SENSORS AND APPLICATIONS

• US 20160256082A1
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: ELY, Colin M., DE JONG, Erik, ROTHKOPF, Fletcher R., LYNCH, Stephen Brian
• Application Number:
  US15/031,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20160256082A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0015 characterised by features of the telemetry system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1122 of movement trajectories
• 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 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6806 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/25 Recognition of walking or running movements, e.g. gait recognition

Abstract

A network of wearable sensors is disclosed that can include a first sensor configured to be worn or carried on a first part of a body and a second sensor configured to be worn or carried on a second part of the body. The network can include, or can communicate with, a mobile device that can receive sensor information from both the first and second sensors. The combined sensor information can be used to determine the stance or motions of a user wearing or carrying the first and second sensors. The sensor information can also be used to determine that a user is performing a particular activity, exercise, or the like. Recognized activities or exercises can be tracked and recorded throughout a workout. Sensors can also include mechanisms to provide user feedback, and software applications can provide statistics and progress information based on tracked activity.

Claims

1. A sensor network comprising:

a first sensor capable of being secured proximate to a first part of a body of a user;

a second sensor capable of being secured proximate to a second part of the body of the user; and

a user device capable of receiving sensor information from the first and second sensors and determining a physical activity of the user based on the sensor information.

2. The sensor network of claim 1, wherein the physical activity of the user comprises an exercise performed by the user.

3. The sensor network of claim 1, wherein the physical activity of the user comprises a stance of the user.

4. The sensor network of claim 1, wherein the physical activity of the user comprises motions of the user through three-dimensional space.

5. The sensor network of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a wrist sensor;

and

wherein the wrist sensor is capable of generating sensor information comprising data indicating movement of a wrist of the user.

6. The sensor network of claim 1, wherein the second sensor comprises an ankle sensor or a shoe sensor;

and

wherein the ankle sensor or the shoe sensor is capable of generating sensor information comprising data indicating movement of an ankle or a foot of the user.

7. A method for sensing a physical activity of a user, comprising:

receiving a first signal from a first sensor proximate to a first body part of a user, wherein the first signal includes first information about the first body part;

receiving a second signal from a second sensor proximate to a second body part of the user, wherein the second signal includes second information about the second body part; and

determining a physical activity of the user based on the received first and second signals.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the physical activity of the user comprises:

determining an exercise of the user;

wherein the first information comprises at least one of a position or a motion of the first body part; and

wherein the second information comprises at least one of a position or a motion of the second body part.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the physical activity of the user comprises:

determining a motion of the user through three-dimensional space;

wherein the first information comprises a displacement through three-dimensional space of the first body part; and

wherein the second information comprises a displacement through three-dimensional space of the second body part.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the physical activity of the user comprises:

determining a stance of the user;

wherein the first information comprises a position of the first body part; and

wherein the second information comprises a position of the second body part.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the physical activity of the user comprises:

comparing the first information and the second information to a database to determine an exercise being performed by the user, wherein the database comprises one or more exercises correlated with expected sensor information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

recording a number of repetitions of the determined exercise performed by the user.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

causing a fitness log to be displayed, wherein the fitness log comprises a graph reflecting the recorded number of repetitions of the determined exercise performed by the user.

14. A user device comprising:

a receiver capable of receiving a first signal from a first sensor worn on a first body part of a user and a second signal from a second sensor worn on a second body part of the user, the first and second signals indicating sensor information about the first and second body parts; and

a processor capable of analyzing the first and second signals to determine a physical activity of the user.

15. The user device of claim 14, wherein the sensor information indicates a movement of the first body part through three-dimensional space and a movement of the second body part through three-dimensional space;

and

wherein the user device is capable of recording the movement of the first body part through three-dimensional space and the movement of the second body part through three-dimensional space.

16. The user device of claim 15, wherein the user device is further capable of causing to be displayed a virtual playback of the recorded movement of the first body part through three-dimensional space and the recorded movement of the second body part through three-dimensional space.

17. The user device of claim 14, wherein the receiver is further capable of receiving a third signal from a third sensor worn on a third body part of the user, the third signal indicating sensor information about the third body part;

and

wherein the sensor information about the third body part indicates a movement of the third body part through three-dimensional space.

18. A sensor network comprising:

multiple sensors capable of being secured proximate to different body parts of a user, the sensors capable of sensing information about the different body parts; and

a processor capable of receiving the sensed information about the different body parts from the multiple sensors and determining a physical activity of the user based on the sensed information.

19. The sensor network of claim 18, wherein the sensed information indicates movements of the different body parts through three-dimensional space;

and

wherein the processor is capable of causing to be recorded the movements of the different body parts through three-dimensional space.

20. The sensor network of claim 19, wherein the processor is further capable of causing to be displayed a virtual playback of the recorded movements of the different body parts through three-dimensional space.

21. A method comprising:

receiving sensor information from a first sensor device worn by a user on a first body part;

receiving sensor information from a second sensor device worn by the user on a second body part;

determining an exercise being performed by the user based on the sensor information from the first and second sensors; and

storing a number of repetitions of the determined exercise performed by the user.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining muscles exercised based on the determined exercise performed by the user; and

causing to be displayed a muscle heat map, wherein the muscle heat map comprises a display of multiple muscles of a body, and wherein the muscle heat map graphically indicates which muscles of the multiple muscles were determined to have been exercised.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

causing a display of the first sensor device to be enabled based on the received sensor information from the first sensor device comprising data indicating a movement of the first sensor device toward a face of the user.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

causing a vibrator of the first sensor device to vibrate based on the received sensor information from the first sensor device comprising data indicating one or more of completion of a set of exercise repetitions, an exercise pace being outside a designated range, reaching an extreme limit of an exercise motion, or a heart rate of the user being outside a designated range.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving data from a communication tag associated with a piece of exercise equipment; and

storing the received data with the stored number of repetitions of the determined exercise performed by the user.

26. (canceled)