Biometric monitoring device having a body weight sensor, and methods of operating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016349104-A1
Application number	US-201615220275-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 26, 2016
Priority date	Jan 9, 2011
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system comprising a biometric monitoring device including a housing including a platform to receive at least one foot of the user, a body weight sensor to generate body weight data, processing circuitry to calculate user weight data which corresponds to the user's weight, using the body weight data, and communication circuitry to: (a) receive user identification data which identifies the user or a portable activity monitoring device, and (b) transmit the user weight data to data storage associated with the user identification data. The system further includes the portable activity monitoring device including a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the user's body, a sensor to generate sensor data, and communication circuitry to receive physiologic data which is based on the user weight data, and processing circuitry to calculate activity data using the sensor data and physiologic data.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A biometric monitoring system to measure a body fat composition of a user, the biometric monitoring system comprising:
a housing configured to be placed on a flat horizontal surface and including a platform having a user interface, the platform configured to receive a sole of at least one foot of the user and capable of supporting the body weight of the user; a body fat sensor electrically coupled to the platform and configured to generate body fat data that is representative of the body fat composition of the user and output the body fat data to processing circuitry; one or more environmental sensors, wherein at least one of the one or more environmental sensors is an atmospheric sensor, the atmospheric sensor configured to measure one or more atmospheric characteristics selected from a group consisting of: air quality, a pollen count, and a carbon dioxide level; and the processing circuitry, the processing circuitry disposed in the housing and communicatively coupled to the body fat sensor and the one or more environmental sensors, the processing circuitry configured to calculate user body fat data that corresponds to the body fat composition of the user using the body fat data.

3 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the body fat sensor includes one or more bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) electrodes.

4 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a physiological sensor configured to provide data other than body fat data.

5 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is further communicatively coupled to the physiological sensor and the one or more environmental sensors and configured to obtain physiological data and environmental data from the physiological sensor and the one or more environmental sensors, respectively.

6 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 4 , wherein the physiological sensor includes at least one of a heart rate sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a galvanic skin sensor, a stress level sensor, and an arterial stiffness sensor.

7 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a body weight sensor mechanically coupled to the platform and configured to generate body weight data that is representative of the weight of the user and output the body weight data to the processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to calculate user weight data that corresponds to the weight of the user using the body weight data.

8 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine an identity of the user based on at least one of the user weight data and the user body fat data.

9 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to disable one or both of the body fat sensor and the body weight sensor based on the identity of the user.

10 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 9 , wherein the identity of the user includes a user profile indicating that the user is at least one of a pregnant female and a user with a pacemaker.

11 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to permit the user to disable the body fat sensor.

12 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the body fat data is representative of the body fat composition of the user and the body mass index of the user.

13 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the user interface is configured to display the user body fat data.

14 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 2 , further comprising communication circuitry, the communication circuitry configured to transmit the user body fat data to an external device.

15 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more environmental sensors include two or more environmental sensors, wherein the two or more environmental sensors include a humidity sensor and the atmospheric sensor.

16 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 15 , wherein the two or more environmental sensors further include a pressure sensor.

17 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 15 , wherein the two or more environmental sensors further include a temperature sensor.

18 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive environmental data output from at least one of the one or more environmental sensors and determine an activity performed by the user from the output.

19 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive environmental data output from at least one of the one or more environmental sensors and determine an identity of the user based on the environmental data.

20 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the atmospheric sensor configured to measure one or more atmospheric characteristics is configured to measure the carbon dioxide level.

21 . The biometric monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the user interface is configured to receive instructions from the user and includes at least a sensor selected from a group consisting of: touch sensors configured to provide touch location input, photodetectors, cameras, audio sensors, motion sensors, and proximity sensors.

Assignees

• Fitbit Inc

Inventors

• Yuen Shelten Gee Jao
• Friedman Eric Nathan
• Park James

Classifications

• G01G19/50 Primary

  having additional measuring devices, e.g. for height · CPC title

• A61B5/117

  Identification of persons (methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00) · CPC title

• A61N1/3702

  Physiological parameters (A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371) · CPC title

• A61B5/0022

  Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet · CPC title

• A61B5/0537

  Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content · CPC title