Notifications on a user device based on activity detected by an activity monitoring device

• US 9,031,812 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2014
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Timothy, Choudhary, Nichiketa
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, TIMOTHY
• Application Number:
  US14/271,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20140240122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 702/160, 235/105
• US Class Current: 702/160
• 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 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• 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 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• 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 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• 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 5/7405 : 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 5/7435 : Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• 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: 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: G06F 15/00 : Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 : Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 : detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 : Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 : using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 : using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 : Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 : relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 : for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 : for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 : Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 : User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 : according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 : according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method for generating a notification on a mobile device is provided, including: establishing a wireless connection to an activity monitoring device; receiving activity data from the activity monitoring device via the wireless connection; processing the activity data to determine an activity metric for a user of the activity monitoring device; comparing the activity metric against a predefined threshold, the predefined threshold being mapped to a notification message; in response to determining that the activity metric reaches or exceeds the predefined threshold, scheduling the notification message for display on the mobile device at a specified date and time; wherein the notification message is displayed on the mobile device at the specified date and time, the display of the notification message providing access to an application for interfacing with the activity monitoring device.

Claims

1. A method for generating a notification on a mobile device, comprising:

establishing a wireless connection to an activity monitoring device;

receiving activity data from the activity monitoring device via the wireless connection;

processing the activity data to determine an activity metric for a user of the activity monitoring device;

comparing the activity metric against a predefined threshold, the predefined threshold being mapped to a notification message;

in response to determining that the activity metric reaches or exceeds the predefined threshold, scheduling the notification message for display on the mobile device at a specified date and time;

wherein the notification message is displayed on the mobile device at the specified date and time, the display of the notification message providing access to an application for interfacing with the activity monitoring device;

wherein the method is executed by at least one processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message defines one or more of an alert, a banner, a badge on an icon associated to the application, a sound, or a tactile alert.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the wireless connection defines communication between a background executed application on the mobile device and the activity monitoring device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity metric defines one or more of a number of steps taken, a number of floors climbed, a number of calories burned, an amount of energy expended, a distance traveled, a number of minutes slept, a number of minutes performing an activity, or a number of active minutes.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the predefined threshold defines a quantified achievement amount of an activity goal set for the user;

and

wherein the notification message identifies the quantified achievement amount of the activity goal.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein the quantified achievement amount of the activity goal is less than 100%, 100%, or greater than 100% of the activity goal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

when the specified date and time is reached, processing activity data from the activity monitoring device to identify a current state of activity of the user;

and

presenting or delaying presentation of the notification message, based on the identified current state of activity of the user.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein processing activity data to identify the current state of activity of the user includes processing location data to identify a speed or a location of the user;

and

wherein presenting or delaying presentation of the notification message is based on the identified speed or location of the user.

9. A server-executed method for presenting a notification on a mobile device, comprising:

establishing communication with the mobile device;

receiving activity data from the mobile device, the activity data being processed by the mobile device from logged data received from an activity monitoring device;

processing the activity data to determine an activity metric for a user of the activity monitoring device;

comparing the activity metric against a predefined threshold, the predefined threshold being mapped to a notification message;

in response to determining that the activity metric reaches or exceeds the predefined threshold, sending the notification message to a notification service, the notification service configured to transmit the notification message to the mobile device for rendering on the mobile device, wherein rendering the notification message includes scheduling the notification message for a time window;

wherein the notification message is rendered on the mobile device during the time window, the rendering of the notification message providing access to an application for interfacing with the activity monitoring device;

wherein the method is executed by at least one processor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the notification message defines one or more of an alert, a banner, a badge on an icon associated to the application, or a sound.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein establishing communication with the mobile device includes establishing communication with a background executed application on the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein rendering the notification message on the mobile device includes triggering a notification handler.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the activity metric defines one or more of a number of steps taken, a number of floors climbed, an amount of energy expended, a number of calories burned, a distance traveled, or a number of active minutes.

14. The method of claim 9,

wherein the predefined threshold defines a quantified achievement amount of an activity goal set for the user;

and

wherein the notification message identifies the quantified achievement amount of the activity goal.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein the quantified achievement amount of the activity goal is less than about 100%, about 100%, or greater than about 100% of the activity goal.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising,

when the time window is reached, processing activity data from the activity monitoring device to identify a current state of activity of the user;

and

presenting or delaying presentation of the notification message, based on the identified current state of activity of the user.

17. The method of claim 16,

wherein processing activity data to identify the current state of activity of the user includes processing location data to identify a speed or a location of the user;

and

wherein presenting or delaying presentation of the notification message is based on the identified speed or location of the user.

18. A method for presenting a notification on a user device, comprising:

defining an activity goal;

determining a series of notification thresholds, each notification threshold defining a quantified level of achievement of the activity goal, each notification threshold being mapped to a corresponding notification message;

receiving activity data measured by an activity monitoring device;

processing the activity data to determine an activity metric;

when the activity metric reaches one of the notification thresholds in the series of notification thresholds, triggering presentation of the corresponding notification message on a user device, wherein triggering presentation of the corresponding notification message includes scheduling the corresponding notification message for a specified date and time;

wherein the notification message is presented on the user device at the specified date and time, the presentation of the notification message providing access to an application for interfacing with the activity monitoring device;

wherein the method is executed by at least one processor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein triggering presentation of the corresponding notification message on the user device includes activating a push notification service to transmit the notification message to the user device for rendering on the user device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein triggering presentation of the corresponding notification message on the user device includes triggering a local notification presenter to display the corresponding notification message on the user device.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein each notification message identifies the quantified level of achievement defined by the notification threshold to which the notification message is mapped.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the notification message defines one or more of an alert, a banner, a badge on an icon associated to the application, or a sound.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the activity metric defines one or more of a number of steps taken, a number of floors climbed, an amount of energy expended, a number of calories burned, a distance traveled, or a number of active minutes.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising,

when the specified date and time is reached, processing activity data from the activity monitoring device to identify a current state of activity of the user;

and

presenting or delaying presentation of the notification message, based on the identified current state of activity of the user.

25. A method for triggering a notification to a user of an activity monitoring device, comprising:

receiving activity data from one or more sensors of an activity monitoring device;

processing the activity data to determine an activity metric for a user of the activity monitoring device;

comparing the activity metric against a predefined threshold, the predefined threshold being mapped to a notification message;

in response to determining that the activity metric reaches or exceeds the predefined threshold, establishing communication with a user device, and triggering display of the notification message on the user device, wherein triggering display of the notification message includes scheduling the notification message for display during a time window;

wherein the notification message is displayed on the user device during the time window, the display of the notification message providing access to an application for interfacing with the activity monitoring device;

wherein the method is executed by at least one processor.

26. The method of claim 25,

wherein the notification message is generated in response to the determining that the activity metric reaches or exceeds the predefined threshold;

and

wherein triggering display of the notification message on the user device includes sending the notification message to the user device.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising,

when the time window is reached, processing activity data from the one or more sensors of the activity monitoring device to identify a current state of activity of the user;

and

presenting or delaying presentation of the notification message, based on the identified current state of activity of the user.