Wearable device structure with enhanced motion detection by motion sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9265449-B2
Application number	US-201313827683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Nov 8, 2012
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

Techniques associated with a wearable device structure with enhanced motion detection by a motion sensor are described, including a band configured to be worn, a nodule coupled to the band, the nodule including a structure configured to enhance detection of movement of an adjacent skin surface, the structure having an articulator configured to rotate in a plurality of planes, and a sensor coupled to the structure and configured to detect rotational motion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
coupling a first nodule to a skin surface at a location, the first nodule formed in a wearable device comprising a structure configured to enhance detection of movement of the skin surface adjacent a first blood vessel, the structure comprising an articulator configured to rotate in a plurality of planes and the first nodule comprising a sensor configured to detect a bioimpedance measurement derived from an electrical current measured at the skin surface;
detecting rotation motion caused by the articulator using an accelerometer coupled to the articulator;
deriving data associated with the movement of the skin surface from the rotation motion caused by the articulator; and
coupling a second nodule formed in the wearable device to the skin surface at another location, the second nodule comprising another accelerometer configured to detect other movement on the skin surface adjacent a second blood vessel, the other movement unrelated to the movement being enhanced by the structure,
wherein the wearable device is configured to maintain the first nodule adjacent to the first blood vessel and the second nodule adjacent to the second blood vessel during movement of the wearable device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein deriving data associated with the movement of the skin surface comprises deriving an attribute associated with a blood vessel residing beneath the skin surface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first nodule is configured to rest against an adjacent skin surface next to a tendon.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second nodule is configured to rest against an adjacent skin surface to another side of a tendon.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first nodule is configured to exert a force on an adjacent skin surface, the force being transferred through tissue to occlude a blood vessel against a bone.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first nodule and the second nodule are configured to rest on an adjacent skin surface to opposite sides of one or more tendons on a wrist.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the structure is configured to translate movement from a pulse traveling through a blood vessel into a rotation in one or more of the plurality of planes.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deriving from data associated with movement of the articulator a direction of movement on an adjacent skin surface.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deriving from data associated with movement of the articulator a magnitude of a force exerted by a pulse in a blood vessel underneath the adjacent skin surface.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deriving from data associated with movement of the articulator a time period between two pulses in a blood vessel.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deriving from data associated with movement of the articulator a heart rate.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deriving from data associated with movement of the articulator a blood pressure.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first module is integrally molded with a band.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein deriving data associated with the movement of the skin surface comprises deriving an attribute associated with a blood vessel residing beneath the skin surface, the attribute further comprises a blood pressure.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein deriving data associated with the movement of the skin surface comprises deriving an attribute associated with a blood vessel residing beneath the skin surface, the attribute further comprises a time period between two pulses in the blood vessel.

Assignees

• Donaldson Thomas Alan
• Aliphcom

Inventors

• Donaldson Thomas Alan

Classifications

• A61B5/11 Primary

  Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb {(A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721)} · CPC title

• A61B5/6824 Primary

  Arm or wrist · CPC title

• A61B5/6831 Primary

  Straps, bands or harnesses · CPC title