Near field communication system, and method of operating same

• US 9,307,351 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Park, James
• Primary Examiner(s): KING, CURTIS J
• Application Number:
  US14/575,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20150102914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10396 the interrogation device being wearable, e.g. as a glove, bracelet, or ring wearable aerials in general H01Q1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• 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 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• 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

Abstract

The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to a system comprising a portable sensor device including a housing having a physical size/shape that is adapted to couple to a user'"'"'s body, an identification tag including identification data which is associated with the sensor device and an identification tag transmitter to responsively and wirelessly transmit the identification data according to a first communication protocol. The system further includes a portable electronic device including an identification tag receiver to wirelessly receive the identification data of the identification tag according to the first communication protocol, transceiver circuitry to wirelessly and responsively communicate with the sensor device according to a second communication protocol, and processing circuitry to instruct the transceiver circuitry, after receiving the identification data, to wirelessly request, from the sensor device the sensor data and/or data which is representative of the sensor data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a portable sensor device including one or more sensors to generate sensor data, the one or more sensors including at least one motion sensor to generate activity sensor data related to motion of a user;

a proxy device including;

an identification tag including identification data for the portable sensor device; and

an identification tag transmitter electrically coupled with the identification tag to transmit the identification data of the identification tag according to a first wireless communication protocol; and

a portable electronic device including;

a display;

an identification tag receiver to receive the identification data from the identification tag transmitter according to the first communication protocol;

transceiver circuitry to;

communicate with the portable sensor device according to a second wireless communication protocol to acquire the generated sensor data, and

communicate with an external system according to a third wireless communication protocol to;

transmit the acquired sensor data or metrics derived therefrom to the external system, and

receive sensor data from the external system that was previously transmitted to the external system, or metrics derived therefrom; and

processing circuitry to;

responsive to receiving the identification data, instruct the transceiver circuitry to request previously transmitted sensor data, or metrics derived therefrom, from the external system; and

output the requested sensor data or the requested metrics for display on the display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further to instruct the transceiver circuitry to acquire the generated sensor data from the portable sensor device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry is further to instruct the transceiver circuitry to transmit the acquired sensor data to the external system.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry is further to derive metrics from the acquired sensor data and to instruct the transceiver circuitry to transmit the derived metrics to the external system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the identification tag further includes configuration data for the portable sensor device;

the identification tag transmitter is further to transmit the configuration data according to the first communication protocol; and

the identification tag receiver is further to receive the configuration data from the identification tag transmitter according to the first communication protocol.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors further include at least one biometric sensor to generate biometric sensor data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors further include at least one environmental sensor to generate environmental sensor data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol is a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol and wherein the second communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further to instruct the transceiver circuitry to transmit configuration data to the portable sensor device according to the second communication protocol.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further to instruct the transceiver circuitry to acquire configuration data from the portable sensor device according to the second communication protocol.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the identification tag further includes configuration data for the sensor device;

the identification tag transmitter is further to transmit the configuration data according to the first communication protocol; and

the identification tag receiver is further to receive the configuration data from the identification tag transmitter according to the first communication protocol.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further to instruct the transceiver circuitry to acquire configuration data for the portable sensor device from the external system according to the third communication protocol.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the requested sensor data or the requested metrics include data related to one or more of calories burned, steps taken, a step count, a distance traveled, stairs climbed, floors ascended, altitude and sleep quality.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the proxy device is located on or within an object of exercise equipment.

15. A system comprising:

a portable sensor device including one or more sensors to generate sensor data, the one or more sensors including at least one motion sensor to generate activity sensor data related to motion of a user;

a proxy device including;

an identification tag including identification data for the portable sensor device; and

an identification tag transmitter electrically coupled with the identification tag to transmit the identification data of the identification tag according to a first wireless communication protocol; and

a portable electronic device including;

an identification tag receiver to receive the identification data from the identification tag transmitter according to the first communication protocol;

transceiver circuitry to communicate with the portable sensor device according to a second wireless communication protocol; and

processing circuitry to, responsive to receiving the identification data, instruct the transceiver circuitry to request and acquire the generated sensor data from the portable sensor device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the portable electronic device further includes a display; and

the processing circuitry is further to output the acquired sensor data, or metrics derived therefrom, for display on the display.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the transceiver circuitry is further to communicate with an external system according to a third wireless communication protocol; and

the processing circuitry is further to instruct the transceiver circuitry to transmit the acquired sensor data to the external system.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the identification tag further includes configuration data for the portable sensor device;

the identification tag transmitter is further to transmit the configuration data according to the first communication protocol; and

the identification tag receiver is further to receive the configuration data from the identification tag transmitter according to the first communication protocol.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more sensors further include at least one biometric sensor to generate biometric sensor data.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more sensors further include at least one environmental sensor to generate environmental sensor data.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the first communication protocol is a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol and wherein the second communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the transceiver circuitry is further to communicate with an external system according to a third wireless communication protocol; and

the processing circuitry is further to derive metrics from the acquired sensor data and to instruct the transceiver circuitry to transmit the derived metrics to the external system.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the acquired sensor data or the derived metrics include data related to one or more of calories burned, steps taken, a step count, a distance traveled, stairs climbed, floors ascended, altitude and sleep quality.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry is further to instruct the transceiver circuitry to transmit configuration data to the portable sensor device according to the second communication protocol.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry is further to instruct the transceiver circuitry to acquire configuration data from the portable sensor device according to the second communication protocol.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the proxy device is located on or within an object of exercise equipment.