Activity and inactivity monitoring

• US 10,463,278 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2013
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Homsi, Kristopher L, Schmitt, Michael, Weast, Aaron B
• Primary Examiner(s): Kremer, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US13/743,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20130184613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,483 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• 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: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for calculating point values for users who participate in activities. An activity is first captured with a sensor. A processor classifies the activity by comparing a sensor signal to templates. Once the activity is classified, an activity factor is selected. Point values are then calculated as a function of the activity factor and duration of the activity. If a predetermined criteria is met, such as inactivity for a predetermined time period, points may be deducted.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a wrist-worn device and by a processor, and via one or more wireless networks, activity data of a user, wherein the activity data has been captured over a first time period by the wrist-worn device, wherein the wrist-worn device includes at least one sensor;

processing, by the processor, the activity data to determine a classified activity;

determining, by the processor, a plurality of activity factors corresponding to the classified activity, where each activity factor is associated with a duration of time within the first time period;

comparing, by the processor, each of the plurality of activity factors to a first threshold;

calculating, by the processor, a plurality of energy expenditure point values by multiplying each activity factor, of the plurality of activity factors, that exceeds the first threshold, by the duration of time associated with that activity factor;

calculating a first duration of user inactivity from the duration of time associated with each of the plurality of activity factors that do not exceed the first threshold;

determining, by the processor, if adjustment criteria have been met when the first duration of user inactivity exceeds a threshold duration of user inactivity over a predetermined time period;

calculating, by the processor, a total of the energy expenditure point values over the predetermined time period;

when the adjustment criteria have been met, adjusting the total of the energy expenditure point values downward at a first rate in accordance with the first duration of user inactivity; and

when the adjustment criteria have been met, transmitting, by the processor and to the wrist-worn device, and via the one or more wireless networks, an alert to be displayed on a display screen of the wrist-worn device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an accelerometer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the accelerometer comprises a multi-axis accelerometer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the classified activity comprises comparing at least one signal from the at least one sensor to activity templates associated with one or more classified activities.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold duration of user inactivity is associated with a game.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment criteria include a threshold amount of accumulated user inactivity over the predetermined time period.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold duration of user inactivity includes a first duration of user inactivity occurring during a morning period and a second duration of user inactivity occurring during a night period, wherein the morning period and the night period occur during the predetermined time period.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a second alert, by the processor and to the wrist-worn device, the second alert notifying the user of the adjustment.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting, by the processor, a third alert, the third alert notifying a competing user of the adjustment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert comprises:

an indication that the user is approaching the threshold duration of the user inactivity over the predetermined time period.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting one or more additional alerts to one or more competing users indicating that the user is approaching the threshold duration of user inactivity over the predetermined time period.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a second alert notifying the user of an amount of inactivity time remaining before the user exceeds the threshold duration of user inactivity.

13. An activity tracking device comprising:

at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to be worn on a wrist of a user;

a processor;

a tangible memory containing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the device to perform steps comprising;

receiving, from the at least one sensor and via one or more wireless networks, data indicating activity of the user;

processing the data to determine one or more classified activities performed by the user;

determining a plurality of activity factors corresponding to the one or more classified activities, where each activity factor is associated with a duration of time;

comparing each of the plurality of activity factors to a first threshold;

calculating, at the processor, an energy expenditure point value by multiplying each activity factor, of the plurality of activity factors, that exceeds the first threshold, by the duration of time associated with the activity factor;

calculating a first duration of user inactivity from the duration of time associated with each of the plurality of activity factors that do not exceed the first threshold;

determining if an adjustment criteria have been met when the first duration of user inactivity exceeds one or more of a first threshold duration of user inactivity and a second threshold duration of user inactivity over a predetermined time period;

calculating a total of the energy expenditure point values over the predetermined time period;

when the adjustment criteria have been met, adjusting the total of the energy expenditure point values downward at a first rate if the first threshold duration of user inactivity has been exceeded by the first duration of user inactivity, and adjusting the total of the energy expenditure point values downward at a second rate if the second threshold duration of user inactivity has been exceeded by the first duration of user inactivity;

when the adjustment criteria have been met, transmitting, to the sensor and via the one or more wireless networks, an alert to be displayed on a display screen of a wrist-worn device associated with the sensor.

14. The activity tracking device of claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer.