PORTABLE MONITORING DEVICES AND METHODS OF OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20140197965A1
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Park, James, Yuen, Shelten Gee Jao, Friedman, Eric Nathan, Brumback, Christine Boomer
• Granted Patent: US 8,903,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.09
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 : using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

In one aspect of the disclosed implementations, a device includes one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the device and providing activity data indicative of the sensed motion. The device also includes one or more processors for monitoring the activity data, and receiving or generating annotation data for annotating the activity data with one or more markers or indicators to define one or more characteristics of an activity session. The device also includes one or more feedback devices for providing feedback, a notice, or an indication to a user based on the monitoring. The device further includes a portable housing that encloses at least portions of the motion sensors, the processors and the feedback devices.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the device and providing activity data indicative of the sensed motion;

one or more processors for;

monitoring the activity data; and

receiving or generating annotation data for annotating the activity data with one or more markers or indicators to define one or more characteristics of an activity session;

one or more feedback devices for providing feedback, a notice, or an indication to a user based on the monitoring; and

a portable housing that encloses at least portions of the motion sensors, the processors and the feedback devices.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the device further includes a memory; and

the processors are further configured to store the activity data or data derived from the activity data in the memory.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the processors are further configured to store the annotation data in the memory.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processors are further configured to determine one or more activity metrics based on the activity data.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the processors are further configured to determine one or more activity metrics based on the activity data and the annotation data.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the device further includes one or more user input devices included in or on the housing for receiving or sensing user input; and

the processors are further configured to receive and interpret the user input received or sensed via the user input devices.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the motion sensors themselves also can function as user input devices by sensing a user'"'"'s touch, tapping, or other physical gesture made on or with the device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the device further includes transmitting and receiving circuitry; and

the user input is input by the user via an external or remote device and then communicated to the receiving circuitry; and

the processors are further configured to receive and interpret the user input received from the receiving circuitry.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein:

the transmitting and receiving circuitry is configured for wireless communication over a computer network; and

the user input is input via a web or mobile application.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to enable a user to input the annotation data via user input.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the user input is input based on a physical interaction with the device that is then interpreted by the processors.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the user input is input to an external device that is communicatively-coupled with the device via one or more wired or wireless connections or networks.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the device is configured to enable a user to initiate, indicate, or mark a start time or an end time of a user-defined activity session in response to user input received via one the one or more user interface devices.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the device is configured to enable a user to indicate a particular user activity performed during a user-defined activity session in response to user input received via one the one or more user interface devices.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to automatically annotate the activity data or to generate the annotation data.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the device is configured to automatically annotate the activity data or to generate the annotation data based on a device state.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the device is configured to automatically annotate the activity data or to generate the annotation data based on an analysis of the activity data.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the processors are configured to automatically determine the activity data to track or the activity metrics to calculate based on the annotation data.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a wrist- or arm-band, is configured for physical attachment to or coupling with a wrist- or arm-band, or is configured to be inserted into a wrist- or arm-band.

20. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more of:

one or more gyroscopes, one or more physiological sensors, one or more biometric sensors, one or more altitude sensors, one or more temperature sensors, and one or more heart-rate sensors.

21. A method of monitoring one or more activity metrics using a portable monitoring device, comprising:

sensing, by one or more motion sensors within the device, motion of the device;

outputting, by the one or more motion sensors, activity data indicative of the sensed movement;

receiving, by one or more processors within the device, the activity data;

receiving or generating, by the one or more processors, annotation data; and

annotating the activity data based on the annotation data.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving the annotation data from a user.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising generating the annotation data based on the activity data.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the processors are further configured to determine or calculate one or more activity metrics based on the activity data and the annotation data.

25. A device comprising:

one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the device and providing activity data indicative of the sensed motion;

one or more processors for;

monitoring the activity data; and

switching among a plurality of activity-tracking modes;

one or more feedback devices for providing feedback, a notice, or an indication to a user based on the monitoring; and

a portable housing that encloses at least portions of the motion sensors, the processors and the feedback devices.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the processors are further configured to determine one or more activity metrics based on the activity data.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the processors are further configured to determine the one or more activity metrics based on which of the activity-tracking modes is currently active.

28. The device of claim 25, wherein the device is configured to enable a user to set or select a particular activity-tracking mode to switch into based on user input.

29. The device of claim 25, wherein the device is configured to automatically determine or select a particular activity-tracking mode to switch into in response to the activity data.

30. The device of claim 25, wherein the plurality of activity-tracking modes include:

one or more activity-specific activity-tracking modes; and

a sleep-tracking mode.