Biometric sensing device having adaptive data threshold and a performance goal

• US 8,944,958 B1
• Filed: 10/09/2013
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Brumback, Christine Boomer, Knight, David Wayne, Messenger, Jayson Dean Michilena, Hong, Jung Ook
• Primary Examiner(s): HARWARD, SOREN T
• Application Number:
  US14/050,182
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/12 Healthy persons not otherwise provided for, e.g. subjects of a marketing survey
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• 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 5/4809 Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6895 Sport equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/70 Measuring or simulating ambient conditions, e.g. weather, terrain or surface conditions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/74 : Atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 : with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 : Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/01 : User's weight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/04 : heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/10 : electroencephalographic signals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/202 : glucose
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/205 : P-CO2, i.e. partial CO2 value
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/207 : P-O2, i.e. partial O2 value
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 : temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/65 : skin conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0059 : Exercising apparatus with reward systems
• 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 22/006 : Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A biometric monitoring device with a display is provided. The biometric monitoring device may track the completion progress towards one or more biometric performance goals and provide a goal celebration indicator upon completion of a biometric performance goal and subsequent receipt of an input signal. In some implementations, the completion of a biometric performance goal may be signaled prior to receipt of the input signal using a secondary indicator.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more biometric sensors;

a notification system;

at least one processor; and

a memory, wherein;

the memory, the at least one processor, and the one or more biometric sensors are communicatively connected with one another, and

the memory stores computer-executable instructions for controlling the at least one processor to;

a) receive biometric data from the one or more biometric sensors,

b) calculate at least one biometric performance measurement using the biometric data, wherein the at least one biometric performance measurement is calculated by incrementing the at least one biometric performance measurement, at least in part, each time the biometric data exceeds a threshold,

c) determine progress towards a first biometric performance goal based on the at least one biometric performance measurement, and

d) increase the threshold when (c) indicates that a substantial portion of the first biometric performance goal has been met.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the notification system includes one or more components selected from the group consisting of:

a display, a haptic device, an audio device, a wireless communications device, and combinations thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory stores further computer-executable instructions for controlling the at least one processor to:

e) determine, after (d), that the first biometric performance goal has been met, and

f) cause the notification system to provide an notification responsive, at least in part, to (e).

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the memory stores further computer-executable instructions for controlling the at least one processor to:

g) receive an input signal indicative of a user interaction with the apparatus after (f), and

h) cause the notification system to provide a goal celebration indicator responsive to (g).

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first biometric performance goal and the associated goal celebration indicator are unidentifiable based on the notification.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the notification is selected from the group consisting of:

activation of a haptic device of the apparatus, emission of an auditory notification indicator from an audio device of the apparatus, and combinations thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the memory stores further computer-executable instructions for controlling the at least one processor to:

g) determine that the biometric data indicates that an activity associated with the first biometric performance goal is being performed by a wearer of the apparatus when or after (e) occurs, wherein (f) is performed responsive to (e) and to (g) such that the notification is provided by the notification system after the first biometric performance goal is met and while the biometric data indicates that the activity associated with the first biometric performance goal is being performed by the wearer of the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the notification is selected from the group consisting of:

activation of a haptic device of the apparatus, emission of an auditory signal from an audio device of the apparatus, and combinations thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the notification is a wireless signal formatted for receipt by a smartphone.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biometric performance measurement indicates one or more metrics selected from the group consisting of:

the number of steps taken and the number of strides taken.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the biometric performance measurement is incremented based on whether the biometric data indicates an acceleration peak exceeding the threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the threshold is selected from the group consisting of:

a magnitude-based threshold, a frequency-based threshold, and combinations thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the threshold is increased by at least 10% in magnitude in (d).

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the threshold includes a frequency-based component that is increased by at least 50% in magnitude in (d).

15. A method comprising:

a) receiving biometric data from one or more biometric sensors of a biometric monitoring device;

b) calculating at least one biometric performance measurement using the biometric data, wherein the at least one biometric performance measurement is calculated by incrementing the at least one biometric performance measurement, at least in part, each time the biometric data exceeds a threshold;

c) determining progress towards a first biometric performance goal based on the at least one biometric performance measurement; and

d) increasing the threshold when (c) indicates that a substantial portion of the first biometric performance goal has been met.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

e) determining, after (d), that the first biometric performance goal has been met, and

f) causing a notification to be provided by a notification system of the biometric monitoring device responsive, at least in part, to (e).

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

g) receiving an input signal indicative of a user interaction with the apparatus after (f); and

h) causing the notification system to provide a goal celebration indicator responsive to (g).

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first biometric performance goal and the associated goal celebration indicator are unidentifiable based on the notification.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the biometric performance measurement indicates one or more metrics selected from the group consisting of:

the number of steps taken and the number of strides taken.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the biometric performance measurement is incremented based on whether the biometric data indicates an acceleration peak exceeding the threshold.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the threshold is selected from the group consisting of:

a magnitude-based threshold, a frequency-based threshold, and combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the threshold is increased by at least 10% in magnitude in (d).

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the threshold includes a frequency-based component that is increased by at least 50% in magnitude in (d).

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the notification system includes one or more components selected from the group consisting of:

a display, a haptic device, an audio device, a wireless communications device, and combinations thereof.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the notification is provided by output that is selected from the group consisting of:

displaying a goal celebration indicator on a display of the biometric monitoring device, activating a haptic device of the biometric monitoring device, emitting an auditory goal celebration indicator from an audio device of the biometric monitoring device, and combinations thereof.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the notification is a wireless signal formatted for receipt by the mobile communications device and wherein the mobile communications device is a smartphone.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

g) determining that the biometric data indicates that an activity associated with the first biometric performance goal is being performed by a wearer of the apparatus when or after (e) occurs, wherein (f) is performed responsive to (e) and to (g) such that the notification is provided by the notification system after the first biometric performance goal is met and while the biometric data indicates that the activity associated with the first biometric performance goal is being performed by the wearer of the apparatus.

28. The method of claim 15, further including:

(e) storing data that is representative of the biometric performance measurement in a memory of the biometric monitoring device, wherein;

the biometric monitoring device is a wearable device that includes one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of;

a heart rate sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an altimeter, a pulse oximeter, a galvanic skin response sensor, a global positioning system sensor, an electromyographic sensor, an audio sensor, a photosensor, a temperature sensor, a bioelectrical impedance sensor, a respiration rate sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a blood glucose sensor, a moisture sensor, and combinations thereof.