation performed according to a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol. 
     
     
         21 . A machine readable, non-transitory storage medium storing program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the system to perform a method as in  claim 19 .