Detecting transitions between physical activity

• US 9,037,199 B1
• Filed: 04/02/2014
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Stogaitis, Marc, Williams, Brian Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Blane J
• Application Number:
  US14/243,760
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/457, 455/574, 455/414.1, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• 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 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In one example, a method includes determining, by a processor operating in a first power mode and based on first motion data, a first activity of a user, transitioning from operating in the first power mode to operating in a second power mode, wherein the processor consumes less power while operating in the second power mode than in the first power mode, responsive to determining, while the processor is operating in the second power mode and based on second motion data, that a change in an angle relative to gravity satisfies a threshold, transitioning from operating in the second power mode to operating in the first power mode, determining, by the processor and based on second motion data, a second activity of the user, and, responsive to determining that the second activity is different from the first activity, performing an action.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a processor of a mobile computing device operating in a first power mode and based on first motion data generated by a motion sensor of the mobile computing device, a first activity of a user associated with the mobile computing device, the first motion data indicating movement of the mobile computing device during a first time period;

transitioning, by the processor, from operating in the first power mode to operating in a second power mode, wherein the processor consumes less power while operating in the second power mode than while operating in the first power mode;

while the processor is operating in the second power mode, determining, by a motion module of the mobile computing device and based on second motion data generated by the motion sensor, that a first change in an angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies a threshold amount of change;

responsive to determining that the first change in the angle satisfies the threshold amount of change, transitioning, by the processor, from operating in the second power mode to operating in the first power mode;

determining, by the processor and based on second motion data generated by the motion sensor during a second time period, a second activity of the user of the mobile computing device;

determining, by the motion module and based on third motion data generated by the motion sensor, that a second change in the angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies the threshold amount of change;

determining, by the processor and based on fourth motion data generated by the motion sensor during a third time period, a third activity of a user of the mobile computing device; and

responsive to determining that the third activity is different from the second activity, outputting, by the mobile computing device and for display, an indication of a duration of time that elapsed between determining that the second activity was different from the first activity and determining that the third activity was different from the second activity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the second activity is different from the first activity, storing an indication of a current location of the mobile computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to determining, by the processor, the first activity of the user, determining, by the motion module based on fifth motion data generated by the motion sensor, that a previous change in an angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies the threshold amount of change;

determining, by the processor, a plurality of previously determined activities, wherein each previously determined activity was determined during a time period occurring between the determining that the previous change in an angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies the threshold amount of change and determining that the first change in an angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies the threshold amount of change; and

responsive to determining, by the processor, that at least one previously determined activity from the plurality of previously determined activities is incorrect, correcting the at least one previously determined activity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein correcting the at least one previously determined activity comprises one or more of:

removing the at least one previously determined activity from the plurality of previously determined activity; and

changing the at least one previously determined activity to correspond to an activity of a majority of the plurality of previously determined activities.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to determining that the second change in the angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies the threshold amount of change, storing a series of locations of the mobile computing device indicating a route of the user; and

responsive to determining that the second change in the angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies the threshold amount of change, outputting, by the mobile computing device and for display, an indication of the route.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the third activity is different from the second activity, outputting, by the mobile computing device and for display, an indication of the second activity.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the second activity is different from the first activity, determining a current location of the mobile computing device,

wherein the second activity is running or bicycling, and

wherein the current location corresponds to the start of a run or bicycle ride.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the second activity is different from the first activity;

determining a current location of the mobile computing device; and

storing, by the mobile computing device, an indication of the current location,

wherein the first activity is riding in a vehicle,

wherein the second activity is walking, and

wherein the indication of the current location of the mobile computing device indicates a location at which the vehicle is parked.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the motion module includes the motion sensor and a first processor,

wherein the processor is an application processor, and

wherein the first processor and the application processor are different processors.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

11. A mobile computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

a motion sensor; and

a motion module,

wherein at least one processor of the one or more processors determines, while the at least one processor is operating in a first power mode and based on first motion data generated by the motion sensor, a first activity of a user associated with the mobile computing device, the first motion data indicating movement of the mobile computing device during a first time period, and transitions the mobile computing device from operating in the first power mode to operating in a second power mode, wherein the one or more processors consume less power while operating in the second power mode than while operating in the first power mode,

wherein the motion module determines, while the mobile computing device is operating in the second power mode and based on second motion data generated by the motion sensor, that a first change in an angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies a threshold amount of change,

wherein the at least one processor of the one or more processors, responsive to the motion module determining that the first change in the angle satisfies the threshold amount of change, transitions the mobile computing device from operating in the second power mode to operating in the first power mode, determines, based on second motion data generated by the motion sensor during a second time period, a second activity of the user of the mobile computing device,

wherein the motion module determines, based on third motion data generated by the motion sensor, that a second change in the angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies the threshold amount of change, and

wherein the at least one processors of the one or more processors determines, based on fourth motion data generated by the motion sensor during a third time period, a third activity of a user of the mobile computing device, and, responsive to determining that the third activity is different from the second activity, outputs, for display, an indication of a duration of time that elapsed between determining that the second activity was different from the first activity and determining that the third activity was different from the second activity.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 11, further comprising:

wherein the at least one processors of the one or more processors stores an indication of a current location of the mobile computing device.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 11,

wherein the motion module, prior to the at least one processor determining the first activity of the user, determines, based on fifth motion data generated by the motion sensor, that a previous change in an angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies the threshold amount of change, and

wherein the at least one processors determines a plurality of previously determined activities, wherein each previously determined activity was determined during a time period occurring between the determining that the first change in an angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies the threshold amount of change and determining that the second change in an angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies the threshold amount of change, and, responsive to determining that at least one previously determined activity from the plurality of previously determined activities is incorrect, corrects the at least one previously determined activity.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 11,

wherein the at least one processor corrects the at least one previously determined activity by at least performing one or more of:

removing the at least one previously determined activity from the plurality of previously determined activity; and

changing the at least one previously determined activity to correspond to an activity of a majority of the plurality of previously determined activities.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 11,

wherein the at least one of the one or more processors, prior to the motion module determining that the second change in the angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies the threshold amount of change, stores a series of locations of the mobile computing device indicating a route of the user, and, responsive to determining that the second change in the angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies the threshold amount of change, outputs, for display, an indication of the route.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the one or more processors, responsive to determining that the third activity is different from the second activity, outputs, for display, an indication of the second activity.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the one or more processors determines a current location of the mobile computing device, wherein the second activity is running or bicycling, and wherein the current location corresponds to the start of a run or bicycle ride.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 11,

wherein the at least one of the one or more processors determines a current location of the mobile computing device, and stores an indication of the current location,

wherein the first activity is riding in a vehicle,

wherein the second activity is walking, and

wherein the indication of the current location of the mobile computing device indicates a location at which the vehicle is parked.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 11,

wherein the motion module includes the motion sensor and a first processor,

wherein the processor is an application processor, and

wherein the first processor and the application processor are different processors.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 11, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause at least one of a plurality of processors of a mobile computing device to:

determine, while the at least one processor is operating in a first power mode and based on first motion data generated by a motion sensor of the mobile computing device, a first activity of a user associated with the mobile computing device, the first motion data indicating movement of the mobile computing device during a first time period;

transition, by the at least one processor, from operating in the first power mode to operating in a second power mode, wherein the at least one processor consumes less power while operating in the second power mode than while operating in the first power mode;

while the at least one processor is operating in the second power mode, determine, by a motion module and based on second motion data generated by the motion sensor, that a first change in an angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies a threshold amount of change;

responsive to determining that the first change in the angle satisfies the threshold amount of change, transition, by the at least one processor, from operating in the second power mode to operating in the first power mode;

determine, based on second motion data generated by the motion sensor during a second time period, a second activity of the user of the mobile computing device;

determine, based on third motion data generated by the motion sensor, that a second change in the angle of the mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies the threshold amount of change;

determine, based on fourth motion data generated by the motion sensor during a third time period, a third activity of a user of the mobile computing device; and

responsive to determining that the third activity is different from the second activity, output, for display, an indication of a duration of time that elapsed between determining that the second activity was different from the first activity and determining that the third activity was different from the second activity.