Methods, systems and devices for linking user devices to activity tracking devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9370320-B2
Application number	US-201414265320-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2010
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

Methods, systems and devices for linking devices to tracking devices is provided. One method includes scanning, by an activity tracking device, for a semi-unique identifier broadcasted by a device. The method connects the device with the activity tracking device after the semi-unique identifier is found to be of the device by the activity tracking device. The activity tracking device is configured to communicate with the device to obtain a device identification (ID) of the device. The method then automatically linking the device to the activity tracking device when the device ID of the device matches a copy of the device ID stored in the activity tracking device. In one example, the tracking devices operate as a master and the devices operate as a slave.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising,
scanning, by an activity tracking device, for a semi-unique identifier broadcasted by a device;
connecting the device with the activity tracking device after the semi-unique identifier is found to be of the device by the activity tracking device, the activity tracking device configured to query the device to obtain a device identification (ID) of the device;
linking the device to the activity tracking device when the device ID of the device matches a copy of the device ID stored in the activity tracking device; and
automatically processing the connecting to then process the linking without requiring user input, the activity tracking device being configured to store additional device IDs associated with devices that have been pre-defined to link to the activity tracking device, the devices being pre-defined to link to the activity tracking device based on pre-made pairings of the devices to the activity tracking device, as defined in a user account, and the user account maintaining a current association of the activity tracking device to one or more devices, the method being executed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scanning and connecting is repeated for other devices having the semi-unique identifier until the match is made between the device ID and the copy of the device ID.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the linking is complete, data captured by the activity tracking device is transferred to the device for display on a screen of the display.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user account is associated with a website and manages a current association of the activity tracking device to the device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the user account is accessible by one or both of the activity tracking device and the device, the website being executed by a server.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device ID,
is a unique identifier; or
is a semi-unique identifier; or
is an identifier that is part of the device ID; or
is a randomly generated number that is pre-associated to the device ID.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein broadcasting of the semi-unique identifier includes transmitting data by a wireless communication device of the device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the wireless communication device enables at least part of the broadcasting using a Bluetooth low energy (BT LE) protocol, or a Bluetooth (BT) protocol, or a WiFi protocol, or a cellular protocol, or a radio transmission protocol, or a combination of two or more thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user account is managed by a website server.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the semi-unique identifier is bit data transferred in payload of an advertising packet, the advertising packet being broadcast by the device.

11. A tracking device configured for capture of activity for a user, comprising,
a housing;
a sensor disposed in the housing to capture motion data associated with activity of the user;
memory for storing the captured motion data and a device identification (ID) of a device that the tracking device is able to initiate connection and link therewith; and
a processor configured to scan for a semi-unique identifier broadcasted by the device, the processor enabling connection with the device with the tracking device after the semi-unique identifier is found to be of the device by the tracking device, the tracking device configured to query the device to obtain a device identification (ID) of the device, the processor linking the device to the tracking device when the device ID of the device matches a copy of the device ID stored in the memory of the tracking device,
the device being a portable computing device, the device configured for access with an activity management server over the Internet, the activity management server having a user account in which the tracking device is associated, and the user account enabling association of additional tracking devices and additional portable computing devices, and their associations for enabling respective links.

12. The tracking device of claim 11 , wherein the housing is part of a wearable wrist attachable structure, or an attachable structure that can be carried or worn by the user, and the wearable wrist attachable structure is defined at least partially from a plastic material, the housing further including a battery for providing power to the tracking device.

13. The tracking device of claim 11 , wherein the housing further includes wireless communication logic for enabling wireless connections.

14. A tracking device configured for capture of activity for a user, comprising,
a housing;
a sensor disposed in the housing to capture motion data associated with activity of the user;
memory for storing the captured motion data and a device identification (ID) of a device that the tracking device is able to initiate connection and link therewith; and
a processor configured to scan for a semi-unique identifier broadcasted by the device, the processor enabling connection with the device with the tracking device after the semi-unique identifier is found to be of the device by the tracking device, the tracking device configured to query the device to obtain a device identification (ID) of the device, the processor linking the device to the tracking device when the device ID of the device matches a copy of the device ID stored in the memory of the tracking device, the processor of the tracking device including circuits, and at least one of said circuits including a firmware circuit having program instructions to enable the linking and then enabling transfer of data collected by the tracking device to the device for display on a screen of the device.

15. Computer readable medium having program instructions for enabling tracking devices to automatically link with devices, the computer readable medium, comprising,
program instructions for scanning, by an activity tracking device, for a semi-unique identifier broadcasted by a device;
program instructions for connecting the device with the activity tracking device after the semi-unique identifier is found to be of the device by the activity tracking device, the activity tracking device configured to query the device to obtain a device identification (ID) of the device; and
program instructions for linking the device to the activity tracking device when the device ID of the device matches a copy of the device ID stored in the activity tracking device; and
program instructions for automatically processing the connecting to then process the linking without requiring user input, the activity tracking device being configured to store additional device IDs associated with devices that have been pre-defined to link to the activity tracking device, the devices being pre-defined to link to the activity tracking device based on pre-made pairings of the devices to the activity tracking device as defined in a user account, and the user account maintaining a current association of the activity tracking device to one or more devices.

16. An activity tracking device configured for capture of activity for a user, comprising,
a housing;
a sensor disposed in the housing to capture motion data associated with activity of the user;
memory for storing the captured motion data and a copy of a device identification (ID) of a device that the activity tracking device is able to initiate connection and link therewith; and
a processor configured to scan for a semi-unique identifier broadcasted by a device, connect the device with the activity trac

Assignees

• Fitbit Inc

Inventors

• Messenger Jayson
• Burton Barry
• Park James

Classifications

• A63B24/0062

  Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance · CPC title

• A63B2230/70

  body fat · CPC title

• A61B5/222

  combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate · CPC title

• G01C22/00

  Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers · CPC title

• A61B5/4809

  Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not · CPC title