Portable monitoring devices and methods of operating same

A portable activity monitoring device to calculate at least one sleep metric of a user, the portable activity 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 generate data which is representative of motion of the user;
• an altitude sensor, disposed in the housing, to generate data which is representative of the change in altitude of the user;
• a physiological sensor, disposed in the housing, to generate data which is representative of physiological information of the user;
• processing circuitry, disposed in the housing and coupled to the motion, altitude and physiological sensors, wherein the processing circuitry:
• calculates a motion metric using the data which is representative of motion of the user,
• calculates an altitude metric using the data which is representative of the change in altitude of the user, and
• automatically determines a sleep mode of the user using the data which is representative of motion of the user and data which is representative of the physiological information of the user and, in response thereto, calculates at least one sleep metric of the user.

A portable activity monitoring system including a portable activity monitoring device to calculate at least one sleep metric of a user, comprising:

• a fixture having (i) a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to a location on the body of the user and (ii) a particular signature;
• and
• the portable activity 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 generate data which is representative of motion of the user;
• wherein the portable monitoring device is adapted to physically engage the fixture and to detect the particular signature of the fixture;
• processing circuitry, disposed in the housing and coupled to the motion sensor, wherein the processing circuitry:
• calculates a motion metric using the data which is representative of motion of the user, and
• automatically determines a sleep mode of the user based on detecting the particular signature associated with the fixture and using the data which is representative of motion of the user, and, in response thereto, calculates at least one sleep metric of the user.

A portable activity 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 generate data which is representative of motion of the user;
• an altitude sensor, disposed in the housing, 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 and altitude sensors, wherein the processing circuitry:
• calculates a motion metric using the data which is representative of motion of the user,
• calculates an altitude metric using the data which is representative of the change in altitude of the user,
• calculates a calorie burn using an activity specific calorie burn algorithm corresponding to an activity mode of the user, and
• automatically determines a sleep mode of the user using the data which is representative of motion of the user wherein, in response to determining the sleep mode, the processing circuitry calculates at least one sleep metric of the user.