Fitness monitoring device with altimeter and gesture recognition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9568492-B2
Application number	US-201514597106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2015
Priority date	Jun 22, 2012
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

Biometric monitoring devices, including various technologies that may be implemented in such devices, are discussed herein. Additionally, techniques for utilizing altimeters in biometric monitoring devices are provided. Such techniques may, in some implementations, involve recalibrating a biometric monitoring device altimeter based on location data; using altimeter data as an aid to gesture recognition; and/or using altimeter data to manage an airplane mode of a biometric monitoring device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable biometric tracking device, the wearable biometric tracking device comprising:
a pressure sensor configured to detect ambient atmospheric air pressure around the wearable biometric tracking device and to output data representative of altitude, wherein the data representative of altitude is based, at least in part, on the ambient atmospheric air pressure measured by the pressure sensor;
a motion sensor, the motion sensor configured to detect motion of the wearable biometric tracking device and to output corresponding motion data; and
control logic, wherein the pressure sensor, the motion sensor, and the control logic are communicatively connected and the control logic is configured to:
a) receive the data representative of altitude,
b) receive the motion data,
c) determine when the data representative of altitude and the motion data, in combination, correlate with a first arm movement profile of a plurality of arm movement profiles, and
d) store data associated with the first arm movement profile responsive, at least in part, to the determination in (c).

2. The wearable biometric tracking device of claim 1 , wherein the wearable biometric tracking device is configured to be worn in a location selected from the group consisting of: a person's arm, a person's forearm, a person's hand, and a person's finger.

3. The wearable biometric tracking device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is a barometric altimeter.

4. The wearable biometric tracking device of claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor includes one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of: accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, piezoelectric sensors, electromagnetic trackers, and camera-based imaging sensors.

5. The wearable biometric tracking device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of arm movement profiles include one or more arm movement profiles approximating arm motions representative of one or more activities, each selected from the group consisting of: running, walking, elliptical exercises, resistance-training exercises, pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, jumping rope, and aerobic dancing.

6. The wearable biometric tracking device of claim 1 , wherein the control logic is further configured to:
determine a first arm motion profile associated with the first arm movement profile and based on data from the motion sensor and the pressure sensor,
determine a first reference motion profile based on the determination that the data representative of altitude and the motion data, in combination, correlate with the first arm movement profile, wherein the first reference motion profile is associated with the first arm movement profile, and
determine a degree of deviation between the first arm motion profile and the first reference motion profile.

7. The wearable biometric tracking device of claim 6 , wherein the first arm movement profile and the first reference motion profile are both associated with a gesture or gestures associated with a common action selected from the group consisting of: swinging a baseball bat; swinging a softball bat; swinging a tennis racket; swinging a badminton racket; swinging a squash racket; swinging a racketball racket; swinging a golfing wood; swinging a golfing iron; swinging a golfing wedge; swinging a golfing putter; swinging a golfing chipper; swinging a golfing hybrid; performing a resistance-training exercise; performing a martial arts motion; performing a gymnastics motion; performing a yoga exercise; taking a shot in a cue sport such as billiards; taking a shot in a cue sport such as snooker; taking a shot in a cue sport such as pool; taking a swimming stroke; bowling a bowling ball; firing a rifle; firing a pistol; thrusting a blade; swinging a blade; and parrying with a blade.

8. The wearable biometric tracking device of claim 6 , further comprising an interface device communicatively connected with the control logic, wherein the control logic is further configured to:
h) determine when the degree of deviation exceeds a first threshold amount of deviation, and
i) cause, responsive to a determination in (h) that the degree of deviation exceeds the first threshold amount, the interface device to provide an indication that the degree of deviation exceeded the first threshold amount, wherein:
A) the interface device includes one or more items selected from the group consisting of: a display, one or more lights, a vibramotor, and an audio device; and
B) the indication includes one or more items selected from the group consisting of: a numerical score, a vibration, a sound, a graphic, an icon, an animation, a message indicating fatigue, a message cautioning the wearer to slow down, and a message cautioning the wearer to take a rest.

9. The wearable biometric tracking device of claim 6 , wherein the first reference motion profile includes one or more comparison data points relating to physical parameters selected from the group consisting of position, velocity, acceleration, and jerk.

10. The wearable biometric tracking device of claim 1 , wherein the first arm movement profile is associated with a resistance-training bicep-curl-type activity and the motion data and the data representative of altitude correlate with the first arm movement profile when the motion data and the data representative of altitude include an instance in which:
the motion data indicates that a forearm upon which the wearable biometric tracking device is worn transitioned from a downward-sloping orientation to an upward-sloping orientation during a first time period,
the motion data indicates that the forearm upon which the wearable biometric tracking device is worn transitioned from the upward-sloping orientation to a downward-sloping orientation during a second time period following the first time period, and
the data representative of altitude indicates that the wearable biometric tracking device experienced an increase in altitude of between 1 ft and 2 ft during the first time period.

11. The wearable biometric tracking device of claim 10 , wherein the control logic is further configured to determine a number of substantially consecutive instances in which the motion data and the data representative of altitude correlate with the first arm movement profile and to determine a number of reps of the resistance-training bicep-curl-type activity based on the number of substantially consecutive instances.

12. The wearable biometric tracking device of claim 10 , wherein:
the control logic is further configured to determine a number of reps selected from the group consisting of i) 1 to 5 reps, ii) 5 to 8 reps, iii) 8 to 10 reps, iv) 10 to 12 reps, v) 12 to 15 reps, and vi) 15 to 20 reps,
the control logic is further configured to determine that the motion data and the data representative of altitude correlate with the first arm movement profile for a substantially consecutive number of instances equal to the number of reps, and
the control logic is further configured to store the data associated with the first arm movement profile in association with the resistance-training bicep-curl-type activity and responsive to the determination in (c) and to the determination that the motion data and the data representative of altitude correlated with the first arm movement profile for the substantially consecutive number of instances equal to the number of reps.

13. The wearable biometric tracking device of claim 12 , wherein the number of reps (i) through (vi) is selected based on data indicating whether a wearer of the wearable biometric tracking device is pursuing resistance-training for purposes selected from the group consisting of: I) emphasizi

Assignees

• Fitbit Inc

Inventors

• Yuen Shelten Gee Jao

Classifications

• A61B5/0002

  Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network (endoradiosondes A61B5/07) · CPC title

• A61B5/02433

  for infrared radiation · CPC title

• H04L67/18

  Electricity · mapped topic

• A63B24/0003

  Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis · CPC title

• A61B5/4812

  Detecting sleep stages or cycles · CPC title