Portable monitoring devices and methods of operating same

A portable monitoring device to calculate calorie burn 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 the user and, in response, 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, to generate data which is representative of an amount of altitude change of the user;
• and
• processing circuitry, disposed in the housing and coupled to the motion sensor and the altitude sensor, configured to:
• calculate slope over an interval traveled by the user based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user,
• calculate a speed of the user over the interval based at least in part on the data which is representative of the motion of the user,
• calculate a first calorie burn over the interval based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user, (ii) the multiplication of the slope by a multiplication factor such that the multiplication factor is decreased in value when (a) the slope is determined to be negative and (b) the absolute value of the slope is determined to have exceeded a first threshold slope amount, wherein the decrease in value is with respect to the value of the multiplication factor under conditions where the slope is determined to be negative and determined to have an absolute value less than the first threshold slope amount, and (iii) the speed of the user.

A portable monitoring device to calculate calorie burn 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 the user and, in response, 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, to generate data which is representative of an amount of altitude change of the user;
• and
• processing circuitry, disposed in and coupled to the motion sensor and the altitude sensor, configured to:
• calculate slope over an interval traveled by the user based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user and (ii) the data which is representative of the amount of altitude change of the user,
• calculate an activity state of the user over the interval based at least in part on the data which is representative of the motion of the user,
• calculate calorie burn over the interval based at least in part on (i) the data which is representative of the motion of the user, (ii) the activity state, and (iii) the multiplication of the slope by a multiplication factor such that the multiplication factor is decreased in value when (a) the slope is determined to be negative and (b) the absolute value of the slope is determined to have exceeded a first threshold slope amount, wherein the decrease in value is with respect to the value of the multiplication factor under conditions where the slope is determined to be negative and determined to have an absolute value less than the first threshold slope amount.