Specialized Sensors and Techniques for Monitoring Personal Activity

• US 20140275821A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mymee Inc.
• Original Assignee: Group Mee, LLC
• Inventors: Beckman, Christopher V.
• Granted Patent: US 9,636,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/015 Control of fluid supply or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0082 adapted for particular medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 using markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 temperature
• 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: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0092 Nutrition

Abstract

New activity recognition, recording, analysis and control techniques, systems and sensors are provided. In some aspects of the invention, multiple sensory tags with unique identification and data transfer attributes create positional, movement, orientation and acceleration data and supply it to a control system. The tags may be placed at location(s) on the user'"'"'s body, clothing, personal effects, exercise equipment and other activity-relevant locations to enhance activity recognition and mapping. For example, a specialized PDA may comprise part of the control system, and may provide, reflect and/or receive modified data signals to and from such tags.

In other aspects, a system defines a personal activity space, samples data preferentially from that space, and performs a simplified form of object-recognition to determine, record and analyze personal activities.

A GUI interface within the control system may also aid in recognizing and recording activity patterns, in addition to tags.

Claims

1. A system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities, comprising computer hardware and software capable of managing at least one sensor for recognizing object-defining differentials within a personal activity space.

2. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 1, further comprising in which the personal activity space is defined by a depth of field of at least one of said at least one sensors, which further comprises the capability of sensing and focusing radiant energy.

3. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 1, further comprising in which said object-defining differentials are heat or heat energy differentials.

4. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 3, further comprising in which said at least one sensor is/are capable of sensing and focusing infrared radiation within a personal activity space.

5. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 4, further comprising in which said personal activity space may be variably defined by a user and/or the system.

6. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 5, further comprising in which the system determines if radiation signal(s) emanate from outside of the personal activity space and, if so, processes it/them or analyzes data related to it/them differently than sensed radiation emanating from inside the personal activity space.

7. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 6, further comprising in which said radiation signal(s) that emanate from outside of the personal activity space are treated as environmental condition indicators, but not information directly emanating from objects engaging in movement from personal activity.

8. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 7, further comprising in which the system senses and records data relevant to additional sensors, other than said at least one sensor recognizing object-defining differentials within a personal activity space.

9. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 7, further comprising in which said additional sensors or user input may aid the system in determining auxiliary relevant personal activity and/or health-relevant information or metadata, for example, from a base station or other user'"'"'s personal activity areas, and which auxiliary relevant personal activity and/or health-relevant information or metadata is different from data defining object(s) via differentials.

10. A system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities, comprising computer hardware and software capable of managing at least one sensor for recognizing tag(s) within a user'"'"'s personal activity space, to aid in defining, recording and analyzing personal activities within a personal activity space.

11. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 10, further comprising in which said tag(s) are each uniquely identifiable by the system, and associable with factors indicating engagement in a particular type of personal activity.

12. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 10, further comprising in which said tag(s) are multiple tags and at least one of said tags is placed on or about an object that is fixed, or in which said at least one of said tags is otherwise fixed relative to the general environment of the user.

13. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 12, further comprising in which at least one other of said tags is placed on or about an object that may move (relative to said at least one of said tags is placed on or about an object that is fixed) due to or along with personal activity movements.

14. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 13, further comprising in which said system identifies the location(s) and/or relative locations of said tags by sending a radiative signal to said tags of a type causing at least one of said tags to resonate or otherwise respond by sending another, distinct radiative signal, unique to the tag from which it emanates.

15. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 14, further comprising in which said another, distinct radiative signal, unique to the tag from which it emanates may reach at least one other tag (a secondary receiving tag), causing the secondary receiving tag to resonate or otherwise respond by sending a different, other distinct radiative signal (return signal), unique to the secondary tag, and which results only from the distinct type of signal received, and which may be sensed by another aspect of said system.

16. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 14, further comprising in which said system determines the actual or proportional movement of a part of the user'"'"'s body by virtue of sensing and analyzing the strength and/or other properties of said return signal over time, as those properties may vary due to movement of one or more of said tag(s).

17. A system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities, comprising computer hardware and software capable of recording data relevant to a user'"'"'s personal activities, and in which an administrator and/or user may create an incentive program that is legally binding and may effect rewards and penalties based on personal activity that meets, or fails to meet, goals set by the user, system and/or administrator, but which penalties and rewards may be changed retroactively, based on further personal activity data.

18. The system for sensing, defining, recording and analyzing personal activities of claim 17, in which said system may execute a Partial Give-back reward, based on a user exceeding goals, or under other circumstances linked by the system with triggering a Partial Give-back reward.