US 10,209,365 B2Granted

GPS power conservation using environmental data

AssigneeFitbit, Inc.

InventorsSubramaniam Venkatraman, Heiko Gernot Albert Panther, Shelten Gee Jao Yuen

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Abstract

Biometric monitoring devices, including various technologies that may be implemented in such devices, are discussed herein. Additionally, techniques, systems, and apparatuses are discussed herein for providing power-conserving techniques and systems for efficiently utilizing a GPS receiver are described. The positional fix frequency of the GPS receiver may, according to some implementations, be modified or adjusted between various levels according to data from one or more non-GPS sensors. Such non-GPS sensors may include, for example, ambient light intensity or spectrum sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, heart rate sensors, galvanic skin response sensors, infrared sensors, etc.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A biometric monitoring device configured to be worn on a person, the device comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver;
a motion sensor;
a biometric sensor configured to generate body characteristic data;
and
a controller, communicatively coupled to the GPS receiver and the biometric sensor, including at least one processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
determine a motion state of the device based on motion data received from the motion sensor, and
set a frequency with which the GPS receiver obtains positional fixes based on the motion state and the body characteristic data,
wherein the frequency of obtaining positional fixes comprises a time interval between which the GPS receiver obtains positional fixes of the device, the controller being configured to set the frequency at one of a first level and a second level, and
wherein the second level has a lower frequency with which the GPS receiver obtains the positional fixes than the first level, the second level indicative of a greater time interval between positional fixes than the first level.

6 more elements

A method for setting a frequency with which a global positioning system (GPS) receiver of a biometric monitoring device obtains positional fixes, the method comprising:

generating, via a motion sensor of the device, motion data;
determining, via a processor of the device, a motion state of the device based on motion data received from the motion sensor;
generating, via a biometric sensor of the device, body characteristic data;
setting, via the processor, a frequency with which the GPS receiver obtains positional fixes based on the motion state and the body characteristic data,
wherein the frequency of obtaining positional fixes comprises a time interval between which the GPS receiver obtains positional fixes of the device, the processor being configured to set the frequency at one of a first level and a second level, and
wherein the second level has a lower frequency with which the GPS receiver obtains the positional fixes than the first level, the second level indicating a greater time interval between positional fixes than the first level.

3 more elements

A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, having stored therein computer-executable instructions which, when executed by at least one processor in a biometric monitoring device to be worn on a person, cause the device to at least:

generate, via a motion sensor of the device, motion data;
determine, via a processor of the device, a motion state of the device based on motion data received from the motion sensor;
generate, via a biometric sensor of the device, body characteristic data;
set, via the processor, a frequency with which a global positioning system (GPS) receiver of the device obtains positional fixes based on the motion state and the body characteristic data,
wherein the frequency of obtaining positional fixes comprises a time interval between which the GPS receiver obtains positional fixes of the device, the processor being configured to set the frequency at one of a first level and a second level, and
wherein the second level has a lower frequency with which the GPS receiver obtains the positional fixes than the first level, the second level indicating a greater time interval between positional fixes than the first level.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/436,440Filed 17 Feb 2017 · continuation
Priority: 22 Jun 2012
Published: US 2017/0160398 A18 Jun 2017
Granted: 19 Feb 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification39 codes

G01S 19/34
Receivers: power consumption
A61B 5/0002
Measuring for diagnostic purposes ; Identification of persons: remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals…
A61B 5/0059
Measuring for diagnostic purposes ; Identification of persons: using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence
A61B 5/0205
Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the cardiovascular system, e.g. pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow: simultaneously…

Family

Application61/662,961Us provisional application · filed 22 Jun 2012
Application61/752,826Us provisional application · filed 15 Jan 2013
Application61/830,600Us provisional application · filed 3 Jun 2013
Application13/924,784Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Jun 2013
Application61/946,439Us provisional application · filed 28 Feb 2014
Application61/955,045Us provisional application · filed 18 Mar 2014
Application61/973,614Us provisional application · filed 1 Apr 2014
Application14/290,909Parent of this continuation · filed 29 May 2014
US 8,954,135 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Feb 2015
Application14/700,069Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Apr 2015
US 9,044,171 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Jun 2015
Application14/940,072Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Nov 2015
US 9,198,604 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Dec 2015
US 2017/0160398 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Jun 2017
US 9,572,533 B2Parent of this continuation
Application14/290,909Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2014/0107493 A1Published application
US 2014/0275850 A1Published application
US 2015/0230735 A1Published application
US 2016/0066844 A1Published application
US 10,209,365 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.