Monitoring system

Abstract

A wearable device includes one or more sensors for information from an object. The wearable device may have an electronic assembly supported by a base. The electronic assembly may include a sensor data collection system configured to control the collection of sensor data associated with one or more features of the object. The sensor data collection system may include a controller and a buffer, the controller being configured to control the sorting and scheduling of the sensor data collection, and the buffer being configured to receive and cache data corresponding to the sensor data collected by the one or more sensors based on a signal provided by the controller. The scheduling and sorting of the sensor data collection performed by the sensor data collection system may be decoupled from a processor so that the processor may be in a low power sleep mode during data collection and process data received from the buffer in a normal power mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to monitoring, and more particularly, to health monitoring by wearable devices utilizing low-power, on-device processing. Background Art

[0002] Monitoring systems are used in various applications including monitoring the health of individual subjects. Some monitoring systems, including some health monitoring systems, include a combination of basic systems or device components (e.g., sensors, recording systems, and storage units). Software can be integrated with the hardware of one or more device components to facilitate data communication between device components or between device components and external components (such as displays, servers, analyzers, networks, etc.).

[0003] Some monitoring systems may also have a processing system and associated components to process the data, including in some cases data analysis. However, such monitoring systems typically employ a processor to control most or all aspects of data collection and processing, and are therefore susceptible to high power consumption and problems associated therewith, potentially including reduced battery life, overheating, high sampling jitter, maximum achievable bandwidth, and unpredictable timing of events associated with sensor data collection and processing.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a monitoring system that addresses the above-mentioned and other problems by at least reducing the power consumption associated with data collection and processing. The present disclosure addresses this and other needs. Summary of the invention

[0005] In a first aspect, a monitoring system may include a sensor data collection system and one or more processors, wherein the sensor data collection system is configured to control the collection of sensor data related to one or more characteristics of an object, and the sensor data collection system includes: a controller and a buffer, wherein the controller is configured to control the sorting and scheduling of sensor data collection, and the buffer is configured to receive and cache data corresponding to sensor data collected by one or more sensors according to a signal provided by the controller; the one or more processors are configured to: receive cached data from the buffer according to a wake-up signal, process the received data; and output the processed data, wherein the scheduling and sorting of sensor data collection performed by the sensor data collection system are decoupled from the processor.

[0006] In a second aspect, a wearable device may include a base and an electronic component supported by the base, wherein the electronic component includes: a sensor data collection system and one or more processors, the sensor data collection system is configured to control the collection of sensor data related to one or more characteristics of an object, the sensor data collection system includes a controller and a buffer, the controller is configured to control the sorting and scheduling of sensor data collection, the buffer is configured to receive and cache data corresponding to sensor data collected by one or more sensors according to a signal provided by the controller; the one or more processors are configured to: receive cached data from the buffer according to a wake-up signal, process the received data, and output the processed data, wherein the scheduling and sorting of sensor data collection performed by the sensor data collection system are decoupled from the processor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings, together with the written disclosure, serve to illustrate embodiments of the monitoring system. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the particular embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0008] Figure 1 An example of a subject (eg, a patient) wearing a wearable device is shown.

[0009] Figure 2A A wireless sensor device is illustrated in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

[0010] Figure 2B The present invention shows a method according to one or more embodiments described herein. Figure 2A An isometric view of a wireless sensor device with the top cover removed.

[0011] Figure 2C The present invention shows a method according to one or more embodiments described herein. Figure 2A The wireless sensor device shown in Figure 2B A cross-sectional view of the component shown in FIG.

[0012] Figure 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating basic elements that may comprise one or more embodiments of a wearable device.

[0013] Figure 4 A block diagram showing illustrative features of a monitoring system.

[0014] Figure 5 A block diagram illustrating elements of a monitoring system according to one or more embodiments described herein, where certain functions may be decoupled from a processor.

[0015] Figure 6An example of a system 600 is shown in which monitoring may be implemented according to one or more embodiments described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present disclosure relates to a monitoring system, and more specifically to a device and system configured for reduced power sensor data acquisition and processing in the field of health monitoring. The following description is presented to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the disclosed embodiments and variations thereof, and the following description is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various variations of the disclosed embodiments and the principles and features described herein will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments shown; on the contrary, the invention will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.

[0017] Figure 1 An example of an object (e.g., a patient) 100 wearing a wearable device 102 is illustrated. The wearable device 102 can be positioned at any location suitable for one or more monitoring functions of the wearable device 102. For example, but not limited to, the location can be an area of ​​the upper torso. Specific locations suitable for monitoring certain conditions can include any of the left mid-clavicular line on the intercostal space (ICS) 2 of the modified II lead configuration, the left mid-clavicular line vertically on the upper sternum, and the left mid-clavicular line horizontally on the ICS 6. In any of these and other locations, when the wearable device 102 is appropriately configured, the wearable device 102 can be used to monitor physiological characteristics or characteristics related to the object 100, including but not limited to ECG and accelerometer signals. For this and other purposes, as discussed more fully below, the wearable device 102 may include hardware, firmware, and / or software to perform various sensing, processing, and transmission of information related to the object 100.

[0018] Figure 2A-2C Collectively, non-limiting examples of wearable device 102 are shown as wireless sensor devices configured with one or more sensors to detect features and / or characteristics of object 100. More specifically, Figure 2A A wireless sensor device according to one or more embodiments described herein is shown; Figure 2B The present invention shows a method according to one or more embodiments described herein. Figure 2A An isometric view of a wireless sensor device with a top cover removed; and Figure 2C The present invention shows a method according to one or more embodiments described herein. Figure 2A A cross-sectional view of a wireless sensor device shown in FIG. Figure 2B A cross-sectional view of components of a wireless sensor device is shown in FIG.

[0019] In some embodiments, wearable device 102 may be disposable and / or reusable. Figure 2A-2C In the example shown, the wearable device 102 may include a cover 202, one or more sensors (sensors 204 and 206 are shown), a battery 208, a base 210, a gasket 212, an electronic circuit 214, a transmitter or transceiver 216, a display 218, and a speaker 220. For clarity, some components related to or necessary for the functions of the components shown may not be shown. In addition, the indication of these components is illustrative in nature and is not necessarily absolutely or relatively proportional or formed absolutely or relatively. Electronic components within the wearable device 102 (such as some or all electronic components and related structures inside the device when the cover 202 is in place) may be referred to as "electronic components" elsewhere in this specification. The electronic components may include a processing system and a sensor data collection system, which will be discussed below. The electronic assembly or parts thereof may be disposable and / or reusable with respect to the cover 202 and / or base 210, or the electronic assembly or parts thereof and the cover 202 and / or base 210 may be disposable and / or reusable.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the wearable device 102 can be attached to the object 100 via the base 210, for example, by a skin-friendly adhesive or other device. The sensors 204, 206 can be in direct contact with the object 100, or separated from the object 100 by the base 210 or other (one or more) components or (one or more) devices. Although two sensors are shown, the wearable device 102 can have one sensor or more than two sensors. The gasket 212 can include a suitable insulating material to physically and / or electrically separate elements such as the electronic circuit 214 and the sensor 206 or the base 210, and for this purpose, additional insulating materials can be used instead of the gasket 212 or can be used together with the gasket 212. For example, such insulating materials can include air, foam and / or polyetheretherketone (PEEK) for insulation.

[0021] Typically, sensors 204 and 206 are configured and positioned to obtain data from object 100. Such data is processed by wearable device 102 (e.g., by an on-chip processor system) to obtain data through any combination of analog, digital, and / or algorithmic processes. (Hereinafter, the use of "process" may include "analysis" of data; thus, these terms may be used in combination, individually, interchangeably, or in alternatives as the context indicates or allows.) The obtained data may be stored in a memory on wearable device 102 or sent externally by transmitter / transceiver 216 as desired. According to at least one embodiment, the processor may execute instructions to process the data and obtain information about the object, such as a condition related to the health of the object. The processed data or information may be displayed via display 218 of wearable device 102. (Hereinafter, "data" or "information" may be used in combination, individually, interchangeably, or as alternatives as context dictates or permits.) Additionally or alternatively, the processed information may be provided to the transmitter / transceiver 216 and in turn sent externally to a user or device for any suitable purpose, such as information collection, further processing, user or machine analysis, and / or storage. As a non-limiting example, the transmitter / transceiver 216 may send information such as physiological signals to a remote device / server (e.g., a ground-based or cloud-based server, or a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet) after analysis or in raw form. Figure 1 The information may also be provided in an audible form, such as a verbal report or a non-verbal signal (eg, an alarm).

[0022] One of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that a variety of sensors may be used as or in addition to the above-described sensors 204 and 206, including but not limited to temperature sensors, respiration sensors, sensors of heart, brain and other organ activity, body position accelerometers (e.g., triaxial accelerometers, uniaxial accelerometers, biaxial accelerometers and / or gyroscopes), and / or pressure sensors, all of which are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art will also readily recognize that the details of electronic components, other electrical components, form factors, structural and electrical configurations, materials, etc. are illustrative and that various modifications may be made to the details of electronic components, other electrical components, form factors, structural and electrical configurations, materials, etc., depending on factors such as patient size, configuration and comfort, physical environment, cost, etc. All such changes and modifications are considered to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 31 is a block diagram schematically illustrating basic elements of one or more embodiments that may include a wearable device 102. As shown, the wearable device 102 may include sensors 204, 206 for detecting information (e.g., at least one physiological signal from the subject 100), a processor 302, and a memory 304; the sensors 204, 206 are used to detect information (e.g., at least one physiological signal from the subject 100); the processor 302 is operably coupled to receive data collected by the sensors 204, 206; the memory 304 is coupled to the processor; wherein the memory 304 may store an application 306 including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations related to the information detected by the sensors 204, 206. Such operations may, for example, include processing and / or analyzing the collected data to determine a condition of the subject 100 and / or deriving information that, if provided to a user or other device, conveys information that may be used to determine the condition of the subject 100. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision numerous uses of such information and operations performed by the processor 302 to provide the same functionality.

[0024] Operations related to detecting information from the sensor, collecting data based on the information and providing the data to the processor 302, executing the application 306, and outputting the processed or related information via the transmitter / transceiver 216, the display 218, and / or the speaker 220 are controlled by sequencing and scheduling schemes based on various clocks. Some such schemes rely heavily on the processor 302 to control, collect, and process sensor data, and while this has some advantages, the sensor data may be susceptible to problems related to high power consumption (e.g., reduced battery life, overheating, high sampling jitter, maximum achievable bandwidth, and unpredictable timing of events related to sensor data collection and processing, etc.).

[0025] Figure 4A block diagram of the illustrative features of such a system is shown. As shown, a system 400 can use a processor 402 to control, obtain and process data from multiple sensors. These systems can schedule timing critical events related to sensor data collection and processing of sensor data and data of peripheral devices (such as display 404a, transmitter / transceiver 404b or speaker 404c) via (one or more) I / O interface 404, such as using a combination of timer 406 and interrupt 408, 410. In the system shown, the sensor data can be analog data converted to digital data using an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 412, and the processed data output from the processor 402 can be digital data output to one or more peripheral devices and / or digital data converted to analog data via a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 414. The output of DAC414 can provide a signal 418 to the object through a driver 416 to detect or allow measurement or stimulus response of a physiological signal, both of which can be sensed and input to ADC 412 as described above. For example, signal 418 may cause light to be generated in a pulse oximeter, the output of which may be input to ADC 412 .

[0026] Timing associated with key events and priorities (e.g., sensor selection, ADC triggering, caching, data writing / reading, instruction processing, etc.) relies on accurate synchronization, and a complex system such as system 400 may have multiple such key events and priorities, which may lead to uncertainty in the timing of events. In addition, such a system is inherently inefficient in terms of power. The processor 402 and the memory 420 that can store application instructions executed by the processor 402 can be important components of the system in terms of transistors / gates. The system 400 can therefore run at a high system clock frequency and suffer from significantly high dynamic and static power consumption.

[0027] Furthermore, because processor 402 is responsible for controlling and processing data from multiple sensors, the maximum bandwidth achievable by the system may be limited by high power consumption and the few available processor cycles for data acquisition and processing.

[0028] To address these and other issues, scheduling, sequencing, and data collection management can be decoupled from (i.e., not performed by) the processor. Instead, the power of the processor and its operation can be managed synchronously with, for example, data collection, so that data can be collected and stored in the background during low-power processor time. For example, a clock that sets the power to the processor can be turned off during (decoupled) data collection, and when the desired amount of data has been collected and / or stored, power is turned on to activate (e.g., "wake up") the processor to process the data, and then turned off again when processing is complete. Figure 5 A block diagram illustrating this and other features is schematically shown.

[0029] Figure 5 A block diagram of elements of a monitoring system according to one or more embodiments described herein is shown, wherein certain functions may be decoupled from a processor. For example, system 500 may be a system on a chip (SoC) that can be used with a wirelessly connected sensing device such as wireless wearable device 102. As shown, system 500 may include a processor subsystem 502 and a sensor data collection system 503, which includes an analog front end (AFE) interface 504 and an analog front end (AFE) 506.

[0030] In some embodiments, the processor subsystem 502 may include a processor 508, a shared system memory 510 (e.g., a static random access memory (SRAM) chip), a memory controller 512 (e.g., a direct memory access (DMA) controller), a system bus 514, and a peripheral bus 516. The processor 508, the system memory 510, and the memory controller 512 are shown as being coupled to the system bus 514. If the system 500 is configured as a SoC, some of the aforementioned components or other components may be provided on-chip or off-chip, although for ease of description, these components may be described herein as components of the system 500.

[0031] In one or more embodiments, the AFE interface 504 may include a programmable event sequencer and scheduler (ESS) 518, a timing generator 522, an optional hardware digital signal processor (DSP) 524, and a buffer 526, wherein the programmable event sequencer and scheduler (ESS) 518 is coupled to the system bus 514 via register control 520 and the peripheral bus 516.

[0032] In one or more embodiments, the processor 508 may be a microprocessor that controls configuration and communication tasks. The processor 508 is shown as being decoupled from sensor scheduling, sorting, and data acquisition, thereby allowing the processor 508 to enter a low power mode (e.g., "sleep") through a SLEEP instruction or otherwise, while the ESS 518 manages sensor scheduling, sorting, and data collection. When in sleep mode, for example, one or more clocks of the processor 508 may be turned off, excluding interface modules. In some embodiments, these exclusions may be turned on independently of the clock gating selection to keep the processor 508 from behaving normally to incoming requests. In order to wake up the processor 508 from a low power mode, (e.g., when the desired amount of sensor information has been collected or the buffer 526 is full), the buffer 526 may provide a wake-up signal to the processor 508. Another determining factor for waking up the processor 508 may be employed. Once awakened, the processor 508 or the memory controller 512 may retrieve data from the buffer 526 for processing.

[0033] In one or more embodiments, the DSP 524 can be a microprocessor operating in a single processor mode or in a dual processor mode with the processor 508. The DSP 524 can perform signal processing intensive tasks when, for example, in the dual processor mode. When in the single processor mode, the DSP 524 can perform both control / communication and signal processing. The DSP 524 can also be set to a sleep mode.

[0034] In one or more embodiments, the AFE 506 may include a selector 528 configured to receive analog sensor data and controllably output the analog data to the ADC 530 based on a sensor selection signal 532 from the ESS 518. The ADC 530 may be configured to receive the selected analog data 534, convert the analog data 534 into digital data 536, and output the digital data 536 to the buffer 526 based on a trigger signal 538 from the ESS 518 (optionally via the DSP 524).

[0035] In one or more embodiments, the processed data output from the processor 508 may be digital data output to one or more peripheral devices via the peripheral bus 516 and / or a digital signal converted to analog data via the DAC 540 via the ESS 518. The output of the DAC 540, via the driver 542, may provide a signal 544 to the subject to detect or allow measurement of a physiological signal or a stimulus response, both of which may be sensed and input to the ADC 530 as described above. For example, the signal 544 may cause light to be generated in a pulse oximeter, the output of which may be input to the ADC 530. In some embodiments, the output of the DAC 540 may be fed back to the output of the selector 528 to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the input to the ADC 530.

[0036] The sensing information can be output via a suitable peripheral interface. For example, but not limited to, two SPI (serial peripheral interface) master interfaces can be provided, one dedicated to SPI flash memory and the other for accessing SPI slaves on MEM (micro-electromechanical system), gyroscopes, etc. As a non-limiting example, two UART interfaces can also be provided, one for Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) access and the other for debug access. In addition, an I2C master interface can be provided for altimeter access. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and be able to implement these and other interfaces as needed.

[0037] In one or more embodiments, system 500 can operate in two power domains—a "VDD" domain and a "VDD_SW" domain. For example, the VDD domain can be an always-on domain, while VDD_SW can be switched to a low-power SLEEP state to reduce dynamic and static power.

[0038] In some embodiments, the VDD domain may include one or more of clock control, reset control, power management, and AFE interface. Processor subsystems, peripherals, and other components (one or more of which may be within the core block) may be in the VDD_SW domain. By having the AFE interface in the "always on" domain, the SoC has the ability to enter a low power state while still being able to capture data from the AFE.

[0039] In some embodiments, the sequencing of events from normal power mode (ON mode) to low power mode (sleep mode) can be managed by ESS 518. When in normal mode, processor 508 can set and synchronize timers and wake-ups. For example, processor 508 can start a countdown timer with a master timer, thereby allowing the countdown timer and the master timer to be synchronized. When the countdown timer expires, sleep mode can be entered. Other determinants can be used to cause sleep mode, including but not limited to interrupting sensor data collection or ending retrieval data from buffer 526.

[0040] During the sleep mode ESS 518, the ADC interface, DAC interface, and power management can be at normal VDD and continue to operate as previously described. In one or more embodiments, the normal power mode can be restored based on the expiration of a sleep timer and / or a trigger. For example, the sleep timer can start counting down from a preloaded value, and when the sleep timer expires, the normal mode can be restored. In one or more embodiments, the normal mode can be restored in response to a trigger, which can be an external interrupt from a MEMS or BTLE device, an almost full flag from the buffer 526, or a battery undervoltage signal. The countdown of the sleep timer can be started based on the trigger.

[0041] In one or more embodiments, upon entering sleep mode, the clock to the core may be turned "off." When the sleep timer expires or in response to an external interrupt, the clock to the core may be turned "on," and the processor 508 may continue from where it was left.

[0042] ESS 518 can be a time-driven sequencer to execute a sequence of "events". Within each "event", multiple instructions and triggers can be scheduled, including but not limited to writing analog and digital control registers, triggering DAC 540 and ADC 530 at programmed times; passing timestamps received from timing generator 522 to buffer 526 at identifiable triggers to identify, for example, when data is captured at selector 528 or an event occurs; identifying ADC streams based on triggers to distinguish data by sensor; etc. ESS 518 can also enable one or more core components to be in low power when it manages AFE data capture.

[0043] Thus, ESS 518 can manage scheduling, sequencing, and data collection while processor 508 is in a low power mode or other mode. Figure 5 An ESS 518 is shown, which controls sensor selection using a sensor select signal 532, controls ADC output using a flip-flop 538, and controls data writing to a buffer 528 using a data_wr signal 546. The ESS 518 itself can be operably coupled to a timing generator 522, and the ESS 518 and the timing generator 522 can be coupled to the system bus 514 via a register control 520. The timing generator 522 can be used as a reference clock for the timing provided by the ESS 518, and because the ESS 518 can have a small instruction memory, the ESS 518 can be programmable and maintain precise timing based on the reference clock provided by the timing generator 522, while consuming less power than a system under single processor control (e.g., system 400). In particular, the sum of the power consumed by the ESS 518 and the processor 508 when performing their operations as part of the wearable device 102 can be less than the power consumed by the processor 402 (if part of the wearable device 102) when performing similar operations.

[0044] Figure 6 1 shows an example of a system 600 that can implement monitoring according to one or more embodiments described herein. The system 600 may include at least partially corresponding to Figure 5 The sensor data collection system 503, processor 508, system memory 510, DMA 512, system bus 514, and peripheral bus 616 are shown as sensor data collection system 603, processor 608, system memory 610, DMA 612, system bus 614, and peripheral bus 616. System 600 may also include a display 604a, a transmitter / transceiver 604b, a speaker 604c, and / or other peripheral devices coupled to the peripheral bus 616 via (one or more) I / O interface 604.

[0045] The operations described herein may be implemented using any suitable controller or processor and software applications, which may be stored on any suitable storage location or computer-readable medium. For example, the software application may provide instructions that enable the processor 508 (608) and / or the ESS 512 to perform one or more operations described herein.

[0046] In one or more embodiments, the disclosed processes may be performed by a wearable device or by an external device including, but not limited to, a sensor / relay / cloud processor, a smart phone device, and / or a cloud computing system.

[0047] The electronic assembly or its components (e.g., a processing system and / or a sensor data collection system) may include or contain one or more SoC hardware (SoC HW), an operating system, a hardware layer abstraction, a debug layer, a test module, and a device driver. Non-limiting examples of suitable SoCs may include one or more of the following:

[0048] ARC-610D 32-bit microprocessor as the control processor (eg, processor 508).

[0049] • ARC-610D 32-bit microprocessor with XY memory for DSP (eg, DSP 524) processing.

[0050] AMBA 2.0 AHB architecture with arbitration.

[0051] · 2 UARTs for Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) connectivity and as a debug interface.

[0052] · 2 SPI interfaces.

[0053] oOne proprietary 1.8v SPI interface for SPI Flash memory

[0054] oOne shared (4cs) SPI interface for MEMS, altimeter, gyroscope, etc.

[0055] · 1 I2C interface for altimeter.

[0056] 8-channel DMA engine on AHB.

[0057] • ADC interface and buffers (eg, buffer 526) on the AHB.

[0058] • A programmable event scheduler (e.g. ESS518) for scheduling sensor setup and data collection.

[0059] 128-bit or 256-bit AES CCM engine for data encryption and decryption.

[0060] Power management unit.

[0061] • An event scheduler (eg, ESS 518) for independently managing and scheduling ADC data capture.

[0062] An example of an ARC-610D 32-bit microprocessor as a control processor (e.g., processor 508) may have one or more of the following (no limitation should be inferred):

[0063] 64KB tightly coupled data memory (DCCM).

[0064] 128KB of tightly coupled instruction memory (ICCM) SRAM and 64KB of ROM.

[0065] · 4-port register file.

[0066] 32×32 multiplier.

[0067] ·standardization.

[0068] ·exchange.

[0069] SmaRT with 8-entry stack for true tracing capabilities.

[0070] 32-bit AHB master.

[0071] JTAG debug interface.

[0072] AHB-DMI slave interface to ICCM and DCCM.

[0073] 29 external interrupts (31:3).

[0074] An example of an ARC-610D 32-bit microprocessor with XY memory for DSP (e.g., DSP 524) processing may have one or more of the following (no limitation should be inferred):

[0075] 64KB tightly coupled data memory (DCCM).

[0076] ·256KB of tightly coupled instruction memory (ICCM) SRAM and 32KB of ROM.

[0077] · 4-port register file.

[0078] · 32×32 multiplier (1 cycle).

[0079] ·standardization.

[0080] ·exchange.

[0081] SmaRT with 8-entry stack for true tracing capabilities.

[0082] 32×16d16 XMAC (multiply & accumulate).

[0083] - XY memory (a single bank of 4K bytes for X and Y).

[0084] 32-bit AHB master.

[0085] JTAG debug interface.

[0086] AHB-DMI slave interface to ICCM and DCCM.

[0087] 28 external interrupts (31:4).

[0088] It is readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that other components may be coupled to each other in a variety of different ways and configurations, or may be independent devices, within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0089] A monitoring system is disclosed. The embodiments described herein may take the form of a fully hardware implementation, a fully software implementation, or an implementation containing both hardware and software elements. The embodiments may be implemented in software, including but not limited to application software, firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.

[0090] The operations described herein may be implemented using any suitable controller or processor and a software application, which may be stored on any suitable storage location or computer-readable medium. The software application provides instructions that enable a processor or controller to perform the operations described herein.

[0091] Furthermore, embodiments may take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer usable or computer readable medium providing program code for use by or in conjunction with a computer or any instruction execution system. For purposes of this specification, a computer usable or computer readable medium may be any device that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0092] The medium can be an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, semiconductor system (or device or apparatus), or propagation medium. Examples of computer-readable media include semiconductor or solid-state memory, magnetic tape, removable computer disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, and optical disk. Current examples of optical disks include DVD, compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), and compact disk-read / write (CD-R / W).

[0093] Although the present invention has been described according to the illustrated embodiments, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that there may be variations to the embodiments, and that these variations will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising: A sensor data collection system, the sensor data collection system being configured to control the collection of sensor data associated with one or more features of an object, the sensor data collection system comprising: System bus; Peripheral bus; a scheduler coupled to the system bus via the peripheral bus, the scheduler configured to control sequencing and scheduling of the sensor data collection; and a buffer configured to receive and buffer data corresponding to the sensor data collected from one or more sensors according to a signal provided by the scheduler; and one or more processors configured to: receiving cached data from the cache according to the wake-up signal; Process the received data; and Output the processed data; wherein scheduling and sequencing of the sensor data collection performed by the sensor data collection system is decoupled from the one or more processors; wherein the one or more processors are configured to enter a low-power sleep mode during the sensor data collection performed by the sensor data collection system, the low-power sleep mode preventing the one or more processors from receiving the buffered data, processing the received data, and outputting the processed data; wherein the one or more processors are configured to exit the low-power sleep mode and resume receiving the cached data from the cache according to the wake-up signal; and Wherein, in response to the buffer being full, the buffer provides the wake-up signal to the one or more processors.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising: an analog-to-digital converter ADC, the analog-to-digital converter ADC being configured to receive analog sensor data, convert the analog sensor data into digital sensor data, and output the digital sensor data according to a first signal; The data received and buffered by the buffer includes the digital sensor data output by the analog-to-digital converter ADC.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 2, further comprising: A transmitter is configured to receive and transmit the processed data output by the one or more processors.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 3, further comprising: one or more sensors configured to provide the sensor data; as well as A base is configured to support the one or more sensors, the sensor data collection system, and the one or more processors.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 4, further comprising: a transmitter configured to receive and transmit the processed data output by the one or more processors; Wherein, the base is configured to support the transmitter.

6. The monitoring system according to claim 4, further comprising: one or more batteries configured to power the sensor data collection system and the one or more processors; Wherein, the one or more batteries are supported by the base.

7. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The wake-up signal is provided to the one or more processors according to an external interrupt.

8. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The wake-up signal is provided to the one or more processors based on expiration of a timer.

9. The monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein: The one or more sensors include an ECG sensor and a respiration sensor.

10. A wearable device comprising: Pedestal; as well as an electronic assembly supported by the base; Wherein, the electronic components include: A sensor data collection system, the sensor data collection system being configured to control the collection of sensor data associated with one or more features of an object, the sensor data collection system comprising: System bus; Peripheral bus; a scheduler coupled to the system bus via the peripheral bus, the scheduler configured to control sequencing and scheduling of the sensor data collection; and a buffer configured to receive and buffer data corresponding to the sensor data collected from one or more sensors according to a signal provided by the scheduler; and One or more processors, the one or more processors configured to: receiving cached data from the cache according to the wake-up signal; Process the received data; and Output the processed data; wherein scheduling and sequencing of the sensor data collection performed by the sensor data collection system is decoupled from the one or more processors; wherein the one or more processors are configured to enter a low-power sleep mode during the sensor data collection performed by the sensor data collection system, the low-power sleep mode preventing the one or more processors from receiving the buffered data, processing the received data, and outputting the processed data; wherein the one or more processors are configured to exit the low-power sleep mode and resume receiving the cached data according to the wake-up signal; and Wherein, in response to the buffer being full, the buffer provides the wake-up signal to the one or more processors.

11. The wearable device according to claim 10, wherein: The electronic assembly further comprises: an analog-to-digital converter ADC, the analog-to-digital converter ADC being configured to receive analog sensor data, convert the analog sensor data into digital sensor data, and output the digital sensor data according to a first signal; The data received and buffered by the buffer includes the digital sensor data output by the analog-to-digital converter ADC.

12. The wearable device according to claim 10, further comprising: one or more sensors configured to provide the sensor data; as well as A base is configured to support the one or more sensors, the sensor data collection system, and the one or more processors.

13. The wearable device according to claim 12, further comprising: a transmitter configured to receive and transmit the processed data output by the one or more processors; Wherein, the base is configured to support the transmitter.

14. The wearable device according to claim 12, further comprising: one or more batteries configured to power the sensor data collection system and the one or more processors; Wherein, the one or more batteries are supported by the base.

15. The wearable device according to claim 10, wherein: The wake-up signal is provided to the one or more processors according to an external interrupt.

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