Portable monitoring devices and methods of operating the same

• US 9,600,994 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2016
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Park, James, Yuen, Shelten Gee Jao, Friedman, Eric Nathan, Brumback, Christine Boomer
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/017,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20160267764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 702/104, 702/150, 702182-185, 702/188
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 : using a radio link
• 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

Abstract

In one aspect of the disclosed implementations, a device includes one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the device and providing activity data indicative of the sensed motion. The device also includes one or more processors for monitoring the activity data, and receiving or generating annotation data for annotating the activity data with one or more markers or indicators to define one or more characteristics of an activity session. The device also includes one or more feedback devices for providing feedback, a notice, or an indication to a user based on the monitoring. The device further includes a portable housing that encloses at least portions of the motion sensors, the processors and the feedback devices.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

at least one motion sensor to sense motion of the device and to provide activity data based on the sensed motion;

at least one processor to;

receive the activity data;

receive or generate annotation data to annotate the activity data with one or more markers or indicators to define one or more characteristics of a physical activity session, the one or more markers or indicators defining a first time duration of the physical activity session;

determine a value of a first activity metric using the activity data received during the first time duration, the first activity metric value defining at least one of the one or more characteristics of the physical activity session; and

determine a value of a second activity metric using the activity data received during the first time duration and activity data received during a second time duration different than the first time duration, the second activity metric value defining a characteristic of a period of time that covers the first time duration and the second time duration;

at least one feedback device to provide an indication to a user based on the first activity metric value; and

a portable housing that encloses at least portions of the at least one motion sensor, the at least one processor and the at least one feedback device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more markers or indicators further define a type of activity performed during the physical activity session.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a type of the first activity metric is the same as a type of the second activity metric.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the first activity metric value includes a number of steps taken during only the first time duration, and wherein the second activity metric value includes a number of steps taken during both the first time duration and the second time duration.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein a type of the first activity metric is different than a type of the second activity metric.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one feedback device includes a display, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the display to display an indication associated with the first activity metric value.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one feedback device includes at least one vibrating device, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the at least one vibrating device to provide a haptic indication associated with the first activity metric value.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine which activity data to track based on the one or more markers or indicators.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to select a type of the first activity metric to determine based on the one or more markers or indicators.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the first activity metric value is a distance traveled, a number of steps taken, a number of stairs or floors climbed, an elevation change, a number of calories burned, a pace, a maximum speed, a stroke count, a lap count, a blood pressure, or a heart rate.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to analyze the activity data and to generate the one or more markers or indicators based on the analysis of the activity data.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the one or more markers or indicators based on a device state or mode.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine that an annotation mode is active, and wherein the at least one feedback device provides the indication to the user based further on the determination that the annotation mode is active.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to switch among a plurality of activity-tracking modes based on the one or more markers or indicators, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to select a type of the first activity metric to determine based on which of the plurality of activity-tracking modes is currently active.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of activity-tracking modes includes at least one of a running mode, a walking mode, a stair-climbing mode, a bicycling mode, a swimming mode, or a sleep-tracking mode.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the device further includes at least one user input device included in or integrated with the housing for receiving or sensing user input;

the at least one processor is further configured to receive and interpret the user input received or sensed via the at least one user input device; and

the at least one processor is configured to receive user input via the at least one user input device and to define the one or more markers or indicators based on the user input.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is configured to define a start time of the physical activity session, an end time of the physical activity session, the first time duration of the physical activity session, or a type of activity performed during the physical activity session based on the user input.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the device further includes transmitting and receiving circuitry;

the transmitting and receiving circuitry is configured for wireless communication over a network; and

the at least one processor is configured to receive and interpret user input received by the receiving circuitry.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the at least one feedback device to indicate to a user that a goal or a progress point en route to a goal has been met based on the first activity metric value.

20. The device of claim 1, further including at least one of:

a gyroscope, a physiological sensor, a biometric sensor, an altitude sensor, a temperature sensor, a light sensor, or a heart-rate sensor; and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the first activity metric value further based on data from at least one of;

the gyroscope, the physiological sensor, the biometric sensor, the altitude sensor, the temperature sensor, the light sensor, or the heart-rate sensor.

21. A method implemented by a portable monitoring device, comprising:

sensing, by at least one motion sensor, motion of the portable monitoring device and providing activity data based on the sensed motion;

receiving, by at least one processor, the activity data;

receiving or generating, by the at least one processor, annotation data to annotate the activity data with one or more markers or indicators;

using the one or more markers or indicators, delineating, within the activity data, a starting point of a physical activity session;

determining, by the at least one processor, a value of a first activity metric using the activity data received after the starting point of the physical activity session;

determining, by the at least one processor, a value of a second activity metric using the activity data received before and after the starting point of the physical activity session; and

providing an indication to a user based on the first activity metric value or the second activity metric value based on whether an annotation mode is active.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more markers or indicators further define a type of activity performed during the physical activity session.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein a type of the first activity metric is the same as a type of the second activity metric.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine which activity data to track based on the one or more markers or indicators.

25. The method of claim 21, further including selecting, by the at least one processor, a type of the first activity metric to determine based on the one or more markers or indicators.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the first activity metric value is a distance traveled, a number of steps taken, a number of stairs or floors climbed, an elevation change, a number of calories burned, a pace, a maximum speed, a stroke count, a lap count, a blood pressure, or a heart rate.

27. The method of claim 21, further including analyzing, by the at least one processor, the activity data and generating, by the at least one processor, the one or more markers or indicators based on the analysis of the activity data.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the one or more markers or indicators based on a device state or mode.

29. The method of claim 21, further including:

switching, by the at least one processor, among a plurality of activity-tracking modes based on the one or more markers or indicators; and

selecting, by the at least one processor, a type of the first activity metric to determine based on which of the plurality of activity-tracking modes is currently active.

30. The method of claim 21, further including determining, by the at least one processor, the first activity metric value further based on data from at least one of:

a gyroscope, a physiological sensor, a biometric sensor, an altitude sensor, a temperature sensor, a light sensor, or a heart-rate sensor.