Tracking user physical activity with multiple devices

• US 9,712,629 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2016
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Molettiere, Peter Andrew, Axley, Andrew Cole, Yuen, Shelten Gee Jao, Hong, Jung Ook, Park, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/178,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20160285985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 702127, 702182-185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Methods, devices, and computer programs are presented for creating a unified data stream from multiple data streams acquired from multiple devices. One method includes an operation for receiving activity data streams from the devices, each activity data stream being associated with physical activity data of a user. Further, the method includes an operation for assembling the unified activity data stream for a period of time. The unified activity data stream includes data segments from the data streams of at least two devices, and the data segments are organized time-wise over the period of time.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a communication interface for receiving a plurality of data streams from a plurality of separate devices, each data stream including data of a same user activity metric captured with a respective device, each of the plurality of devices configured to be separately employable by the user; and

a processor for determining, based on the data streams, when a user is utilizing each of the plurality of devices,

wherein the processor is configured to assemble a unified activity data stream for the user activity metric over a period of time, the unified activity data stream including data segments from at least two devices of the plurality of devices, the included data segments being associated with time segments when the user utilized the respective device, the unified activity data stream being organized time-wise over the period of time, and

wherein the processor is configured to provide the unified activity data stream for presentation on a user interface.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor determining when the user is utilizing each of the plurality of devices further includes:

processing instructions to identify when each device shows activity associated with the user activity metric; and

processing instructions to determine that the user is utilizing each device based on the identifying.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor determining when the user is utilizing each of the plurality of devices further includes:

processing instructions to identify which device shows a higher activity level for each time segment.

4. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor assembling a unified activity data stream further includes:

processing instructions to identify a priority for each device, and in response to multiple devices including data segments showing user activity over a time segment, processing instructions to utilize the data segment for a device with a highest priority.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine when a user is in a vehicle and discard data from one or more devices corresponding to a period when the user is in the vehicle.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the device is a server device and at least one of the plurality of devices is an activity monitoring device comprising a sensor configured to produce motion data to define a data stream.

7. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface presents information regarding one or more of steps taken by the user over a period of time, a distance walked over the period of time, calories burnt over the period of time, or heartbeat information.

8. The device as recited in claim 7, wherein the user interface provides an option for presenting a graph bar, each bar of the graph bar showing a level of activity over a corresponding period.

9. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of devices is configured to be separately worn or carried by the user.

10. A server device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory,

wherein the processor is configured to interface with a network for receiving a plurality of data streams from a plurality of separate activity monitoring devices, each data stream including data of a same user activity metric captured with a respective device of a user, each of the plurality of devices configured to be separately employable by the user,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

(i) determine, based on the data stream, when the user is utilizing each of the plurality of devices and (ii) determine when the user is switching from utilizing one device to another,

wherein the processor is further configured to assemble a unified activity data stream for the user activity metric over a period of time, the unified activity data stream includes data segments from at least two devices of the plurality of devices, the included data segments being associated with time segments when the user utilized the respective device, the unified activity data stream being organized time-wise over the period of time,

wherein the processor is further configured to enable access and presentation of the unified activity data stream via a user interface.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein when the processor determines when the user is switching from utilizing one device to another, the processor identifies time segments of activity that follow time segments without activity for each device, and identifies time segments without activity that follow time segments with activity for each device.

12. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor further executes instructions to determine when the user was utilizing each of the plurality of devices by identifying when each device showed activity.

13. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor further executes instructions to determine when the user was switching from utilizing one device to another by accessing calendar data associated with the user.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the processor further executes instructions to determine an activity of the user for a time segment based on the calendar data.

15. The server of claim 13, wherein the processor further executes instructions to determine a location of the user for a time segment based on the calendar data.

16. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor further executes instructions to determine contact information data associated with the user to assist in selecting the device.

17. The server of claim 10, wherein the user interface is configured to present data regarding one or more of steps taken by the user over a period of time, a distance walked over the period of time, calories burnt over the period of time, or heartbeat information.

18. An cloud-based activity-monitoring system, comprising:

a server configured to process an application for managing activity data for a plurality of devices of users, the server includes a processor and a memory, the server is configured to process;

program instructions for receiving a first data stream from a step-counter device, the first data stream including steps taken during each period from a plurality of periods,

program instructions for receiving a second data stream from a smartphone, the second data stream including steps taken during each period from the plurality of periods, the step-counter and the smartphone being configured to be separately employable by the user,

program instructions for determining, based on the first and second data streams, when the user utilized the step-counter device for tracking the steps taken and when the user utilized the smartphone for tracking the steps taken,

program instructions for assembling a steps-taken data stream for the user over a day, the steps-taken data stream including data segments from the first data stream and from the second data stream,

wherein the included data segments are associated with time segments when the user utilized the step-counter device or the smartphone, the steps-taken data stream being organized time-wise for the day, and

program instructions for providing access to a user interface for accessing information regarding the steps-taken data stream.

19. The cloud-based activity-monitoring system of claim 18, wherein program instructions for receiving the first data stream from the step-counter device further includes:

program instructions for receiving the first data stream from a personal computer, the step-counter device sending the first data stream to the personal computer before the personal computer transmits the first data stream.

20. The cloud-based activity-monitoring system of claim 18, wherein program instructions for receiving the first data stream from the step-counter device further includes:

program instructions for receiving the first data stream from the smartphone, the step-counter device sending the first data stream to the smartphone before the smartphone transmits the first data stream.

21. The cloud-based activity-monitoring system of claim 18, wherein program instructions for receiving the first data stream from the step-counter device further includes:

program instructions for establishing a network connection with the step-counter device; and

program instructions for receiving the first data stream from the step-counter device over the network connection.

22. The cloud-based activity-monitoring system of claim 18, wherein program instructions for determining when the user utilized the step-counter device and the smartphone for tracking the steps taken further includes:

program instructions for identifying when the step-counter device shows activity; and

program instructions for identifying when the smartphone device shows activity.

23. The cloud-based activity-monitoring system of claim 18, wherein program instructions for determining when the user utilized the step-counter device and the smartphone for tracking the steps taken further includes:

program instructions for identifying which device shows a higher activity level for each time segment.

24. The cloud-based activity-monitoring system of claim 18, wherein program instructions for determining when the user utilized the step-counter device and the smartphone for tracking the steps taken further includes:

program instructions for identifying when the step-counter device shows a step count greater than zero; and

program instructions for identifying when the smartphone device shows the step count greater than zero.

25. The cloud-based activity-monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the user interface provides data for one or more of the steps taken by the user over a period of time, a distance walked over the period of time, calories burnt over the period of time, or heartbeat information, and wherein the user interface includes a graph bar, each bar of the graph bar showing a level of activity over a corresponding period.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory,

wherein the processor is configured to receive a plurality of data streams from a plurality of devices, each data stream including data of a same user activity metric captured with a respective device,

wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based on the data streams, activities of a user during a day, and for each activity of the user, assigning a priority to each device,

wherein the processor is further configured to assemble a unified activity data stream for the user activity metric over a period of time, the unified activity data stream including data segments from at least two devices of the plurality of devices, wherein the included data segments are selected based on the activity corresponding to the data segment and the priorities assigned to the plurality of devices for the activity of the data segment, the unified activity data stream being organized time-wise over the period of time,

wherein the processor of the apparatus is further configured to provide access to remote devices to view the unified activity data stream on a user interface.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the activities are from a group consisting of taking steps, running, climbing stairs, sleeping, commuting, working, being outdoors, swimming, or cycling.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the processor determining activities of the user during the day further includes analyzing global positioning system data to identify a location of the user.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the processor determining activities of the user is based on one or more of data in a calendar of the user, or a pattern found in the data of one or more devices from the plurality of devices, or information entered by the user regarding the activity.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the user interface provides information for one or more of steps taken by the user over a period of time, a distance walked over the period of time, calories burnt over the period of time, or heartbeat information.