Cellular pedometer

• US 20060073807A1
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baker, Thomas W.
• Application Number:
  US10/954,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20060073807A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

A cellular phone contains a pedometer feature operating from a logging of repeated acceleration measurements, and captures body movements in a similar way as a stand alone pedometer. The acceleration measurements may be taken from a dedicated accelerometer, or from an accelerometer otherwise already integrated into the cell phone for use by any number of other features, including gaming, phone off-hook detection, etc. The pedometer feature may be integrated into a cell phone that includes an accelerometer for other purposes. For instance, in such a cell phone that already includes an accelerometer, a software applet may be downloaded over a data link to the phone to be activated and operate as a pedometer in addition (or instead of) the use of the accelerometer for its original purposes.

Claims

1. In a wireless phone, a feature comprising:

counting a number of repeated accelerations of an accelerometer in said wireless phone; and

converting said counted number of repeated accelerations into a total distance traveled by a user of said wireless phone.

2. In the wireless phone according to claim 1, the feature further comprising:

associating each of said counted number of repeated accelerations with a corresponding distance traveled by said user.

3. In the wireless phone according to claim 1, the feature further comprising:

logging a counted number of repeated accelerations over a plurality of days.

4. In the wireless phone according to claim 3, the feature further comprising:

plotting said counted number of repeated accelerations in a graph; and

displaying said graph on a display of said wireless phone.

5. In the wireless phone according to claim 1, the feature further comprising:

logging a counted number of repeated accelerations over a plurality of weeks.

6. A wireless phone, comprising:

a wireless phone functionality module;

an accelerometer mounted in said wireless phone; and

a pedometer analyzer module connected to an output of said accelerometer.

7. The wireless phone according to claim 6, further comprising:

a game module utilizing output from said accelerometer.

8. The wireless phone according to claim 6, further comprising:

an automatic off-hook detection module utilizing output from said accelerometer.

9. The wireless phone according to claim 6, further comprising:

a display;

wherein distances determined by said pedometer analyzer module based on input caused by repeated accelerations of said accelerometer are presented to a user of said wireless phone through said display.

10. The wireless phone according to claim 6, further comprising:

a distance log containing a plurality of entries each associated with a distance traveled during a given period of time.

11. The wireless phone according to claim 6, wherein:

said given period of time is one day.

12. A method of determining a distance traveled by a user of a wireless phone on foot, said method comprising:

counting, in a wireless phone carried by said user, a number of repeated accelerations of an accelerometer; and

translating said counted number of repeated accelerations into a total distance traveled by said user.

13. The method of determining a distance traveled by a user of a wireless phone on foot according to claim 12, said method further comprising:

associating each of said counted number of repeated accelerations with a corresponding distance traveled by said user.

14. The method of determining a distance traveled by a user of a wireless phone on foot according to claim 13, said method further comprising:

allowing adjustment of said corresponding distance retroactively, based on a comparison of said translated total distance and an actual distance traveled.

15. The method of determining a distance traveled by a user of a wireless phone on foot according to claim 12, said method further comprising:

uploading pedometer data collected by said wireless phone to a centralized database.

16. The method of determining a distance traveled by a user of a wireless phone on foot according to claim 15, said method further comprising:

remotely analyzing pedometer data relating to a given user, and downloading a result of said analysis to said given user'"'"'s wireless phone.

17. The method of determining a distance traveled by a user of a wireless phone on foot according to claim 12, wherein:

said accelerometer is integrated into said wireless phone.

18. Apparatus for determining a distance traveled by a user of a wireless phone on foot, comprising:

means for counting, in a wireless phone carried by said user, a number of repeated accelerations of an accelerometer; and

means for translating said counted number of repeated accelerations into a total distance traveled by said user.

19. The apparatus for determining a distance traveled by a user of a wireless phone on foot according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for associating each of said counted number of repeated accelerations with a corresponding distance traveled by said user.

20. The apparatus for determining a distance traveled by a user of a wireless phone on foot according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for allowing adjustment of said corresponding distance retroactively, based on a comparison of said translated total distance and an actual distance traveled.

21. The apparatus for determining a distance traveled by a user of a wireless phone on foot according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for uploading pedometer data collected by said wireless phone to a centralized database.

22. The apparatus for determining a distance traveled by a user of a wireless phone on foot according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for remotely analyzing pedometer data relating to a given user, and downloading a result of said analysis to said given user'"'"'s wireless phone.

23. The apparatus for determining a distance traveled by a user of a wireless phone on foot according to claim 18, wherein:

said accelerometer is integrated into said wireless phone.