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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016249174-A1
Application number	US-201615048576-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 19, 2016
Priority date	Feb 20, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

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 generate acceleration information based on acceleration 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 information to extract features from the acceleration information; and
process the features to determine a location of the electronic device on the user.

2 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , 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.

3 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the processer, configured by the computer program code, and with respect to the processing of the features, causes the electronic device to:
process the features based on a decision tree analysis to determine the location of the electronic device.

4 . The electronic device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor configured to measure temperature information associated with the electronic device, wherein 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; and
determine a state of the electronic device based, at least in part, on the temperature, the change in temperature, the rate of change in temperature, or a combination thereof,
wherein the decision tree analysis is based, at least in part, on the state of the electronic device.

5 . The electronic device according to claim 4 , wherein the temperature sensor is a sub-component of at least one of the one or more accelerometers.

6 . The electronic device according to claim 5 , wherein the state is an on-body status of the electronic device on the user.

7 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein, in response to determining the location, the processor, configured by the computer program code, causes the electronic device to:
in response to determining the location, process the acceleration information according to one or more location-specific metrics selected based on the location to generate location-specific information.

8 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more components, wherein, in response to determining the location, the processor, configured by the computer program code, causes the electronic device to:
activate at least one of the one or more components based on the location; and
process information generated by the at least one component according to one or more location-specific metrics selected based on the location to generate location-specific information.

9 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the acceleration information is generated continuously, periodically, and/or on demand.

10 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the acceleration information is processed continuously, periodically, and/or on demand, and the features are processed continuously, periodically, and/or on demand.

11 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor, configured by the computer program code, causes the electronic device to:
compare the location to one or more previously determined locations of the electronic device on the user; and validate the determination of the location based on the comparison.

12 . A method of determining a location of a wearable device on a user, the method comprising:
generating acceleration information based on acceleration experienced by the wearable device; processing the acceleration information to extract features from the acceleration information; and processing the features to determine the location of the wearable device on the user.

13 . The method 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.

14 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the processing of the features comprises:
processing the features based on a decision tree analysis to determine the location of the wearable device.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising:
measuring temperature information associated with the wearable device based on a temperature sensor within the wearable device; processing the temperature information to determine a temperature, a change in temperature, a rate of change in temperature, or a combination thereof; and determining a state of the wearable device based, at least in part, on the temperature, the change in temperature, the rate of change in temperature, or a combination thereof, wherein the decision tree analysis is based, at least in part, on the state of the wearable device.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein a motion sensor within wearable device generates the acceleration information, and the temperature sensor is a sub-component of the motion sensor.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the state is an on-body status of the wearable device on the user.

18 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
in response to determining the location, processing the acceleration information according to one or more location-specific metrics selected based on the location to generate location-specific information.

19 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
activating one or more components of the wearable device based on the location; and processing information generated by the one or more components according to one or more location-specific metrics selected based on the location to generate location-specific information.

20 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the acceleration information is generated continuously, periodically, and/or on demand.

21 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the acceleration information is processed continuously, periodically, and/or on demand, and the features are processed continuously, periodically, and/or on demand.

22 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
comparing the location to one or more previously determined locations of the electronic device on the user; and validating the determination of the location based on the comparison.

23 . 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

Assignees

• Mc10 Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A61B5/01

  Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20) · CPC title

• A61B2562/0219

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

• G16H40/63

  for local operation · CPC title

• A61B5/1114

  Tracking parts of the body · CPC title

• H04W64/006

  with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination · CPC title