Portable Monitoring Devices and Methods of Operating Same

A portable monitoring device to calculate a calorie burn and a number of stairs or flights of stairs traversed by a user, the portable monitoring device comprising:

• a motion sensor to detect motion of the user and, in response, to generate data which is representative of motion of the user;
• an altitude sensor to detect a change in altitude of the user and, in response, to generate data which is representative of the change in altitude of the user;
• processing circuitry, coupled to the motion sensor and the altitude sensor, to:
• calculate a number of stairs or flights of stairs traversed by the user using (i) the data which is representative of motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of a change in altitude of the user, and
• calculate the calorie burn using (i) the data which is representative of motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of a change in altitude of the user;
• and
• wherein the portable monitoring device includes a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the body of the user.

A portable monitoring device to calculate a calorie burn and an activity state of a user, the portable monitoring device comprising:

• a motion sensor to detect motion of the user and, in response, to generate data which is representative of the motion of the user;
• an altitude sensor to detect a change in altitude of the user and, in response, to generate data which is representative of the change in altitude of the user;
• memory to store a plurality of activity specific calorie burn algorithms, wherein each calorie burn algorithm is associated with a specific activity state of the user;
• processing circuitry, coupled to the motion sensor and the altitude sensor, to:
• calculate a number of stairs or flights of stairs traversed by the user using (i) the data which is representative of motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of a change in altitude of the user, and
• calculate the calorie burn using (i) an activity specific calorie burn algorithm associated with an activity state of the user, (ii) the data which is representative of the motion of the user and (iii) the data which is representative of the change in altitude, and
• wherein the portable monitoring device includes a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the body of the user.