DATA-CAPABLE STRAPBAND

• US 20130176142A1
• Filed: 06/09/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: JB IP Acquisitions LLC
• Original Assignee: AliphCom, Inc. (AliphCom Corp.)
• Inventors: Drysdale, Richard Lee, Luna, Michael Edward Smith, Fullam, Scott, Orvis, Skip Thomas, Martino, Raymond A., Levinson, Nora Elam
• Application Number:
  US13/492,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20130176142A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• 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 5/6802 Sensor mounted on worn items
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• 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

A data-capable strapband is described, including techniques for monitoring co-participation in an activity using a data-capable strapband. Data associated with each co-participant'"'"'s participation in the physical activity may be gathered, processed, analyzed, monitored and compared by each co-participant using data-capable strapbands. Additional devices, such as mobile communications devices, mobile computing devices, computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and the like, along with any available accompanying software applications, may be used in conjunction with the data-capable strapbands to further analyze the data that is gathered and presented via, for example, a server configured to provide a social networking service.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first set of data associated with at least one attribute of an activity originating from a first wearable device associated with a first user into a server including a processor and memory;

calculating on the server a difference between the first set of data associated with at least one attribute of the activity originating from the first wearable device associated with the first user and a second set of data associated with at least one attribute of the activity originating from the first wearable device associated with the first user or from a second wearable device associated with a second user, the server further determining a first status of the first wearable device associated with the first user;

communicating the first status from the server to the first wearable device associated with the first user;

wherein the activity is a physical activity in which either the first user or the second user, or both, are engaged.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the second set of data associated with at least one attribute of the activity originating from the second wearable device associated with the second user into the server.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the server further determining a second status of the second wearable device associated with the second user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying a first value of an attribute of the activity associated with the first user wearing the first wearable device;

transmitting the first value of the attribute of the activity associated with the first user to the first wearable device;

identifying a second value of the attribute of the activity associated with the second user wearing the second wearable device; and

transmitting the second value of the attribute of the activity associated with the second user to the second wearable device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the status indicates that the first value associated with the first user is favorable relative to the second value associated with the second user.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the status indicates that the first value associated with the first user is unfavorable relative to the second value associated with the second user.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the status indicates that the first value associated with the first user is the same as the second value associated with the second user.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising communicating the status of the first wearable device of the first user and the status of the second wearable device of the second user to an application server configured to provide a social networking service.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying a subset of computing devices associated with friends of either the first user or the second user, or both, the subset of computing devices being authorized to receive data regarding the first user and the second user from the application server; and

generating data representing the status for presentation on displays associated with the subset of computing devices.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising communicating the status of the first wearable device of the first user or the status of the second wearable device of the second user to a hub device.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving data representing acceptance from the first wearable device associated with the first user to perform a challenge, the challenge being defined by a goal value for an attribute of the activity, the goal value representing accomplishment of the activity;

receiving data representing acceptance from the second wearable device associated with the second user to perform the challenge;

transmitting to the first wearable device and the second wearable device a signal to initiate the challenge;

monitoring a first attribute for the activity in which the first user is engaged and a second attribute for the activity in which the second user is engaged;

determining a first ranking based on a first difference between a first value of the first attribute and the goal value and a second ranking based on a second difference between a second value of the second attribute and the goal value; and

transmitting data representing the first ranking and the second ranking to the first wearable device and the second wearable device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the status indicates a goal of the activity is achieved, wherein the first wearable device associated with the first user generates vibrations responsive to receiving the status.

13. A wearable device, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to capture data associated with at least one attribute of an activity;

a communications facility configured to communicate the data associated with at least one attribute of the activity to a server, the communications facility further configured to receive a value from the server, the value being determined by calculating the difference between the data associated with at least one attribute of the activity and another set of data associated with at least one attribute of the activity;

a memory configured to store the data associated with at least one attribute of the activity and the value; and

a notifications facility configured to send an activity update to the user, the activity update being a function of the value received from the server.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

a processor to receive the data associated with at least one attribute of the activity and to receive the data associated with at least one attribute of the activity stored in the memory, the processor further configured to calculate a difference between the data associated with at least one attribute of the activity and the data associated with at least one attribute of the activity stored in the memory, the processor further configured to determine a value; and

the notifications facility further configured to send an activity update to the user, the activity update being a function of the value received from the processor.

15. The wearable device of claim 13, further comprising the communications facility further configured to communicate the data associated with at least one attribute of an activity to a hub device.

16. The wearable device of claim 13, further comprising the communications facility further configured to receive data associated with at least one attribute of the activity from a hub device.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving data associated with at least one attribute of an activity originating from each wearable device of a group of at least two wearable devices,

aggregating the data associated with at least one attribute of the activity originating from each wearable device from the group of at least two wearable devices to determine an aggregated data set associated with at least one attribute of the activity;

receiving data associated with the activity originating from each wearable device of another group of at least two wearable devices,

aggregating the data associated with at least one attribute of the activity originating from each wearable device from the other group of at least two wearable devices to determine another aggregated data set associated with at least one attribute of the activity;

calculating a difference between the aggregated data set and the other aggregated data set and determining a value associated with the difference; and

communicating the value associated with the difference to each of the wearable devices of the group and the other group.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising communicating the value associated with the difference to an application server configured to provide a social networking service.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the value associated with the difference indicates the performance of the group relative to the other group.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein an attribute of the activity is one or more of a physiological attribute, an environmental attribute, or a motion attribute.