Biometric monitoring device having a body weight sensor, and methods of operating same

• US 9,173,577 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Yuen, Shelten Gee Jao, Friedman, Eric Nathan, Park, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Archer, Marie
• Application Number:
  US14/476,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20140377729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0257 using atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0257 Proximity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/029 Humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• 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 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• 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 5/107 Measuring physical dimensions, e.g. size of the entire body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 : Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 : Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 : Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4343 : Pregnancy and labour monitoring, e.g. for labour onset detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4872 : Body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 : Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 : Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 : User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/749 : Voice-controlled interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 : Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 : Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 : Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 : calorie expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 : for weighing persons
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/50 : having additional measuring devices, e.g. for height
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3728 : with wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 : User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 : using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 : Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 : Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/125 : the stations being mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 : relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 : for the operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 : Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A system comprising a biometric monitoring device including a housing including a platform to receive at least one foot of the user, a body weight sensor to generate body weight data, processing circuitry to calculate user weight data which corresponds to the user'"'"'s weight, using the body weight data, and communication circuitry to: (a) receive user identification data which identifies the user or a portable activity monitoring device, and (b) transmit the user weight data to data storage associated with the user identification data. The system further includes the portable activity monitoring device including a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the user'"'"'s body, a sensor to generate sensor data, and communication circuitry to receive physiologic data which is based on the user weight data, and processing circuitry to calculate activity data using the sensor data and physiologic data.

Claims

1. A biometric monitoring system to measure a body weight of a user, the biometric monitoring system comprising:

a first housing configured to be placed on a flat horizontal surface and including a platform configured to support the user when the user is standing on the first housing;

one or more sensors, the one or more sensors including a body weight sensor that is mechanically coupled to the platform and configured to generate data representative of the body weight of the user and to output the data representative of the body weight of the user to processing circuitry; and

the processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is;

communicatively coupled with the body weight sensor, and

configured to;

collect data from the one or more sensors, including the data representative of the body weight of the user,

receive information pertaining to a user physiological goal,

calculate body weight data that correspond to the body weight of the user using the data representative of the body weight of the user,

determine that the user physiological goal has been met based, at least in part, on the data collected from the one or more sensors,

select a social group based on one or more of the user physiological goal and the progress of the user towards the user physiological goal,

provide, through a display, a recommendation to the user to join the selected social group, and

rank the user against other users of the selected social group based on one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of;

recent weight loss, cumulative weight loss, and the progress towards the user physiological goal.

2. The biometric monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors further includes a sensor configured to collect data selected from the group consisting of:

caloric consumption data, sleep data, activity data, body fat data, blood pressure data, heart rate data, heart waveform data, blood sugar data, hydration data, respiratory rate data, and arterial stiffness data.

3. The biometric monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is selected from the group consisting of:

processing circuitry internal to the first housing, processing circuitry external to the first housing, and processing circuitry both internal and external to the first housing.

4. The biometric monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the user physiological goal is selected from the group consisting of:

a weight goal, a body fat composition goal, and a caloric consumption goal.

5. The biometric monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine diet or coaching guidance for the user based on the user physiological goal.

6. The biometric monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine progress of the user towards the user physiological goal.

7. The biometric monitoring system of claim 6, further comprising a visual display, wherein the visual display is configured to display a graphical representation of the progress of the user towards the user physiological goal.

8. The biometric monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to award a virtual badge to the user if the progress of the user towards the user physiological goal meets a physiological progress threshold.

9. The biometric monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the user physiological goal is user-selectable.

10. The biometric monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to select the user physiological goal.

11. The biometric monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine a duration since at least the last instance of the user interacting with the biometric monitoring system.

12. A biometric monitoring system to measure a body weight of a user, the biometric monitoring system comprising:

a first housing configured to be placed on a flat horizontal surface and including a platform configured to support the user when the user is standing on the first housing;

one or more sensors, the one or more sensors including a body weight sensor that is interconnected with the platform and configured to generate data representative of the body weight of the user and to output the data representative of the body weight of the user to processing circuitry; and

the processing circuitry including circuitry configured to communicatively couple with the body weight sensor, wherein the processing circuitry is;

configured to, when communicatively coupled to the body weight sensor;

collect data from the one or more sensors, including the data representative of the body weight of the user,

receive information pertaining to a user physiological goal,

calculate body weight data that correspond to the body weight of the user using the data representative of the body weight of the user,

determine that the user physiological goal has been met based, at least in part, on the data collected from the one or more sensors, and

rank the user against a plurality of other users in a social network based on one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of;

recent weight loss, cumulative weight loss, and progress towards the user physiological goal.

13. The biometric monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to, when communicatively coupled to the body weight sensor:

select a social group based on one or more of the user physiological goal and the progress of the user towards the user physiological goal, and

provide, through a display, a recommendation to the user to join the selected social group.

14. The biometric monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors further includes a sensor configured to collect data selected from the group consisting of:

caloric consumption data, sleep data, activity data, body fat data, blood pressure data, heart rate data, heart waveform data, blood sugar data, hydration data, respiratory rate data, and arterial stiffness data.

15. The biometric monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the processing circuitry is selected from the group consisting of:

processing circuitry internal to the first housing, processing circuitry external to the first housing, and processing circuitry both internal and external to the first housing.