Sensor device with persistent low power beacon

• US 7,768,415 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Blackadar, Thomas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIRMA, FEKADESELASS
• Application Number:
  US11/529,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20080079589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/636.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0204 of power management
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

One disclosed method involves providing a first device comprising a sensor configured to sense a stimulus experienced by the first device, a controller configured to process data received from the sensor and thereby obtain processed sensor data, a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the processed data from the first device to a second device, and a battery configured to supply power to at least the controller and the transmitter. The first device is operated in a first operational mode in which the sensor, the controller, and the transmitter are used at least occasionally to obtain and transmit processed data to the second device. When it is determined that the battery is in a low power condition, the first device is operated in a second operational mode wherein the sensor, controller, and transmitter are not used to obtain and transmit processed sensor data to the second device, but wherein the first device at least occasionally transmits a signal to the second device that indicates a low power condition of the battery.

Claims

1. A method of controlling power consumption in an electronic device, comprising steps of:

(a) providing a first device for attachment to a user, the first device comprising a sensor configured to sense a stimulus experienced by the first device, a controller configured to process data received from the sensor and thereby obtain processed sensor data, a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the processed data from the first device to a second device, and a battery configured to supply power to at least the controller and the transmitter, wherein the first device performs a plurality of functions including transmitting data relating to at least one performance parameter of the user based on the stimulus sensed by the sensor;

(b) operating the first device in a first operational mode in which the sensor, the controller, and the transmitter are used at least occasionally to obtain and transmit processed data to the second device, wherein the first operational mode causes the first device to operate with a first power consumption, wherein the operating step includes;

1) calculating a performance parameter of a user of the first device based on the signal received from the sensor,

2) transmitting data indicative of the calculated performance parameter from the first device to the second device;

(c) determining whether the battery is in a low power condition; and

(d) when it is determined that the battery is in a low power condition, operating the first device in a second operational mode wherein the sensor, controller, and transmitter are not used to obtain and transmit processed sensor data to the second device, but wherein the first device at least occasionally transmits a signal to the second device that indicates a low power condition of the battery, wherein the second operational mode causes the first device to operate with a second power consumption corresponding to substantially lower power than the first power consumption;

wherein the at least one of the plurality of functions that includes transmitting data relating to at least one performance parameter of the user includes a first function that is operational in the first operational mode and wherein the first function ceases to operate in the second operational mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) comprises determining whether the battery is in a low power condition by determining whether the battery is in the low power condition by determining whether the remaining capacity of the battery is below a particular value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) comprises determining whether the battery is in the low power condition by determining whether the first device has consumed more than a particular amount of power from the battery.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps (b)-(d) are performed with the first device while the first device is being carried by a person in locomotion on foot.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (d) comprises periodically transmitting the signal that indicates the low power condition of the battery to the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (d) comprises transmitting the signal that indicates the low power condition of the battery to the second device in response to a stimulus detected by a transducer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (d) comprises transmitting the signal that indicates the low power condition of the battery to the second device in response to a user input.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising steps of:

(e) determining when the battery is approaching the low power condition; and

(f) transmitting a signal to the second device that indicates the battery is approaching the low power condition.

9. An apparatus for attachment to a user, comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a stimulus experienced by the apparatus;

a controller configured to process data received from the sensor and thereby obtain processed sensor data;

a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the processed sensor data from the apparatus to another device; and

a battery configured to supply power to at least the controller and the transmitter;

wherein the apparatus operates in a first operational mode when a determination is made that the battery is not in a low power condition, wherein the first operational mode causes the apparatus to operate with a first power consumption, and wherein the apparatus operates in a second operational mode when a determination is made that the battery is in a low power condition, wherein the second operational mode causes the apparatus to operate with a second power consumption corresponding to substantially lower power than the first power consumption, and wherein, in the first operational mode, the sensor, the controller, and the transmitter are used at least occasionally to obtain and transmit processed sensor data to the other device, and in the second operational mode, the sensor, controller, and transmitter do not obtain and transmit processed sensor data to the other device, but the apparatus at least occasionally transmits a signal to the other device that indicates a low power condition of the battery; and

wherein the apparatus performs a plurality of functions including transmitting data relating to a performance parameter of the user based on the stimulus sensed by the sensor to the another device, and wherein the at least one of the plurality of functions including transmitting data relating to at least one performance parameter of the user includes a first function that is operational in the first operational mode and wherein the first function ceases to operate in the second operational mode.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for determining whether the battery is in the low power condition.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to determine the performance parameter of a user of the apparatus while the apparatus is in the first operational mode but not while the apparatus is in the second operational mode.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, when the apparatus is in the second operational mode, the apparatus periodically transmits the signal that indicates the low power condition of the battery to the other device.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, when the apparatus is in the second operational mode, the apparatus transmits the signal that indicates the low power condition of the battery to the other device in response to a stimulus detected by a transducer.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, when the apparatus is in the second operational mode, the apparatus transmits the signal that indicates the low power condition of the battery to the other device in response to a user input.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

means for determining when the battery is approaching the low power condition; and

means for transmitting a signal to the second device that indicates the battery is approaching the low power condition.

16. A method of controlling power consumption in an electronic device, comprising steps of:

(a) providing a first device for attachment to a user, the first device comprising a sensor configured to sense a stimulus experienced by the first device, a controller configured to process data received from the sensor and thereby obtain processed sensor data, a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the processed data from the first device to a second device, a receiver configured to receive data transmitted wirelessly from the second device to the first device, and a battery configured to supply power to at least the controller, the transmitter, and the receiver, wherein the first device performs a plurality of functions including transmitting data relating to at least one performance parameter of the user based on the stimulus sensed by the sensor;

(b) operating the first device in a first operational mode, wherein the first operational mode causes the first device to operate with a first power consumption, in which the sensor, the controller, and the transmitter are used at least occasionally to obtain and transmit processed data to the second device, and in which the receiver is used at least occasionally to receive data transmitted wirelessly from the second device;

(c) determining whether the battery is in a low power condition; and

(d) when it is determined that the battery is in a low power condition, operating the first device in a second operational mode, wherein the second operational mode causes the apparatus to operate with a second power consumption corresponding to substantially lower power than the first power consumption, wherein the receiver is not used to receive data transmitted wirelessly from the second device, but wherein the transmitter is used at least occasionally to transmit a signal to the second device that indicates a low power condition of the battery;

wherein at least one of the plurality of functions that includes transmitting data relating to at least one performance parameter of the user includes a first function that is operational in the first operational mode and wherein the first function ceases to operate in the second operational mode.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step (c) comprises determining whether the battery is in the low power condition by determining whether the remaining capacity of the battery is below a particular value.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step (c) comprises determining whether the battery is in the low power condition by determining whether the first device has consumed more than a particular amount of power from the battery.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein a transceiver is employed as both the transmitter and the receiver.