Portable monitoring devices and methods of operating same

A portable monitoring device adapted to couple to a body of a user, the portable monitoring device comprising:

• a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the body of the user;
• a motion sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect motion of a user and, in response thereto, to generate data which is representative of motion of the user;
• an altitude sensor, disposed in the housing, to sample an altitude of the user in response to an altitude sample signal, wherein, in response to sampling the altitude of the user, the altitude sensor generates data which is representative of a change in altitude of the user;
• and
• processing circuitry, disposed in the housing and coupled to the motion sensor and the altitude sensor, to:
• generate the altitude sample signal using the data which is representative of motion of the user,
• calculate a change in elevation of the user using the data which is representative of a change in altitude of the user, and
• calculate a state of an avatar using the data which is representative of a change in altitude of the user;
• and
• a display, coupled to the processing circuitry, to output data which is representative of the state of the avatar, wherein the avatar is a graphical representation of the user.

A portable monitoring device adapted to couple to a body of a user, the portable monitoring device comprising:

• a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the body of the user;
• a motion sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect motion of a user and, in response thereto, to generate data which is representative of motion of the user;
• an altitude sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect a change in altitude of the user and, in response thereto, to generate data which is representative of the change in altitude of the user;
• processing circuitry, disposed in the housing and coupled to the motion sensor and the altitude sensor, to calculate:
• a change in elevation of the user using the data which is representative of motion of the user and the data which is representative of a change in altitude of the user,
• a number of steps taken by the user using the data which is representative of motion of the user, and
• a state of an avatar using the data which is representative of the change in elevation of the user and data which is representative of the number of steps taken by the user;
• and
• a display, coupled to the processing circuitry, to output data which is representative of the state of the avatar, wherein the avatar is a graphical representation of the user.

A portable monitoring device adapted to couple to a body of a user, the portable monitoring device comprising:

• a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the body of the user;
• a motion sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect motion of a user and, in response thereto, to generate data which is representative of motion of the user;
• an altitude sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect a change in altitude of the user and, in response thereto, to generate data which is representative of the change in altitude of the user;
• processing circuitry, disposed in the housing and coupled to the motion sensor and the altitude sensor, to calculate:
• a change in elevation of the user using the data which is representative of motion of the user and the data which is representative of a change in altitude of the user,
• a calorie burn of 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
• a state of an avatar using the data which is representative of the calorie burn of the user;
• and
• a display, coupled to the processing circuitry, to output data which is representative of the state of the avatar, wherein the avatar is a graphical representation of the user.