Calibration techniques for activity sensing devices

• US 9,137,309 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2006
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ananny, John Meron, Kalayjian, Nicholas Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US11/585,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20070270721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,249 Days
• Field of Search: 600/595, 600/300, 600/586, 600/587, 324/160, 702/160, 702/182
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 5/1118 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: A63B 2024/0065 Evaluating the fitness, e.g. fitness level or fitness index
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/02 Testing, calibrating or measuring of equipment
• 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 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• 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: A63B 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 : Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Improved techniques and systems to calibrate an electronic device that is providing activity sensing are disclosed. The activity being sensed can, for example, correspond to walking or running by a user. In one embodiment, calibration can be performed by a portable electronic device so that activity data it receives from a remote sensor device can be more accurately processed. The improved techniques and systems to calibrate can be used to monitor, process, present and manage data captured by a remote sensor. The portable electronic device can also offer a convenient user interface that can be visual and/or audio based, customized to a particular application, user-friendly and/or dynamic. The portable electronic device can pertain to a portable media player and thus also provide media playback.

Claims

1. A method of automatically updating a user'"'"'s calibration model, the calibration model being used by a user activity monitoring system, the method comprising:

receiving from the user a selected activity type to be performed by the user for updating the user'"'"'s calibration model;

receiving an indication of a calibration distance;

in response to receiving a calibration start indication;

receiving current user activity data corresponding to a user'"'"'s current activity type;

determining if the user'"'"'s current activity type is consistent with the selected activity type based upon the user activity data;

notifying the user to change the user'"'"'s current activity type to the selected activity type when the user'"'"'s current activity data indicates that the current activity type is not consistent with the selected activity type;

in response to a calibration stop indication;

estimating at teat a distance based on the received user activity data and an existing user calibration model;

determining an accuracy ratio based on the calibration distance and the estimated distance;

modifying the user'"'"'s existing calibration model only if the accuracy ratio is within a range of acceptable accuracy ratios and the activity data is consistent; and

using the user'"'"'s modified calibration model to provide activity output data in accordance with the acceptable accuracy ratio.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the activity type is selected from a group that includes at least a walking type of activity, a jogging type of activity, a running type of activity.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the acceptable range of accuracy ratios is greater than a minimum accuracy ratio and less than a maximum accuracy ratio.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving the current user activity data comprises periodically receiving the activity data.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the estimate of at least the distance based on the received activity data and an existing calibration model further estimates a pace of the user based on the received activity data and the existing calibration model.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for automatically updating a user calibration model used by an activity monitoring system during use activity, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving from the user a selected activity type to be performed by the user for updating the user calibration model;

receiving an indication of a calibration distance;

in response to receiving a calibration start indication;

receiving current user activity data corresponding to a user'"'"'s current activity type;

determining if the user'"'"'s current activity type is consistent with the selected activity type based upon the user activity data;

notifying the user to change the user'"'"'s current activity type to the selected activity type when the user'"'"'s current activity data indicates that the current activity type is not consistent with the selected activity type;

in response to receiving a calibration stop indication;

estimating at least a distance based on the received user activity data and an existing user calibration model;

determining an accuracy ratio based on the calibration distance and the estimated distance;

modifying the existing user calibration model only if the accuracy ratio is within a range of acceptable accuracy ratios and the user activity data is consistent; and

using the modified user calibration model to provide activity output data in accordance with the acceptable accuracy ratio.

7. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 6, wherein the activity type is selected from a group that includes at least a walking type of activity, a jogging type of activity, a running type of activity.

8. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 6, wherein the acceptable range of accuracy ratios is greater than a minimum accuracy ratio and less than a maximum accuracy ratio.

9. A method for modifying an operation of an activity monitoring system associated with a user, the activity monitoring system having a processor and a user interface, the method comprising:

receiving from the user a selected activity type to be performed by the user for the modifying an existing user calibration model;

receiving a calibration request and a calibration distance from the user interface;

receiving a calibration start indication;

in response to receiving the calibration start indication;

determining a current user activity type based upon current user activity data received from an activity sensor associated with the activity monitoring system;

determining if the current user activity is consistent with the selected activity type;

notifying the user to change the current user activity type to the selected activity type when the current user activity type is determined to not be consistent with the selected activity type;

generating an estimated distance based on the received user activity data and an existing user calibration model;

repeating the receiving user activity data from the activity sensor and generating the estimated distance until a calibration stop indication is received;

determining an accuracy ratio based on the calibration distance and the estimated distance;

modifying the existing user calibration model only if the accuracy ratio is within an acceptable range of accuracy ratios and the received user activity data is consistent; and

modifying the operation of the activity monitoring system based on the modified user calibration model.

10. An auto-calibrating system for monitoring a user'"'"'s activity, comprising:

an interface adapted to receive (i) an indication of a calibration distance from the user of the activity monitoring system and (ii) a user activity type, the calibration distance and user activity type used to update a user'"'"'s calibration model; and

a processor coupled to the interface, the processor adapted to execute programming instructions that are configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a calibration start indication;

in response to receiving the calibration start indication;

receiving current user activity data corresponding to a user'"'"'s current activity type;

determining if the user'"'"'s current activity type is consistent with a selected activity type; and

notifying the user to change the user'"'"'s current activity type to the selected activity type when the processor determines that the current activity type is not consistent with the selected activity type;

receiving a calibration stop indication; and

in response to receiving the calibration stop indication;

estimating at least a distance based on the received user activity data and an existing user calibration model;

determining an accuracy ratio based on the calibration distance and the estimated distance;

modifying the user'"'"'s existing calibration model only if the accuracy ratio is within a range of acceptable accuracy ratios and the activity data is consistent; and

using the user'"'"'s modified calibration model to provide activity output data in accordance with the acceptable accuracy ratio.

11. The auto-calibrating system as recited in claim 10, wherein the range of acceptable accuracy ratios is greater than a minimum accuracy ratio and less than a maximum accuracy ratio.

12. The auto-calibrating system as recited in claim 10, wherein the receiving activity data periodically receives the activity data.

13. The auto-calibrating system as recited in claim 10, wherein estimating the distance based on the received activity data and an existing calibration model further estimates a pace of the user based on the received activity data and the existing calibration model.