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 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 battery compartment in the housing, the battery compartment holding the non-rechargeable battery when inserted into the housing and the battery compartment having a mount surface configured to receive one of a first interchangeable door or a second interchangeable door;   a processing system coupled to the wireless transceiver and to the non-rechargeable battery and to the vibrator, the processing system in the housing;   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.   
     
     
         2 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 1  wherein the processing system is configured to pair wirelessly with the another device in response to the non-rechargeable battery being inserted into or activated in the housing and the another device being set in a pairing mode. 
     
     
         3 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 2  wherein the vibratory alert device has no physical ports. 
     
     
         4 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 3  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. 
     
     
         5 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 4  wherein the wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth Low Energy transceiver. 
     
     
         6 . The vibratory alert device as in  claim 5  further comprising a clip that is coupled to the housing and is attachable to clothing. 
     
     
         7 . The vibratory alert device of  claim 4  wherein the processing system is configured to control the vibrator to provide vibratory alerts in response to a set of one or more commands from the application. 
     
     
         8 . The vibratory alert device of  claim 7  wherein the application sets options for the vibratory alert device. 
     
     
         9 . The vibratory alert device of  claim 1  wherein the first interchangeable door includes a clip attachment mechanism and the second interchangeable door includes a different attachment mechanism. 
     
     
         10 . The vibratory alert device of  claim 9  wherein the first interchangeable door and the second interchangeable door are selected for use based on a desired attachment mechanism. 
     
     
         11 . The vibratory alert device of  claim 10  wherein the processing system is configured to pair wirelessly with the another device and wherein the vibratory alert device includes the first interchangeable door and the second interchangeable door as a modular battery door system. 
     
     
         12 . The vibratory alert device of  claim 11  wherein the vibratory alert device has no external ports. 
     
     
         13 . The vibratory alert device of  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 of  claim 13  wherein the processing system is on a printed circuit board (PCB) and wherein the vibrator and the PCB are arranged in a non-stacking arrangement such that there is no vertical overlap between the PCB and the vibrator. 
     
     
         15 . The vibratory alert device of  claim 11  wherein the processing system is on a printed circuit board (PCB) and wherein the vibrator and the PCB are arranged in a non-stacking arrangement such that there is no vertical overlap between the PCB and the vibrator.