Heart rate data collection

#This disclosure relates generally to techniques for monitoring biometric data, and more particularly, to a portable monitoring device capable of heart rate data collection.

#Recent consumer interest in personal health has led to a variety of personal health monitoring devices being offered on the market. Such devices, until recently, tended to be complicated to use and were typically designed for use with one activity, e.g., bicycle trip computers.

#Recent advances in sensor, electronics, and power source miniaturization have allowed the size of personal health monitoring devices, also referred to herein as “biometric tracking” or “biometric monitoring” devices, to be offered in extremely small sizes that were previously impractical. For example, the Fitbit Ultra is a biometric monitoring device that is approximately 2″ long, 0.75″ wide, and 0.5″ deep; it has a pixelated display, battery, sensors, wireless communications capability, power source, and interface button, as well as an integrated clip for attaching the device to a pocket or other portion of clothing, packaged within this small volume.

#The various implementations disclosed herein are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals may refer to similar elements.

#FIG. 1 illustrates an example portable monitoring device which enables user interaction via a user interface.

#FIG. 2A illustrates an example portable monitoring device which may be secured to the user through the use of a band.

#This disclosure is directed at biometric monitoring devices (which may also be referred to herein and in any references incorporated by reference as “biometric tracking devices,” “personal health monitoring devices,” “portable monitoring devices,” “portable biometric monitoring devices,” “biometric monitoring devices,” or the like), which may be generally described as wearable devices, typically of a small size, that are designed to be worn relatively continuously by a person. When worn, such biometric monitoring devices gather data regarding activities performed by the wearer or the wearer's physiological state. Such data may include data representative of the ambient environment around the wearer or the wearer's interaction with the environment, e.g., motion data regarding the wearer's movements, ambient light, ambient noise, air quality, etc., as well as physiological data obtained by measuring various physiological characteristics of the wearer, e.g., heart rate, perspiration levels, etc.

#Biometric monitoring devices, as mentioned above, are typically small in size so as to be unobtrusive for the wearer. Fitbit offers several varieties of biometric monitoring devices that are all quite small and very light, e.g., the Fitbit Flex is a wristband with an insertable biometric monitoring device that is about 0.5″ wide by 1.3″ long by 0.25″ thick. Biometric monitoring devices are typically designed to be able to be worn without discomfort for long periods of time and to not interfere with normal daily activity.

#In some cases, a biometric monitoring device may leverage other devices external to the biometric monitoring device, e.g., an external heart rate monitor in the form of an EKG sensor on a chest strap may be used to obtain heart rate data or a GPS receiver in a smartphone may be used to obtain position data. In such cases, the biometric monitoring device may communicate with these external devices using wired or wireless communications connections. The concepts disclosed and discussed herein may be applied to both stand-alone biometric monitoring devices as well as biometric monitoring devices that leverage sensors or functionality provided in external devices, e.g., external sensors, sensors or functionality provided by smartphones, etc.