PORTABLE MONITORING DEVICES AND METHODS OF OPERATING SAME

• US 20160166156A1
• Filed: 02/24/2016
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Yuen, Shelten Gee Jao, Park, James, Friedman, Eric Nathan
• Application Number:
  US15/052,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20160166156A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0686 having a forming anvil staying below the tissue during stapling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• 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 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• 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 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 : combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 : Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 : Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 : Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 : Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 : specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 : Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 : Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 : Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 : using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 : Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/744 : Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 : characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/73 : Altitude
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/04 : heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 : heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 : temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/70 : body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 : calorie expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 : Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/00 : Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 : Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/00 : Measuring height; Measuring distances transverse to line of sight; Levelling between separated points; Surveyors' levels G01C3/20, G01C3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 : Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/003 : Kinematic accelerometers, i.e. measuring acceleration in relation to an external reference frame, e.g. Ferratis accelerometers G01P15/001, G01P15/16, G01P15/165 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 : Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 : worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• 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

According to one embodiment, an apparatus comprising a portable monitoring device to be affixed to a user. The portable monitoring device including: 1) a set of one or more sensors to generate sensor data indicative of physical activity of a user when the portable monitoring device is affixed to the user; and 2) processing circuitry coupled with the set of sensors, to detect that the user has been sedentary for a period of time, and cause the portable monitoring device to alert the user responsive to the detection to encourage the user to move.

Claims

1. A portable monitoring device to be affixed to a user, the portable monitoring device comprising:

a set of one or more sensors to generate sensor data indicative of physical activity of the user when the portable monitoring device is affixed to the user, and

processing circuitry, coupled with the set of one or more sensors, to;

detect that the user has been sedentary for a period of time, and

cause the portable monitoring device to alert the user in response to detecting that the user has been sedentary for the period of time in order to encourage the user to move.

2. The portable monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the alert is one or more of a buzz and a sound emitted by the portable monitoring device.

3. The portable monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the portable monitoring device further comprises one or more of a vibramotor, buzzer, and speaker to alert the user.

4. The portable monitoring device of claim 1, wherein:

the set of one or more sensors includes a physiological sensor, and

the sensor data is representative of a physiological condition of the user.

5. The portable monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is also to employ the sensor data to assess a current activity state of the user, wherein:

the current activity state is one of a plurality of activity states, and

one activity state of the plurality of activity states is sedentary.

6. The portable monitoring device of claim 1, wherein:

the set of one or more sensors includes a motion sensor, and

the sensor data is representative of motion of the user.

7. The portable monitoring device of claim 1, wherein:

the set of one or more sensors includes an altitude sensor, and

the sensor data is representative of at least one of an altitude of the user and a change in the altitude of the user.

8. The portable monitoring device of claim 1, wherein:

the set of one or more sensors includes a heart rate sensor and a motion sensor, and

the sensor data includes heart rate data obtained from the heart rate sensor and representative of the user'"'"'s heart rate and motion data obtained from the motion sensor and representative of motion of the user.

9. The portable monitoring device of claim 8, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

10. The portable monitoring device of claim 8, wherein the heart rate sensor is an optical heart rate sensor.

11. The portable monitoring device of claim 10, wherein the optical heart rate sensor is a photoplethysmographic sensor.

12. The portable monitoring device of claim 1, wherein:

the set of one or more sensors includes a motion sensor from which is obtained motion data representative of motion of the user, and

the processing circuitry is also to;

employ the motion data to determine energy expenditure.

13. The portable monitoring device of claim 1, wherein:

the set of one or more sensors includes a physiological sensor, an altitude sensor, and a motion sensor, and

the processing circuitry is also to;

correlate data which is representative of a physiological condition of the user from the physiological sensor, data which is representative of changes in altitude from the altitude sensor, and data which is representative of motion of the user from the motion sensor, and

determine an activity of the user using the correlation of data which is representative of a physiological condition of the user from the physiological sensor, data which is representative of changes in altitude from the altitude sensor, and data which is representative of motion of the user from the motion sensor, wherein the activity is one of a sedentary activity and a non-sedentary activity.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a portable monitoring device to be affixed to a user, the portable monitoring device including;

a set of one or more sensors, including a physiological sensor, an altitude sensor, and a motion sensor, to generate data when the portable monitoring device is affixed to the user, and

processing circuitry coupled with the set of one or more sensors, the processing circuitry to;

correlate data which is representative of a physiological condition of the user from the physiological sensor, data which is representative of changes in altitude from the altitude sensor, and data which is representative of motion of the user from the motion sensor, and

determine an activity of the user using the correlation of data which is representative of a physiological condition of the user from the physiological sensor, data which is representative of changes in altitude from the altitude sensor, and data which is representative of motion of the user from the motion sensor, wherein the activity is one of a sedentary and a non-sedentary activity,

detect that the user has been sedentary for a period of time, and

cause the portable monitoring device to alert the user in response to detecting that the user has been sedentary for the period of time in order to encourage the user to move.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the alert is one or more of a buzz and a sound emitted by the portable monitoring device.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the portable monitoring device further comprises one or more of a vibramotor, buzzer, and speaker to alert the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, from a set of one or more sensors coupled to processing circuitry in a portable monitoring device affixed to a user, sensor data indicative of physical activity of the user;

detecting, using the processing circuitry, that the user has been sedentary for a period of time; and

causing, using the processing circuitry, the portable monitoring device to alert the user in response to detecting that the user has been sedentary for the period of time in order to encourage the user to move.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the alert is one or more of a buzz and a sound emitted by the portable monitoring device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the portable monitoring device further comprises one or more of a vibramotor, buzzer, and speaker to alert the user.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the set of one or more sensors includes a physiological sensor, and

the sensor data is representative of a physiological condition of the user.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising employing the sensor data to assess a current activity state of the user, wherein the current activity state is one of a plurality of activity states, wherein one activity state of the plurality of activity states is sedentary.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the set of one or more sensors include a motion sensor, and

the sensor data is representative of motion of the user.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the set of one or more sensors includes an altitude sensor, and

the sensor data is representative of at least one of an altitude of the user and a change in the altitude of the user.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the set of one or more sensors includes:

a heart rate sensor from which is obtained heart rate data representative of the user'"'"'s heart rate, and

a motion sensor from which is obtained motion data representative of motion of the user.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the heart rate sensor is an optical heart rate sensor.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the optical heart rate sensor is a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the set of one or more sensors includes a motion sensor from which is obtained motion data representative of motion of the user, the method further comprising employing the motion data to determine energy expenditure.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the set of one or more sensors includes a physiological sensor, an altitude sensor, and a motion sensor, and

the method further comprising;

correlating data which is representative of the physiological condition of the user from the physiological sensor, data which is representative of changes in altitude from the altitude sensor, and data which is representative of motion of the user from the motion sensor, and

determining an activity of the user using the correlation of data which is representative of a physiological condition of the user from the physiological sensor, data which is representative of changes in altitude from the altitude sensor, and data which is representative of motion of the user from the motion sensor, wherein the activity is one of a sedentary activity and a non-sedentary activity.