Portable monitoring device and method of operating the same

Abstract

In one aspect of the disclosed implementation, a device includes one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the device and providing activity data indicative of the sensed motion. The device also includes one or more processors for monitoring the activity data and receiving or generating annotation data for annotating the activity data with one or more tags or indicators to define one or more characteristics of an activity session. The device also includes one or more feedback devices for providing feedback, notifications, or indications to a user based on the monitoring. The device further includes a portable housing enclosing at least a portion of the motion sensors, the processor, and the feedback device.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of September 17, 2014, application number "201710251926.1", and invention name "Portable monitoring device and its operation method". Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a portable monitoring device and an operating method thereof. Background Art

[0003] Increasing consumer interest in personal health has led to the development of a variety of personal health monitoring devices. Such devices tend to be complex to use, or are typically designed for use with only one activity: for example, running or cycling, but not both together. More recent advances in the miniaturization of sensors, power supplies, and other electronic devices or components have enabled personal health monitoring devices to be provided in a size, form factor, or shape that is smaller than previously feasible or industrially practical. For example, the Fitbit Ultra (manufactured by Fitbit, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, California) is a biometric monitoring device that is approximately 2" long, 0.75" wide, and 0.5" deep. The Fitbit Ultra has a pixelated display, battery, sensors, wireless communication capabilities, power and interface buttons, and an integrated clip for attaching the device to a pocket or other portion of clothing, all packaged within this small volume. Summary of the invention

[0004] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following figures may not be drawn to scale unless explicitly indicated as a scaled figure.

[0005] In one aspect of the disclosed implementation, a device includes one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the device and providing activity data indicative of the sensed motion. The device also includes one or more processors for monitoring the activity data and receiving or generating annotation data for annotating the activity data with one or more tags or indicators to define one or more characteristics of an activity session. The device also includes one or more feedback devices for providing feedback, notifications, or indications to a user based on the monitoring. The device further includes a portable housing enclosing at least a portion of the motion sensors, the processor, and the feedback device.

[0006] In some embodiments, the device further comprises a memory, and the processor is further configured to store the activity data or data derived from the activity data in the memory. In some such embodiments, the processor is further configured to store the annotation data in the memory. In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to determine one or more activity metrics based on the activity data. In some such embodiments, the processor is further configured to determine one or more activity metrics based on the annotation data.

[0007] In some embodiments, the device further includes one or more user input devices included in or on the housing for receiving or sensing user input, and the processor is further configured to receive and interpret the user input received or sensed via the user input device. In some such embodiments, the motion sensor itself can also act as a user input device by sensing the user's touch, tap, or other body gestures to or with the device. In some embodiments, the device further includes a transmitting and receiving circuit. In some such embodiments, the user input is input by the user via an external or remote device and then communicated to the receiving circuit. In some such embodiments, the processor is further configured to receive and interpret the user input received from the receiving circuit. In some such embodiments, the transmitting and receiving circuit is configured for wireless communication via a computer network, and the user input is input via a network or mobile application.

[0008] In some embodiments, the device is configured to enable a user to input the annotation data via a user input. In some such embodiments, the user input is input based on a physical interaction with the device, which is then interpreted by the processor. In some other embodiments, the user input is input to an external device that is communicatively coupled to the device via one or more wired or wireless connections or networks. In some embodiments, the device is configured to enable a user to initiate, indicate, or mark a start time or end time of a user-defined activity session in response to a user input received via one of one or more user interface devices. In some embodiments, the device is configured to enable a user to indicate a specific user activity performed during a user-defined activity session in response to a user input received via one of one or more user interface devices.

[0009] In some embodiments, the device is configured to automatically annotate the activity data or generate the annotation data. In some such embodiments, the device is configured to automatically annotate the activity data or generate the annotation data based on a device state. In some embodiments, the device is configured to automatically annotate the activity data or generate the annotation data based on an analysis of the activity data. In some embodiments, the processor is configured to automatically determine the activity data to track or the activity metric to calculate based on the annotation data.

[0010] In some embodiments, the housing includes a wrist or armband, the housing being configured for physical attachment to or coupling with the wrist or armband, or being configured for insertion into the wrist or armband. In some embodiments, the device further includes one or more of the following: one or more gyroscopes, one or more physiological sensors, one or more biometric sensors, one or more altitude sensors, one or more temperature sensors, and one or more heart rate sensors.

[0011] In another aspect of the disclosed implementation, a method of monitoring one or more activity metrics using a portable monitoring device is described. In some implementations, the method includes sensing motion of the device by one or more motion sensors within the device. The method also includes outputting, by the one or more motion sensors, activity data indicating the sensed movement. The method also includes receiving, by one or more processors within the device, the activity data. The method additionally includes receiving or generating annotation data by the one or more processors. The method further includes annotating the activity data based on the annotation data.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving the annotation data from a user. In some other embodiments, the method includes generating the annotation data based on the activity data. In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to determine or calculate one or more activity metrics based on the activity data and the annotation data.

[0013] In yet another aspect of the disclosed implementation, a device includes one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the device and providing activity data indicative of the sensed motion. The device also includes one or more processors for monitoring the activity data and for switching between multiple activity tracking modes. The device also includes one or more feedback devices for providing feedback, notifications, or indications to a user based on the monitoring. The device further includes a portable housing enclosing at least a portion of the motion sensors, the processor, and the feedback device.

[0014] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to determine one or more activity metrics based on the activity data. In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to determine the one or more activity metrics based on which of the activity tracking modes is currently in effect. In some embodiments, the device is configured to enable a user to set or select a specific activity tracking mode to switch to based on user input. In some embodiments, the device is configured to automatically determine or select a specific activity tracking mode to switch to in response to the activity data. In some embodiments, a plurality of activity tracking modes include one or more activity-specific activity tracking modes and a sleep tracking mode. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Various implementations disclosed herein are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals may refer to similar elements.

[0016] Figure 1 A block diagram depicts an example portable monitoring device.

[0017] Figure 2 Depicted is a portable monitoring device that may be inserted into a holder with a belt clip or into a pocket on a wristband.

[0018] Figure 3 Depicts a portable monitoring device that can be worn on a person's forearm like a watch.

[0019] Figure 4 Depicted is another example of a portable monitoring device wearable on a person's forearm. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The present invention generally relates to portable monitoring devices (also referred to herein as "portable tracking devices" or simply "devices"), and more particularly to wearable monitoring devices that include wearable biometric monitoring devices. Various implementations relate to portable monitoring devices capable of monitoring and tracking actions or activities and related data. For example, the portable monitoring device may include one or more motion sensors for detecting movement data or various other biometric, physiological or environmental sensors for detecting biometric data, physiological data, environmental data, or related data (also collectively referred to below as "activity data"). In some example implementations, the portable monitoring device includes a general or default activity tracking mode. In some such implementations, the default activity tracking mode is an "annotation mode". In some such implementations, activity data that is monitored or tracked (hereinafter "monitored" and "tracked" may be used interchangeably) when in the annotation mode may be annotated or otherwise marked to indicate, specify, or demarcate start and end time points, durations, or other time points of or within an activity session.

[0021] For the purpose of the present invention, "activity session" may generally refer to a user-defined duration, or a duration associated with a specific activity or time of day, wherein the device is monitoring activity data. In some embodiments, the activity data monitored when in the default annotation mode may also be annotated or otherwise marked to indicate, specify or define a specific activity performed by the user during the activity session, such as walking, running, climbing stairs, cycling, swimming or even sleeping. In various embodiments, the user may annotate the activity data before, during or after the completion of the associated activity. In various embodiments, one or more activity metrics may be determined, calculated or analyzed based on the activity data. In some such embodiments, the activity metrics are communicated to the user via a display, lighting system, noise or via vibration or tactile feedback. In some embodiments, one or more goals, process indicators, reminders or notifications based on other activities may be communicated to the user based on one or more of the activity metrics. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, one or more alarm clocks, reminders or other notifications based on time, physiology, biometrics, states, conditions or environments may also be communicated to the user. Such achieved goals, progress indicators, reminders, or other notifications may be communicated to the user via a display, lighting system, noise, or via vibration or tactile feedback.

[0022] In some other embodiments, the portable monitoring device is capable of switching between two or more modes, such as two or more activity tracking modes. In some such embodiments, the two or more activity tracking modes include one or more activity-specific activity tracking modes, which include, for example, walking mode, running mode, stair climbing mode, cycling mode, swimming mode, climbing mode, and golfing mode, as well as other example activity tracking modes configured for other corresponding activities. In some embodiments, the two or more activity tracking modes may also include a sleep tracking mode. In some embodiments, the portable monitoring device itself may determine which activity data to monitor or which activity (or sleep) metrics to determine, calculate, calculate, track, or analyze (hereinafter used interchangeably) based on which of the activity tracking modes is currently in effect or initiated (hereinafter "sleep metrics" may also be generally referred to as "activity metrics"). Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, one or both of the external computing device or the backend server may request certain activity data from the portable monitoring device based on which of the activity tracking modes is currently in effect or initiated. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, one or both of the external computing device or the backend server may receive all activity data monitored by the portable monitoring device and then filter or otherwise selectively process certain activity data to determine certain activity (or sleep) metrics based on which of the activity tracking modes is currently in effect or initiated.

[0023] Figure 1 A block diagram of an example portable monitoring device 100 is depicted. The portable monitoring device 100 includes one or more sensors 102. The portable monitoring device 100 also includes a processing unit 104, a memory 106, a user interface 108, and an input / output (I / O) interface 110. The one or more sensors 102, the processing unit 104, the memory 106, the user interface 108, and the I / O interface 110 are communicatively connected to one or more of each other via one or more communication paths, collectively referred to as a communication bus 112. The portable monitoring device 100 further includes a power source 114, such as one or more rechargeable or removable batteries.

[0024] The sensor 102 includes one or more motion sensors configured to sense and output movement data indicating the movement of the portable monitoring device 100. For example, the motion sensor may include one or more accelerometers for sensing movement data. In some implementations, the portable monitoring device 100 includes one or more accelerometers for sensing acceleration or other movement data in each of three directions that may be orthogonal, for example. The sensor 102 may also include one or more gyroscopes for sensing rotation data. In some implementations, the portable monitoring device 100 includes one or more gyroscopes for sensing rotation around each of three axes that may be orthogonal, for example. As will be described later, the movement data and rotation data may also be used to capture user input. The sensor 102 may also include one or more altimeters (hereinafter also referred to as "altitude sensors"). For example, the portable monitoring device 100 may include a pressure or barometric altimeter. The sensor 102 may also include one or more temperature sensors for sensing one or both of the ambient temperature outside the user's body or the internal temperature of the user's body. The sensor 102 may also include one or more light sensors (e.g., photodetectors). For example, a light sensor may be used to detect the ambient light level of the environment used, for example, in determining the appropriate or optimal intensity of the display of the portable monitoring device 100. Other light sensors may be used to collect other biometric data, such as the blood oxygen level of the user. The sensor 102 may also include one or more pressure or proximity sensors for receiving user input. Such pressure or proximity sensors may be based on mechanical designs or based on, for example, capacitance, resistance, or other electrical or optical designs. The portable monitoring device 100 may also be coupled to external sensing devices, such as an external heart rate monitor (e.g., a chest strap heart rate monitor) for sensing the heart rate of the user. The portable monitoring device 100 may also include or be coupled to other physiological or biometric sensors. In some implementations, the portable monitoring device 100 is additionally configured to sense or monitor one or more other types of biometric data, or to measure, calculate, or determine biometric data based on movement, rotation, or other data described above. As used herein, biometric data may refer to virtually any data about the physical characteristics of a human body, and as described above, activity data may also refer to such biometric data.

[0025] The processing unit 104 may include one or more processors, processing circuits, computing units, computing circuits, controllers, or microcontrollers (hereinafter used interchangeably). Each of the processors may be implemented by a general or special purpose processor (or a collection of processing cores), and may execute a sequence of encoded instructions ("decoding") to perform tasks and implement various operations. Additionally or alternatively, the processing unit 104 may include a customized hardware ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) or may be programmable as a programmable logic device, such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array). In some embodiments, the memory 106 stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing unit 104, cause the processing unit 104 to control the sensor 102 to perform one or more of the following operations: sampling or extracting data received from the sensor 102, storing the received data in the memory 106, and retrieving or loading data previously stored in the memory 106. The activity data received from the sensor 102 may be stored in the memory 106 by the processing unit 104 in a raw format, or may be pre-processed before being stored in the memory 106. For example, processing unit 104 may store or buffer the most recent 10 minutes of activity data in raw form, but may then store data from before the ten minute window as filtered data (e.g., with a lower sampling rate or with some form of numerical analysis, such as performing a moving average), or as converted data: for example, acceleration data may be converted into an activity metric, such as "steps taken," "stairs climbed," or "distance traveled."

[0026] Activity data from sensor 102, including raw data or post-processed data, may be further analyzed to determine whether the activity data indicates a predefined biometric state or condition associated with a user input. If this analysis indicates that this data has been collected, then processing unit 104 may then process this event equivalent to a user input. In some embodiments, processing unit 104 may also derive secondary data based on the raw activity data. In some embodiments, processing unit 104 also performs analysis on raw activity data received from sensor 102 or on raw or previously processed ("post-processed") activity data retrieved from memory 106, and initiates various actions based on the analysis. For example, processing unit 104 may track, determine, compute, calculate, or analyze one or more physiological, biometric, activity, or sleep metrics (hereinafter collectively referred to as "activity metrics") based on raw pre-processed or secondary activity data (also generally referred to herein as "activity data").

[0027] The memory 106 may include any suitable memory architecture. In some embodiments, the memory 106 includes different categories of storage devices or units storing different data categories. In some embodiments, the memory 106 includes non-volatile storage media for storing executable code (also referred to as "executable instructions") and related data, such as fixed or removable semiconductor-based, optical or magnetic media, for implementing the embodiments and performing the processes described herein. In some embodiments, the memory 106 is also configured to store configuration data or other information for implementing various default or user-defined settings or for implementing the default or activity-specific activity tracking modes described herein. The memory 106 may also be configured to store other configuration data used during the execution of various programs or instruction sets or otherwise used to configure the portable monitoring device 100. In addition, any of the aforementioned raw activity data generated by the sensor 102 and the pre-processed or derived data may be stored in the non-volatile storage media within the memory 106 for later analysis or other purposes. Additionally, in some implementations, activity metrics calculated by processing unit 104 or received from an external computing device or server may also be stored in a non-volatile storage medium within memory 106 for later analysis, review, or other use. In some implementations, memory 106 also includes volatile storage media such as static or dynamic random access memory (RAM) for temporary or non-permanent storage of more transient information and other variable data, as well as executable code retrieved from non-volatile storage media in some implementations. The volatile storage medium may also store any of the aforementioned data generated by sensor 102 or data derived from sensed data (e.g., including activity or sleep tracking metrics) for later analysis, later storage in a non-volatile medium within memory 106, or for subsequent communication via a wired or wireless connection via I / O interface 110. The processing unit 104 may additionally or alternatively include its own volatile memory, such as RAM, for loading executable code from the non-volatile memory for execution by the processing unit 104 or for tracking, analyzing, or otherwise processing any of the aforementioned data generated by the sensor 102 or data derived from the sensed data (e.g., including activity or sleep tracking metrics) for later analysis, later storage in non-volatile media within the memory 106, or for subsequent communication via a wired or wireless connection via the I / O interface 110.

[0028] As will be described in more detail below, processing unit 104 may also be configured to track and determine when activity data received from sensor 102 or retrieved from memory 106, or activity metrics generated from such activity data, indicates that a goal has been achieved or a progress point has been reached. For example, such a goal may be a specific activity metric such as distance, number of steps, elevation change, or amount of calories burned, as well as other goals described in more detail below. Processing unit 104 may then notify the user via user interface 108 that a goal or progress indicator has been achieved. For example, processing unit 104 may cause a display to show content on the display that marks or celebrates the achievement of a goal. Additionally or alternatively, processing unit 104 may cause one or more lights (e.g., LEDs) to light up, flash, change intensity, or otherwise reflect a visual pattern or display that notifies the user that a goal has been achieved. Additionally or alternatively, processing unit 104 may cause one or more sound generating devices to alarm, beep, or otherwise make noises that notify the user that a goal has been achieved. Additionally or alternatively, processing unit 104 may cause one or more vibration devices to vibrate or otherwise provide tactile feedback in the form of one or more vibration patterns, and in some implementations, with different or varying vibration characteristics, thereby notifying the user that a particular goal has been achieved.

[0029] In some embodiments, the user interface 108 collectively refers to and includes one or more user input devices and one or more output devices. The memory 106 may also store executable instructions that, when executed by the processing unit 104, cause the processing unit 104 to receive and interpret user input received via the user interface 108 or output or communicate information to the user via the user interface 108. In various embodiments, the user interface 108 may incorporate one or more types of user interfaces, including, for example, visual, auditory, touch, vibration, or a combination thereof. For example, the user interface 108 may include one or more buttons in or on a device housing that encloses the processing unit 104, the memory 106, and other electrical or mechanical components of the portable monitoring device 100. The button may be based on a mechanical design and an electrical design, and may incorporate, for example, one or more pressure sensors, proximity sensors, resistive sensors, capacitive sensors, or optical sensors. The user interface 108 may also include a touch pad or touch screen interface, which may be disposed on or integrated with a display, and may incorporate these or other types of sensors.

[0030] In some implementations, the aforementioned motion sensors, gyroscopes, or other sensors may also be used to detect body gestures corresponding to user inputs. This allows the user to interact with the device using body gestures. For example, accelerometers and gyroscopes may be used to detect when a user "taps," shakes, rotates, flicks, or makes other "gestures" to a portable monitoring device. As another example, the portable monitoring device 100 may include a magnetometer that may be used to detect the orientation of the device relative to the earth's magnetic field. Other gestures that may be used to cause the portable monitoring device 100 to perform an action include, but are not limited to, multiple taps or specific tap patterns. For example, a user may tap anywhere on the outside of a portable monitoring device (e.g., a housing) twice within a specific period of time, causing the display to show specific content, annotate activity data, or change device mode.

[0031] As just described, the user interface 108 may also include a display that may be included on or in a housing that encloses the processing unit 104 and the memory 106. In various embodiments, the display may be configured as an alphanumeric display, a momentary visible display, or a blank front display. The display may also include or be based on any suitable display technology, including liquid crystal display (LCD) technology or light emitting diode (LED) technology, as well as other suitable display technologies. The display may be configured to display various information to the user. In some embodiments, the user may enter selections, navigate through menus, or enter other information via buttons, pressure sensors, proximity sensors, resistive sensors, capacitive sensors, optical sensors, or a touch screen incorporating these or other types of sensors.

[0032] In various embodiments, the display may show activity data, biometric data, contextual data, environmental data, system or inherent condition data or data derived from activity or other sensed data, one or more activity metrics, one or more sleep metrics, currently active activity tracking mode, one or more menus, one or more settings, one or more alarms or other indicators, a clock, a timer, a "stopwatch," and other suitable information. In some embodiments, the information displayed may be customized by the user or additionally or alternatively depend on the current device state or mode of the portable monitoring device 100. For example, due to limited display space (in order to keep the portable monitoring device as small, portable or wearable as possible without sacrificing functionality or ease of use), the data displayed in association with each device state or mode may be split into multiple different data display pages, and the user may "advance" the data display page associated with a given device state or mode by providing input to the biometric monitoring device.

[0033] The term "data display page" as used herein may refer to a visual display including text, graphics, and / or indicators, such as LEDs or other lights (e.g., as used on Fitbit Flex), which is arranged to communicate data measured, generated, or received by the portable monitoring device 100 to a user viewing the display of the portable monitoring device. In order to more dynamically change the display or provide notifications to the user, the portable monitoring device 100 may track its device state via a variety of mechanisms and transition between different device states when the context state, environmental state, or mode changes. In some embodiments, the device may include and be capable of operating in multiple active modes, multiple active environmental states, multiple active contextual states, or a combination of these simultaneously. In this case, the device state may be different for each different combination of environmental state, contextual state, or mode.

[0034] In embodiments that include an annotation mode, the annotation data display page may indicate that the portable monitoring device 100 is in the annotation mode. While the portable monitoring device 100 is in the annotation mode (or in other words, while the annotation mode is active or initiated), information related to the annotated activity may be displayed. For example, data display pages for various types of activity data or activity metrics may show quantities measured while the portable monitoring device 100 is in the annotation mode. For example, when operating in the annotation mode, a data display page for "steps taken" may only display the number of steps taken while the portable monitoring device 100 is in the annotation mode or in an activity session defined using the annotation data (rather than, for example, the number of steps taken throughout a whole day, week, month, year, or over the life of the device).

[0035] In an example embodiment, if the portable monitoring device 100 is in a device state associated with the wearer falling asleep (e.g., an annotated sleep tracking state or sleep tracking mode), it is unlikely for the wearer to enter information into the portable monitoring device or otherwise interact with the portable monitoring device. Therefore, in some embodiments, the processing unit 104 may reduce the sensitivity of various user input detection mechanisms (especially the touch screen) (or turn off the display or the entire device completely) to reduce the risk of accidental input or save power. In other device states, it may be necessary to change the user input method based on the limitations of various input mechanisms in various environments. For example, if the portable monitoring device 100 determines that it is in a device state associated with swimming (e.g., the portable monitoring device 100 may be configured to independently determine that it is in water via humidity sensor or pressure sensor data), or if the portable monitoring device is actively placed in the swimming mode by the user via the user interface 108, then in some embodiments, the touch screen interface or other user interface of the portable monitoring device 100 may be deactivated because it may not work well in water. The wearer may alternatively interact with portable monitoring device 100 using physical buttons or other appropriate or suitable input mechanisms, including physical gestures sensed by the device.

[0036] In addition to the display, the portable monitoring device 100 (and in particular the user interface 108) may also include other mechanisms for providing feedback or other information to the user. For example, the user interface 108 may include one or more lights (e.g., one or more LEDs), and a display for conveying information (e.g., reaching a goal, an alarm, a reminder, an indicator or other notification, a current state, a current mode, or a power level) to the user. For example, the processing unit 104 may control the intensity, color, or pattern of the flashing of one or more of the LEDs of the user interface 108 based on what information is conveyed. In some embodiments, the user interface 108 additionally or alternatively includes one or more speakers or sound generating devices. The user interface 108 may also include one or more microphones or other audio devices.

[0037] In some embodiments, the user interface 108 includes one or more vibration motors (also referred to herein as "vibrators" or simply "vibration devices") for conveying information to or to the user. For example, the processing unit 104 may utilize the vibration motor to convey one or more alarms, goals achieved, progress indicators, inactivity indicators, reminders, indications of timer expiration, or other indicators, feedback, or notifications to the user wearing or holding the portable monitoring device 100. In some such embodiments, the portable monitoring device 100 may utilize the vibration motor to convey this information to the user, as well as convey the same or similar information via a display, light, or sound generating device. In some other such embodiments, the portable monitoring device 100 may utilize the vibration motor to convey this information to the user instead of or in lieu of conveying the same or similar information via a display, light, or sound generating device. For example, in the case of an alarm, the vibration motor may cause the portable monitoring device 100 to vibrate, thereby waking the user from sleep, while not making noise so as not to wake up the user's companions. As another example, in the case of a goal achievement or progress indicator, the vibration motor may cause the portable monitoring device 100 to vibrate, thereby reminding the user that the user's goal has been achieved or that a milestone or other progress point on the way to the goal has been reached without requiring the user to look at the display or hear an indication output from a speaker. In some embodiments, the user may define one or more custom vibration patterns or other vibration characteristics, and assign these different vibration patterns or other vibration characteristics to different alarms, goals, or other vibration indicators so that the user can distinguish between vibration indicators to determine what information is conveyed by the portable monitoring device 100. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the user may select one or more default vibration patterns or other vibration characteristics stored in the memory 106, and assign these different vibration patterns or other vibration characteristics to various vibration indicators. In various embodiments, a user may customize such modes, features, or settings, or make such selections via user interface 108 or via an application or program (including a web application, mobile application, or client-side software program) executed on an external computing device (e.g., a personal computer, smart phone, or multimedia device) that is communicatively coupled to portable monitoring device 100 via I / O interface 110 and one or more wired or wireless connections or networks.

[0038] In some implementations, as described above, one or more of the sensors 102 may also themselves be used to implement at least a portion of the user interface 108. For example, one or more accelerometers or other motion sensors 102 may be used to detect when a person taps the housing of the portable monitoring device 100 with a finger or other object, and then interpret this data as user input for the purpose of controlling the portable monitoring device 100. For example, tapping the housing of the portable monitoring device 100 twice may be recognized by the processing unit 104 as user input that will cause the display of the portable monitoring device to turn on from an off state or will cause the portable monitoring device to transition between different monitoring states, sessions, or modes. For example, in an implementation where the portable monitoring device includes a single annotation or other general activity tracking mode, tapping may cause the processing unit 104 to switch from a state where the portable monitoring device 100 collects and interprets activity data according to rules established for an "active" person to a state where the portable monitoring device collects and interprets activity data according to rules established for a "sleeping" or "stationary" person. As another example, tapping the housing of the portable monitoring device 100 may be recognized by the processing unit 104 as a user input that will annotate the monitored activity data, such as by indicating the start or end time of an activity session of a user-defined duration, for example. In some other implementations (e.g., in implementations where the portable monitoring device 100 includes two or more activity-specific activity tracking modes), a tap may cause the processing unit 104 to switch from one activity-specific activity tracking mode to another activity-specific activity tracking mode. For example, a tap may cause the processing unit 104 to switch from a walking mode where the portable monitoring device 100 collects and interprets activity data according to rules established for "walking" people to a biking mode where the portable monitoring device interprets data according to rules established for bicyclists.

[0039] In some embodiments, the processing unit 104 may communicate activity data received from the sensor 102 or retrieved from the memory 106 to an external or remote computing device (e.g., a personal computer, a smart phone, or a multimedia device) via the I / O interface 110 or to a backend server via one or more computer networks. In some embodiments, the I / O interface 110 includes a transmitter and a receiver (also collectively referred to herein as a "transceiver" or simply "transmit and receive circuitry") that may transmit activity data or other information to one or more external computing devices, or to one or more backend servers via a wired or wireless connection (either directly via one or more networks or indirectly via an external computing device that first receives the activity data and then communicates the data to the backend server via one or more networks). For example, the memory 106 may also store executable instructions that, when executed by the processing unit 104, cause the processing unit 104 to transmit and receive information via the I / O interface 110. In some embodiments, the one or more computer networks include one or more local area networks (LANs), private networks, social networks, or wide area networks (WANs) including the Internet. The I / O interface 110 may include wireless communication functionality so that when the portable monitoring device 100 comes within range of a wireless base station or access point or within range of some equipped external computing device (e.g., a personal computer, smart phone, or multimedia device), certain activity data or other data is automatically synchronized, or uploaded to an external computing device or backend server for further analysis, processing, viewing, or storage. In various embodiments, the wireless communication functionality of the I / O interface 110 may be provided or enabled via one or more communication technologies known in the art (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RFID, near field communication (NFC), Zigbee, Ant, optical data transmission, and other communication technologies). Additionally or alternatively, the I / O interface 110 may also include wired communication capabilities, such as a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

[0040] In some embodiments, one or more backend servers or computing systems may support a network-based application ("web application"), a website, a web page, or a web portal (hereinafter "web application", "web page", "web site", and "web portal" may be used interchangeably) to enable a user to remotely interact with the portable monitoring device 100, or interact with or view the activity data or activity metrics calculated based on the activity data, via any computing device (e.g., a personal computer, smart phone, or multimedia device) capable of supporting a web browser or other network client suitable for presenting a web page or web-based application. For example, in some embodiments, the data may be stored, for example, using a web browser or web-based application, at an Internet-viewable or Internet-accessible source such as a website (e.g., www.Fitbit.com) that permits viewing of the activity data or data or activity metrics derived or calculated therefrom. Hereinafter, references to a web application, web page, website, or web portal may refer to any structured document or user interface that enables a client device to be viewed via any of the described networks or other suitable networks or communication links.

[0041] For example, while the user is wearing the portable monitoring device 100, the processing unit 104 may calculate the number of steps of the user based on the activity data received from the one or more sensors 102. The processing unit 104 may temporarily store the activity data and the calculated number of steps in the memory 106. The processing unit 104 may then transmit the number of steps or raw or pre-processed activity data representing the number of steps of the user to a network service (e.g., www.fitbit.com ), an external computing device such as a personal computer or mobile phone (especially a smart phone), or transmitted to a health station where it can be stored, further processed and viewed by the user or the user's friends.

[0042] Other embodiments regarding the use of short-range wireless communications are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 785,904, filed on Mar. 5, 2013, and entitled “Near Field Communication System, and Method of Operating Same,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0043] In various embodiments, activity metrics may be tracked, determined, calculated, or analyzed by processing unit 104 or by an external computing device or backend server based on activity data transmitted from portable monitoring device 100, wherein the activity data includes, for example, energy expenditure (e.g., calories burned), distance traveled, steps taken, stairs or floors climbed or descended, elevation gained or lost (e.g., based on an altimeter or global positioning satellite (GPS) device), pace, maximum speed, location, direction, heading, walking speed, rotations or distance traveled, swimming stroke counts, swimming lap counts, swimming distance, cycling distance, cycling speed, heart rate, heart rate variability, heart rate recovery, blood pressure, blood glucose, blood oxygen level, skin conductance, skin or body temperature, electromyography data, electroencephalography data, weight, body fat, calorie intake, nutrient intake from food, medication intake, sleep periods, sleep phases, sleep quality, sleep duration, pH level, hydration level, and respiratory rate. In some embodiments, processing unit 104 also tracks, determines, or calculates metrics related to the user's surroundings, such as one or more of the following: barometric pressure, temperature, humidity, rain / snow conditions, wind speed, other weather conditions, light exposure (ambient light), ultraviolet (UV) exposure, time or duration spent in darkness, pollen counts, air quality, noise exposure, radiation exposure, and magnetic fields. Some data used to calculate one or more of the metrics just described may be provided to the portable monitoring device from an external source. For example, a user may enter their height, weight, or stride length in a user profile on a health tracking website, and this information may then be communicated to portable monitoring device 100 via I / O interface 110, and used in conjunction with activity data measured by sensor 102 to evaluate the distance traveled or calories burned by the user.

[0044] A general list of possible types of sensors 102 and types of activity data is shown below in Table 1. This list is not exclusive, and other types of sensors besides those listed may be used. Furthermore, data that may potentially be derived from the listed sensors may also be derived in whole or in part from other sensors. For example, evaluation of stairs climbed may involve evaluating altimeter data to determine altitude changes, evaluating clock data to determine how quickly altitude changes, and evaluating accelerometer data to determine whether the biometric monitoring device is worn by a person who is walking (as opposed to being stationary).

[0045] Table 1

[0046]

[0047]

[0048] In addition to the above, some biometric data may be calculated or estimated by the portable monitoring device 100 without direct reference to data obtained from the sensors 102. For example, a person's basal metabolic rate, which is a measure of the "default" calorie expenditure experienced by a person throughout the day while at rest (in other words, simply providing energy for basic bodily functions such as breathing, circulation, etc.), may be calculated based on data entered by a user via the user interface 108 or via an application or program (including a web application, mobile application client-side software program) executed on an external computing device (e.g., a personal computer, smart phone, or multimedia device) that is communicatively coupled to the portable monitoring device 100 via the I / O interface 110 and one or more wired or wireless connections or networks. This user-entered data may be used in conjunction with data from an internal clock indicating the time of day to determine how many calories the person has expended so far in the day to provide energy for basic bodily functions.

[0049] As described above, in some example embodiments, the portable monitoring device 100 (and in particular the processing unit 104) includes a default activity tracking mode, also referred to herein as an "annotation" mode. In some such embodiments, the activity data monitored when in the default annotation mode may be annotated or otherwise marked, thereby indicating, specifying, or delimiting the start and end time points or activity sessions and other time points within the activity sessions. Again, for the purposes of the present invention, an "activity session" may generally refer to a user-defined duration, or a duration associated with a particular activity or time of day, during which the device is monitoring activity data. In some embodiments, the activity data monitored when in the annotation mode may also be annotated or otherwise marked, thereby indicating, specifying, or defining a particular activity performed by the user during the activity session, such as walking, running, climbing stairs, biking, swimming, or even sleeping. In various embodiments, the user may annotate the activity data before, during, or after the completion of the associated activity.

[0050] In some embodiments, a user may annotate an activity session via physical interaction with the portable monitoring device 100 itself. For example, a user may annotate the activity data using any of the components described above, such as may be included within the user interface 108. Additionally or alternatively, a user may annotate the activity session via an external or remote computer (e.g., a personal computer, a smart phone, or a multimedia device). In some such embodiments, one or both of the portable monitoring device 100 and the coupled external computing device may also communicate with one or more backend servers as described above. In some such embodiments, the portable monitoring device or the external computing device may transmit annotations (also referred to herein as "annotation data"), activity data, and information about the portable monitoring device or the user to a server for storage and, in some embodiments, for additional processing or analysis.

[0051] In some such embodiments, the portable monitoring device 100 (and in particular the processing unit 104) is configured to monitor the same type of activity data in the same manner using the sensors 102 regardless of the activity being performed or currently being engaged in by the user. That is, in some embodiments, the same sensors are used to sense motion or other sensed activity data in the same manner regardless of what activity the user is engaged in (be it walking, running, climbing stairs, biking, swimming, or even sleeping). In some embodiments where the processing unit 104 is configured to determine, calculate, or analyze one or more activity metrics, the processing unit itself may determine which activity metrics to determine, calculate, or analyze based on the annotation data received for the activity session.

[0052] In some embodiments, the portable monitoring device 100 may automatically annotate one or more activity sessions. In some such embodiments, the processing unit 104 may dynamically (e.g., substantially in real time) analyze the activity data from the sensor 102 and automatically determine a start point, an end point, or other time point at which a time stamp is recorded or a mark or digital flag is stored in the memory 106 to annotate the activity data monitored in the activity session. In some other embodiments, the processing unit may analyze the activity data retrieved from the memory 106 to automatically annotate the stored activity data. In still other embodiments, the processing unit 104 may transmit the activity data via the I / O interface 110 to one or both of an external computing device (e.g., a personal computer, a smart phone, or a multimedia device) or a backend server that then automatically annotates the received activity data (directly via one or more wired or wireless networks or indirectly by means of an external computing device such as a personal computer, a smart phone, or a multimedia device in conjunction with one or more wired or wireless networks). In some of the foregoing embodiments, the annotation data may be stored with the corresponding activity data; that is, with the activity data in the same location within the memory 106. In some other implementations, the annotation data may be stored separately from the activity data in the memory 106, but associated with the activity data by means of, for example, one or more tables and time stamps.

[0053] In an example implementation, if the portable monitoring device 100 is placed in the annotation mode before the wearer falls asleep, and then the portable monitoring device 100 is taken out of the annotation mode after the wearer wakes up, e.g., via user interaction or based on sensed biometric or other activity data, the portable monitoring device 100 may record biometric data indicating that the wearer was mostly still and horizontal during the time the biometric monitoring device was in the annotation mode. This, combined with the time of day at which the annotated biometric data was collected, may cause the portable monitoring device to automatically annotate this data as a "sleep" activity. Alternatively, the wearer of the biometric monitoring device may indicate that the annotated biometric data is associated with a particular activity, such as by typing in a tag or other identifier of the activity associated with the annotated data after the biometric data is exported from the portable monitoring device to a further backend server via a website, web application, mobile application, or other application, or by entering this tag or other identifier into an external computing device (e.g., a smart phone, multimedia device, or personal computer) that is paired with the portable monitoring device and within communication range of the portable monitoring device (and particularly the I / O interface 110).

[0054] In some other example embodiments, the portable monitoring device 100 may automatically detect or determine when the user attempts to fall asleep, enters sleep, falls asleep, or is awakened from a sleep period. In some such embodiments, the portable monitoring device 100 may use physiological, motion, or other sensors to obtain activity data. In some such embodiments, the processing unit 104 then correlates a combination of one or more of motion, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, galvanic skin response, or skin or body temperature sensing to detect or determine whether the user attempts to fall asleep, enters sleep, falls asleep, or is awakened from a sleep period. In response, the portable monitoring device 100 may, for example, obtain physiological data (e.g., type and in a manner as described herein) or determine the user's physiological condition (e.g., type and in a manner as described herein). For example, a reduction or cessation of user motion combined with a decrease in the user's heart rate and / or a change in heart rate variability may indicate that the user has fallen asleep. Subsequent changes in heart rate variability and galvanic skin response may be used to determine the transition of the user's sleep state between two or more stages of sleep (e.g., lighter and / or deeper sleep stages). Movement performed by the user and / or elevated heart rate and / or changes in heart rate variability may be used to determine that the user has awakened.

[0055] Real-time, windowed, or batch processing may be used to determine the transitions between wake, sleep, and sleep stages, as well as in other activity stages. For example, a decrease in heart rate may be measured in a time window where the heart rate increases at the beginning of the window and decreases in the middle (and / or end) of the window. The wake and sleep stages may be classified by a hidden Markov model that uses changes in motion signals (e.g., decrease intensity), heart rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature, galvanic skin response, and / or ambient light levels. Transition points may be determined via a change point algorithm (e.g., Bayesian change point analysis). The transition between wake and sleep may be determined by observing a period in which the user's heart rate decreases by at least a certain threshold over a predetermined time duration but is within a predetermined bound of the user's resting heart rate (observed as, for example, the user's smallest heart rate while sleeping). Similarly, the transition between sleep and wake may be determined by observing an increase in the user's heart rate above a predetermined threshold of the user's resting heart rate.

[0056] In some embodiments, the backend server determines which activity metrics to calculate or analyze based on annotation data generated by the server or another server and stored in one or both of the servers, annotation data received from an external computing device, or annotation data also received from the portable monitoring device 100. In addition, the server may also determine which activity metrics to calculate or analyze based on analysis of tracked activity data. In some such embodiments, the portable monitoring device 100 may not track, determine, calculate, or analyze any activity metrics at all; instead, the portable monitoring device may monitor the sensed activity data and then store or transmit the activity data for later analysis and processing by an external computing device or backend server.

[0057] As described above, one or more output mechanisms (visual, auditory, or motion / vibration) may be used alone or in any combination with each other or with another communication method to convey any of the following multiple information notifications: the user needs to be awakened at a certain time (e.g., an alarm clock); the user should be awakened when they are in a certain sleep phase (e.g., a smart alarm clock); the user should fall asleep at a certain time; the user should be awakened when they are in a certain sleep phase or stage and within a preselected or user-previously defined time window bounded by the earliest and latest times the user wants to be awakened; receiving an email, text, or other communication message; the user has been inactive for a certain period of time (this notification function can be integrated with other applications (e.g., a meeting calendar or sleep tracking application) to prevent, reduce, or adjust the behavior of inactivity reminders); the user has been active for a certain period of time; the user has an appointment or calendar event (e.g., a reminder); or the user has reached a certain activity metric or a combination of activity metrics. As also described above, one or more output mechanisms (visual, auditory, or motion / vibration) may be used alone or in any combination with each other or with another communication method to convey that the user has met or achieved or is making progress toward one or more of the following goals: travel a certain distance; achieve a certain mile (or other lap) pace; achieve a certain speed; achieve a certain elevation gain; achieve a certain number of steps; achieve a certain maximum or average heart rate; complete a certain number of swim strokes or shuttles in a pool.

[0058] These examples are provided for illustration, and are not intended to limit the scope of information that can be communicated by the device (e.g., to a user). As described above, data used to determine whether a goal has been achieved or whether a condition for a reminder has been met may be obtained from the portable monitoring device 100 or another device. The portable monitoring device 100 itself may determine whether the criteria for a reminder, goal, or notification have been met. Alternatively, a computing device in communication with the device (e.g., a server and / or a mobile phone) may determine when a reminder should occur. In view of the present invention, other information that the device may communicate to the user may be conceived by a person skilled in the art. For example, the device may communicate to the user when a goal has been met. The criteria for meeting this goal may be based on physiological, contextual, and environmental sensors on the first device and / or other sensor data from one or more secondary devices. The goal may be set by the user or may be set by the device itself and / or another computing device in communication with the device (e.g., a server).

[0059] In one example implementation, upon detecting or determining that the user has reached a biometric or activity goal, the portable monitoring device 100 may vibrate to notify the user. For example, the portable monitoring device 100 may detect (or be notified) that the wearer has exceeded a predefined goal or achievement threshold (e.g., 10,000 steps in a day), and may vibrate in response to this event to remind or congratulate the user. In some such implementations, if the user then presses a button, the display may turn on and present data about the goal the user has reached (e.g., what goal was reached, whether the goal was reached one or more times in another day, week, month, or year, or how long it took to reach the goal). In another example, the color and / or intensity of one or more LEDs may serve as a notification that the user has won or lost a competition with a friend (e.g., number of steps). In yet another example, the biometric monitoring device may be a wrist-mounted device that may vibrate or emit audio feedback to notify the user about incoming emails, text messages, or other reminders. In some such implementations, if the user then moves his or her wrist in a gesture similar to checking a watch, the display of the biometric monitoring device may be turned on, and data display pages related to the reminder may be presented to the user. In yet another example, the biometric monitoring device may present a gradually obvious feedback method based on the importance or urgency of the reminder. For example, a high priority reminder may include audio, vibration, and / or visual feedback, while a low priority reminder may include only visual feedback. The criteria for distinguishing high priority reminders from lower priority reminders may be defined by the user. For example, if an email message or text is sent with a specific priority (e.g., "urgent"), if an email message or text is sent from a specific person (e.g., a person that the user has identified as a high priority), if a meeting notification or reminder is received or appears, if a certain goal is achieved, or if a harmful health condition such as a high heart rate is detected, a high priority reminder may be triggered.

[0060] As described above, in some other implementations, the portable monitoring device 100 may operate within or according to multiple modes. For example, the various modes may include: a general or default activity tracking mode such as the annotation mode described above, a timer mode, a stopwatch mode, a clock / time / watch mode, a sleep monitoring (or "sleep tracking") mode, a work mode, a home mode, a commuting mode, and one or more activity-specific activity tracking modes for tracking user activities such as biking, swimming, walking, running, stair climbing, rock climbing, weight lifting, treadmill exercise, and elliptical machine exercise. In some multi-mode implementations, the portable monitoring device 100 also enables the user to annotate activity data monitored in one or more modes including one or more activity-specific activity tracking modes, as described above.

[0061] The processing unit 104 may automatically determine or select a mode in which the device is to operate based on a plurality of signals, data, or other information. For example, the processing unit may automatically select a mode based on one or more activity metrics (e.g., number of steps, stair or floor counts, or amount of calories burned), or additionally or alternatively based on one or more of the following: contextual or environmental data (e.g., time of day, GPS or other determined or entered location or positioning data, ambient light level, temperature, or humidity); physiological or other human-centric data (e.g., heart rate, body temperature, hydration level, or blood oxygen level); or system condition data (e.g., in response to low battery or low memory); or based on one or more user-defined conditions being met.

[0062] In some embodiments, the portable monitoring device itself may determine which activity data to monitor or which activity (or sleep) metrics to determine, calculate, or analyze in addition or alternatively based on which activity tracking or other modes are currently active or initiated (hereinafter "sleep metrics" may also be generally referred to as "activity metrics"). Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, one or both of the external computing device or the backend server may request certain activity data from the portable monitoring device based on which activity tracking modes are currently active or initiated. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, one or both of the external computing device or the backend server may receive all activity data monitored by the portable monitoring device, and then filter or otherwise selectively process certain activity data based on which activity tracking modes are currently active or initiated, thereby determining, calculating, or analyzing certain activity metrics.

[0063] In some multi-mode implementations, a user may select which modes are currently active or initiated via the user interface 108 or via an application or program (including a web application, mobile application, or client-side software program) executed on an external computing device (e.g., a personal computer, smart phone, or multimedia device) that is communicatively coupled to the portable monitoring device 100 via the I / O interface 110 and one or more wired or wireless connections or networks. For example, a user may select a mode for the portable monitoring device 100 using an application on a smart phone that sends the mode selection to a server. The server in turn sends the mode selection to the external computing device, which then sends the mode selection to the portable monitoring device 100 via the I / O interface 110. Or the smart phone application (or server) may send the mode selection directly to the portable monitoring device 100.

[0064] In some embodiments, the user may also select which activity metrics to track when in each of the corresponding activity tracking modes. As described above, in some embodiments, the portable monitoring device 100 may also be configured to automatically switch between two or more activity tracking or other modes. In some such embodiments, the processing unit 104 may analyze the activity data from the sensor 102 and automatically determine the most appropriate, appropriate or optimal activity tracking or other mode to switch to based on a substantially real-time dynamic analysis of the activity data. In some other such embodiments, the processing unit 104 may transmit the activity data via a wired or wireless connection to one or both of an external computing device or a backend server that then analyzes the activity data via the I / O interface 110, determine the most appropriate, appropriate or optimal activity tracking or other mode to switch to, and then transmit one or more instructions to the portable monitoring device 100, which, when executed by the processing unit 104, causes the processing unit 104 (in combination with one or more other components described above) to switch to the determined mode.

[0065] In some embodiments, the portable monitoring device 100 includes an alarm function that is intended to wake the wearer or user from sleep or otherwise remind the user. In some such embodiments, the portable monitoring device 100 acts as a wrist-mounted vibrating alarm to quietly wake the user from sleep. The portable monitoring device may also be configured to track the user's sleep quality, wake-up period, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, sleep stage (e.g., deep sleep vs. REM), or other sleep-related metrics via one or a combination of heart rate, heart rate variability, galvanic skin response, motion sensing (e.g., accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer), and skin temperature. In some embodiments, the user may specify a desired alarm time or time window (e.g., setting the alarm to go off between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.). In some such embodiments, the processing unit 104 uses one or more of the sleep metrics to determine the optimal time to wake the user within the alarm window. In some embodiments, while the vibrating alarm is in effect, the user may cause it to sleep, snooze, or turn off by tapping or tapping the device (which is detected, for example, via a motion sensor, pressure / force sensor, and / or capacitive touch sensor in the device). In one particular embodiment, the portable monitoring device 100 may be configured to attempt to wake the user at an optimal point in the sleep cycle by starting a small vibration at a specific user sleep stage or time before the alarm is set. The portable monitoring device 100 may gradually increase the intensity or noticeability of the vibration as the user moves toward awakening or toward the alarm setting. Similar to the way a conventional alarm works, the wearer or user may be able to set one or more daily, periodic, or other repeating alarms. In addition, the alarm function may be configured to "snooze," i.e., temporarily stop the alarm for a short period of time (usually several minutes), and then re-trigger the alarm.

[0066] As a result of the small size of many portable monitoring devices, many such monitoring devices have limited space to accommodate various user interface components. For example, Fitbit manufactures a variety of extremely compact portable monitoring devices, including biometric tracking units that each incorporate a set of sensors, a battery, a display, a charging interface, and one or more wireless communication interfaces. In some such examples, the portable monitoring device also incorporates a vibration motor and / or a button. These components may, for example, be housed within a housing measuring approximately 2" long, 0.75" wide, and 0.5" thick (Fitbit Ultra TM ); approximately 1.9” long, 0.75” wide, and 0.375” thick (Fitbit One TM ); approximately 1.4" long, 1.1" wide and 0.375" thick (Fitbit Zip TM ); and approximately 1.3” long, 0.5” wide, and 0.25” thick (Fitbit Flex TM ). Of course, other sized housings may be used in other implementations of biometric monitoring devices; the above list is intended merely to illustrate the small sizes of many such biometric monitoring devices.

[0067] Regardless of the small size of the above-listed Fitbit devices, each of which includes a display of some kind (e.g., Fitbit Ultra, Fitbit One, and Fitbit Zip), the display includes a small pixelated display screen capable of outputting text, numbers, and graphics. The Fitbit Flex, due to its smaller size, uses discrete light emitting diode (LED) indicators (e.g., 5 LEDs arranged in a row) to visually convey information. Each of the above-listed Fitbit devices also has an input mechanism that allows the user to affect some aspect of the operation of the device. For example, the Fitbit Ultra and Fitbit One each include a discrete button that allows the user to affect the way the device operates. In contrast, the Fitbit Zip and Fitbit Flex do not have discrete buttons, but are instead each configured to use its biometric sensors to detect when a user taps the housing of the device; such events are interpreted by one or more processors of these devices as signaling user input, i.e., acting as an input mechanism.

[0068] One component of the portable monitoring device 100 that may be limited in size or performance is the power source 114, such as a rechargeable, removable, or replaceable battery, capacitor, etc. In some implementations, the portable monitoring device 100 may be configured to remain in an "always on" state, allowing it to continuously collect activity data throughout the day and night. Given that the sensors 102 and processing unit 104 of a portable monitoring device generally must remain powered to some degree in order to collect activity data, it may be advantageous to implement power saving features elsewhere in the device, such as by, for example, causing the display to automatically turn off after a period of time. Fitbit Ultra TM is an example of a portable monitoring device that includes a data display that is usually turned off to save power unless the device is interacted with by a user. Typical user interaction may be provided by, for example, pressing a button on the device.

[0069] In some embodiments, the housing of the portable monitoring device 100 itself is designed or configured so that it can be inserted into and removed from multiple compatible housings, housings, or brackets (hereinafter "housing", "housing" and "bracket" are used interchangeably). For example, in some embodiments, the portable monitoring device 100 is configured for removable insertion into a wristband or armband that can be worn on a person's wrist, forearm, or upper arm. In some embodiments, the portable monitoring device is additionally or alternatively configured for removable insertion into a belt clip housing, or configured for coupling with a clip that can be attached to a person's belt or clothing. As used herein, the term "wristband" may refer to a band designed to completely or partially surround a person's forearm near the wrist joint. The band may be continuous, for example, without any "breaks"; that is, it can be stretched to be worn on a person's hand or have an extended portion similar to a clothing strap. Alternatively, the band may be discontinuous, for example, with a buckle or other connection that enables the user to close the band similar to a watchband. In still other embodiments, the strap may simply "open," for example, having a C-shape that clasps around the wearer's wrist. Hereinafter, a portable monitoring device that is inserted into, combined with, or otherwise coupled with a separate removable housing or some other structure so that it can be worn by a person or easily carried by or attached to a person or their clothing may be referred to as a "portable monitoring system."

[0070] As described above, various implementations of the portable monitoring devices described herein may have shapes and sizes suitable for coupling to (e.g., fastened to, worn, carried on, etc.) a user's body or clothing. Various examples of such portable monitoring devices are shown in Figure 2 , 3 And 4 hits. Figure 2Depicted is a monitoring device shaped similar to a Fitbit One that can be inserted into a holder with a belt clip or into a pocket on a wristband. Portable monitoring device 200 has a housing 202 containing electronics associated with biometric monitoring device 200. Buttons 204 and display 206 are accessible / visible through housing 202. Figure 3 Depicted is a portable monitoring device that can be worn on a person's forearm like a watch (much like the Fitbit Flex). Portable monitoring device 300 has a housing 302 containing electronics associated with biometric monitoring device 300. Buttons 304 and display 306 are accessible / visible through housing 302. Wristband 308 may be integrated with housing 302. Figure 4 Depicts another example of a portable monitoring device that can be worn on a person's forearm like a watch, but with a smaller display. Figure 3 The portable monitoring device 400 has a housing 402 containing electronics associated with the portable monitoring device 400. Buttons 404 and display 406 are accessible / visible through the housing 402. A wristband 408 may be integrated with the housing 402.

[0071] Other examples and implementations of portable monitoring devices may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 156,304, filed Jun. 8, 2011, entitled “Portable Biometric Monitoring Devices and Methods of Operating Same,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0072] Unless the context of the present invention (where the term "context" is used according to its typical general definition) clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and claims, the words "comprising" and the like are to be interpreted in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is, in the sense of "including (but not limited to)". Words using the singular or plural number generally also include the plural or singular number, respectively. In addition, the words "herein," "herein," "hereafter," "above," "hereafter," and words of similar meaning refer to the present application as a whole and not to any particular part of the present application. When the word "or" is used in reference to a list of two or more items, the word encompasses all of the following interpretations of the word: any one of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list. The term "implementation" refers to implementations of the techniques and methods described herein, as well as physical objects that embody the structure and / or incorporate the techniques and / or methods described herein.

[0073] Many concepts and embodiments are described and illustrated herein. Although the specific features, attributes and advantages of the embodiments discussed herein have been described and illustrated, many other and different and / or similar embodiments, features, attributes and advantages are apparent from the description and illustration. Therefore, the above embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form, technology, material and / or configuration disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible according to the present invention. Other embodiments may be utilized, and operational changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above description, because the description of the above embodiments has been presented for the purpose of illustration and description.

[0074] Importantly, the present invention is not limited to any single aspect or embodiment, nor to any single combination and / or permutation of such aspects and / or embodiments. Furthermore, each of the various aspects of the present invention and / or its embodiments may be used alone or in combination with one or more of the other aspects and / or its embodiments. For the sake of brevity, many of those permutations and combinations will not be discussed and / or illustrated individually herein.

[0075] Some examples of some examples of combinations of features include (as examples and not limited to):

[0076] Combination 1.

[0077] A device comprising:

[0078] one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the device and providing activity data indicative of the sensed motion, the activity data relating to physical activity performed by a user of the device to which the device is physically coupled;

[0079] One or more processors configured to:

[0080] monitoring the activity data; and

[0081] receiving or generating annotation data for annotating the activity data with one or more tags or indicators to define one or more characteristics of a physical activity session, the physical activity session being associated with a duration for which the device monitors the activity data, the duration being a user-defined duration or a duration associated with a particular physical activity;

[0082] one or more feedback devices for providing feedback, notification or indication to the user based on the monitoring; and

[0083] A portable housing enclosing the motion sensor, the processor, and at least a portion of the feedback device.

[0084] Combination 2.

[0085] The device of combination 1, wherein:

[0086] The device further comprises a memory; and

[0087] The processor is further configured to store the activity data or data derived from the activity data in the memory.

[0088] Combination 3.

[0089] The device of combination 2, wherein the processor is further configured to store the annotation data in the memory.

[0090] Combination 4.

[0091] The device of any of the above combinations, wherein the processor is further configured to determine one or more activity metrics based on the activity data.

[0092] Combination 5.

[0093] The device of combination 4, wherein the processor is further configured to determine one or more activity metrics based on the activity data and the annotation data.

[0094] Combination 6.

[0095] The apparatus of any of the above combinations, wherein:

[0096] The device further comprises one or more user input devices included in or on the housing for receiving or sensing user input; and

[0097] The processor is further configured to receive and interpret the user input received or sensed via the user input device.

[0098] Combination 7.

[0099] The device of combination 6, wherein the motion sensor itself can also serve as a user input device by sensing a user's touch, tap, or other physical gesture to or with the device.

[0100] Combination 8.

[0101] The apparatus of any of the above combinations, wherein:

[0102] The device further includes transmit and receive circuits; and

[0103] The user may provide user input via an external or remote device, which then communicates the user input or causes the user input to be communicated to the receiving circuit; and

[0104] The processor is further configured to receive and interpret the user input received by the receiving circuit.

[0105] Combination 9.

[0106] The device of combination 8, wherein:

[0107] The transmit and receive circuits are configured for wireless communications over a computer network; and

[0108] The user input is entered via a web or mobile application.

[0109] Combination 10.

[0110] The device of any of the above combinations, wherein the device is configured to enable the user to input the annotation data via user input.

[0111] Combination 11.

[0112] The device of combination 10, wherein the user input is entered based on a physical interaction with the device, which is then interpreted by the processor.

[0113] Combination 12.

[0114] The device of combination 10 or 11, wherein the user input is input to an external device communicatively coupled to the device via one or more wired or wireless connections or networks.

[0115] Combination 13.

[0116] A device of any of combination 10-12, wherein the device is configured to enable the user to initiate, indicate or mark a start time or end time of a user-defined activity session in response to user input.

[0117] Combination 14.

[0118] The device of any of combination 10-13, wherein the device is configured to enable the user to indicate, in response to user input, a particular user activity to be performed during a user-defined physical activity session.

[0119] Combination 15.

[0120] The device of any of the above combinations, wherein the device is configured to automatically annotate the activity data or generate the annotation data.

[0121] Combination 16.

[0122] The device of combination 15, wherein the device is configured to automatically annotate the activity data or generate the annotation data based on a device state.

[0123] Combination 17.

[0124] The device of combination 15 or 16, wherein the device is configured to automatically annotate the activity data or generate the annotation data based on an analysis of the activity data.

[0125] Combination 18.

[0126] The device of any of the above combinations, wherein the processor is configured to automatically determine the activity data to track or the activity metric to calculate based on the annotation data.

[0127] Combination 19.

[0128] The device of any of the above combinations, wherein the housing includes a wrist or armband, the housing being configured for physical attachment to or coupling with a wrist or armband, or being configured to be inserted into a wrist or armband.

[0129] Combination 20.

[0130] The device of any of the above combinations, further comprising one or more of the following: one or more gyroscopes, one or more physiological sensors, one or more biometric sensors, one or more altitude sensors, one or more temperature sensors, and one or more heart rate sensors.

[0131] Combination 21.

[0132] A method of monitoring one or more activity metrics using a portable monitoring device, comprising:

[0133] sensing motion of the device by one or more motion sensors within the device;

[0134] outputting, by the one or more motion sensors, activity data indicative of the sensed motion, the activity data relating to a physical activity performed by a user of the device to which the device is physically coupled;

[0135] receiving, by one or more processors within the device, the activity data;

[0136] receiving or generating, by the one or more processors, annotation data for annotating the activity data with one or more tags or indicators to define one or more characteristics of a physical activity session associated with a duration for which the activity data is sensed by the device, the duration being a user-defined duration or a duration associated with a particular physical activity; and

[0137] The activity data is annotated based on the annotation data.

[0138] Combination 22.

[0139] The method of combination 21, further comprising receiving the annotation data from the user.

[0140] Combination 23.

[0141] The method of combination 21, further comprising generating the annotation data based on the activity data.

[0142] Combination 24.

[0143] The method of any of combination 21-23, further comprising determining one or more activity metrics based on the activity data and the annotation data.

[0144] Combination 25.

[0145] A device comprising:

[0146] one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the device and providing activity data indicative of the sensed motion, the activity data relating to physical activity performed by a user of the device to which the device is physically coupled;

[0147] One or more processors configured to:

[0148] monitoring the activity data; and

[0149] switching between a plurality of activity tracking modes to define one or more characteristics of a physical activity session, the physical activity session being associated with a duration for which the device monitors the activity data, the duration being a user-defined duration or a duration associated with a particular physical activity, each mode being configured for a particular physical activity;

[0150] one or more feedback devices for providing feedback, notification or indication to the user based on the monitoring; and

[0151] A portable housing enclosing the motion sensor, the processor, and at least a portion of the feedback device.

[0152] Combination 26.

[0153] The device of combination 25, wherein the processor is further configured to determine one or more activity metrics based on the activity data.

[0154] Combination 27.

[0155] The device of combination 25 or 26, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the one or more activity metrics based on which of the activity tracking modes are currently active.

[0156] Combination 28.

[0157] A device of any of combination 25-27, wherein the device is configured to enable the user to set or select a particular activity tracking mode to switch to based on user input.

[0158] Combination 29.

[0159] A device of any of combination 25-28, wherein the device is configured to automatically determine or select a particular activity tracking mode to switch to in response to the activity data.

[0160] Combination 30.

[0161] The device of any of combination 25-29, wherein the plurality of activity tracking modes include:

[0162] One or more activity-specific activity tracking modes; and

[0163] Sleep tracking mode.

Claims

1. A portable monitoring device comprising: at least one motion sensor for sensing motion of the device and providing activity data based on the sensed motion; At least one processor configured to: receiving the activity data; receiving or generating annotation data for annotating the activity data with one or more markers or indicators to define one or more characteristics of a physical activity session, the one or more markers or indicators defining a first duration of the physical activity session; determining a value of a first activity metric using activity data received during the first duration, the value of the first activity metric defining at least one of one or more characteristics of the physical activity session; and determining a value of a second activity metric using activity data received during the first duration and activity data received during a second duration different from the first duration, the value of the second activity metric defining a characteristic of a time period encompassing the first duration and the second duration; at least one feedback device for providing an indication to a user based on the value of the first activity metric; and A portable housing encloses at least a portion of the at least one motion sensor, the at least one processor, and the at least one feedback device. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more tags or indicators further define a type of activity performed during the physical activity session.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the type of the first activity metric is the same as the type of the second activity metric.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the value of the first activity metric comprises a number of steps taken during only the first duration, and wherein the value of the second activity metric comprises a number of steps taken during both the first duration and the second duration.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first activity metric is of a different type than the second activity metric.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one feedback device comprises a display, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the display to display an indication related to a value of the first activity metric.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one feedback device comprises at least one vibration device, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the at least one vibration device to provide a tactile indication related to the value of the first activity metric.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine which activity data to track based on the one or more tags or indicators.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to select a type of the first activity metric to be determined based on the one or more tags or indicators.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the value of the first activity metric is distance traveled, steps taken, stairs or floors climbed, elevation change, calories burned, pace, top speed, action count, retrace count, blood pressure, or heart rate.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to analyze the activity data and generate the one or more marks or indicators based on the analysis of the activity data.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the one or more flags or indicators based on an apparatus state or mode.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine that an annotation mode is active, and wherein the at least one feedback device further provides an indication to a user based on the determination that the annotation mode is active.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to switch between multiple activity tracking modes based on the one or more markers or indicators, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the type of the first activity metric based on a determination of which of the multiple activity tracking modes is currently active.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of activity tracking modes comprises at least one of a running mode, a walking mode, a stair climbing mode, a cycling mode, a swimming mode, or a sleep tracking mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The device further comprises at least one user input device contained in or integrated into the housing to receive or sense user input; The at least one processor is further configured to receive and interpret user input received or sensed via the at least one user input device; and The at least one processor is configured to receive user input via the at least one user input device and define the one or more tags or indicators based on the user input.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is configured to define a start time of the physical activity session, an end time of the physical activity session, a first duration of the physical activity session, or a type of activity performed during the physical activity session based on the user input.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The apparatus further includes transmitting and receiving circuitry; The transmit and receive circuits are configured for wireless communication via a network; and The at least one processor is configured to receive and interpret user input received by the receiving circuit.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the at least one feedback device to indicate to a user achievement of a goal or a progress point en route to a goal based on a value of the first activity metric.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of: a gyroscope, a physiological sensor, a biosensor, an altitude sensor, a temperature sensor, a light sensor, or a heart rate sensor; and wherein the at least one processor is configured to further determine the value of the first activity metric based on data from at least one of: the gyroscope, the physiological sensor, the biosensor, the altitude sensor, the temperature sensor, the light sensor, or the heart rate sensor.

21. A method implemented by a portable monitoring device, comprising: sensing motion of the portable monitoring device via at least one motion sensor and providing activity data based on the sensed motion; Receiving the activity data by at least one processor; receiving or generating, by the at least one processor, annotation data to annotate the activity data with one or more tags or indicators; demarcating a starting point of a physical activity session in the activity data using the one or more markers or indicators; determining, by the at least one processor, a value for a first activity metric using activity data received after a start point of the physical activity session; determining, by the at least one processor, a value for a second activity metric using activity data received before and after a starting point of the physical activity session; and An indication is provided to the user based on whether the annotation mode is active based on the value of the first activity metric or the value of the second activity metric.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more tags or indicators further define a type of activity performed during the physical activity session.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the type of the first activity metric is the same as the type of the second activity metric.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine which activity data to track based on the one or more tags or indicators.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising selecting, by the at least one processor, a type of the first activity metric to determine based on the one or more tags or indicators.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the value of the first activity metric is distance traveled, steps taken, stairs or floors climbed, altitude change, calories burned, pace, top speed, action count, retrace count, blood pressure, or heart rate.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising analyzing, by the at least one processor, the activity data and generating, by the at least one processor, the one or more marks or indicators based on the analysis of the activity data.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the one or more flags or indicators based on a device state or mode.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising: switching, by the at least one processor, between a plurality of activity tracking modes based on the one or more indicia or indicators; and The type of the first activity metric is selected, by the at least one processor, based on a determination of which of the plurality of activity tracking modes is currently active.

30. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining, by the at least one processor, a value of the first activity metric further based on data from at least one of: a gyroscope, a physiological sensor, a biosensor, an altitude sensor, a temperature sensor, a light sensor, or a heart rate sensor.

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