Band Tightness Sensing

• US 20170086742A1
• Filed: 09/28/2015
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Harrison-Noonan, Tobias J., Lee, Alex M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,206,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0261 Strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure

Abstract

A wearable electronic device has a processing unit and a health sensor included in a housing, a band operable to couple the housing to a body part of a user, and a tightness sensor coupled to the band. The tightness sensor is operable to produce a signal indicative of a tightness of the band on the user'"'"'s body part. The processing unit determines a tightness of the band based on the signal and perform one or more actions based thereon. Such actions may include evaluating the signal for changes in the tightness of the band according to operational tolerances of the health sensor, providing output directing the user to adjust the band to improve operation of the health sensor, monitoring changes in the tightness of the band and adjusting a measurement obtained by the health sensor, and so on.

Claims

1. A wearable device, comprising:

a housing including a processing unit and a health sensor;

a band operable to couple the housing to a body part of a user; and

a tightness sensor, coupled to the band and communicably coupled to the processing unit, that produces a signal indicating a tightness of the band;

wherein the processing unit is configured to;

determine the tightness of the band based on the signal; and

if the tightness of the band is outside a range of tightness values, provide output directing the user to adjust the band to improve operation of the health sensor.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein:

the tightness sensor comprises first and second capacitive plates operable to change proximity with respect to each other in response to a change in the tightness of the band; and

the signal indicates a capacitance between the first and second capacitive plates.

3. The wearable device of claim 2, wherein the first and second capacitive plates are operable to change proximity with respect to each other in a direction perpendicular to a lengthwise dimension of the band.

4. The wearable device of claim 2, wherein the first and second capacitive plates are operable to change proximity with respect to each other to in a direction along a lengthwise dimension of the band

5. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the tightness sensor comprises a strain gauge.

6. The wearable device of claim 5, wherein the strain gauge is positioned in the band along a lengthwise dimension of the band.

7. The wearable device of claim 5, wherein the strain gauge is positioned in a portion of the band where the band attaches to the housing and is disposed perpendicular to a direction of the attachment.

8. A wearable device, comprising:

a housing including a processing unit and a health sensor;

a band operable to couple the housing to a body part of a user; and

a tightness sensor, coupled to the band and communicably coupled to the processing unit, that produces a signal indicating a tightness of the band;

wherein the processing unit is configured to;

monitor changes in the tightness of the band based on the signal; and

adjust a measurement obtained by the health sensor based on the changes in the tightness of the band to account for movement of the body part.

9. The wearable device of claim 8, wherein the tightness sensor comprises a pressure sensor positioned in an air bladder.

10. The wearable device of claim 9, wherein the tightness of the band is related to a pressure in the air bladder.

11. The wearable device of claim 8, wherein:

the tightness sensor comprises a series of conductors positioned in the band; and

the signal indicates at least one of a resistance or a capacitance between conductors of the series of conductors.

12. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the signal indicates the resistance between the conductors and the conductors are positioned along a lengthwise dimension of the band.

13. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the signal indicates the capacitance between conductors and the conductors are positioned perpendicular to a lengthwise dimension of the band.

14. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the signal indicates both the resistance and the capacitance between the conductors.

15. A wearable device, comprising:

a housing including a processing unit and a health sensor;

a band operable to couple the housing to a body part of a user; and

a tightness sensor, coupled to the band and communicably coupled to the processing unit, that produces a signal indicating a tightness of the band;

wherein the processing unit evaluates the signal for changes in the tightness of the band according to operational tolerances of the health sensor that relate to the tightness of the band.

16. The wearable device of claim 15, wherein:

the tightness sensor comprises a capacitive plate disposed in the band operable to change proximity with respect to the body part of the user in response to a change in the tightness of the band; and

the signal indicates a capacitance between the capacitive plate and the body part of the user.

17. The wearable device of claim 15, wherein:

the housing includes an actuator operable to produce a vibration; and

the tightness sensor detects the vibrations produced by the actuator that travel through at least one of the band or the body part of the user.

18. The wearable device of claim 15, wherein:

the housing includes an ultrasonic transmitter operable to produce an ultrasonic signal; and

the tightness sensor comprises an ultrasonic receiver that receives the ultrasonic signal through the body part of the user.

19. The wearable device of claim 15, wherein the tightness sensor comprises a microphone that detects sound waves produced by relative movement of the band and the body part of the user.

20. The wearable device of claim 15, wherein:

the housing includes a speaker;

the tightness sensor comprises a microphone that detects sound waves produced by the speaker; and

the signal indicates a dampening level related to the tightness of the band.