Data-fusing activity monitoring device

• US 10,132,645 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2015
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Yuen, Shelten Gee Jao, Roberts, Timothy M., Panther, Heiko Gernot Albert, Burton, Barry Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Charioui, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US14/713,288
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

An activity monitoring device accumulates a count of steps taken as an individual bearing the activity monitoring device travels by foot along a route, and wirelessly acquires positioning data from a discrete global-positioning device corresponding to a sequence of locations along the route. The activity monitoring device iteratively revises an estimated stride length of the individual based on the positioning data and the step count and iteratively updates a travel distance on a display of the activity monitoring device according to the step count and the estimated stride length as the individual proceeds from one location in the sequence to the next.

Claims

1. A method of operation within an activity monitoring device as an individual bearing the activity monitoring device proceeds by foot along a route, the method comprising:

accumulating a count of steps taken by the individual based on signals from one or more sensors of the activity monitoring device;

wirelessly acquiring positioning data from a discrete global-positioning device corresponding to a sequence of locations along the route;

iteratively revising an estimated stride length of the individual based on the positioning data and the step count;

rendering an interface on a display comprising;

an indication of a real-time position of the individual based at least in part on the positioning data acquired from the discrete global-positioning device; and

a travel distance based on the estimated stride length and the total count of steps; and

iteratively updating the travel distance in real-time on the display of the activity monitoring device according to the step count and the estimated stride length as the individual proceeds from one location in the sequence to the next.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein accumulating the step count based on signals from one or more sensors of the activity monitoring device comprises accumulating the step count based at least in part on a signal from accelerometer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein wirelessly acquiring positioning data from a discrete global-positioning device comprises wirelessly acquiring the positioning data from a smartphone transported by the individual and having global positioning system (GPS) capability.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein iteratively revising the estimated stride length based on the positioning data and the step count comprises determining a distance between first and second locations within the sequence of locations based on the positioning data, and generating a first stride-length update based on the distance between the first and second locations divided by a change in the step count between the first and second locations.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein iteratively revising the estimated stride length further comprises combining the first stride-length update with a second stride-length update generated based on a distance between a pair of locations other than the first and second locations.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising determining whether the individual has traveled in a substantially straight path from the first location to the second location.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the individual has traveled in a substantially straight path from the first location to the second location; and

updating the travel distance on the display of the activity monitoring device based on the distance between the first and second locations indicated by the positioning data in response to determining that the individual has traveled in the substantially straight path from the first location to the second location.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein iteratively updating the travel distance on the display according to the step count and the estimated stride length as the individual proceeds from one location in the sequence to the next comprises updating the travel distance after the individual has taken one or more steps beyond any one of the locations and before the individual has reached a subsequent one of the locations.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein wirelessly acquiring positioning data from the discrete global-positioning device corresponding to the sequence of locations along the route comprises wirelessly acquiring global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of each location within the sequence of locations.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising iteratively updating a pace of travel on the display of the activity monitoring device according to the travel distance and elapsed time.

11. An activity monitoring device comprising:

a display;

wireless circuitry;

one or more sensors to generate signals indicative of motion of an individual bearing the activity monitoring device; and

processing circuitry coupled to the display, wireless circuitry and one or more sensors to;

accumulate, based on the signals generated by the one or more sensors, a count of steps taken by the individual as the individual proceeds by foot along a route;

acquire, via the wireless circuitry, positioning data from a discrete global-positioning device corresponding to a sequence of locations along the route;

iteratively revise an estimated stride length of the individual based on the positioning data and the step count; and

iteratively update a travel distance on the display according to the step count and the estimated stride length as the individual proceeds from one location in the sequence to the next;

wherein the display comprises;

an indication of a real-time position of the individual based at least in part on the positioning data acquired from the discrete global-positioning device; and

a travel distance based on the estimated stride length and the total count of steps.

12. The activity monitoring device of claim 11 wherein the one or more sensors comprise an accelerometer and wherein the processing circuitry to accumulate the step count based on the signals generated by the one or more sensors of the activity monitoring device comprises logic to accumulate the step count based at least in part on a signal from the accelerometer.

13. The activity monitoring device of claim 11 wherein the processing circuitry to acquire positioning data from a discrete global-positioning device comprises logic to acquire the positioning data from a smartphone transported by the individual and having global positioning system (GPS) capability.

14. The activity monitoring device of claim 11 wherein the processing circuitry to iteratively revise the estimated stride length based on the positioning data and the step count comprises logic to determine a distance between first and second locations within the sequence of locations based on the positioning data, and generate a first stride-length update based on the distance between the first and second locations divided by a change in the step count between the first and second locations.

15. The activity monitoring device of claim 14 wherein the processing circuitry to iteratively revise the estimated stride length further comprises logic to combine the first stride-length update with a second stride-length update generated based on a distance between a pair of locations other than the first and second locations.

16. The activity monitoring device of claim 14 wherein the processing circuitry comprises logic to determine, based at least in part on the signals output from the one or more sensors, whether the individual has traveled in a substantially straight path from the first location to the second location.

17. The activity monitoring device of claim 11 wherein the processing circuitry comprises logic to:

determine whether the individual has traveled in a substantially straight path from the first location to the second location; and

update the travel distance on the display of the activity monitoring device based on the distance between the first and second locations indicated by the positioning data in response to determining that the individual has traveled in the substantially straight path from the first location to the second location.

18. The activity monitoring device of claim 11 wherein the processing circuitry to iteratively update the travel distance on the display according to the step count and the estimated stride length as the individual proceeds from one location in the sequence to the next comprises logic to update the travel distance after the individual has taken one or more steps beyond any one of the locations and before the individual has reached a subsequent one of the locations.

19. The activity monitoring device of claim 11 wherein the processing circuitry to acquire positioning data from the discrete global-positioning device corresponding to the sequence of locations along the route comprises logic to acquire, via the wireless circuitry, global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of each location within the sequence of locations.

20. The activity monitoring device of claim 11 wherein the processing circuitry comprise logic to update a pace of travel on the display of the activity monitoring device according to the travel distance and elapsed time.

21. The activity monitoring device of claim 11 wherein the processing circuitry comprises memory having program code stored therein and one or more processors to execute the program code.