Body fat monitoring system and method employing mobile terminal

A mobile terminal device, comprising:

• a housing supporting a display;
• a user interface for facilitating user interaction with the mobile terminal device;
• an acceleration sensor;
• body fat monitoring circuitry comprising a tactile interface supported by one or both of the housing and a housing cover, the monitoring circuitry communicating monitoring signals to a portion of a user's body via the tactile interface;
• and
• a processor, the processor computing a parameter associated with the user's body fat in response to the communication of the monitoring signals and using an acceleration signal produced by the acceleration sensor to compute a parameter associated with walking or running by the user.

A method of using a mobile terminal device for facilitating wireless communication and body fat monitoring, comprising:

• providing the mobile terminal device having body fat monitoring circuitry, the body fat monitoring circuitry comprising a plurality of electrodes for contacting portions of a user's hands;
• transmitting monitoring signals between a first pair of the electrodes when in contact with the user's hands;
• detecting, in response to transmission of the monitoring signals, a resistance between a second pair of the electrodes;
• and
• computing a parameter associated with the user's body fat using the detected resistance.

A portable cover, comprising:

• a processor;
• physiological conditions monitoring circuitry comprising a tactile interface supported by one or more surfaces of the cover, the monitoring circuitry communicating monitoring signals to a portion of a user's body via the tactile interface, the processor computing a parameter associated with a user's physiological conditions in response to communication of the monitoring signals;
• and
• an interface for coupling the processor with the monitoring circuitry.