Biometric monitoring device with immersion sensor and swim stroke detection and related methods

• US 10,327,674 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hong, Jung Ook, Yuen, Shelten Gee Jao, Axley, Andrew Larsen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Tung S
• Application Number:
  US15/601,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20180042526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0257 using atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0214 Capacitive electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0223 Magnetic field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02433 for infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 : Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/10 : with adhesive type surfaces, i.e. hook and loop-type fastener
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/44 : Angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/80 : Special sensors, transducers or devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 : Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 : Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/20 : Swimming
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 : Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 : Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/005 : Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Biometric monitoring devices, including various technologies that may be implemented in such devices, are discussed herein. Additionally, techniques for utilizing gyroscopes in biometric monitoring devices are provided. Such techniques may, in some implementations, involve obtaining swimming metrics regarding stroke cycle count, lap count, and stroke type. Such techniques may also, in some implementations, involve obtaining performance metrics for bicycling activities.

Claims

1. A biometric monitoring system for monitoring swimming activity, the biometric monitoring system comprising:

a housing configured to be worn on a user'"'"'s forearm or insertable into an accessory worn on the user'"'"'s forearm;

an barometric altimeter configured to generate data associated with pressure changes measured by the barometric altimeter;

a memory; and

control logic, wherein;

the control logic, the memory, and the barometric altimeter are communicatively connected with one another, and

the control logic is configured to;

a) obtain data generated by the barometric altimeter from the barometric altimeter,

b) determine, based, at least in part, on the data generated by the barometric altimeter, one or more of;

(i) a swim stroke count of the user, (ii) a swim stroke type of the user, and (iii) a swimming lap count of the user, and

c) cause information associated with the determination of (b) to be presented to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the determination of (b) includes the swim stroke type of the user, and

information associated with the swim stroke type of the user is presented to the user in (c).

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the determination of the swim stroke type is based, at least in part, on a determination that the data generated by the barometric altimeter is associated with an immersion of the housing under water.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the determination that the data generated by the barometric altimeter is associated with the immersion of the housing under water is further based, at least in part, on a determination that the data generated by the barometric altimeter is associated with one or more pressure patterns, wherein each pressure pattern is associated with a different swim stroke type.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the swim stroke type of the user includes one or more of:

a crawl stroke, a breast stroke, a back stroke, a butterfly stroke, and a side stroke.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the determination of (b) further includes:

the swimming lap count of the user, and

one or more of;

a classification of a predominant swim stroke type used by the user per lap and a classification of a swim stroke type used per fractional lap.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control logic is further configured to:

d) determine, based on the data generated by the barometric altimeter, that the barometric altimeter is immersed in liquid on a substantially continuous or regular basis consistent with immersion experienced by a person'"'"'s hand when the person is swimming and to perform (b) responsive thereto.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the determination of (b) includes the swim stroke count of the user, and

information associated with the swim stroke count of the user is presented to the user in (c).

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the determination of the swim stroke count is based, at least in part, on data generated by the barometric altimeter that is associated with immersions of the housing under water.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a magnetometer configured to generate data associated with magnetic field changes measured by the magnetometer, wherein:

the control logic is further configured to obtain data generated by the magnetometer from the magnetometer,

the determination of (b) includes the swimming lap count and further includes a determination of a start of a lap and an end of that lap,

the determination of the start of the lap and the end of that lap is based, at least in part, on data generated by the magnetometer that is representative of a directional heading of the user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the data generated by the magnetometer that is used to determine the start of the lap and the end of the lap is associated with a reversal of a directional heading of the housing.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the determination of (b) further includes the swim stroke type of the user, and

the control logic is further configured to identify portions of each stroke that are typically aligned aligned in a direction of travel and to determine reversals in the directional heading of the housing based on the data generated by the magnetometer during the identified portions.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the determination of (b) further includes the swim stroke count of the user, and

the control logic is further configured to determine reversals in the directional heading of the housing by comparing an average heading for a stroke cycle to an average heading of a preceding stroke cycle.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising a gyroscopic motion sensor configured to generate angular motion data measured by the gyroscopic motion sensor, wherein:

the control logic is further configured to obtain the angular motion data generated by the gyroscopic motion sensor from the gyroscopic motion sensor,

the determination of (b) further includes the swimming lap count and further includes a determination of a start of a lap and an end of that lap, and

the control logic is further configured to determine the start of the lap and the end of that lap based, at least in part, on angular motion data generated by the gyroscopic motion sensor that is representative of irregularities in a periodicity of the angular motion data,

the periodicity of the angular motion data is representative of the stroke frequency, and

the irregularities are representative of discontinuities in the stroke frequency that are indicative of reversals of swimming direction.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the determination of (b) includes the swimming lap count and further includes a determination of a start of a lap and an end of that lap, and

the determination of the start of the lap or the end of that lap is based, at least in part, on a determination that data generated by the barometric altimeter is associated with a transition between a state in which regular swim stroke cycles occur and a state in which regular swim stroke cycles do not occur.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a feedback mechanism, wherein:

the information of (c) is presented to the user by a notification caused by the feedback mechanism, and

the notification is one or more of;

a sound and a tactile sensation.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the information of (c) presented to the user by the notification is associated with a timer.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the control logic is further configured to;

(e) adjust the notification provided in (d), and

the adjustment of (e) includes one or more of;

an increase of a volume of the sound, an increase of a duration of the sound, an increase of a power of the tactile sensation, and an increase of a duration of the tactile sensation.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the feedback mechanism includes one or more of:

an audio speaker and a tactile device.