SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRANSITIONING BETWEEN PEDOMETER MODES

• US 20110054838A1
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fino, Jorge, Davydov, Anton, Wood, Policarpo, Ramachandran, Prashanth, Rottler, Benjamin, Haughay, Allen P. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 9,255,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/160
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided that allow steps to be counted in multiple pedometer modes. For example, a pedometer application on an electronic device can count steps in an ambient mode of operation and a session mode of operation. By maintaining separate counters for each pedometer mode and continuously monitoring the desired mode of operation, the pedometer application can accurately count the number of steps during a certain time period. In response to detecting a change in the desired mode, the pedometer application can seamlessly switch to the corresponding mode counter. In some embodiments, the pedometer application can display graphical representations of historical step information for one or more pedometer modes.

Claims

1. An electronic device for seamlessly switching between multiple pedometer modes, the electronic device comprising:

a display;

an input component; and

control circuitry configured to;

count steps in a first pedometer mode;

receive from the input component a first input to start a second pedometer mode;

switch to counting steps in the second pedometer mode in response to receiving the first input;

receive from the input component a second input to end the second pedometer mode; and

switch back to counting steps in the first pedometer mode in response to receiving the second input.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

maintain a first counter to count the steps in the first pedometer mode; and

maintain a second counter to count the steps in the second pedometer mode.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to pause the counting of steps in the first pedometer mode when switching to the counting of steps in the second pedometer mode.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to stop the counting of steps in the second pedometer mode when switching back to the counting of steps in the first pedometer mode.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to switch back to the counting of steps in the first pedometer mode in response to determining that the electronic device is operating below a pre-defined power threshold.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first pedometer mode is an ambient mode for counting steps within an ambient period, wherein the counting of steps in the first pedometer mode automatically restarts at the end of the ambient period.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second pedometer mode is a session mode for counting steps for a particular session, wherein the counting of steps in the second pedometer mode starts in response to receiving the first input.

8. A method for seamlessly switching between multiple pedometer modes, the method comprising:

counting steps in a first pedometer mode;

receiving a first input to start a second pedometer mode;

switching to counting steps in the second pedometer mode in response to receiving the first input;

receiving a second input to end the second pedometer mode; and

switching back to counting steps in the first pedometer mode in response to receiving the second input.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the switching to counting steps in the second pedometer mode comprises continuing the counting of steps in the first pedometer mode.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the switching to counting steps in the second pedometer mode comprises pausing the counting of steps in the first pedometer mode.

11. A method of providing historical step information obtained during a first time period in a plurality of modes of pedometer operation, the method comprising:

displaying a calendar indicative of the first time period;

highlighting a first region of the calendar indicative of a first duration of the first time period; and

displaying a first portion of the step information obtained during the first duration of the first time period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of modes of pedometer operation comprises an ambient mode of pedometer operation and a session mode of pedometer operation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the displaying the calendar comprises:

identifying at least one session duration of the first time period during which the step information was obtained in the session mode of pedometer operation; and

displaying at least one session indicator on at least one session region of the calendar indicative of the at least one session duration.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying the first portion of the step information comprises:

determining that at least a first subset of the first portion of the step information was obtained in a first mode of the plurality of modes of operation;

determining that at least a second subset of the first portion of the step information was obtained in a second mode of the plurality of modes of operation;

combining at least the first subset and the second subset into a combined subset of information; and

displaying the combined subset of information.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying the first portion of the step information comprises:

determining at least one mode of the plurality of modes associated with the first duration; and

displaying an icon associated with the at least one mode.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving request to view a graphical representation of the first portion of the step information;

determining at least one time increment based on the first portion of the step information; and

displaying the graphical representation of the first portion of the step information based on the at least one time increment.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining the at least one time increment is based on at least a first frequency used to store at least a subset of the first portion of the step information.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the displaying the graphical representation comprises:

determining at least one mode of operation of the plurality of modes of operation associated with the step information obtained during each of the at least one time increment of the first duration;

selecting at least one graphical representation type for each of the at least one time increment, wherein each of the at least one graphical representation type is unique to the at least one mode of operation determined for each of the at least one time increment; and

displaying the at least one graphical representation type for each of the at least one time increment of the first duration.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one graphical representation type comprise at least one bar with at least one color representing the at least one mode of operation.

20. A system for storing historical step information associated with a plurality of modes of operation, the system comprising:

a server; and

an electronic device comprising;

memory configured to store the historical step information; and

control circuitry configured to;

determine a pre-defined duration for the historical step information; and

upload a portion of the historical step information that is older than the pre-defined duration from the memory to the server.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising an input component, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive, from the input component, an instruction to change the duration of the historical step information;

compare the changed duration to the pre-defined duration;

in response to determining that the changed duration is shorter than the pre-defined duration, upload an additional portion of the historical step information that is older than the changed duration to the server; and

in response to determining that the changed duration is longer than the pre-defined duration, download from the server a portion of the historical step information that falls between the changed duration and the pre-defined duration.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

detect that the available amount of the memory is below a pre-defined threshold; and

decrease the pre-defined duration in response to the detecting.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to upload to the server a portion of the historical step information until the available amount of the memory is above the pre-defined threshold.

24. The system of claim 20, further comprising a display, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to direct the display to present a graphical representation of the historical step information.

25. Machine-readable media for switching between multiple pedometer modes of an electronic device, the machine-readable media comprising machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

counting steps in a first pedometer mode;

receiving a first input to start a second pedometer mode;

switching to counting steps in the second pedometer mode in response to receiving the first input;

receiving a second input to end the second pedometer mode; and

switching back to counting steps in the first pedometer mode in response to receiving the second input.