Motion-activated display of messages on an activity monitoring device

• US 9,374,279 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Yuen, Shelten, Roberts, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley, Gregory J
• Assistant Examiner(s): DALBO, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US14/580,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20150113417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 702/150, 702/160
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• 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 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• 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: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• 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 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 : Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 : Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications

Abstract

Methods, systems and devices are provided for motion-activated display of messages on an activity monitoring device. In one embodiment, method for presenting a message on an activity monitoring device is provided, including the following method operations: storing a plurality of messages to the activity monitoring device; detecting a stationary state of the activity monitoring device; detecting a movement of the activity monitoring device from the stationary state; in response to detecting the movement from the stationary state, selecting one of a plurality of messages, and displaying the selected message on the activity monitoring device.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a message on an activity monitoring device, comprising:

storing a plurality of messages to a memory of the activity monitoring device, each of the plurality of messages being predefined activity related statements directed to a user of the activity monitoring device, wherein storing the plurality of messages includes identifying the activity monitoring device to a server and downloading the plurality of messages from the server, the server being configured to access a user account associated with the activity monitoring device, the plurality of messages being selected by the server based on the user account;

detecting a stationary state of the activity monitoring device;

detecting a movement of the activity monitoring device from the stationary state;

in response to detecting the movement from the stationary state, selecting one of the plurality of messages from the memory of the activity monitoring device; and

displaying the selected message on the activity monitoring device;

wherein selecting one of the plurality of messages includes determining a selection condition that includes one or more of a current date, a location of the activity monitoring device, a current season, or a current weather.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the stationary state includes detecting non-movement of the activity monitoring device for a predefined time period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of messages is defined based on an activity history of a user associated with the activity monitoring device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the activity history is defined by levels of activity associated to specific time periods.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the operations of selecting and displaying are not performed during a time period for which an event is scheduled in a calendar of a user of the activity monitoring device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity monitoring device is configured to detect one or more of the following activities by a user:

steps taken, energy consumed, elevation gained, active minutes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the stationary state includes detecting a predefined orientation of the activity monitoring device and maintenance of the predefined orientation for a predefined time period.

8. An activity monitoring device, comprising:

a message storage device configured to store a plurality of messages, each of the plurality of messages being predefined activity related statements directed to a user of the activity monitoring device;

a motion sensor;

a display;

logic configured to download the plurality of messages to the message storage device, wherein the downloading includes identifying the activity monitoring device to a server, the server being configured to access a user account associated with the activity monitoring device, the plurality of messages being selected by the server based on the user account;

logic implemented by a circuit configured to detect, based on output of the motion sensor, a stationary state of the activity monitoring device and a subsequent movement of the activity monitoring device from the stationary state, and, in response to detecting the movement from the stationary state, select one of the plurality of messages from the message storage device, and display the selected message on the activity monitoring device;

wherein selecting one of the plurality of messages includes determining a selection condition that includes an activity history of a user associated with the activity monitoring device.

9. The activity monitoring device of claim 8, wherein detecting the stationary state includes detecting non-movement of the activity monitoring device for a predefined time period.

10. The activity monitoring device of claim 8, wherein the selection condition includes one or more of a length of time of the stationary state, a current time of day, a current location of the activity monitoring device, or an activity history associated with a user of the activity monitoring device.

11. The activity monitoring device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the plurality of messages is defined based on one or more of a current date, a location of the activity monitoring device, a current season, or a current weather.

12. The activity monitoring device of claim 8, wherein the activity history is defined by levels of activity associated to specific time periods.

13. The activity monitoring device of claim 8, wherein the activity monitoring device is configured to detect one or more of the following activities by a user:

steps taken, energy consumed, elevation gained, active minutes.

14. The activity monitoring device of claim 8, wherein detecting the stationary state includes detecting a predefined orientation of the activity monitoring device and maintenance of the predefined orientation for a predefined time period.

15. A method for presenting a message on an activity monitoring device, comprising:

storing a plurality of messages to a memory of the activity monitoring device, at least one of the plurality of messages defining a statement directed to a user of the activity monitoring device, wherein storing the plurality of messages includes identifying the activity monitoring device to a server and downloading the plurality of messages from the server, the server being configured to access a user account associated with the activity monitoring device, the plurality of messages being selected by the server based on the user account;

detecting a stationary state of the activity monitoring device;

detecting a movement of the activity monitoring device from the stationary state;

in response to detecting the movement from the stationary state, selecting one of the plurality of messages from the memory of the activity monitoring device; and

displaying the selected message on the activity monitoring device;

wherein at least one of the plurality of messages is defined by input received from a secondary user, the secondary user being a member of a social graph of a primary user associated with the activity monitoring device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting the stationary state includes detecting non-movement of the activity monitoring device for a predefined time period, the non-movement of the activity monitoring device being defined by an absence of movements exceeding a predefined threshold.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of messages is defined based on an activity history of a user associated with the activity monitoring device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the activity history is defined by levels of activity associated to specific time periods.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the operations of selecting and displaying are not performed during a time period for which an event is scheduled in a calendar of a user of the activity monitoring device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting the stationary state includes detecting a predefined orientation of the activity monitoring device and maintenance of the predefined orientation for a predefined time period.

21. An activity monitoring device, comprising:

a message storage device configured to store a plurality of messages, at least one of the plurality of messages defining a statement directed to a user of the activity monitoring device;

a motion sensor;

a display;

logic configured to download the plurality of messages to the message storage device, wherein the downloading includes identifying the activity monitoring device to a server, the server being configured to access a user account associated with the activity monitoring device, the plurality of messages being selected by the server based on the user account;

a processor configured to detect, based on output of the motion sensor, a stationary state of the activity monitoring device and a subsequent movement of the activity monitoring device from the stationary state, and, in response to detecting the movement from the stationary state, select one of the plurality of messages from the message storage device, and display the selected message on the activity monitoring device, wherein detecting the stationary state includes detecting a predefined orientation of the activity monitoring device;

wherein selecting one of the plurality of messages includes determining a selection condition that includes an activity history of a user associated with the activity monitoring device.

22. The activity monitoring device of claim 21, wherein detecting the stationary state includes detecting maintenance of the predefined orientation of the activity monitoring device for a predefined time period.

23. The activity monitoring device of claim 21, wherein the predefined orientation is defined by a substantially horizontal orientation of a top surface of the activity monitoring device at which the display is defined.

24. The activity monitoring device of claim 21, wherein detecting the stationary state includes detecting one of a plurality of predefined orientations.

25. The activity monitoring device of claim 24, wherein the plurality of predefined orientations are defined by stable orientations of the activity monitoring device on a substantially horizontal surface.

26. The activity monitoring device of claim 21, wherein the stationary state is defined by an absence of movements exceeding a predefined threshold.

27. The activity monitoring device of claim 21,

wherein the selection condition includes one or more of a length of time of the stationary state, a current time of day, a current location of the activity monitoring device;

and

wherein at least one of the plurality of messages is defined based on one or more of a current date, a location of the activity monitoring device, a current season, or a current weather.