Health wearable that automatically changes sensor reading timings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10656695-B2
Application number	US-201615559453-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2016
Priority date	Mar 25, 2015
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

System and a method wherein a wearable device receives sensor data at a wearable device and compares a first value determined from the sensor data with a second value determined from the sensor data to determine a percentage change in the sensor data from the first sample to the second sample. The system and method may also change a sampling frequency of the sensor at the wearable device according to one or more settings that were set by a user of the wearable device. The system and method optimizes power consumption while optimally recording data sensed by one or more sensors at a wearable device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring power consumption by a wearable device, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a plurality of sensor readings from a sensor of the wearable device, wherein the plurality of sensor readings are obtained at a first sampling frequency;
determining, by a processor of the wearable device, at least a first sensor value of a first sensor reading and a second sensor value of a second sensor reading from the plurality of sensor readings, wherein the second sensor reading is obtained after the first sensor reading;
calculating a difference between the first and second sensor values; and
varying the first sampling frequency of the sensor according to the calculated difference,

wherein the first sampling frequency is increased if the difference is above a predetermined threshold and the second sensor value is greater than the first sensor value, and wherein the first sampling frequency is decreased if the difference is above the predetermined threshold and the second sensor value is less than the first sensor value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor value is a magnitude of a first sensor reading of the plurality of sensor readings and the second sensor value is a magnitude of a second reading of the plurality of sensor readings.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor value is a time elapsed between a first event measured by the plurality of sensor readings and a second event measured by the plurality of sensor readings, and the second sensor value is a time elapsed between a third event measured by the plurality of sensors readings and a fourth event measured by the plurality of sensor readings.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
estimating remaining charge time of a battery of the wearable device;
comparing the estimated remaining charge time to a time until a next scheduled recharge; and
decreasing a sampling rate of the sensor if the remaining charge time is less than the time until the next scheduled recharge.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the time until next charge is calculated according to a next charge time received from a user.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising the steps of: notifying the user to charge or alter their usage of the wearable device if the level of variation is greater than a user-defined threshold or if a suggested sensor frequency does not fall within a user-defined frequency range.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform an algorithm, the algorithm comprising the steps of:
receiving a plurality of sensor readings from a sensor of the wearable device, wherein the plurality of sensor readings are obtained at a first sampling frequency;
determining, by a processor of the wearable device, at least a first sensor value of a first sensor reading and a second sensor value of a second sensor reading from the plurality of sensor readings, wherein the second sensor reading is obtained after the first sensor reading;
calculating a difference between the first and second sensor values; and
varying the first sampling frequency of the sensor according to the calculated difference,

wherein the first sampling frequency is increased if the difference is above a predetermined threshold and the second sensor value is greater than the first sensor value, and wherein the first sampling frequency is decreased if the difference is above the predetermined threshold and the second sensor value is less than the first sensor value.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the first value is a magnitude of a first sample of the plurality of sensor samples and the second value is a magnitude of a second sample of the plurality of sensor samples.

9. A system for monitoring power consumption by a wearable device comprising:
at least one sensor of the wearable device;
a processor having executable instructions thereon configured to cause the processor to:
receive a plurality of sensor readings from the at least one sensor, wherein the plurality of sensor readings are obtained at a first sampling frequency;
determine at least a first sensor value of a first sensor reading and a second sensor value of a second sensor reading from the plurality of sensor readings, wherein the second sensor reading is obtained after the first sensor reading;
calculate a difference between the first and second sensor values; and
vary the first sampling frequency of the sensor according to the calculated difference,

wherein the first sampling frequency is increased if the difference is above a predetermined threshold and the second sensor value is greater than the first sensor value, and wherein the first sampling frequency is decreased if the difference is above the predetermined threshold and the second sensor value is less than the first sensor value.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first value is a magnitude of a first sample of the plurality of sensor samples and the second value is a magnitude of a second sample of the plurality of sensor samples.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the executable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:
estimate remaining charge time of a battery of the wearable device;
compare the estimated remaining charge time to a time until a next scheduled recharge; and
decrease a sampling rate of the sensor upon determining that the remaining charge time is less than the time until the next charge.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the time until next charge is calculated according to a next charge time received from a user.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the executable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to: notify a user to charge or alter their usage of the wearable device if a level of variation is greater than a user-defined threshold or if the suggested first sampling frequency does not fall within a user-defined frequency range.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Cronin John
• D'Andrea Michael G

Classifications

• G06F1/3206 Primary

  Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality · CPC title

• A61B2560/0209

  adapted for power saving · CPC title

• G06F1/324

  by lowering clock frequency · CPC title

• A61B5/6804

  Garments; Clothes · CPC title

• G06F1/3212

  Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level · CPC title