Portable monitoring devices and methods of operating same

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an apparatus comprising a portable monitoring device to be affixed to a user. The portable monitoring device including: 1) a set of one or more sensors to generate sensor data indicative of physical activity of a user when the portable monitoring device is affixed to the user; and 2) processing circuitry coupled with the set of sensors, to detect that the user has been sedentary for a period of time, and cause the portable monitoring device to alert the user responsive to the detection to encourage the user to move.

1 . A portable monitoring device to be affixed to a user, the portable monitoring device comprising:
 a set of one or more sensors to generate sensor data indicative of physical activity of the user when the portable monitoring device is affixed to the user, and   processing circuitry, coupled with the set of one or more sensors, to:
 detect that the user has been sedentary for a period of time, and 
 cause the portable monitoring device to alert the user in response to detecting that the user has been sedentary for the period of time in order to encourage the user to move. 
   
     
     
         2 . The portable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the alert is one or more of a buzz and a sound emitted by the portable monitoring device. 
     
     
         3 . The portable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the portable monitoring device further comprises one or more of a vibramotor, buzzer, and speaker to alert the user. 
     
     
         4 . The portable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the set of one or more sensors includes a physiological sensor, and   the sensor data is representative of a physiological condition of the user.   
     
     
         5 . The portable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is also to employ the sensor data to assess a current activity state of the user, wherein:
 the current activity state is one of a plurality of activity states, and   one activity state of the plurality of activity states is sedentary.   
     
     
         6 . The portable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the set of one or more sensors includes a motion sensor, and   the sensor data is representative of motion of the user.   
     
     
         7 . The portable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the set of one or more sensors includes an altitude sensor, and   the sensor data is representative of at least one of an altitude of the user and a change in the altitude of the user.   
     
     
         8 . The portable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the set of one or more sensors includes a heart rate sensor and a motion sensor, and   the sensor data includes heart rate data obtained from the heart rate sensor and representative of the user's heart rate and motion data obtained from the motion sensor and representative of motion of the user.   
     
     
         9 . The portable monitoring device of  claim 8 , wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer. 
     
     
         10 . The portable monitoring device of  claim 8 , wherein the heart rate sensor is an optical heart rate sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The portable monitoring device of  claim 10 , wherein the optical heart rate sensor is a photoplethysmographic sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The portable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the set of one or more sensors includes a motion sensor from which is obtained motion data representative of motion of the user, and   the processing circuitry is also to: employ the motion data to determine energy expenditure.   
     
     
         13 . The portable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the set of one or more sensors includes a physiological sensor, an altitude sensor, and a motion sensor, and   the processing circuitry is also to:
 correlate data which is representative of a physiological condition of the user from the physiological sensor, data which is representative of changes in altitude from the altitude sensor, and data which is representative of motion of the user from the motion sensor, and 
 determine an activity of the user using the correlation of data which is representative of a physiological condition of the user from the physiological sensor, data which is representative of changes in altitude from the altitude sensor, and data which is representative of motion of the user from the motion sensor, wherein the activity is one of a sedentary activity and a non-sedentary activity. 
   
     
     
         14 . An apparatus comprising:
 a portable monitoring device to be affixed to a user, the portable monitoring device including:
 a set of one or more sensors, including a physiological sensor, an altitude sensor, and a motion sensor, to generate data when the portable monitoring device is affixed to the user, and 
 processing circuitry coupled with the set of one or more sensors, the processing circuitry to:
 correlate data which is representative of a physiological condition of the user from the physiological sensor, data which is representative of changes in altitude from the altitude sensor, and data which is representative of motion of the user from the motion sensor, and 
 determine an activity of the user using the correlation of data which is representative of a physiological condition of the user from the physiological sensor, data which is representative of changes in altitude from the altitude sensor, and data which is representative of motion of the user from the motion sensor, wherein the activity is one of a sedentary and a non-sedentary activity, 
 detect that the user has been sedentary for a period of time, and 
 cause the portable monitoring device to alert the user in response to detecting that the user has been sedentary for the period of time in order to encourage the user to move. 
 
   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the alert is one or more of a buzz and a sound emitted by the portable monitoring device. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the portable monitoring device further comprises one or more of a vibramotor, buzzer, and speaker to alert the user. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 receiving, from a set of one or more sensors coupled to processing circuitry in a portable monitoring device affixed to a user, sensor data indicative of physical activity of the user;   detecting, using the processing circuitry, that the user has been sedentary for a period of time; and   causing, using the processing circuitry, the portable monitoring device to alert the user in response to detecting that the user has been sedentary for the period of time in order to encourage the user to move.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the alert is one or more of a buzz and a sound emitted by the portable monitoring device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the portable monitoring device further comprises one or more of a vibramotor, buzzer, and speaker to alert the user. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the set of one or more sensors includes a physiological sensor, and   the sensor data is representative of a physiological condition of the user.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising employing the sensor data to assess a current activity state of the user, wherein the current activity state is one of a plurality of activity states, wherein one activity state of the plurality of activity states is sedentary. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the set of one or more sensors include a motion sensor, and   the sensor data is representative of motion of the user.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the set of one or more sensors includes an altitude sensor, and   the sensor data is representative of at least one of an altitude of the user and a change in the altitude of the user.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the set of one or more sensors includes:
 a heart rate sensor from which is obtained heart rate data representative of the user's heart rate, and   a motion sensor from which is obtained motion data representative of motion of the user.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the heart rate sensor is an optical heart rate sensor. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the optical heart rate sensor is a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the set of one or more sensors includes a motion sensor from which is obtained motion data representative of motion of the user, the method further comprising employing the motion data to determine energy expenditure. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the set of one or more sensors includes a physiological sensor, an altitude sensor, and a motion sensor, and   the method further comprising:
 correlating data which is representative of the physiological condition of the user from the physiological sensor, data which is representative of changes in altitude from the altitude sensor, and data which is representative of motion of the user from the motion sensor, and 
   
       determining an activity of the user using the correlation of data which is representative of a physiological condition of the user from the physiological sensor, data which is representative of changes in altitude from the altitude sensor, and data which is representative of motion of the user from the motion sensor, wherein the activity is one of a sedentary activity and a non-sedentary activity.