CH712657A1 - Method and system for measuring and displaying data related to the physical activity of a person. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for measuring and displaying data related to the physical activity of a person, comprising: measuring data related to the physical activity of the person by means of a mechanical sensor (21) , for example a pedometer, in a wristwatch (2) worn by the person; - display of the measured data on the dial of the wristwatch (2); - image of said dial by means of a camera in electronic equipment (1); Analyzing said image to determine said data; Processing said data to process the analyzed data; - display of the processed data on a screen of the electronic equipment. The electronic equipment is, for example, a smartphone.

Description

Description TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to measuring the physical activity of persons using wristwatches.

STATE OF THE ART [0002] Wristwatches and other devices worn on the wrist are known in the state of the art for determining the physical activity of the wearer. Some electronic watches are for example provided with a step counter that determines the number of steps performed by the wearer. Other sports watches can display the distance traveled during a race, the altitude difference, or other parameters related to physical activity.

These parameters can be displayed on the screen of the watch or the bracelet. Smart-watches also allow them to be transmitted, for example via a wired or wireless interface, to a computer or smartphone for display and more comfortable handling. Connected watches are known that communicate via a Bluetooth interface with a nearby smartphone. This smartphone allows to display the results and to memorize them.

In WO 13 134 713, the communication between an electronic watch provided with biometric sensors and a smartphone is performed using an optical communication protocol. The image sensor of the smartphone captures an image of the dial of the watch presenting a tag, for example in the form of a QR code, and extracts data from it.

These solutions are, however, reserved for electronic watches and which have a battery for powering the communication interface. They are therefore not applicable to mechanical watches or without electronic or electro-optical communication interface.

However, many consumers appreciate the elegance of mechanical watches and the fact that they must not be recharged or even reassembled in the case of automatic watches. Mechanical watches do not simply display the current time; they often have other complications to measure and display parameters not related to the current time. At present, these complementary parameters are only displayed and processed in the watch, without the comfort and power that an electronic treatment offers in a computer or a smartphone.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] An object of the present invention is therefore to propose a method for displaying on an electronic equipment non-time-related data measured with a mechanical watch.

In particular, an object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method for displaying on an electronic equipment data related to physical activity and measured with a mechanical watch.

According to one aspect, this object is obtained by means of a method for measuring and displaying data representative of the physical activity of a person, comprising: measuring data by means of a mechanical sensor in a watch bracelet; - display of data on the dial of the wristwatch; image capture of said dial by means of a camera in electronic equipment; analyzing said image to determine said data; processing said data to generate processed data; - display of the processed data on a screen of the electronic equipment.

The method therefore uses a camera and electronic equipment to capture an image of the mechanical watch and determine the measured data, through an image analysis.

This solution has the advantage over the prior art to avoid the need for electronic components, a connector or an antenna, and a battery in the mechanical watch.

For this purpose, the data representative of the physical activity can for example be determined by an integration of the oscillations undergone by an oscillating mass from a time of zeroing, or per unit of time.

An image analysis has already been implemented in order to check the position of the needles of a watch and its good running. By way of example, WO 12 069 444 A1 relates to a method for determining the gapping of a mechanical watch with an image analyzer. Similarly, WO 05 003 867 relates to a clock time correction system using a camera that captures images of the dial, and a system that analyzes these images to determine the time displayed by the clock. shows. These solutions only make it possible to check whether the time indicated by a mechanical watch is accurate; they are of no use in transmitting other data.

[0014] A mechanical measurement of data related to the physical activity of a person is however novel or unusual. The display of these data on the dial of a watch is also unusual.

By data representative of physical activity is meant in this application data whose primary function is to inform the wearer of the watch on the efforts made during physical activity. Data are said to be representative of the physical activity of a person when they are intended to determine the level of physical activity of the person and to indicate whether this activity is sufficient, for example in the context of a training or formatting, or if it needs to be increased. The physical data may comprise, for example, an estimate of the number of steps taken, a distance traveled, an energy supplied from the beginning of the measurement, or an energy per unit of time.

By mechanical sensor is meant in the present invention a sensor whose operation is exclusively mechanical and therefore does not require electrical or electronic component.

The mechanical sensor may be a mechanical motion sensor integrated in the wristwatch.

The mechanical sensor may be a sensor that counts the number of oscillations.

The mechanical sensor may be a sensor that takes into account the number and amplitude of the oscillations.

The mechanical sensor may be an oscillation sensor when walking.

The motion sensor may be a pedometer. The data then depend on the number of steps taken by the person.

The method may comprise a step of automatic and periodic zeroing of the data displayed on the dial.

The method may include a step of manually zeroing the data displayed on the dial.

In one embodiment, the displayed data are incremented with each movement of the wearer or with each movement of the wearer in a given direction or direction, and only decremented by a voluntary action of the user or automatically at intervals. periodicals.

The invention also relates to a system for measuring and displaying data representative of the physical activity of a person, comprising: - a wristwatch provided with a mechanical sensor for capturing data related to the person's physical activity when wearing the wristwatch, and an indicator to display these data on a dial of the wristwatch; electronic equipment with a camera; an image analysis module captured by said camera, for determining the data displayed on the dial when the image includes a picture of the dial; a processing module for processing said data determined by the image analysis module; a module for displaying data processed on a screen.

According to one aspect, the invention also relates to a computer data medium comprising a program executable by electronic equipment so that said equipment processes and displays data related to the physical activity of a person, said program comprising : an image capture module; a captured image analysis module for determining data displayed on a dial when the image includes a picture of the dial; a processing module for processing said data determined by the image analysis module; a module for displaying data processed on a screen.

The electronic equipment may be a smartphone, a tablet, a computer, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [0028] Examples of implementation of the invention are indicated in the description illustrated by the appended figures in which: FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system according to the invention. fig. 2 is a block diagram of the main modules of an apparatus according to the invention.

Example (s) of Embodiment of the Invention [0029] An exemplary system according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. The system includes electronic equipment 1 and a mechanical wristwatch 2.

The electronic equipment 1 may be for example a smartphone, a tablet, a computer with a camera or a webcam, etc., equipped with a screen 11 and a camera 10 for capturing images. still or moving images (videos). An optional wireless or wireless interface, for example a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth interface, makes it possible to connect it to external equipment, for example a computer, and / or to the Internet.

The wristwatch 2 is provided with an indicator 20, for example a pointer needle, disc, roller, retractable beacons, or with another piece of movement, to display the current time and that non-time related data, for example data related to the physical activity of the person wearing the watch.

These data are obtained by means of a mechanical sensor 21 integrated with the wristwatch. The sensor may be part of the movement of the watch, or an auxiliary module superimposed on the main movement.

In one embodiment, these data depend on accelerations of the watch when the wearer of the watch moves his wrist.

These accelerations can be measured with a test mass in the mechanical sensor, that is to say a mass rotated, in oscillation or in translation by the movements of the person. This mass can be a mass different from the oscillating weight charged with the automatic winding of the watch. In one embodiment, this mass is the oscillating mass of the movement, the oscillations of which are counted mechanically in order to obtain information other than the power reserve and relating to the physical activity of the wearer.

An unrepresented integrator adds the oscillations experienced by the test mass to deduce data representative of the activity of the person. In one embodiment, this integrator comprises a spring, for example a spiral spring, or another deformable element, which is tensioned at each oscillation of the test mass, or at each oscillation whose amplitude exceeds a threshold, or at each oscillation in a given direction. The deformable element automatically relaxes, for example every day at midnight, or manually under the action of a pushbutton, or continuously. The spring tension then depends on the number of oscillations since the manual or automatic zeroing, and possibly the amplitude of these oscillations; it can be displayed to indicate a measure of the energy expended by the user since the reset.

It is also possible to use a counter as an integrator, for example a digital counter, the value of which is incremented at each oscillation.

In these embodiments, the data therefore represent an integration of the accelerations experienced by the wristwatch 2 during a given period. This data may for example depend on the number of steps taken by the person.

A reset module not shown allows to reset the counter periodically, for example whenever the time indicated by the movement of the watch is at midnight, or whenever the movement goes from a phase of intense activity at a less intense phase of activity, or vice versa. A manual reset module, for example using a push button or a position of the crown, can also be used. It is also possible to reset a counter when the user removes his watch, for example to sleep, and no movement is detected for a specified period.

The measured data displayed are displayed on the dial 22, for example by means of a dedicated needle for this display, or another appropriate element. It is also possible to display a value by means of several hands.

The electronic equipment comprises an electronic program, for example an app or another executable, described in relation to FIG. 2. The element 10 corresponds to the camera already described. An image capture module 30, which may be distinct from the program, makes it possible to capture images of the dial 22, or other images.

An image analysis module 31 receives the images captured with the camera 10 and analyzes them by means of an image recognition algorithm, in order to determine the data related to the activity of the person. displayed on the dial when the scanned image includes a picture of that dial. For this purpose, the module 31 may include a preprocessing module for adjusting the contrast, the brightness, and / or the white balance of the image. The pretreatment may also include perspective correction in the case where the image is taken from a direction not perpendicular to the dial, thereby correcting parallax errors; For this purpose, it may be advantageous to provide a reference shape on the dial 22, for example a rectangular shape or the like, known by the preprocessing module which can correct the trapezoidal deformations to correct the errors of perspective.

A reframing module isolates and orients the rectified image portion comprising the dial 22, or in any case the indicator (for example the needle and the associated indexes) which displays the relevant data on this dial.

The analysis module 31 also includes a feature extraction module ("extraction feature") in order to extract the desired elements of the image, including indicators, for example the needles or the end of these. A module for determining the position of these features then makes it possible to determine the angle of the identified needle, or the angular or longitudinal position of another indicator, to directly deduce the displayed physical activity data.

The data thus determined are transmitted to a processing module 32 which processes them. The processing may include, for example, storage, comparison with previous data or with reference data, and / or calculation of other data from the raw data thus determined. The treatment module may also use data introduced by the wearer of the watch, for example its weight, size, age, gender, goals, type of physical activity, etc. Other data used by the module 32, such as meteorological data, comparisons with other users, etc., can be drawn from a communication network, for example the Internet.

Claims (13)

A display module 33 then displays the data thus processed on a screen 11 of the electronic equipment 1, or on another screen. The data can also be rendered in a sound form. The measured and displayed data may for example comprise a number of steps, an index of activity (or inactivity) or a number of calories respectively spent since the last reset of the counter of the watch. In a variant, it is possible to display a percentage of activity with respect to a goal defined by the user or proposed by the program. Several displays may be provided. For example, a first display may indicate a datum representative of the number and the amplitude of the oscillations since a time of zeroing; the value therefore depends on the physical energy expended, or the number of steps taken, since this reset, for example since midnight. A second display may for example be incremented with each movement, and decremented regularly with the flow of time measured by the movement of the watch; the displayed value therefore corresponds to a power expended. It is also possible to calculate and display a number of hours of sleep, light physical activity, or intense physical activity. A sleep phase can be detected by the mechanical sensor and / or the treatment module when the motion sensor detects low physical activity for a prolonged period; the probability of sleep is even greater if this low activity occurs at night. For this purpose, the mechanical sensor can be arranged to detect the passages between phases of sleep, light activity and intense activity; the times of passage, or the durations, can be displayed on the dial of the watch. This data can be displayed in the form of text, numbers and / or diagrams. They can also be saved or transmitted to other devices remotely. claims A method for measuring and displaying data related to a person's physical activity, comprising: measuring data representative of the physical activity of the person by means of a mechanical sensor (21) in a wristwatch (2) worn by the person; - display of the measured data on the dial (22) of the wristwatch (2); image capture of said dial by means of a camera (10) in electronic equipment (1); analyzing said image to determine said data (31); processing said data to process the analyzed data (32); - Display of processed data on a screen (11) of the electronic equipment (33). 2. The method of claim 1, said mechanical sensor (21) being a motion sensor. 3. The method of claim 2, said motion sensor (21) being a pedometer, said data depending on the number of steps performed by the person. 4. The method of claim 2, comprising a step of integration of the movements undergone by the motion sensor since a reset time. 5. The method of one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a step of automatic and periodic zeroing of the data displayed on the dial. 6. The method of one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a step of manually zeroing the data displayed on the dial (22). 7. The method of one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the displayed data are incremented with each movement of the wearer or with each movement of the wearer in a given direction or direction, and only decremented by a voluntary action of the user or automatically at periodic intervals. 8. A system for measuring and displaying data related to the physical activity of a person, comprising: - a wristwatch (2) provided with a mechanical sensor (21) for capturing data representative of the physical activity of the person when wearing the wristwatch, and an indicator (21) to display these data on a dial of the wristwatch; electronic equipment provided with a camera (10); an image analysis module (31) captured by said camera (10), for determining the data displayed on the dial when the image includes a picture of the dial; a processing module (32) for processing said data determined by the image analysis module; a display module (33) processed data on a screen. 9. The system of claim 8, said mechanical sensor (21) being a motion sensor. 10. The system of claim 9, said motion sensor (21) being a pedometer, said data depending on the number of steps performed by the person. 11. The method of one of claims 8 to 10, comprising a step of automatic and periodic zeroing of the data displayed on the dial (22). The method of one of claims 8 to 11, comprising a step of manually zeroing the data displayed on the dial (22). 13. A computer data medium comprising a program executable by electronic equipment (1) so that said equipment processes and displays data representative of the physical activity of a person, said program comprising: an image capture module ( 30); a captured image analysis module (31) for determining data displayed on a dial (22) when the image includes a picture of the dial; a processing module (32) for processing said data determined by the image analysis module; a display module (33) for processed data on a screen (11).