SELF-POWERED VIBRATION SENSOR

• US 20080221486A1
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,927,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for monitoring vibration using a self-powered vibration sensor, a programmable interactive device, and a remote server. The self-powered sensor is capable of transforming vibrations into equivalent RF pulses, which are recorded and manipulated by the programmable interactive device. The programmable interactive device communicates the RF pulses to the remote server for further analysis, processing, and feedback. These interactions result in an objective monitoring of the vibration, which provides corrective feedback for beneficial transformation of behavior. The corrective feedback may be provided on a programmable interactive device such as a mobile phone, PDA, etc.

Claims

1. An automatic vibration monitoring and feedback system comprising:

a self powered vibration sensor that detects vibrations of a user, produces radio frequency (RF) pulses at a rate proportional to the detected vibration, and transmits said RF pulses;

a programmable interactive device in wireless communication with said self-powered vibration sensor, wherein said programmable interactive device receives said RF pulses from said vibration sensor and converts said RF pulses into meaningful information associated with energy consumed by said user based on a user profile; and

a server that is remotely linked to said programmable interactive device, wherein said server comprises computer applications that receive said meaningful information from said programmable interactive device and provide feedback to said programmable interactive device based on said meaningful information.

2. The automatic vibration monitoring and feedback system of claim 1, wherein said sensor is worn by said user.

3. The automatic vibration monitoring and feedback system of claim 1, wherein said sensor is implanted in said user.

4. The automatic vibration monitoring and feedback system of claim 1, wherein said programmable interactive device is calibrated to build said user profile based on user interactive calibration sessions.

5. The automatic vibration monitoring and feedback system of claim 1, wherein said user profile is periodically modified.

6. The automatic vibration monitoring and feedback system of claim 4, wherein said calibration sessions are programmed in said programmable interactive device to compare said meaningful information with reference data obtained from a known reference caloric measurement device.

7. The automatic vibration monitoring and feedback system of claim 1, wherein said server analyzes and processes said meaningful information.

8. The automatic vibration monitoring and feedback system of claim 1, wherein said feedback is in the form of multimedia.

9. The automatic vibration monitoring and feedback system of claim 1, wherein said feedback is in the form of text.

10. The automatic vibration monitoring and feedback system of claim 1, wherein said programmable interactive device interacts simultaneously with a plurality of said sensors.

11. The automatic vibration monitoring and feedback system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said sensors are integrated to form a network of sensor devices.

12. A self-powered vibration sensor comprising:

an accelerometer that detects vibration and converts the detected vibration into electric current;

an energy storage device operatively connected to said accelerometer, wherein said energy storage device stores said electric current;

a discharging element directly connected to said energy storage device, wherein said discharging element determines a time period for discharging said electric current; and

a radio frequency (RF) transmitter operatively connected to said discharging element, wherein said RF transmitter converts said electric current into RF pulses at a rate proportional to said electric current.

13. The self-powered vibration sensor of claim 12, wherein said energy storage device comprises any of a capacitor and a chargeable battery.

14. The self-powered vibration sensor of claim 12, wherein said discharging element comprises any of a gate and a timer.

15. The self-powered vibration sensor of claim 12, wherein said sensor recharges a chargeable device operatively connected to said sensor.

16. The self-powered vibration sensor of claim 12, wherein said sensor is implanted in a user.

17. The self-powered vibration sensor of claim 12, wherein said sensor is worn by a user.

18. A method for automatic vibration monitoring and feedback, said method comprising:

detecting vibration of a user by a sensor;

wirelessly communicating, from said sensor, raw data associated with the detected vibration to a programmable interactive device;

processing said raw data to provide meaningful information associated with energy consumed by a user based on a user profile;

communicating said meaningful information to a server comprising computer applications, wherein said server is remotely linked to said programmable interactive device; and

receiving, in said programmable interactive device, feedback from said server based on said meaningful information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said raw data comprises radio frequency (RF) pulses that are produced at a rate proportional to said detected vibration.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said programmable interactive device counts a number of RF pulses.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said server analyzes and processes said meaningful information.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said programmable interactive device is calibrated to build said user profile based on user interactive calibration sessions.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein said user profile is periodically modified.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said calibration sessions are configured in said programmable interactive device to compare said meaningful information with reference data obtained from a known reference caloric measurement device.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein said server provides feedback and reports to said programmable interactive device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said report provides information on any of caloric burn, caloric intake, and activity duration of said user.