Portable monitoring devices and methods of operating the same

• US 9,286,789 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2014
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Park, James, Yuen, Shelten Gee Jao, Friedman, Eric Nathan, Brumback, Christine Boomer
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/524,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20150042471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 702/104, 702182-185, 702/188
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 : using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

In one aspect of the disclosed implementations, a device includes one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the device and providing activity data indicative of the sensed motion. The device also includes one or more processors for monitoring the activity data, and receiving or generating annotation data for annotating the activity data with one or more markers or indicators to define one or more characteristics of an activity session. The device also includes one or more feedback devices for providing feedback, a notice, or an indication to a user based on the monitoring. The device further includes a portable housing that encloses at least portions of the motion sensors, the processors and the feedback devices.

Claims

1. Tangible storage media comprising non-transitory instructions executable by a processor to cause operations to be performed including:

sensing, by one or more sensors, motion of a portable monitoring device;

receiving activity data indicative of the sensed motion, the activity data pertaining to a physical activity undertaken by a user of the device to whom the device is physically coupled;

monitoring the activity data;

receiving or generating annotation data for annotating the monitored activity data with one or more markers or indicators to define one or more characteristics of a physical activity session, the annotation data including an indication of a particular user activity performed by the user during the physical activity session and at least one of a start time and an end time of the physical activity session; and

determining one or more activity metrics based on the monitored activity data and the annotation data.

2. The storage media of claim 1, the operations further including:

analyzing the monitored activity data; and

generating the annotation data based on the analysis.

3. The storage media of claim 1, the operations further including storing the activity data or data derived from the activity data in a memory.

4. The storage media of claim 1, the operations further including storing the annotation data in a memory.

5. The storage media of claim 1, the operations further including selecting the activity metrics to determine based on the annotation data.

6. The storage media of claim 1, the operations further including determining the activity data to monitor based on the annotation data.

7. The storage media of claim 1, the operations further including receiving input from a user and generating the annotation data based on the user input.

8. The storage media of claim 7, the user input being input by the user based on a physical interaction of the user with the device, the operations further including interpreting the physical interaction to determine the user input.

9. The storage media of claim 7, the user input being input by the user to an external device that is communicatively-coupled with the device via one or more wired or wireless connections or networks, the operations further including receiving and processing the user input from the external device.

10. The storage media of claim 1, the operations further including generating the annotation data based on a device state.

11. The storage media of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of the following:

one or more gyroscopes, one or more physiological sensors, one or more biometric sensors, one or more altitude sensors, one or more temperature sensors, and one or more heart-rate sensors.

12. A portable monitoring device comprising the storage media of claim 1.

13. Tangible storage media comprising non-transitory instructions executable by a processor to cause operations to be performed including:

sensing, by one or more sensors, motion of a portable monitoring device;

receiving activity data indicative of the sensed motion, the activity data pertaining to a physical activity undertaken by a user of the device to whom the device is physically coupled;

monitoring the activity data;

selecting among a plurality of activity-tracking modes to define one or more characteristics of a physical activity session, the physical activity session being associated with a duration of time during which the activity data is being monitored, the duration of time being a user-defined duration of time or a duration of time associated with a particular physical activity, each of the modes being configured for a particular physical activity; and

determining one or more activity metrics based on the activity data and based on which of the activity-tracking modes is currently selected.

14. The storage media of claim 13, the operations further including receiving user input and selecting a particular activity-tracking mode based on the user input.

15. The storage media of claim 13, the operations further including analyzing the monitored activity data and selecting a particular activity-tracking mode based on the analysis.

16. The storage media of claim 13, wherein the plurality of activity-tracking modes include:

one or more activity-specific activity-tracking modes; and

a sleep-tracking mode.

17. The storage media of claim 13, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of the following:

one or more gyroscopes, one or more physiological sensors, one or more biometric sensors, one or more altitude sensors, one or more temperature sensors, and one or more heart-rate sensors.

18. A portable monitoring device comprising the storage media of claim 13.

19. A method, comprising:

sensing, by one or more sensors, motion of a portable monitoring device;

receiving, by one or more processors, activity data indicative of the sensed motion, the activity data pertaining to a physical activity undertaken by a user of the device to whom the device is physically coupled;

monitoring, by the one or more processors, the activity data; and

selecting, by the one or more processors, among a plurality of activity-tracking modes to define one or more characteristics of a physical activity session, the physical activity session being associated with a duration of time during which the activity data is being monitored, the duration of time being a user-defined duration of time or a duration of time associated with a particular physical activity, each of the modes being configured for a particular physical activity; and

determining, by the one or more processors, one or more activity metrics based on the activity data and based on which of the activity-tracking modes is currently selected.

20. The method of claim 19, further including receiving user input and selecting a particular activity-tracking mode based on the user input.

21. The method of claim 19, further including analyzing the monitored activity data and selecting a particular activity-tracking mode based on the analysis.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of activity-tracking modes include:

one or more activity-specific activity-tracking modes; and

a sleep-tracking mode.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of the following:

one or more gyroscopes, one or more physiological sensors, one or more biometric sensors, one or more altitude sensors, one or more temperature sensors, and one or more heart-rate sensors.