Wireless synchronized apparatus and system

• US 10,117,204 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2014
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wearables IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: APDM, Inc.
• Inventors: Greenberg, Andrew, Riobo Aboy, Pedro Mateo, McNames, James, Pearson, Sean, Gallino, Gavin, Brandon, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Towa, Rene
• Application Number:
  US14/146,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20140122958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1101 Detecting tremor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4082 Diagnosing or monitoring movement diseases, e.g. Parkinson, Huntington or Tourette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments include an apparatus that comprises (a) a kinematics sensor module including an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, or combinations thereof; and (b) a bidirectional wireless communication module configured for wirelessly synchronizing the sampling time instances of the kinematics sensor module with the sampling time instances of at least a second wearable apparatus including a second kinematics sensor module.

Claims

1. A wearable apparatus, comprising:

(a) an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, or combinations thereof; and

(b) a processor causing a bidirectional wireless communication module within said wearable apparatus to continuously and wirelessly synchronize a plurality of sampling time instances of said accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, or combinations thereof with a plurality of sampling time instances of at least a second wearable apparatus comprising an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, or combinations thereof, wherein synchronization of said sampling time instances is performed during data collection.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a wireless synchronization protocol configured for master synchronization or mesh synchronization.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a robust wireless data transfer data controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said robust wireless data transfer data controller is configured for storing data packets locally whenever a transmission error is detected, and retransmiting said data packets at a later point in time, whereby no data packets are lost during wireless data transfers.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said bidirectional wireless communication module includes a chip antenna or a patch antenna.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a solid state local storage medium.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said apparatus is included in a wrist-worn device with a form factor of a watch or a wristband.

8. The wearable apparatus of claim 6, wherein said apparatus further comprises a display configured for providing information to a user including a time of day or a reminder.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said wearable apparatus is a watch.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said watch is charged by inductive power charging.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said watch is configured for harvesting energy from the local environment by using a kinetic generator or a solar panel.

12. The wearable apparatus of claim 6, wherein said apparatus is configured for quantifying human movement based on data acquired by said accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, or combinations thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said apparatus is further configured for wirelessly transmitting said data from said accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, or combinations thereof to a second wearable or non-wearable apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said apparatus is configured for wirelessly synchronizing the sample time instances of said accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, or combinations thereof with a second apparatus including a kinematics sensor.

15. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said apparatus includes an action reminder chosen from the group consisting of a gentle vibration, an auditory cue, and a visual cue.

16. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said apparatus is configured for calculating the device location by accepting transmissions from one or more external devices, beacons, GPS, or combinations thereof.

17. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said apparatus further comprises a GPS receiver.

18. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said apparatus further comprises a barometric altimeter.

19. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said wireless communication module is configured to synchronize the internal clock of said apparatus with an internal clock of a second wearable or non-wearable apparatus.