SHOE WEAR-OUT SENSOR, BODY-BAR SENSING SYSTEM, UNITLESS ACTIVITY ASSESSMENT AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20170164684A1
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Youngs, Perry, Vock, Curtis A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,968,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0036 with fluorescent or phosphorescent parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/50 with sound or music sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/00 Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 1/00 Foot or last measuring devices; Measuring devices for shoe parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2033/008 sport articles (balls, skis, rackets)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2033/0086 clothes; hosiery
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/00 Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/00 Signalling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00; Personal calling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00

Abstract

A system assesses activity and displays a unitless activity value. A detector senses activity of a user. A processor reads sensed activity data from the detector. A display displays the unitless activity value. An enclosure houses the detector and the processor. The processor periodically reads the sensed activity data from the detector and processes the data to generate an activity number, the number being used to generate the unitless activity value based upon a maximum number and a display range.

Claims

1-43. -43. (canceled)

44. A method of assessing activity, comprising:

detecting activity data indicative of activity of a user during an activity period;

processing the detected activity data to determine a number representative of the detected activity data during the activity period; and

generating a unitless activity value based on a comparison of the determined number and an expected maximum number for the activity period.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

prior to the generating, identifying a type of activity of the user performed during the activity period; and

prior to the generating, identifying the expected maximum number for the activity period based on the identified type of activity.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the identifying the type of activity comprises detecting at least one press of a button.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the identifying the type of activity comprises processing at least a portion of the detected activity data.

48. The method of claim 44, further comprising presenting the generated unitless activity value to the user.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising repeating the detecting, the processing, the generating, and the presenting for a plurality of consecutive activity periods.

50. The method of claim 44, further comprising repeating the detecting, the processing, and the generating for a plurality of consecutive activity periods.

51. The method of claim 44, wherein the processing the detected activity data to determine the number comprises integrating power spectral density of acceleration data of the detected activity data over the period of time of the activity period.

52. The method of claim 44, wherein the generating the unitless activity value comprises:

determining a ratio based on the comparison of the determined number and the expected maximum number for the activity period; and

multiplying the determined ratio by a range number.

53. The method of claim 44, wherein the detected activity data is indicative of a number of physical repetitions.

54. The method of claim 44, wherein the unitless activity value is based on an intensity of the activity of the user during the activity period.

55. The method of claim 44, wherein the unitless activity value is based on a length of the activity period.

56. The method of claim 44, wherein the detected activity data is indicative of at least two different activities.

57. The method of claim 44, wherein:

the detecting is at least partially carried out by a detector;

each one of the processing and the generating is at least partially carried out by a processor; and

an enclosure at least partially houses the detector and at least partially houses the processor.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising presenting the generated unitless activity value to the user, wherein:

the presenting is at least partially carried out by one output component of the following types of output component;

a display output component; and

an audio output component; and

the enclosure at least partially houses the one output component.

59. The method of claim 44, further comprising presenting the generated unitless activity value to the user, wherein the presenting is at least partially carried out by one output component of the following types of output component:

a display output component; and

an audio output component.

60. The method of claim 44, further comprising presenting the generated unitless activity value to the user, wherein:

the presenting is at least partially carried out by one output component of the following types of output component;

a display output component; and

an audio output component;

the detecting is at least partially carried out by a detector;

each one of the processing and the generating is at least partially carried out by a processor;

an enclosure at least partially houses the detector and at least partially houses the processor and at least partially houses a wireless transmitter;

the one output component is external to the enclosure; and

the one output component;

receives the generated unitless activity value via the wireless transmitter; and

presents the generated unitless activity value received via the wireless transmitter.

61. A method of assessing data, comprising:

detecting data;

sampling the detected data during a time period;

processing the sampled data to determine a number representative of the sampled data for the time period;

adding the number to an accumulator number to provide an updated accumulator number; and

determining a unitless activity value based upon the updated accumulator number and an expected maximum number.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the determining the unitless activity value comprises:

determining a ratio based on a comparison of the updated accumulator number and the expected maximum number; and

multiplying the determined ratio by a range number.

63. The method of claim 61, wherein the detected data is indicative of a number of physical repetitions.

64. A method of assessing activity, comprising:

detecting activity data indicative of activity of a user;

determining a user activity value based on the detected activity data;

comparing the determined user activity value to another activity value; and

reporting a unitless activity value based on the comparing.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein the detecting is at least partially carried out by at least one accelerometer.

66. The method of claim 64, wherein the determining the user activity value comprises determining power spectral density of the detected activity data over a frequency range.

67. The method of claim 64, wherein the other activity value corresponds to an activity value that was determined based on other detected activity data indicative of activity of a professional athlete associated with the activity of the user.

68. The method of claim 64, wherein:

the reporting is at least partially carried out by one output component of the following types of output component;

a display output component; and

an audio output component;

the detecting is at least partially carried out by a detector;

each one of the determining and the comparing is at least partially carried out by a processor;

an enclosure at least partially houses the detector and at least partially houses the processor and at least partially houses a wireless transmitter;

the one output component is external to the enclosure; and

the one output component;

receives the unitless activity value via the wireless transmitter; and

reports the unitless activity value received via the wireless transmitter.