Methods and systems for geo-location optimized tracking and updating for events having combined activity and location information

• US 9,658,066 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Park, James, Yuen, Shelten Gee Jao, Lee, Hans Christiansen
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/569,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20150100270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 702160, 702182-185, 702188
• 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 5/021 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 5/1112 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 5/6802 Sensor mounted on worn items
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/744 Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 : Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 : Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• 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: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

A method includes obtaining a first geo-location and a second geo-location. The first and second geo-locations are associated with a monitoring device. The monitoring device is configured to be used by a user. The first geo-location is determined at a first time and the second geo-location is determined at a second time. The first time and the second time are associated with a rate of obtaining geo-location data. The method includes calculating a difference in distance between the second and first geo-locations and changing the rate of obtaining a third geo-location associated with the monitoring device based on the difference in distance between the second and first geo-locations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, a plurality of geo-locations of a monitoring device, the monitoring device being wearable by a user while performing an activity;

identifying, by the computing device, a plurality of times at which the geo-locations are determined;

calculating a distance between the geo-locations;

calculating a difference between the times to identify a time period; and

changing, by the computing device, a rate of obtaining geo-location data associated with the monitoring device based on the distance between the geo-locations and the time period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the distance between the geo-locations exceeds a pre-determined threshold; and

determining that the time period exceeds a pre-calculated limit,

wherein changing the rate of obtaining geo-location data associated with the monitoring device based on the distance between the geo-locations and the time period comprises;

increasing the rate of obtaining the geo-location data upon determining that the distance between the geo-locations exceeds the pre-determined threshold and the time period exceeds the pre-calculated limit.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a ratio of the distance between the geo-locations and the time period;

determining that the ratio is greater than a pre-determined threshold,

wherein changing the rate of obtaining geo-location data associated with the monitoring device based on the distance between the geo-locations and the time period comprises;

increasing the rate of obtaining the geo-location data upon determining that the ratio is greater than the pre-determined threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the distance between the geo-locations is less than a pre-determined threshold; and

determining that the time period is less than a pre-calculated limit,

wherein changing the rate of obtaining geo-location data associated with the monitoring device based on the distance between the geo-locations and the time period comprises;

decreasing the rate of obtaining the geo-location data upon determining that the distance between the geo-locations is less than the pre-determined threshold and the time period is less than the pre-calculated limit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a ratio of the distance between the geo-locations and the time period;

determining that the ratio is less than a pre-determined threshold;

wherein changing the rate of obtaining geo-location data associated with the monitoring device based on the distance between the geo-locations and the time period comprises;

decreasing the rate of obtaining the geo-location data upon determining that the ratio is less than the pre-determined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the geo-locations includes a longitude and a latitude.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device includes a bracelet, or a watch, or a wristband.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is for wearing on a leg of the user, or a wrist of the user, or a forearm of the user, or an upper arm of the user, or a head of the user, or a chest of the user, or a waist of the user, or an article of clothing worn by the user.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a plurality of spatial positions of a monitoring device, the monitoring device for use by a user while performing one or more activities;

receiving, by the computing device, a plurality of times associated with determining the spatial positions;

calculating a distance between the spatial positions;

calculating a time period based on a difference between the times; and

determining, by the computing device, based on the distance between the spatial positions and the time period whether to change a rate of obtaining geo-location data associated with the monitoring device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the distance between the spatial positions exceeds a pre-determined threshold; and

determining that the time period exceeds a pre-calculated limit,

wherein changing the rate of obtaining geo-location data associated with the monitoring device based on the distance between the spatial positions and the time period comprises;

increasing the rate of obtaining the geo-location data upon determining that the distance between the spatial positions exceeds the pre-determined threshold and the time period exceeds the pre-calculated limit.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

calculating a ratio of the distance between the spatial positions and the time period;

determining that the ratio is greater than a pre-determined threshold;

wherein changing the rate of obtaining geo-location data associated with the monitoring device based on the distance between the spatial positions and the time period comprises;

increasing the rate of obtaining the geo-location data upon determining that the ratio is greater than the pre-determined threshold.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the distance between the spatial positions is less than a pre-determined threshold; and

determining that the time period is less than a pre-calculated limit,

wherein changing the rate of obtaining geo-location data associated with the monitoring device based on the distance between the spatial positions and the time period comprises;

decreasing the rate of obtaining the geo-location data upon determining that the distance between the spatial positions is less than the pre-determined threshold and the time period is less than the pre-calculated limit.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

calculating a ratio of the distance between the spatial positions and the time period;

determining that the ratio is less than a pre-determined threshold;

wherein changing the rate of obtaining geo-location data associated with the monitoring device based on the distance between the spatial positions and the time period comprises;

decreasing the rate of obtaining the geo-location data upon determining that the ratio is less than the pre-determined threshold.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the geo-locations includes a longitude and a latitude.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitoring device includes a bracelet, or a watch, or a wristband.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitoring device is for wearing on a leg of the user, or a wrist of the user, or a forearm of the user, or an upper arm of the user, or a head of the user, or a chest of the user, or a waist of the user, or an article of clothing worn by the user.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the spatial positions include an x co-ordinate, a y co-ordinate, and a z co-ordinate.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server, information associated with a monitoring device, the monitoring device for use by a user while the user is performing a plurality of activities;

identifying, by the server, based on the information the activities performed by the user;

identifying based on the information locations associated with the monitoring device;

determining whether a first one of the activities is different from a second one of the activities;

determining whether a first one of the locations is different from a second one of the locations; and

changing, by the server, a rate of obtaining geo-location data upon determining that the first activity is different from the second activity and the second location is different from the first location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the information associated with the monitoring device includes multiple geo-locations for the monitoring device, or multiple spatial positions of the monitoring device, or a combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the monitoring device is for wearing on a leg of the user, or a wrist of the user, or a forearm of the user, or an upper arm of the user, or a head of the user, or a chest of the user, or a waist of the user, or an article of clothing worn by the user.