Portable monitoring devices and methods of operating the same

• US 9,773,396 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2015
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Park, James, Bilodeaux-Dewey, Aislinn Abigail, Brumback, Christine Boomer
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casillashernandez, Omar
• Application Number:
  US14/749,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20150294554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391, 340500, 340531, 34087009, 702 19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• 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 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 : using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

In one aspect of the disclosed implementations, a device includes one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the device and providing activity data indicative of the sensed motion. The device also includes one or more feedback devices for providing feedback, a notice, or an indication to a user based on the monitoring. The device also includes one or more processors for monitoring the activity data, for determining one or more activity metrics based on the activity data, and for causing one or more of the feedback devices to produce an indication to the user that an activity goal has been achieved by the user based on one or more of the activity metrics. The device further includes a portable housing that encloses at least portions of the motion sensors, the processors and the feedback devices.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the device and providing motion data indicative of the sensed motion;

one or more vibrating devices configured to produce a plurality of vibrating notifications, each of the vibrating notifications being associated with an achievement of one of a plurality of activity goals;

a wireless communication interface configured to communicate with one or more external computing devices;

a memory configured to store vibrating notification settings, each of the vibrating notification settings capable of being assigned to one or more of the plurality of activity goals, each of the vibrating notification settings specifying a corresponding vibration pattern;

one or more processors configured to;

receive, from the one or more external computing devices via the wireless communication interface, one or more first inputs to define or modify a plurality of vibrating notification setting associated with the plurality of activity goals stored or to be stored in the memory,

store or modify the plurality of vibrating notification settings associated with the plurality of activity goals in the memory based on the one or more first inputs,

receive, subsequent to the storing or modifying, an indication from the one or more external computing devices via the wireless communication interface of a determination that a condition associated with a first activity goal has been met, and

cause, responsive to a determination that the condition has been met, the one or more vibrating devices to produce a vibrating notification according to one of the vibrating notification settings associated with the at least one activity goal; and

a portable housing that encloses at least portions of the one or more motion sensors, the one or more vibrating devices, the wireless communication interface, the memory and the one or more processors, the portable housing capable of being wearable by a user of the device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive, via the wireless communication interface, one or more second inputs to assign the plurality of vibrating notification settings to the

assign each of the vibrating notification settings to a distinct activity goal; and

store the assignment in the memory.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive, via the wireless communication interface, a communication of information of the at least one activity goal from the one or more external computing devices;

process the communication of information; and

determine that the condition associated with the at least one activity goal has been met based on the processed communication of information.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the one or more external computing devices include a mobile phone or smartphone.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein:

the device further includes a display; and

the one or more processors are further configured to receive user input from a user when the user is wearing the device, and responsive to the user input, cause the display to display information in the communication of information.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein:

the user input is a physical gesture made by the user and sensed by the one or more motion sensors; and

the one or more processors are further configured to interpret the physical gesture based on the motion data corresponding to the physical gesture.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the communication of information further includes a priority associated with information in the communication of information, and wherein the produced vibrating notification is further based on the priority.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the memory is further configured to store the plurality of activity goals; and

the one or more processors are further configured to;

monitor the motion data,

determine one or more activity metrics based on the monitored motion data, and

determine that the condition associated with the at least one activity goal has been met based on the determined one or more activity metrics.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein:

the device further includes a display; and

the one or more processors are further configured to receive user input from a user when the user is wearing the device, and responsive to the user input, cause the display to display information about the achieved one of the activity goals.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein:

the user input is a physical gesture made by the user and sensed by the one or more motion sensors; and

the one or more processors are further configured to interpret the physical gesture based on the motion data corresponding to the physical gesture.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive user input and to create or customize an activity goal stored in the memory based on the user input.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more external computing devices include a mobile phone or smartphone.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more external computing devices include a personal computer.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more external computing devices include a server.

15. The device of claim 1, further including one or more lights configured to produce visual notifications, each of the visual notifications being associated with an achievement of one of a plurality of activity goals, wherein:

the memory is further configured to store visual notification settings, each of the visual notification settings capable of being assigned to one or more of the plurality of activity goals, each of the visual notification settings specifying a corresponding visual pattern; and

the one or more processors are further configured to;

receive, via the wireless communication interface, one or more third inputs to define, modify or select a plurality of visual notification settings stored or to be stored in the memory,

receive, via the wireless communication interface, one or more fourth inputs to assign the plurality of visual notification settings to the plurality of activity goals,

assign each of the visual notification settings to a distinct activity goal, and

store the assignment in the memory.

16. The device of claim 1, further including one or more lights configured to produce audio notifications, each of the audio notifications being associated with an achievement of one of a plurality of activity goals, wherein:

the memory is further configured to store audible notification settings, each of the audible notification settings capable of being assigned to one or more of the plurality of activity goals, each of the audible notification settings specifying a corresponding audio pattern; and

the one or more processors are further configured to;

receive, via the wireless communication interface, one or more third inputs to define, modify or select a plurality of audible notification settings stored or to be stored in the memory,

receive, via the wireless communication interface, one or more fourth inputs to assign the plurality of audible notification settings to the plurality of activity goals,

assign each of the audible notification settings to a distinct activity goal, and

store the assignment in the memory.

17. The device of claim 1, further including one or more lights configured to produce graphical image notifications, each of the graphical image notifications being associated with an achievement of one of a plurality of activity goals, wherein:

the memory is further configured to store graphical image notification settings, each of the graphical image notification settings capable of being assigned to one or more of the plurality of activity goals, each of the graphical image notification settings specifying a corresponding image pattern; and

the one or more processors are further configured to;

receive, via the wireless communication interface, one or more third inputs to define, modify or select a plurality of graphical image notification settings stored or to be stored in the memory,

receive, via the wireless communication interface, one or more fourth inputs to assign the plurality of graphical image notification settings to the plurality of activity goals,

assign each of the graphical image notification settings to a distinct activity goal, and

store the assignment in the memory.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes or is attachable to a wrist- or arm-band configured for physical coupling with a user.

19. Tangible processor-readable media including non-transitory instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause operations to be performed including:

sensing, by one or more motion sensors within a portable device, motion of the portable device and providing motion data indicative of the sensed motion;

receiving, by the one or more processors within the portable device, one or more first inputs from one or more external computing devices via a wireless communication interface, the one or more first inputs to define or modify a plurality of vibrating notification settings stored or to be stored in a memory of the portable device, the plurality of vibrating notification settings capable of being assigned to a plurality of activity goals, each of the vibrating notification settings specifying a corresponding vibration pattern;

storing or modifying the plurality of vibrating notification settings in the memory based on the one or more first inputs;

receiving, by the one or more processors, subsequent to the storing or modifying, an indication from the one or more external computing devices via the wireless communication interface of a determination that a condition associated with at least one activity goal has been met; and

causing, by the one or more processors, responsive to a determination that the condition has been met, one or more vibrating devices to produce a vibrating notification according to the one of the vibrating notification settings associated with the at least one activity goal.

20. The media of claim 19, further including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause operations to be performed including:

receiving, via the wireless communication interface, one or more second inputs to assign the stored or modified vibrating notification settings to the plurality of activity goals;

assigning each of the stored or modified vibrating notification settings to a distinct activity goal; and

storing the assignment in the memory.

21. The media of claim 19, further including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause operations to be performed including:

receiving, via the wireless communication interface, a communication of information of the at least one activity goal from the one or more external computing devices;

processing the communication of information; and

determining that the condition associated with the at least one activity goal has been met based on the processed communication of information.

22. The media of claim 21, wherein the one or more external computing devices include a mobile phone or smartphone.

23. The media of claim 19, further including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause operations to be performed including:

monitoring the motion data;

determining one or more activity metrics based on the monitored motion data; and

determining that the condition associated with the at least one activity goal has been met based on the determined one or more activity metrics.

24. The media of claim 19, wherein the one or more external computing devices include a mobile phone or smartphone.