Systems and methods for facilitating health research using a personal wearable device with research mode

• US 9,996,678 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Timothy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murphy, Jerold
• Application Number:
  US15/089,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20170091426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• 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 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and systems for facilitating health research by utilizing one or more wearable sensor devices with a research mode are provided herein. Systems include a wearable sensor device that can pair with a first portable computing device of a user and a second computing device of a researcher in a first and second pairing, respectively. The wearable sensor device obtains one or more health parameters of a user. In one aspect, the wearable sensor device communicates research related and non-research related health information to the first computing device via the first pairing link and communicates only research related health information to the second computing device via the second pairing link. Methods for pairing one or more wearable sensor devices with one or more research computing devices and switching between operating modes to provide additional research related features are also provided.

Claims

1. A wearable device comprising:

one or more sensors adapted for detecting one or more health parameters of a user when the device is worn by the user;

a wireless communication link adapted for near field/local communication with multiple computing devices including communications for pairing with each of the multiple computing devices and communications for transmitting one or more health parameters to the multiple computing devices;

user interface for receiving user input and for outputting information indications; and

a control unit for controlling operation of the wearable device and switching between alternate modes of operation, the alternate modes of operation including;

a standard mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one computing device associated with a user ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one computing device, and

a health research mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one other computing device associated with a third party ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one other computing device,

wherein, in the health research mode, one or more non-health-research related applications operating on the wearable device are suspended to conserve resources for one or more health research related applications operating on the device, the one or more health research related applications being associated with a health research study in which the user is a participant.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the information indications comprise any of audio, visual, tactile or any combination thereof.

3. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the third party IDs are associated with one or more researchers.

4. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the at least one other computing device comprises a plurality of computing devices associated with one or more third party IDS of one or more researchers.

5. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein in the standard mode, the wearable device pairs and communicates only with the at least one computing device associated with the user ID.

6. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein:

in the standard mode, the wearable device communicates health research data and non-health-research data with the at least one computing device associated with the user ID, and

wherein in the health research mode, the wearable device communicates only health research data to the at least one other computing devices associated with the third party ID.

7. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein, in the standard mode, the device is paired with the at least one computing device associated with the user ID, and in the health research mode, the device is concurrently paired with both the at least one computing device associated with the user ID and the at least one other computing devices associated with a third party ID.

8. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

an adjacent wearable device detector, wherein in the health research mode, is configured to detect another wearable device bumping or adjacent with the wearable device, wherein upon detecting the other wearable device, the control unit effects an automatic transfer of identification data from the wearable device to the other wearable device so as to facilitate swapping out of the wearable device with the other wearable device, wherein the transfer is automatic or in response to a user input.

9. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein, in the standard mode, one or more health research related applications operating on the wearable device are suspended to conserve resources for one or more non-health-research related applications operating on the wearable device.

10. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the wearable device communicates a health research mode status to the user via the user interface.

11. The wearable device of claim 10, wherein the wearable device broadcasts the health research mode status to the third party and allows pairing with the at least one other computing device.

12. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

a web interface module wherein in health research mode the wearable device is configured to interface with a web front-end accessible from the at least one other computing device associated with a third party ID.

13. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the at least one other computing device comprises multiple computing devices associated with one or more third party IDs, and wherein the wearable device communicates at least some of the one or more health parameters to any of the multiple computing devices associated with the one or more third party IDs.

14. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein in the health research mode, communication of the one or more health parameters occurs locally to the at least one other computing device in a single session.

15. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the wearable device is configured such that pairing creates and/or exchanges a passkey between paired devices such that subsequent communications between paired devices are authenticated automatically.

16. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein in the standard mode, the wearable device pairs with the at least one computing device in a first pairing, and in the health research mode, the wearable device pairs with the at least one other computing device in a second pairing that is separate from the first pairing.

17. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the near field/local communication comprises any of:

magnetic induction, radio based communication, an ad hoc network, and peer-to-peer communication.

18. A wearable device comprising:

one or more sensors adapted for detecting one or more health parameters of a user when the device is worn by the user;

a wireless communication link adapted for near field/local communication with multiple computing devices including communications for pairing with each of the multiple computing devices and communications for transmitting one or more health parameters to the multiple computing devices;

user interface for receiving user input and for outputting information indications; and

a control unit for controlling operation of the wearable device and switching between alternate modes of operation, the alternate modes of operation including;

a standard mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one computing device associated with a user ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one computing device, and

a health research mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one other computing device associated with a third party ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one other computing device;

wherein the wearable device communicates instructions to the at least one computing device associated with the user ID to place the at least one computing device associated with the user ID into health research mode, wherein one or more non-health-research related applications operating on the at least one computing device are suspended to facilitate operating one or more health research related applications associated with a health research study in which the user is a participant.

19. A wearable device comprising:

one or more sensors adapted for detecting one or more health parameters of a user when the device is worn by the user;

a wireless communication link adapted for near field/local communication with multiple computing devices including communications for pairing with each of the multiple computing devices and communications for transmitting one or more health parameters to the multiple computing devices;

user interface for receiving user input and for outputting information indications; and

a control unit for controlling operation of the wearable device and switching between alternate modes of operation, the alternate modes of operation including;

a standard mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one computing device associated with a user ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one computing device, and

a health research mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one other computing device associated with a third party ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one other computing device, wherein the third party ID is associated with a health research study in which the user is a participant;

wherein the control unit is further configured with a locating mode adapted to allow the researcher to locate the user previously paired with the computing device of the researcher in the health research mode, wherein the locating mode is configured to output an audible tone in response to a command received from the computing device of the researcher to locate a selected research subject.

20. A wearable device comprising:

one or more sensors adapted for detecting one or more health parameters of a user when the device is worn by the user;

a wireless communication link adapted for near field/local communication with multiple computing devices including communications for pairing with each of the multiple computing devices and communications for transmitting one or more health parameters to the multiple computing devices;

user interface for receiving user input and for outputting information indications; and

a control unit for controlling operation of the wearable device and switching between alternate modes of operation, the alternate modes of operation including;

a standard mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one computing device associated with a user ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one computing device, and

a health research mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one other computing device associated with a third party ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one other computing device, wherein the third party ID is associated with a health research study in which the user is a participant, and

an association mode in which the wearable device associates with one or more other wearable devices that are detected by the wearable device in close proximity,

wherein the association mode is a sub-mode within the health research mode.

21. A wearable device comprising:

one or more sensors adapted for detecting one or more health parameters of a user when the device is worn by the user;

a wireless communication link adapted for near field/local communication with multiple computing devices including communications for pairing with each of the multiple computing devices and communications for transmitting one or more health parameters to the multiple computing devices;

user interface for receiving user input and for outputting information indications; and

a control unit for controlling operation of the wearable device and switching between alternate modes of operation, the alternate modes of operation including;

a standard mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one computing device associated with a user ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one computing device, and

a health research mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one other computing device associated with a third party ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one other computing device, wherein the third party ID is associated with a health research study in which the user is a participant, and

an association mode in which the wearable device associates with one or more other wearable devices that are detected by the wearable device in close proximity,

wherein, in the association mode, the control unit assigns a common identifier between associated wearable devices and communicates the common identifier to the at least one other computing device associated with a third party ID.

22. The wearable device of claim 21, wherein communication of the one or more health parameters locally to the at least one other computing device in a subsequent session requires a separate opt-in and/or authorization from the user received via the user input of the wearable device.

23. A wearable device comprising:

one or more sensors adapted for detecting one or more health parameters of a user when the device is worn by the user;

a wireless communication link adapted for near field/local communication with multiple computing devices including communications for pairing with each of the multiple computing devices and communications for transmitting one or more health parameters to the multiple computing devices;

user interface for receiving user input and for outputting information indications; and

a control unit for controlling operation of the wearable device and switching between alternate modes of operation, the alternate modes of operation including;

a standard mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one computing device associated with a user ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one computing device, and

a health research mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one other computing device associated with a third party ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one other computing device, wherein the third party ID is associated with a health research study in which the user is a participant,

wherein the wearable device is paired with multiple computed devices associated with multiple third party IDs, wherein at least one of the multiple third party IDs is an administrator ID, the control unit being configured such that pairings between the multiple computing devices associated with the multiple third party IDs are adjustable and/or deletable in response to an input received through a pairing associated with the administrator ID.

24. A wearable device comprising:

one or more sensors adapted for detecting one or more health parameters of a user when the device is worn by the user;

a wireless communication link adapted for near field/local communication with multiple computing devices including communications for pairing with each of the multiple computing devices and communications for transmitting one or more health parameters to the multiple computing devices;

user interface for receiving user input and for outputting information indications; and

a control unit for controlling operation of the wearable device and switching between alternate modes of operation, the alternate modes of operation including;

a standard mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one computing device associated with a user ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one computing device, and

a health research mode in which the wearable device locally pairs and communicates with at least one other computing device associated with a third party ID when within a wireless communication range of the at least one other computing device, wherein the third party ID is associated with a health research study in which the user is a participant;

wherein;

in the health research mode, the wearable device outputs an identification and/or subject locating output, and

in the standard mode, the identification and/or subject locating output is disabled.

25. The wearable device of claim 24, wherein the identification and/or subject locating output comprises any of an ID, a subject name, a location, an image, and an audible sound.

26. The wearable device of claim 24, wherein the identification output is in response to a query received from at least one of the multiple computing devices being associated with third party IDs.

27. A method for facilitating health research using a wearable device having one or more sensors for detecting health parameters of a user when worn, the method comprising:

switching the wearable device from a standard to a health research mode, wherein in the standard mode the wearable device is paired with a personal computing device associated with a user ID of the user and locally communicates a plurality of health information to the personal computing device associated with the user ID;

while in the health research mode, locally pairing with at least one other computing device associated with a third party ID of a researcher associated with a health research study in which the user is a participant; and

while in the health research mode, locally communicating at least some of the plurality of health data to the at least one other computing device associated with the third party ID, and suspending one or more non-health-research related applications operating on the device to conserve resources for one or more health research related applications operating on the device.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

when in the health research mode, outputting an identification and/or subject locating output in response to a locating request from the at least one other computing device associated with the third party ID.

29. The method of claim 28, where the identification and/or subject locating output comprises outputting any of an ID, a subject name, a location, an image, and an audible sound to one or both of the wearable device and the at least one other computing device associated with the third party ID.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein, in the standard mode, the device is paired with the at least one computing device associated with the user ID, and in the health research mode, the device is concurrently paired with both the at least one computing device associated with the user ID and the at least one other computing devices associated with the third party ID.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the plurality of health information includes both health research related data and non-health-research related data and wherein the at least some of the plurality of health data includes only research related data.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein in the standard mode, communicating with the at least one other computing device is disabled.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein switching between the standard mode and the health research mode is effected in response to a user input received on a user interface of the wearable device.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

providing to a user, on the user interface of the wearable device, an indicator of mode status.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the wearable device broadcasts the health research mode status to the third party, and allows the wearable device to be paired with the at least one other computing device associated with the third party.