Adaptive data transfer using bluetooth

• US 9,641,239 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Panther, Heiko Gernot Albert, Park, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Zhiyu
• Application Number:
  US14/290,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20140273858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• 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 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02433 for infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• 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 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer

Abstract

Biometric monitoring devices, including various technologies that may be implemented in such devices, are discussed herein. Additionally, techniques, systems, and apparatuses are discussed herein for utilizing two different Bluetooth communications interfaces, one that provides Bluetooth classic (base rate/enhanced data rate) communications functionality and one that provides Bluetooth low-energy communications functionality, in a common device. The techniques, systems, and apparatuses may elect to use a particular Bluetooth interface based on various criteria.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first Bluetooth communications interface configured to provide communications via the Bluetooth Base Rate/Enhanced Data Rate (BR/EDR) protocol;

a second Bluetooth communications interface configured to provide Bluetooth communications via the Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) protocol;

one or more sensors; and

a controller including at least one processor and a memory, wherein;

the at least one processor, the memory, the one or more sensors, the first Bluetooth communications interface, and the second Bluetooth communications interface are communicatively connected, and

the memory stores instructions for controlling the at least one processor to;

a) establish a first Bluetooth communications connection with a remote device external to the apparatus via the first Bluetooth communications interface,

b) establish a second Bluetooth communications connection with the remote device via the second Bluetooth communications interface,

c) select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit first data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, information indicating that the second Bluetooth communications connection has not been interrupted within a first time period greater than a first threshold time period and the first data including data collected by the one or more sensors of the apparatus, and

d) utilize the second Bluetooth communications connection as selected in (c) to transmit the first data between the apparatus and the remote device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the memory stores further instructions for controlling the at least one processor to deactivate the first Bluetooth communications connection when the first Bluetooth communications connection is not used to transmit data between the apparatus and the remote device and while the second Bluetooth communications connection is still established between the apparatus and the remote device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory stores further instructions for controlling the at least one processor to:

e) select between using the first Bluetooth communications connection or the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit second data between the apparatus and the remote device according, at least in part, to information associated with the one or more sensors, and

f) utilize the first Bluetooth communications connection or the second Bluetooth communications connection as selected in (e) to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, the apparatus further comprising a battery charge level sensor, wherein the information associated with the one or more sensors includes battery charge level data from the battery charge level sensor and the instructions for (e) include instructions for controlling the at least one processor to select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the battery charge level data from the battery charge level sensor indicating that a charge level of a battery in the apparatus is below a first threshold.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, the apparatus further comprising at least one motion sensor, wherein the information associated with the one or more sensors includes motion data from the at least one motion sensor and the instructions for (e) include instructions for controlling the at least one processor to select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the information from the motion data indicating that the apparatus is substantially stationary with respect to a global frame of reference.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the information associated with the one or more sensors includes data from the one or more sensors indicating that a wearer of the apparatus is asleep and the instructions for (e) include instructions for controlling the at least one processor to select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the data from the one or more sensors indicating that the wearer of the apparatus is asleep.

20. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data from the one or more sensors are one or more items selected from the group consisting of:

heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration rate, galvanic skin response, motion, skin temperature, body temperature, ambient light intensity, and ambient noise level.

7. A method comprising:

a) establishing a first Bluetooth communications connection between an apparatus and a remote device external to the apparatus via the first Bluetooth communications interface;

b) establishing a second Bluetooth communications connection between the apparatus and the remote device via the second Bluetooth communications interface;

c) selecting the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit first data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, information indicating that the second Bluetooth communications connection has not been interrupted within a first time period greater than a first threshold time period and the first data including data collected by the one or more sensors of the apparatus; and

d) utilizing the second Bluetooth communications connection as selected in (c) to transmit the first data between the apparatus and the remote device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

deactivating the first Bluetooth communications connection when the first Bluetooth communications connection is not used to transmit data between the apparatus and the remote device and while maintaining the second Bluetooth communications connection between the apparatus and the remote device.

9. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising:

(e) selecting between using the first Bluetooth communications connection or the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit second data between the apparatus and the remote device according, at least in part, to information associated with one or more sensors of the apparatus, and

(f) utilizing the first Bluetooth communications connection or the second Bluetooth communications connection as selected in (e) to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the apparatus includes a battery charge level sensor, the information associated with the one or more sensors includes battery charge level data from the battery charge level sensor, and (e) further comprises selecting the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the battery charge level data from the battery charge level sensor indicating that a charge level of a battery in the apparatus is below a first threshold.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the apparatus includes at least one motion sensor, the information associated with the one or more sensors includes motion data from the at least one motion sensor, and (e) further comprises selecting the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the motion data indicating that the apparatus is substantially stationary with respect to a global frame of reference.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein (e) further comprising selecting the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the information associated with the one or more sensors including data from the one or more sensors that indicates that the apparatus is monitoring a sleep state of a wearer of the apparatus.

13. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores computer-executable instructions for controlling at least one processor communicatively connected with a first Bluetooth communications interface and a second Bluetooth communications interface in an apparatus, wherein the first Bluetooth communications interface is configured to provide communications via the Bluetooth Base Rate/Enhanced Data Rate (BR/EDR) protocol and the second Bluetooth communications interface is configured to provide Bluetooth communications via the Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) protocol, to:

a) establish a first Bluetooth communications connection with a remote device external to the apparatus via the first Bluetooth communications interface,

b) establish a second Bluetooth communications connection with the remote device via the second Bluetooth communications interface,

c) select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit first data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, information indicating that the second Bluetooth communications connection has not been interrupted within a first time period greater than a first threshold time period and the first data including data collected by the one or more sensors of the apparatus, and

d) utilize the second Bluetooth communications connection as selected in (c) to transmit the first data between the apparatus and the remote device.

14. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein:

the storage medium stores further instructions for controlling the at least one processor to deactivate the first Bluetooth communications connection when the first Bluetooth communications connection is not used to transmit data between the apparatus and the remote device and while the second Bluetooth communications connection is still established between the apparatus and the remote device.

15. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein:

the storage medium stores further instructions for controlling the at least one processor to

e) select between using the first Bluetooth communications connection or the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit second data between the apparatus and the remote device according, at least in part, to information associated with one or more sensors of the apparatus, and

f) utilize the first Bluetooth communications connection or the second Bluetooth communications connection as selected in (e) to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus includes a battery charge level sensor, the information associated with the one or more sensors includes battery charge level data from the battery charge level sensor, and the instructions for (e) include instructions for controlling the at least one processor to select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the battery charge level data indicating that a charge level of a battery in the apparatus is below a first threshold.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus includes at least one motion sensor, the information associated with the one or more sensors include motion data from the at least one motion sensor, and the instructions for (e) include instructions for controlling the at least one processor to select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the motion data indicating that the apparatus is substantially stationary with respect to a global frame of reference.

18. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for (e) include instructions for controlling the at least one processor to select the second Bluetooth communications connection to transmit the second data between the apparatus and the remote device based on, at least in part, the information associated with the one or more sensors including data from the one or more sensors that indicate that the apparatus is monitoring a sleep state of a wearer of the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more sensors are one or more items selected from the group consisting of:

optical sensors, motion sensors, microphones, and thermometers.