# US 10,478,099 B2 · Systems and methods for determining axial orientation and location of a user's wrist > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,478,099 B2 - Document ID: US10478099B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/705,644 - Filed: 2017-09-15 - Published: 2018-03-22 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-22 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Jason Lor; Siddharth Nangia - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478099B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/1122: {of movement trajectories} - A61B 5/681: {Wristwatch-type devices} - A63B 24/0006: {Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement} - A63B 24/0062: {Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance} - G01L 1/146: {for measuring force distributions, e.g. using force arrays (G01L1/148 takes precedence)} - G01L 1/16: using properties of piezoelectric devices - G06F 1/163: {Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt} - G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)} - A61B 5/02416: {using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation (A61B5/14552 takes precedence)} - A61B 5/067: {using accelerometers or gyroscopes} - A61B 5/1112: {Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS} - A61B 5/1118: {Determining activity level} - A61B 5/224: {Measuring muscular strength} - A61B 5/296: for electromyography [EMG] - A61B 5/486: {Biofeedback (using electroencephalography [EEG] A61B5/375)} - A61B 5/6886: {Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue} - A61B 2562/0214: Capacitive electrodes - A63B 71/0619: {Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills} - A63B 2024/0012: {Comparing movements or motion sequences with a registered reference} - A63B 2071/0663: {worn on the wrist, e.g. wrist bands} - A63B 2220/40: Acceleration - A63B 2220/50: Force related parameters - A63B 2220/803: Motion sensors - A63B 2220/836: Sensors arranged on the body of the user - A63B 2230/08: other bio-electrical signals - A63B 2230/60: muscle strain, i.e. measured on the user - G01P 13/00: Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement (electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00) - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G}) ## Abstract This relates to systems and methods for determining the axial orientation and location of the user's wrist using one or more sensors located on the strap, the device underbody, or both. For example, the strap can include a plurality of elastic sections and a plurality of rigid sections. Each elastic section can include one or more flex sensors. In some examples, on or more electromyography (EMG) sensors can be included to measure the user's electrical signals, and the user's muscle activity can be determined. In some examples, a plurality of strain gauges can be included to generate one or more signals indicative of any changes in shape, size, and/or physical properties of the user's wrist. In some examples, the device can include a plurality of capacitance sensors for increased granularity and/or sensitivity in measuring the amount of tension exerted by the user's wrist. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A strap for a wearable device, the strap comprising: an inner side and an outer side; a plurality of strap holders configured to attach to a first edge and a second edge of a wearable device body; and a plurality of capacitance sensors located on the inner side of the strap, the plurality of capacitance sensors configured to sense one or more changes in capacitance due to one or more forces of a user's wrist causing one or more changes in capacitance coupling, the plurality of capacitance sensors configured to generate one or more capacitance signals indicative of the one or more changes in capacitance coupling, wherein the plurality of capacitance sensors is arranged as a grid of drive lines and sense lines. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The strap of claim 1, further comprising: a second plurality of capacitance sensors configured to capacitively couple to the plurality of capacitance sensors and located on the outer side of the strap. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The strap of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of elastic sections, each elastic section including at least one flex sensor, wherein each flex sensor is configured to contract when the user's wrist has more tension and generate one or more signals indicative of the contraction; and a plurality of rigid sections, one or more of the plurality of elastic sections separated by one or more of the plurality of rigid sections. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The strap of claim 3, where each of the plurality of elastic sections is interleaved with each of the plurality of rigid sections. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The strap of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of electromyography sensors configured to measure one or more electrical activities of the user's wrist. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The strap of claim 5, further comprising: a plurality of elastic sections, wherein the plurality of electromyography sensors is at least partially embedded in the plurality of elastic sections. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The strap of claim 6, wherein the plurality of elastic sections generates both strain signals and electromyography signals. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The strap of claim 5, wherein the plurality of electromyography sensors is interleaved with the plurality of capacitance sensors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The strap of claim 5, wherein the plurality of capacitance sensors is located at a first location of the inner side of the strap and the plurality of electromyography sensors is located at a second location of the inner side of the strap, the second location spatially separate from the first location. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The strap of claim 1, further comprising: one or more piezoelectric sensors configured to measure one or more strains caused by the user's wrist. ### Claim 11 A device comprising: a device body including a top side, an underside, a first edge, and a second edge; a display located on the top side of the device body; a strap comprising: a plurality of strap holders configured to attach to the first and second edges of the device body; an inner side and an outer side; a plurality of sensors located on the inner side of the strap, the plurality of sensors including a plurality of capacitance sensors configured to sense one or more changes in capacitance due to one or more forces of a user's wrist causing one or more changes in capacitance coupling, wherein the plurality of capacitance sensors is arranged as a grid of drive lines and sense lines; the plurality of sensors configured to generate one or more signals; and logic configured to: receive the one or more signals, and generate one or more images of the user's wrist from the received one or more signals, the one or more images include a two-dimensional representation of location, intensity, or both of the one or more forces. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the device is capable of automatic self-calibration, wherein self-calibration includes one or more of determining an axial location and determining an axial orientation of the device body on the wrist of the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, further comprising: one or more optical sensors located on the underside of the device body and configured to measure a physiological information of the user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, further comprising: one or more motion sensors configured to measure a motion of the device, wherein the logic is further configured to: receive motion information associated with the motion of the device from the one or more motion sensors, and determine a timing of an activity of the user based on the motion information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, further comprising: one or more piezoelectric sensors configured to measure one or more strains caused by the user's wrist, wherein the logic is further configured to receive strain information from the one or more piezoelectric sensors, and determine a grip of the user based on the strain information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, further comprising: one or more additional sensors configured to measure a motion of the user's wrist, wherein the logic is configured to: receive motion information from the one or more additional sensors, and determine whether the device is attached to the user's left wrist or the user's right wrist based on the motion information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the strap further comprises: a plurality of elastic sections, each elastic section including at least one flex sensor, wherein each flex sensor is configured to contract when the user's wrist has more tension and generate one or more signals indicative of the contraction; and a plurality of rigid sections, one or more of the plurality of elastic sections separated by one or more of the plurality of rigid sections. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the strap further comprises one or more strain gauges configured to measure one or more strains caused by the user's wrist, wherein the one or more images of the user's wrist includes a two-dimensional representation of information from the one or more strain gauges.