US 7,670,263 · Granted 2010-03-02
The Wearable Network That Let You Mix and Match Your Tech
Imagine having several small gadgets—a watch, a speaker, a display—that all talk to each other wirelessly and work as one system. You could add or remove pieces depending on what you needed that day, like a modular smartphone before smartphones existed. This patent covers the whole idea of personal devices that team up around your body.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a wearable network made up of multiple independent devices that communicate wirelessly with each other and can be added, removed, or swapped without breaking the system. What's protected here is the architecture where a control unit coordinates with separate components like displays, audio outputs, and input devices—all designed to work together in close proximity to the user, with the ability to connect to a personal computer.
Why it matters
This patent, filed in 2003 and granted in 2010, arrived at a turning point in wearable technology. It anticipated the rise of modular, interconnected personal devices years before smartwatches, fitness trackers, and wireless earbuds became mainstream. The patent's focus on swappable components and wireless coordination between devices laid conceptual groundwork for how modern wearables actually function—though the specific technological execution has evolved dramatically since filing.
Real-world use
Today's smartwatch that syncs with wireless earbuds and a fitness band, all coordinating around your body without cables, embodies the core modular network idea this patent protected.
Original USPTO abstract
We have disclosed a modular personal network (MPN) that includes multiple devices that may be worn, carried, or used in close proximity to a user. The devices communicate wirelessly. Functions of the MPN may be modified by adding or removing components. The MPN may communicate with a personal computer. General purpose devices may include a control unit, a display, a user input, and an audio output. The MPN may provide a variety of functions, including time, communication, entertainment, organization, guidance, athletic, medical, travel, outdoors, identity, security, and military.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 7,670,263
- Filing date
- 2003-08-20
- Grant date
- 2010-03-02
- Assignee
- Michael Ellis / Caron Ellis
- Inventor(s)
- ELLIS MICHAEL, ELLIS CARON
- CPC class
- G16H20/30
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