Method and device for measuring amount of user physical activity

• US 9,867,152 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ban, Ji-Hye, Park, Sun-Mi, Park, Jeong-Min, Lee, Dae-Yong, Lee, Youn-Hee, Chun, Jae-Woong
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsvey, Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US14/678,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20150289217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• 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 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• 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 56/001 Synchronization between nodes

Abstract

An electronic device and a method of measuring an amount of user physical activity by an electronic device are provided. The method includes establishing short range communication among a plurality of electronic devices, determining one of the plurality of electronic devices as a primary device, communicating state information of remaining electronic devices to the primary device, activating a sensor on a device having a highest priority among the plurality of electronic devices according to the state information, recording physical activity information according to physical activity sensed by the sensor, communicating the physical activity information to the primary device, calculating an amount of physical activity according to the communicated physical activity information, and synchronizing the amount of physical activity among the plurality of electronic devices.

Claims

1. A method of measuring an amount of user physical activity by an electronic device, the method comprising:

counting, by the electronic device, an amount of physical activity;

storing, by the electronic device, first count information comprising a first count start time, a first count end time, and a first amount of physical activity counted between the first count start time and the first count end time;

receiving, by the electronic device, second count information comprising a second count start time, a second count end time, and a second amount of physical activity from at least one other device when the electronic device is connected with the at least one other device through short range communication; and

determining an integrated amount of physical activity using the first count information and the second count information,

wherein the determining of the integrated amount of the physical activity is based on a priority of the electronic device and at least one other device,

wherein the priority is determined based on accessibility according to a voice command, and

wherein the amount of physical activity is counted by a device having the highest priority determined based on the priority of the electronic device and the at least one other device using weighted value, upon receiving the voice command by at least one of the electronic device and the at least one other device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an overlap duration by comparing the first count start time and the first count end time with the second count start time and the second count end time,

wherein the determining of the integrated amount of physical activity comprises;

obtaining a difference by subtracting a third amount of physical activity from an amount of physical activity of a device having a lower priority among the electronic device and the at least one other device, and

determining a sum of the difference and an amount of physical activity of a device having a higher priority among the electronic device and the at least one other device as the integrated amount of physical activity.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

stopping counting of the amount of physical activity by the electronic device;

performing synchronization between the electronic device and the at least one other device of the amount of physical activity; and

updating the amount of physical activity of the electronic device using a physical activity count value reported from the at least one other device, while the short range communication is maintained after the synchronization of the amount of physical activity, when a priority of the at least one other device is higher than a priority of the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, when a plurality of other devices is connected with the electronic device through the short range communication, the receiving of the second count information from the at least one other device comprises:

receiving wearing status information from one or more of the plurality of other devices,

determining a highest priority available device according to priorities of each of the plurality of other devices and the received wearing status information, and

receiving the second count information from the highest priority available device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the highest priority available device is determined again when the short range communication with the highest priority available device is disconnected.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the synchronization of the amount of physical activity is performed again when the highest priority available device is determined again.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the highest priority available device is determined again when information on a wearing status in which the highest priority available device has not been worn is received from the highest priority available device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the synchronization of the amount of physical activity is performed again when the highest priority available device is determined again.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the counted physical activity comprises counted footsteps.

10. An electronic device comprising:

a sensor; and

a measurement module configured to;

count an amount of physical activity using a sensor value of the sensor, to store count information comprising a first count start time, a first count end time, and a first amount of physical activity counted between the first count start time and the first count end time in a memory,

receive second count information comprising a second count start time, a second count end time, and a second amount of physical activity from at least one other device when the electronic device is connected with the at least one other device through short range communication,

determine an integrated amount of physical activity using the second count information and the first count information, to change an entire amount of physical activity corresponding to the electronic device according to the integrated amount of physical activity,

transmit the integrated amount of physical activity to the at least one other device, and

perform synchronization between the electronic device and the at least one other device of the amount of physical activity,

wherein the measurement module is further configured to determine that the integrated amount of physical activity is based on a priority of the electronic device and at least one other device,

wherein the priority is determined based on accessibility according to a voice command, and

wherein the amount of physical activity is counted by a device having the highest priority determined based on the priority of the electronic device and the at least one other device using weighted value, upon receiving the voice command by at least one of the electronic device and the at least one other device.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the measurement module is further configured to determine an overlap duration by:

comparing the first count start time and the first count end time with the second count start time and the second count end time,

obtaining a difference by subtracting a third amount of physical activity from an amount of physical activity of a device having a lower priority among the electronic device and the at least one other device, and

determining a sum of the difference and an amount of physical activity of a device having a higher priority among the electronic device and the at least one other device as the integrated amount of physical activity.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the measurement module is further configured to:

stop counting of the amount of physical activity by the electronic device,

perform synchronization between the electronic device and the at least one other device of the amount of physical activity; and

update the amount of physical activity of the electronic device using a physical activity count value reported from the at least one other device, while the short range communication is maintained after the synchronization of the amount of physical activity, when a priority of the at least one other device is higher than a priority of the electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein, when a plurality of other devices is connected with the electronic device through the short range communication, the measurement module is further configured to:

receive wearing status information from one or more of the plurality of other devices,

determine a highest priority available device according to priorities of each of the plurality of other devices and the received wearing status information, and

receive the second count information from the highest priority available device.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the highest priority available device is determined again when the short range communication with the highest priority available device is disconnected.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the synchronization of the amount of physical activity is performed again when the highest priority available device is determined again.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the highest priority available device is determined again when information on a status in which the highest priority available device has not been worn is received from the highest priority available device.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the synchronization of the amount of physical activity is performed again when the highest priority available device is determined again.

18. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the counted physical activity comprises counted footsteps.