Breathing Synchronization and Monitoring

• US 20170358239A1
• Filed: 01/27/2017
• Published: 12/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Arney, Julie A., Klaassen, Erno H., Blahnik, Jay C., Dye, Alan C., Butcher, Gary I., Lynch, Kevin M., Brouse, Christopher J., Bagherzadeh, Nader E., Agrawal, Gracee, Waydo, Stephen J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,726,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/09 Rehabilitation or training
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• 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 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02433 for infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4872 Body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• 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: G09B 19/003 Repetitive work cycles; Sequence of movements
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

A breathing sequence may define a suggested breathing pattern. Based on signal data collected by a user device, an initial breathing pattern that includes a cyclic pattern may be estimated. A first period of the breathing sequence may be initiated by generating a breathing sequence element based on a synchronization of the cyclic pattern with the breathing sequence. The breathing sequence element may fluctuate during a second period of the breathing sequence in accordance with a breathing profile associated with the suggested breathing pattern.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a signal from one or more sensors of a user device, the signal representative of a user health metric;

estimating, based at least in part on the signal, an initial breathing pattern, the initial breathing pattern comprising a cyclic pattern;

initiating a breathing sequence to begin a first period of the breathing sequence by generating, based at least in part on a synchronization between the breathing sequence and the cyclic pattern, a breathing sequence element that identifies a suggested breathing pattern; and

causing the breathing sequence element to fluctuate during a second period of the breathing sequence in accordance with a breathing profile to at least indicate the suggested breathing pattern.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization between the breathing sequence and the cyclic pattern comprises synchronizing an initial presentation of the breathing sequence element to a user breath event by at least:

identifying, based at least in part on the initial breathing pattern, at least one of a beginning of an inhale cycle of a first breath event or a beginning of an exhale cycle of the first breath event; and

presenting the breathing sequence element when the user is at a beginning of an inhale cycle of a second breath event or at a beginning of an exhale cycle of the second breath event.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the breathing sequence element comprises a fluctuating progress indicator that comprises one or more visual characteristics, and wherein causing the breathing sequence element to fluctuate during the second period comprises:

causing a first visual characteristic of the one or more visual characteristics of the fluctuating progress indicator to change with respect to a duration of the breathing sequence; and

causing a second visual characteristic of the one or more visual characteristics of the fluctuating progress indicator to change with respect to a breathing rate associated with the breathing profile.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the fluctuating progress indicator comprises a plurality of visual elements, the first visual characteristic comprising a complexity of the plurality of visual elements, and the second visual characteristic comprising one or more of a visibility characteristic of the plurality of visual elements or an alignment characteristic of the plurality of visual elements with respect to a relative center of the fluctuating progress indicator.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the breathing sequence comprises a duration of the suggested breathing pattern, and the breathing profile comprises a breathing rate to perform the suggested breathing pattern during the breathing sequence.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the breathing profile is generated based at least in part on user health data, at least a portion of the user health data received via the user device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the health metric comprises at least one of:

a heart rate of the user, a heart rate variability measure of the user, or a pulse rate of the user, the method further comprising;

prior to initiating the first period of the breathing sequence, generating, based at least in part on information about the health metric, a user interface element; and

causing the user interface element to pulsate in accordance with the information about the health metric.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein generating the user interface element comprises presenting the user interface element together with a first heart beat metric, the method further comprising presenting the user interface element together with a second heart beat metric after the second period of the breathing sequence.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the signal is a first signal, the method further comprising:

receiving, during one or more of the first period or the second period, a second signal from the one or more sensors of the user device;

determining, based at least in part on the second signal, a breathing score, the breathing score representative of user respiration relative to the suggested breathing pattern during the breathing sequence; and

generating a message based at least in part on the breathing score.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the message comprises one or more of a message indicating completion of the breathing sequence, a message indicating the breathing score, a message indicating a metric corresponding to the breathing score, or a suggestion to improve the breathing score.

11. A system, comprising:

a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions; and

a processor in communication with the memory configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to at least;

receive an indication to initiate a breathing sequence;

in response to receiving the indication, estimate an initial cyclic breathing pattern while a user is wearing a user device;

initiate a first period of the breathing sequence by generating, based at least in part on a synchronization of the breathing sequence and the initial cyclic breathing pattern, a fluctuating progress indicator that identifies the breathing sequence; and

provide one or more breathing cues during a second period of the breathing sequence by at least changing the fluctuating progress indicator in accordance with a breathing profile associated with the breathing sequence.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein estimating the initial cyclic breathing pattern while the user is wearing the user device comprises:

receiving sensor data from one or more sensors of the user device; and

determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, a breathing rate during an initial time period prior to the first period of the breathing sequence.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the breathing sequence comprises a duration of a suggested breathing pattern, and wherein the breathing profile comprises a breathing rate to perform the suggested breathing pattern during the breathing sequence.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more breathing cues indicate when the user is to breath in and when the user is to breath out during at least the second period of the breathing sequence.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein providing the one or more breathing cues by at least changing the fluctuating progress indicator comprises causing a size of the fluctuating progress indicator to increase or decrease during the second period of the breathing sequence in accordance with the breathing profile.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more breathing cues comprise one or more visual breathing cues, and wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to at least provide, in accordance with the breathing profile, one or more audio breathing cues, one or more haptic breathing cues, or a combination of the one or more audio breathing cues and the one or more haptic breathing cues.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the indication to initiate the breathing sequence comprises one or more of:

a first user input received at the user device in response to presentation of a miniaturized version of the fluctuating progress indicator at the user device;

a second user input received at the user device in response to a notification presented at the user device;

first sensor data received from first one or more sensors of the user device that indicates that the user has taken one or more breaths corresponding to a predetermined breathing initiation sequence;

second sensor data received from second one or more sensors of the user device that indicates whether the user device is stationary or moving;

interaction information that indicates whether the user is interacting with the user device;

or

calendar information that indicates a schedule of the user.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a signal from one or more sensors of a user device;

estimating, based at least in part on the signal, an initial breathing pattern that comprises a cyclic pattern; and

executing a breathing sequence that includes a suggested breathing pattern by at least;

generating, based at least in part on a synchronization of a first suggested breath of the breathing sequence and the cyclic pattern, a breathing sequence element that initiates a first period of the breathing sequence; and

causing the breathing sequence element to fluctuate during a second period of the breathing sequence in accordance with the suggested breathing pattern.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further configure the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving activity data collected by the one or more sensors; and

generating, based at least in part on the activity data, a breathing profile associated with a user of the user device, the breathing profile used to determine the suggested breathing pattern.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein causing the breathing sequence element to fluctuate comprises causing one or more visual elements of the breathing sequence element to expand and contract in accordance with the suggested breathing pattern.