Adaptable microcontroller-operated device and related system

• US 10,095,265 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suunto Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Amer Sports Digital Services Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kallio, Janne, Lindman, Erik, Martikka, Mikko, Pernu, Kimmo
• Primary Examiner(s): Desta, Elias
• Application Number:
  US13/691,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20130339409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,136 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1122 of movement trajectories
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt

Abstract

The invention concerns a portable computing device comprising a microprocessor capable of running software, hardware means capable of providing at least one physical variable, a memory unit carrying the software adapted to read the physical variable and to perform a mathematical operation utilizing the physical variable. An interface means adapted to allow defining of the mathematical operation in the memory unit by a user of the device. The invention also concerns a firmware product of a microcontroller-operated device, a computer program product and a web service.

Claims

1. A portable microcontroller-operated wrist-top computer system for a user comprising:

a wrist-top computer including,

a housing;

a wristband coupled to the housing;

a memory within the housing;

a microcontroller including software stored on the memory;

at least one sensor providing at least one physical variable, wherein the software is adapted to read the physical variable using the at least one sensor and to perform a mathematical operation utilizing the physical variable;

a rule interface mechanism configured to enable the user to change the contents of a set of rules within the memory; and

a rule interpreter including a command set capable of interpreting the instructions contained in the set of rules; and

an interface adapted to allow defining of the mathematical operation in the memory by the user of the wrist-top computer.

2. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, further comprising a displayless unit including a mechanism for wirelessly transmitting the result of the mathematical operation utilizing the physical variable to the wrist-top computer.

3. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes a memory unit integrated on a single chip with the microcontroller, and wherein at least one of the software and the mathematical operation is stored on the integrated memory unit.

4. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes a memory unit external to the microcontroller and, wherein at least one of the software and the mathematical operation is stored on the external memory unit.

5. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the mathematical operation and information on the physical variable are contained in a variable data structure on the memory, wherein the data structure is writable through the interface, and wherein the software comprises an interpreter for reading the data structure and for running the mathematical operation defined in the data structure in the device, and, optionally, for displaying or storing the result of the mathematical operation to the memory.

6. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the interface is functionally coupled to the memory for changing a part of the memory defining the mathematical operation.

7. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a user interface arranged in the wrist-top computer.

8. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a data transfer mechanism for importing a mathematical operation, which has been defined in an external computing device, the external computing device being selected from the group consisting of a personal mobile device, a computer and a web server, into the memory for storing the user-definable mathematical operation.

9. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the mathematical operation is part of the software and, wherein the interface includes data transfer mechanism for updating the whole software from an external computing device, for storing the user-definable mathematical operation.

10. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one physical variable is selected from the group consisting of, time, velocity, position, direction, orientation, and a combination thereof.

11. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is adapted to measure the at least one physical variable.

12. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is adapted to receive the at least one physical variable from an external measurement unit.

13. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, further including a mechanism for storing the result of the mathematical operation and/or transferring the result of the mathematical operation to an external device.

14. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, further including a display and a system for displaying and continuously updating the result of the user-defined mathematical operation on the display.

15. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor provides at least two variable parameters and, wherein the software performs a mathematical operation utilizing the at least two variable parameters.

16. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes a memory portion for storing a user-definable alphabetical name for the user-definable mathematical operation.

26. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one physical variable is selected from the group consisting of, altitude, depth, barometric pressure, and temperature.

27. The portable microcontroller-operated computing wrist-top computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one physical variable is a physiological variable measured from the user, and wherein the physiological variable is heartbeat frequency, respiration frequency or a combination thereof.

17. A wrist-top computer firmware product for a user, comprising:

a display controller adapted to control a wrist-top computer display;

an operational mode controller functionally connected to the display controller for displaying operational mode-specific information on the wrist-top computer display;

at least one sensor for reading at least one physical parameter of the user;

memory including one or more constant parameters of the user and variable operation data defining at least part of the operational mode-specific information of at least one operation mode; and

a microcontroller applying the variable operation data on the physical parameter for producing an operational result including at least part of the operational mode-specific info nation of the at least one operational mode.

18. The wrist-top computer firmware product according to claim 17, wherein the variable operation data is adapted to comprise data on at least one mathematical operator, at least one physical parameter and instructions on how the mathematical operator is applied on the physical parameter in order to yield the operation result.

19. The wrist-top computer firmware product according to claim 17, further including means for receiving the variable operation data from an external computing device through data transfer means arranged in the wrist-top computer.

20. The wrist-top computer firmware product according to claim 17, further including means for defining the variable operation data in the wrist-top computer through user interface means.

21. The wrist-top computer firmware product according to claim 17, wherein the firmware product is stored in a wrist-top computer memory unit.

22. The wrist-top computer firmware product according to claim 17, further including a command set for interpreting data structures comprising the variable operation data in order to be able to obtain the operation result.

23. A computerized system for functionalizing wrist-top computers, comprising:

a user account management system configured for maintaining a plurality of user accounts;

a wrist-top computer operation programming mechanism configured to allow owners of the user accounts to define mathematical operations comprising one or more mathematical operators, one or more physiological variables of the users and mutual relations of the operators and variables, the wrist-top computer operation programming mechanism configured to utilize one or more constant physiological parameters of the users;

a memory for storing the user-defined mathematical operations for the user accounts,

a communication link for exporting the user-defined mathematical operations to a wrist-top computer of the owner of the user account or to an external storage device.

24. The system of claim 23, further including a mechanism for sharing the user-defined mathematical operations between user accounts.

25. The system of claim 23, further including a mechanism for receiving data units comprising results of the mathematical operations from the owners of the user accounts, as operated in their wrist-top computers.