Systems and Methods for Stride Length Calibration

• US 20150141873A1
• Filed: 01/29/2015
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Shunyuan Kaihua Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Physical Enterprises Inc.
• Inventors: Fei, Ming Shun
• Granted Patent: US 10,959,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for determining a user'"'"'s stride length and monitoring various aspects of the user'"'"'s activities. An apparatus worn or carried by the user may determine and track when a user takes a step and, based at least in part on user-specific information, determine an estimated stride length of the user associated with a respective step rate or step rate range. The apparatus may further monitor the physical location, speed, or pace of the user during an activity and, in conjunction with step count information, determine a verified stride length for the user associated with a respective step rate or step rate range. The estimated and verified stride length determinations may be stored and used to determine one or more aspects of a user'"'"'s subsequent activities, including but not limited to pace, speed, and calorie expenditure information, even when physical location information is unavailable.

Claims

1. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

determining a number of steps taken by the user during an initial activity;

determining at least a first and a second attribute associated with the initial activity;

determining a step rate of the user during the initial activity based, at least in part, on the number of steps taken by the user and at least one of the first and the second attribute;

determining a verified stride length of the user during the initial activity based, at least in part, on the number of steps taken by the user and at least one of the first and the second attribute;

associating the verified stride length with a step rate range comprising the step rate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a subsequent step rate of the user during a subsequent activity, the step rate range comprising the subsequent step rate; and

determining at least one of a speed, pace, or calorie expenditure of the user during the subsequent activity based, at least in part, on the verified stride length of the user during the initial activity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the number of steps taken by the user during the initial activity is based, at least in part, on acceleration information received from at least one accelerometer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of steps taken by the user during the initial activity is predetermined and provided to the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second attributes associated with the initial activity are members of a group comprising:

a time, a distance, a pace, and a speed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and the second attributes is predetermined and provided to the user.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first attribute is the time associated with the initial activity and the second attribute is the distance associated with the initial activity.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first attribute is the time associated with the initial activity and the second attribute is the speed or the pace associated with the initial activity.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first attribute is the distance associated with the initial activity and the second attribute is the speed or the pace associated with the initial activity.

10. A method for measuring attributes associated with a user'"'"'s activity, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of step rate ranges comprising at least a first step rate range and a second step rate range;

receiving user-specific information;

determining a base stride length for a user based, at least in part, on the user-specific information;

determining a plurality of estimated stride lengths based, at least in part, on the base stride length, each estimated stride length associated with one of the plurality of step rate ranges;

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a step rate associated with an initial activity based, at least in part, on a number of steps associated with the initial activity and a first attribute associated with the initial activity, the step rate being within the first step rate range of the plurality of step rate ranges;

determining a verified stride length associated with the initial activity based, at least in part, on the number of steps associated with the initial activity and a second attribute associated with the initial activity; and

associating the verified stride length with the first step rate range.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a step rate associated with a subsequent activity;

if the step rate associated with the subsequent activity is within the first step rate range, determining one or more attributes associated with the subsequent activity based, at least in part, on the verified stride length; and

if the step rate associated with the subsequent activity is within the second step rate range, determining one or more attributes associated with the subsequent activity based, at least in part, on the estimated stride length associated with the second step rate range.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the user-specific information comprises one or more of gender information, height information, age information, weight information, health information, and inseam information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the base stride length for the user is based, at least in part, on two or more of gender information, height information, age information, weight information, health information, and inseam information.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the estimated stride lengths are directly proportionate to the associated step rate ranges, such that the estimated stride lengths increase as the associated step rate ranges increase.

16. An activity tracking apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

at least one accelerometer configured to detect acceleration information associated with a user'"'"'s movement;

a processor; and

a memory storing program instructions and a plurality of estimated stride lengths, each estimated stride length associated with a step rate or step rate range;

a processor for executing the program instructions to perform a method comprising;

monitoring one or more attributes associated with a first activity;

determining a verified stride length and a first step rate of a user during the first activity based, at least in part, on the one or more attributes associated with the first activity; and

associating the verified stride length with a step rate range comprising the first step rate.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

monitoring one or more attributes associated with a second activity;

determining a second step rate of the user during the second activity based, at least in part, on the one or more attributes associated with the second activity, the second step rate being within the step rate range; and

determining one or more further attributes associated with the second activity based, at least in part, on the verified stride length associated with the step rate range.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more attributes associated with the first activity comprise location information received from a location monitoring component.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein location information is unavailable during the second activity.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein location information is unreliable during the second activity.