User-wearable devices with power conserving features

• US 9,442,523 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salutron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salutron, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Yong Jin, Bellontindos, Leo, Tumanda, Junnifer, Baroro, Jhovenden, Hui, Eddy, Uy, Francis, Chau, Buu
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, INGRID D
• Application Number:
  US14/341,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20160026212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.03
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A user-wearable devices includes an on-body detector that uses one or more sensors of the device to detect whether or not the user-wearable device is being worn by a user. When the user-wearable device is detected as being worn by a user it is operated in a first mode, and when the user-wearable device is detected as not being worn by a user it is operated in a second mode that consumes less power than the first mode. Operating the user-wearable device in the first mode can include enabling wireless communication between the user-wearable device and a base station. Operating the user-wearable device in the second mode can include disabling wireless communication between the user-wearable device and a base station. Operating the user-wearable device in the second mode can also include disabling sensors of the user-wearable device and/or placing sensors of the user-wearable device in a low power mode.

Claims

1. A method for use by a user-wearable device configured to wirelessly communicate with a base station, the method comprising:

(a) detecting whether or not the user-wearable device is being worn by a user;

(b) when the user-wearable device is detected as being worn by a user, enabling wireless communication between the user-wearable device and a base station; and

(c) when the user-wearable device is detected as not being worn by a user, disabling wireless communication between the user-wearable device and a base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

at step (b), the enabling wireless communication between the user-wearable device and a base station, comprises performing at least one of the following

(b.1) searching for a base station with which the user-wearable device can establish a wireless communication link;

(b.2) establishing a wireless communication link between the user-wearable device and a base station, or

(b.3) maintaining a wireless communication link between the user-wearable device and a base station;

at step (c), the disabling wireless communication between the user-wearable device and a base station, comprises performing at least one of the following

(c.1) deactivating searching for a base station with which the user-wearable device can establish a wireless communication link;

(c.2) deactivating establishing a wireless communication link between the user-wearable device and a base station, or

(c.3) dropping a wireless communication link between the user-wearable device and a base station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises detecting whether or not the user-wearable device is being worn by a user using at least one of the following sensors:

a capacitive sensor;

an optical sensor;

or

galvanic skin resistance sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises detecting whether or not the user-wearable device is being worn by a user using a motion sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) when the user-wearable device is detected as not being worn by a user, performing at least one of the following;

(d.1) placing one or more sensors of the user-wearable device in a low power mode;

or

(d.2) disabling one or more sensors of the user-wearable device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-wearable device comprises a wrist-wearable device configured to receive alerts from a base station with which a wireless communication link is established.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-wearable device comprises an earpiece or headset configured to wirelessly receive and send audio signals from and to a base station with which a wireless communication link is established.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises detecting whether or not the user-wearable device is being worn by a user using an optical sensor that is also used to non-invasively monitor arterial oxygen saturation during at least a portion of a time when the user-wearable device is detected as being worn by a user.

8. A user-wearable device, comprising:

a wireless communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with a base station;

one or more sensors; and

an on-body detector configured to use at least one of the one or more sensors to detect whether or not the user-wearable device is being worn by a user;

a power manager configured to

enable the wireless communication interface when the on-body detector detects that the user-wearable device is being worn by a user, and

disable the wireless communication interface when the on-body detector detects that the user-wearable device is not being worn by a user.

10. The user-wearable device of claim 8, wherein:

the one or more sensors comprise at least one of a capacitive sensor, an optical sensor or a galvanic skin resistance sensor; and

the on-body detector is configured to use at least one of the at least one of a capacitive sensor, an optical sensor or a galvanic skin resistance sensor to detect whether or not the user-wearable device is being worn by a user.

11. The user-wearable device of claim 8, wherein:

the one or more sensors include a motion sensor; and

the on-body detector is configured to use the motion sensor to detect whether or not the user-wearable device is being worn by a user.

12. The user-wearable device of claim 8, wherein the power manager is also configured to disable, or place in a low power mode, at least one of the one or more sensors of the user-wearable device when the on-body detector detects that user-wearable device is not being worn by a user.

13. The user-wearable device of claim 8, wherein the user-wearable device comprises a wrist-wearable device configured to receive alerts from a base station with which a wireless communication link is established.

14. The user-wearable device of claim 8, wherein the user-wearable device comprises an earpiece or headset configured to wirelessly receive and send audio signals from and to a base station with which a wireless communication link is established.

15. A method for use by a user-wearable device, the method comprising:

(a) detecting whether or not the user-wearable device is being worn by a user, said detecting being performed using at least one of the following non-motion sensors

a capacitive sensor,

an optical sensor, or

a galvanic skin resistance sensor;

(b) when the user-wearable device is detected as being worn by a user, operating the user-wearable device in a first mode; and

(c) when the user-wearable device is detected as not being worn by a user, operating the user wearable device in a second mode, wherein the second mode consumes less power than the first mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the user-wearable device comprises a user-wearable activity and/or physiological monitoring device that further comprises a motion sensor;

the one or more non-motion sensors and the motion sensor collectively comprise a plurality of sensors of the user-wearable device;

the operating the user-wearable device in the first mode at step (b) includes using one or more of the plurality of sensors of the user-wearable device to monitor one or more of the following metrics

heart rate,

heart rate variability,

calories burned,

steps taken, or

distance walked and/or ran; and

the operating the user-wearable device in the second mode at step (c) includes disabling, or placing in a low power mode, at least one of the one or more of the plurality of sensors of the user-wearable device that is/are used at step (b).

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the user-wearable device is configured to monitor one or more sleep related metrics;

the operating the user-wearable device in the first mode at step (b) includes using one or more of a plurality of sensors of the user-wearable device to detect whether or not a user is sleeping; and

the operating the user-wearable device in the second mode at step (c) includes disabling, or placing in a low power mode, at least one of the one or more of the plurality of sensors of the user-wearable device that is/are used at step (b) to detect whether or not a user is sleeping.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the operating the user-wearable device in the first mode at step (b) includes using one or more sensors of the user-wearable device to monitor one or more sleep related metrics, if there is a determination that a user wearing the user-wearable device is sleeping; and

the operating the user-wearable device in the second mode at step (c) includes disabling, or placing in a low power mode, at least one of the one or more sensors of the user-wearable device that is/are used at step (b) to detect sleep related metrics.

19. A user-wearable device, comprising:

one or more non-motion sensors selected from the group consisting of a capacitive sensor, an optical sensor, or a galvanic skin resistance sensor;

an on-body detector configured to use at least one of the one or more non-motion sensors to detect whether or not the user-wearable device is being worn by a user; and

a power manager configured to

cause the user-wearable device to operate in a first mode, when the on-body detector detects that the user-wearable device is being worn by a user, and

cause the user-wearable device to operate in a second mode, when on-body detector detects that the user-wearable device is not being worn by a user, wherein the second mode consumes less power than the first mode.

20. The user-wearable device of claim 19, wherein:

the user-wearable device comprises a user-wearable activity and/or physiological monitoring device that further comprises a motion sensor;

the one or more non-motion sensors and the motion sensor collectively comprise a plurality of sensors of the user-wearable device;

when the user-wearable device is caused to operate in the first mode, at least one of the plurality of sensors of the user-wearable device is/are used to monitor one or more of the following metrics

heart rate,

heart rate variability,

calories burned,

steps taken, or

distance walked and/or ran; and

the power manager is configured to disable, or place in a low power mode, at least one of the plurality of sensors of the user-wearable device, when the user-wearable device is caused to operate in the second mode.

21. The user-wearable of claim 20, further comprising:

a sleep detector configured to use one or more of the plurality of sensors of the user-wearable device to detect whether or not a user that is wearing the user-wearable device is sleeping;

wherein the power manager is configured to disable, or place in a low power mode, at least one of the one or more of the plurality of sensors that is/are used by the sleep detector, when the user-wearable device is caused to operate in the second mode.

22. The user-wearable device of claim 21, further comprising:

a sleep metric monitor configured to use one or more of the plurality of sensors of the user-wearable device to detect one or more sleep related metrics, when the sleep detector detects that a user wearing the user-wearable device is sleeping;

wherein the power manager is configured to disable, or place in a lower power mode, at least one of the one or more of the plurality of sensors of the user-wearable device that is/are used by the sleep metric monitor, when the user-wearable device is caused to operate in the second mode.