Automated detection and configuration of wearable devices based on on-body status, location, and/or orientation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10986465-B2
Application number	US-201916660496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2019
Priority date	Feb 20, 2015
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

An electronic device worn on a user includes one or more accelerometers. The one or more accelerometers generate acceleration information based on acceleration experienced by the electronic device. The electronic device further includes a processor and one or more associated memories, and the one or more associate memories include computer program code executable by the processor. The processor, configured by the computer program code, causes the electronic device to process the acceleration information to extract features from the acceleration information. The processor, configured by the computer program code, further causes the electronic device to process the features to determine the location of the electronic device on the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device worn on a user, the electronic device comprising:
one or more accelerometers configured to determine acceleration information during a first period;
a processor;
one or more associated memories, at least one of the associated memories including computer program code executable by the processor, the processor, configured by the computer program code, causes the electronic device to:
extract features from the acceleration information, the features characterizing the acceleration information during the first period;
determine a location of the wearable device on the user as one of a plurality of predefined locations based on the features; and
configure functionality of the wearable device based on the location and one or more location-specific metrics associated with the one of the plurality of predefined locations.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of predefined locations comprise a chest, an abdomen, an upper arm, a lower arm, a wrist, an upper leg, a lower leg, and an ankle of the user.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more components configured to generate location-specification information,
wherein the processor, configured by the computer program code, causes the electronic device to:
selectively activate at least one of the one or more components based on the location.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor, configured by the computer program code, causes the electronic device to:
process the features based on a decision tree analysis to determine the location,
wherein the decision tree analysis is generated based on previously determined acceleration information associated with the plurality of predefined locations.

5. A method of configuring a wearable device based on the wearable device determining its location on a user, the method comprising:
determining acceleration information during a first period based on one or more accelerometers included within the wearable device;
extracting features from the acceleration information, the features characterizing the acceleration information during the first period;
determining the location of the wearable device on the user as one of a plurality of predefined locations based on the features; and
configuring functionality of the wearable device based on the location and one or more location-specific metrics associated with the one of the plurality of predefined locations.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of predefined locations comprise a chest, an abdomen, an upper arm, a lower arm, a wrist, an upper leg, a lower leg, and an ankle of the user.

7. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
selectively activating at least one of one or more components within the wearable device configured to generate location-specification information based on the location.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the determining of the location comprises:
processing the features based on a decision tree analysis to determine the location,
wherein the decision tree analysis is generated based on previously determined acceleration information associated with the plurality of predefined locations.

9. An electronic device worn on a user, the electronic device comprising:
one or more accelerometers and temperature sensors configured to generate acceleration information and temperature information based on acceleration and skin temperature experienced by the electronic device;
a processor; and
one or more associated memories, the one or more associated memories including computer program code executable by the processor, the processor, configured by the computer program code, causes the electronic device to:
process the acceleration and skin temperature information to extract features from the acceleration information; and
process the features to determine a location of the electronic device on the user.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein the features comprise one or more of a dominant frequency, a frequency range, an acceleration scale, an acceleration range, an energy, and an entropy of the acceleration information and skin temperature range with 0.01 C precision.

11. An electronic device wearable on a user comprising:
a temperature sensor configured to measure temperature information associated with the electronic device;
a processor; and
one or more associated memories, the one or more associated memories including computer program code executable by the processor, the processor, configured by the computer program code, causes the electronic device to:
process the temperature information to determine a temperature, a change in temperature, a rate of change in temperature, or a combination thereof;
determine an on-body status of the electronic device on the user based on the temperature, the change in temperature, the rate of the change in temperature, or a combination thereof; and
determine a location of the electronic device on the user based on the temperature, the change in temperature, the rate of change in temperature, or a combination thereof.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the processor, configured by the computer program code, causes the electronic device to:
change a mode of operation based, at least in part, on the on-body status.

13. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the processor, configured by the computer program code, causes the electronic device to:
configure functionality of one or more components of the electronic device, one or more devices associated with the electronic device, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the location.

14. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor is a sub-component of a component of the electronic device.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14 , wherein the component is a microelectromechanical system.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein the microelectromechanical system is a motion sensor.

17. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the temperature information is based, at least in part, on a skin temperature of the user when the electronic device is in an on-body state.

18. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the temperature information is based, at least in part, on ambient air temperature when the on-body status is an off-body state.

Assignees

• Medidata Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Patel Shyamal
• Mcginnis Ryan S
• Prakash Aadithya
• Ghaffari Roozbeh
• Raj Milan
• Silva Ikaro
• Jortberg Elise

Classifications

• H04W4/027 Primary

  using movement velocity, acceleration information · CPC title

• A61B5/1114

  Tracking parts of the body · CPC title

• A61B2562/0219

  Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches · CPC title

• H04B1/385

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title

• A61B5/6801

  specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface · CPC title