Biometric monitoring device with heart rate measurement activated by a single user-gesture

• US 9,049,998 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Brumback, Christine Boomer, Myers, Nicholas Adrian, Yuen, Shelten Gee Jao, Park, James, Diemer, Todd Sutham
• Primary Examiner(s): D'ANGELO, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US14/154,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20140142403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 600/500, 600/531, 600/529, 600/503, 600/481, 600/483, 600/501, 600/502, 600/504, 482/8, 482/9, 482/45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• 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 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02433 for infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• 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: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A biometric monitoring device measuring various biometric information is provided that allows the person to take and/or display a heart rate reading by a simple user interaction with the device, e.g., by simply touching a heart rate sensor surface area or moving the device in a defined motion pattern. Some embodiments of this disclosure provide biometric monitoring devices that allow a person to get a quick heart rate reading without removing the device or interrupting their other activities. Some embodiments provide heart rate monitoring with other desirable features such as feedback on data acquisition status.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more biometric sensors comprising an optical heart rate sensor;

an activator of the optical heart rate sensor;

a heart rate sensor surface area through which the optical heart rate sensor can collect heart rate data from a user;

an activator surface area through which the activator can receive activation signals from the user;

a feedback mechanism; and

at least one processor,

wherein;

the optical heart rate sensor, the activator, the feedback mechanism, and the at least one processor are communicatively connected with each other and with a memory remotely linked to the apparatus,

the heart rate sensor surface area and the activator surface area are arranged to allow a single body part of the user to simultaneously interact with the activator and the optical heart rate sensor, and

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

cause the optical heart rate sensor to start collecting heart rate data through the heart rate sensor surface area in response to the activator receiving an activation signal through the activator surface area that is caused by a single user-gesture involving contacting the activator surface area with a body part, and

provide user feedback, through the feedback mechanism, with reference to the collected heart rate data without requiring further user-gestures in addition to the single user-gesture.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heart rate sensor surface area and the activator surface area are arranged on a substantially flat plane.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heart rate sensor surface area and the activator surface area are arranged less than 1 centimeter apart as measured by a distance along an exterior surface of a housing containing the heart rate sensor and the activator.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the heart rate sensor surface area and the activator surface area are less than 0.5 centimeters apart as measured by the distance along the exterior surface of the housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the heart rate sensor surface area and the activator surface area overlap along the exterior surface of the housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the heart rate sensor surface area is a seamless portion of the surface of the housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the activator surface area is a seamless portion of the surface of the housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus has only one heart rate sensor surface area.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heart rate sensor surface area and the activator surface area form one continuous surface area.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the activator of the heart rate sensor is a proximity sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the single user-gesture consists of the user bringing a body part into proximity with the activator surface area.

12. An apparatus comprising:

one or more biometric sensors comprising an optical heart rate sensor;

an activator of the optical heart rate sensor, wherein the activator comprises at least one motion sensor selected from the group consisting of;

single-axis or multi-axis gyroscopes and single-axis or multi-axis accelerometers;

a heart rate sensor surface area through which the optical heart rate sensor can collect heart rate data from a user;

a feedback mechanism;

at least one processor; and

a memory,

wherein;

the optical heart rate sensor, the activator, the feedback mechanism, the at least one processor, and the memory are communicatively connected, and

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

cause the optical heart rate sensor to start collecting heart rate data through the heart rate sensor surface area in response to the activator receiving an activation signal caused by a single user-gesture, the single user-gesture consisting of the user moving or interacting with the apparatus in a defined motion pattern as indicated by the at least one motion sensor, and

provide user feedback, through the feedback mechanism, with reference to the collected heart rate data without requiring further user-gestures in addition to the single user-gesture.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores computer-executable instructions for controlling the at least one processor to cause the optical heart rate sensor to automatically stop collecting heart rate data after a defined criterion is met without requiring further user gestures in addition to the single user-gesture.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the optical heart rate sensor is configured to, after it stops collecting heart rate data, remain in a state that does not collect heart rate data until another activation signal caused by a new user-gesture is received.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein moving or interacting with the apparatus in a defined motion pattern is selected from one or more of the following:

twisting the wrist wearing the apparatus, shaking the apparatus, bringing a wrist wearing the apparatus from a resting position to a watch-viewing position, moving the apparatus in a “

figure 8”

motion, and any combinations thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the feedback to the user with reference to the collected heart rate data comprises one or more of the following:

average heart rate, minimum heart rate, maximum heart rate, heart rate variability, heart rate relative to target heart rate zone, heart rate relative to resting heart rate, change in heart rate, decrease in heart rate, increase in heart rate, training advice with reference to heart rate, and a medical condition with reference to heart rate.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is configured to be wearable as a wrist-band.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the optical heart rate sensor comprises an optical heart rate sensor for the visible light spectrum.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the optical heart rate sensor comprises an optical heart rate sensor for infrared light.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the optical heart rate sensor comprises a photoplethysmograph (PPG) sensor or pulse oximetry sensor.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more biometric sensors further comprises one or more of the following:

GPS, proximity sensor, gyroscope, magnetometer, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, touch screen, temperature sensor, galvanic skin response sensor, fingerprint reader, electromyographic sensor, altimeter, pressure transducer, and force transducer, audio sensor, bioelectrical impedance sensor, blood pressure sensor, moisture sensor, and blood glucose sensor.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a motion sensor providing motion data to compensate for disruptions caused by arm movements that would otherwise interfere with the heart rate data.

23. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus has two or more heart rate sensors.

24. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the feedback mechanism comprises a display and the feedback to the user is provided as a visual feedback through the display.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein providing a visual feedback through the display comprises causing the display and/or a display backlight to turn on from an off or standby state.

26. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory also stores computer-executable instructions for controlling the at least one processor to show, through the feedback mechanism, information derived from one or more of the following with or without further user input:

calorie burn, floors climbed and/or descended, location and/or heading, elevation, ambulatory speed and/or distance traveled, swimming lap count, bicycle distance and/or speed, blood pressure, blood glucose, skin conduction, skin and/or body temperature, electromyography data, electroencephalography data, weight, body fat, caloric intake, nutritional intake from food, medication intake, sleep periods, sleep phases, sleep quality and/or duration, pH levels, hydration levels, and respiration rate, barometric pressure, temperature, humidity, pollen count, air quality, rain/snow conditions, wind speed, ambient light, UV light exposure, time and/or duration spent in darkness, noise exposure, radiation exposure, and magnetic field.

27. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the feedback to the user comprises an indication that heart rate data collection has started.

28. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the feedback to the user comprises an indication that heart rate data collection is successful.

29. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the feedback to the user comprises an indication that heart rate data collection has ended.

30. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the feedback to the user comprises an indication that heart rate data collection has failed to complete.