Biomechanical sensing system using wirelessly locatable tags

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11896115-B2
Application number	US-202117478803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2021
Priority date	Apr 17, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A posture-monitoring system for monitoring a body posture of a user includes an array of wirelessly locatable tags, including a first tag configured to be positioned along a first shoulder region of the user and having a first battery and a first wireless circuit configured to transmit a first locating signal, a second tag configured to be positioned along a second shoulder region of the user and having a second battery and a second wireless circuit configured to transmit a second locating signal, and a third tag configured to be positioned along a back region of the user and having a third battery and a third wireless circuit configured to transmit a third locating signal. The posture-monitoring system further includes a portable electronic device including a processing unit and a wireless circuit operably coupled to the processing unit and configured to receive the first, second, and third locating signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A posture-monitoring system for monitoring a body posture of a user, the posture-monitoring system comprising:
an array of wirelessly locatable tags, comprising:
a first wirelessly locatable tag configured to be positioned along a first shoulder region of the user and having a first battery and a first wireless circuit configured to transmit a first locating signal;
a second wirelessly locatable tag configured to be positioned along a second shoulder region of the user and having a second battery and a second wireless circuit configured to transmit a second locating signal; and
a third wirelessly locatable tag configured to be positioned along a back region of the user and having a third battery and a third wireless circuit configured to transmit a third locating signal; and

a portable electronic device comprising:
a processing unit; and
a wireless circuit operably coupled to the processing unit and configured to receive the first, second, and third locating signals, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine:
a first distance between the first wirelessly locatable tag and the portable electronic device based at least in part on the first locating signal;
a second distance between the second wirelessly locatable tag and the portable electronic device based at least in part on the second locating signal;
a third distance between the third wirelessly locatable tag and the portable electronic device based at least in part on the third locating signal; and
a characteristic of the body posture of the user using the first, second, and third distances.

2. The posture-monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein:
the characteristic of a body position includes one or more of: a twist, a bend, or a tilt of the user's back; and
the first wirelessly locatable tag of the array of wirelessly locatable tags further comprises:
an enclosure having an upper housing component defining an upper surface of a respective wirelessly locatable tag and a lower housing component coupled to the upper housing component, the lower housing component is removable to provide access to the respective battery;
an antenna frame positioned below the upper housing component and having an antenna of the first wireless circuit; and
an electromagnetic coil positioned between the upper housing component and the antenna frame, the electromagnetic coil configured to move the upper housing component to produce an audio output.

3. The posture-monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein: the portable electronic device is a mobile phone;
the first locating signal includes first location data that include the first distance;
the second locating signal includes second location data that include the second distance; and
the third locating signal includes third location data that include the third distance.

4. The posture-monitoring system of claim 3 , wherein:
the first location data, the second location data, and the third location data are monitored over a series of time intervals; and
the processing unit of the mobile phone is configured to determine an activity type based on one or more of: the first location data, the second location data, or the third location data monitored over the series of time intervals.

5. The posture-monitoring system of claim 4 , wherein:
the processing unit is configured to identify an athletic move; and
the processing unit is further configured to count a number of repetitions of the athletic move.

6. The posture-monitoring system of claim 3 , wherein the processing unit is configured to determine one or more of an upper back tilt, a lower back tilt, or a lower back bend using the first location data, the second location data, and the third location data.

7. The posture-monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein:
the third wirelessly locatable tag is configured to be positioned along a middle back region of the user; and
the posture-monitoring system further comprises a fourth wirelessly locatable tag configured to be positioned along a lumbar region of the user that is below the third wirelessly locatable tag.

8. The posture-monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein the processing unit is configured to determine one or more of: an upper back twist, a lower back twist, a hip twist, or a lower back tilt using the first, second, third, and fourth wirelessly locatable tags.

9. The posture-monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device determines the first distance based at least in part on a time of arrival analysis of the first locating signal.

10. A computer-implemented method for monitoring a body position of a user, the method comprising:
receiving, at an electronic device, a first wireless signal of a first wirelessly locatable tag that is positioned along a first region of a back of the user, the first wirelessly locatable tag having a first wireless circuit configured to transmit the first wireless signal;
determining a first distance from the electronic device to the first wirelessly locatable tag based at least in part on the first wireless signal;
receiving, at the electronic device, a second wireless signal of a second wirelessly locatable tag that is positioned along a second region of a back of the user, the second wirelessly locatable tag having a second wireless circuit configured to transmit the second wireless signal;
determining a second distance from the electronic device to the second wirelessly locatable tag based at least in part on the second wireless signal;
receiving, at the electronic device, a third wireless signal of a third wirelessly locatable tag that is positioned along a third region of a back of the user, the third wirelessly locatable tag having a third wireless circuit configured to transmit the third wireless signal;
determining a third distance from the electronic device to the third wirelessly locatable tag based at least in part on the third wireless signal; and
determining a characteristic of the body position of the user using the first, second, and third distances.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining if the user is moving or in a static position; and
in accordance with a determination that the user is in a static position, recording the characteristic of the body position.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the characteristic of the body position includes one or more of: a twist, a bend, or a tilt of the user's back.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the characteristic of the body position includes one or more of an upper back tilt, a lower back tilt, or a lower back bend.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein:
the first region of the back of the user corresponds to a left shoulder region of the user;
the second region of the back of the user corresponds to a right shoulder region of the user;
the first wirelessly locatable tag further comprises a first magnetometer that produces a first orientation output;
the second wirelessly locatable tag further comprises a second magnetometer that produces a second orientation output; and
the method further comprises determining a shoulder twist based on the first distance, the second distance, the first orientation output, and the second orientation output.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein:
the first, second, and third wireless signals are UWB pulse signals; and
the computer-implemented method further comprises:
determining a set of position measurements over a series of time intervals using the UWB pulse signals; and

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• De Jong Erik G
• Ely Colin M
• Wang Erik L

Classifications

• A45F5/1508

  Holders or carriers for portable audio devices, e.g. headphones or digital music players · CPC title

• A45F5/155

  Holders or carriers for thin, flat, rectangular articles, e.g. ID badges or cards · CPC title

• A45F5/00 Primary

  Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping · CPC title

• A61B5/1116

  Determining posture transitions · CPC title

• E05B73/0005

  using chains, cables or the like (chain- or cable-locks of the padlock type E05B67/003; lockable clothing hangers or hanger racks E05B69/006) · CPC title