GB2575443A

GB2575443A - An exercise tracking device

Info

Publication number: GB2575443A
Application number: GB1811198.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Dilloway Geroge; George Dilloway Jago
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-07-09
Filing date: 2018-07-09
Publication date: 2020-01-15
Also published as: GB201811198D0

Abstract

An exercise tracking device for fitting under the housing of a wristband such as a wristwatch, comprising a housing 10 and internal circuitry including one or more sensors 13 arranged to monitor bodily statistics of a user, and an attachment mechanism 2. The attachment mechanism attaches the housing to the base of the wristband and the sensor is in contact with the user's skin when worn (fig 3, 13). The device may monitor at least one physiological characteristic of the user. The sensor may comprise a blood pressure monitor, a blood oxygen monitor and/or a sweat monitor. The attachment mechanism may comprise an adhesive and it may comprise a ferromagnetic mechanism to connect to the housing. The device may have a haptic feedback means, including a vibration monitor (fig 5, 51). It may contain a wireless transceiver (fig 4, 6). It may contain an inductive charging coil (fig 4, 5).

Description

AN EXERCISE TRACKING DEVICE

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an exercise tracking device, in particular a device for providing exercise tracking and user monitoring during exercise, more particularly but not exclusively a low-profile means of discretely monitoring.

Background

Increasing interest in digitisation of many people’s lives is a factor in many societies.

Many users also wish to keep fit, and increasing numbers of people are undertaking regimented physical exercises. Digitisation enables the users to keep track of their exercises and the effectiveness thereof.

Many such users may wear smart wristwatches which contain sensors so as to measure movements as well as physical signs of the user. However not at all users wish to wear digital watches or such smart wristwatches, as wristwatches can often be status symbols or aesthetically matched to outfits or tastes, or of great value and highly branded.

Prior Art

US 2017 0 215 743 (MEER et al) discloses embodiments of wearable device heart monitor systems, a wearable device has electrical contacts integrated in a housing base of the wearable device as electrodes designed to contact skin of a user while wearing the wearable device. A housing bezel of the wearable device designed as an additional point of contact on the wearable device. The wearable device includes an electromyography (EMG) system to receive electrical signals from at least two of the electrodes and detect muscular movement of the user. Further, the wearable device includes an electrocardiogram (ECG) system to receive and combine the electrical signals from the electrodes when the user touch contacts the housing bezel while wearing the wearable device to complete an ECG loop between the electrodes and the housing bezel for a heart rate reading of the user.

CN 105 005 354 (WU) discloses a wearable device comprises a body and a wearable part, wherein the body is provided with a first magnetic part and a second magnetic part; the wearable part is provided with a third magnetic part and a fourth magnetic part; the body and the wearable part are combined through magnetic attraction of the first magnetic part to the third magnetic part; the body can rotate relative to the wearable part so as to lead the position of the second magnetic part and the position of the fourth magnetic part to be overlapped or not to be overlapped; when the position of the second magnetic part and the position of the fourth magnetic part are not overlapped, the body is combined with the wearable part; and when the position of the second magnetic part and the position of the fourth magnetic part are overlapped, the body can be separated from the wearable part through repulsion of the second magnetic part and the fourth magnetic part.

US 5 226 020 (LI et al) discloses a wrist watch with health care function consists of a mechanism (core), a case and a back cover of a wrist watch having timekeeping function. A magnetic body is placed in the back cover of the wrist watch. Between the magnetic body and the mechanism (core) of the wrist watch is a magnetic isolating body which is formed by the back cover itself or which is a -shaped magnetic isolating shield or a magnetic isolating piece covered on the magnetic body in the back cover so that the wrist watch can both tell time (maintaining the accuracy of timekeeping) and provided the function of health care for treating or preventing from human diseases through the action of the magnetic source.

The present invention arose in order to overcome problems suffered by existing devices.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided an exercise tracking device comprising a rigid housing and internal circuitry including one or more sensors arranged to monitor bodily statistics of a user, and a wristwatch attachment mechanism, wherein the wristwatch attachment mechanism configures the housing to locate the sensor in contact with the user’s skin.

In some embodiments the wristwatch attachment mechanism comprises a temporary mechanism.

In some embodiments the wristwatch attachment mechanism comprises a suction mechanism.

In some embodiments the wristwatch attachment mechanism comprises a ferromagnetic mechanism.

In some embodiments the wristwatch attachment mechanism comprises a bipartite mechanism.

For example the mechanism may comprise a wristwatch adaptor part and an adaptor attaching part. The adaptor attaching part may comprise

In such examples the adaptor part may be arranged to provide a permanent adaptation of the wristwatch so as to enable the wristwatch to receive the adaptor attaching part.

In this way the wristwatch attachment mechanism may be configured to attach the housing to any wristwatch, for example even where the wristwatch attachment mechanism may comprise a ferromagnetic wristwatch attachment mechanism, and the wristwatch is a non-ferrous material.

For example in such embodiments the mechanism may comprise a self-adhesive adaptor comprising a ferrous metal or permanent magnet.

A bipartite mechanism may be envisaged where the adaptor part may provide a suction surface and the wristwatch attachment mechanism comprises a suction mechanism.

A bipartite mechanism may also be envisaged where the adaptor part may comprise a screwthread mechanism, for example wherein a threaded part may be adhered permanently or temporarily to the wristwatch.

For example a mechanism part may be temporarily comprise a clip or resilient wristwatch adaptor, for example including arms that clip over or around or to the wristwatch. In this way the mechanism may comprise two separate attachment mechanisms, wherein a first is a more permanent adaptor for the wristwatch and the second is an easily displaceable mechanism for the housing.

In some embodiments the attachment mechanism comprises a ferromagnetic mechanism so that it can be connected to the housing.

Advantageously in this way or through other preferable means the housing may be easily displaced for charging or data connection purposes.

In some embodiments the housing may comprise a socket for charging or data connection. Such socket may comprise a USB (universal serial bus) socket. In some embodiments the socket may be provided with a silicone plug or similar, which silicone plug may be tethered to the housing and may enable the socket to be waterproof.

In some other embodiments the housing may comprise an inductive charging coil.

In some embodiments the housing may comprise a displaceable or replaceable battery.

In some other embodiments the housing provides a wholly sealed unit, which may be formed in a rigid material such as a metal or alloy.

The device may comprise a haptic feedback means so as to provide local feedback as well as intermachine operability such as Bluetooth (RTM). The haptic feedback means may comprise a vibration motor.

In some embodiments the housing may comprise or contain a galvanic skin response (GSR) sensor, an accelerometer and a heart rate sensor, said sensors supported by said housing and operative to generate data indicative of physiological parameters of said individual when said housing is worn by said individual during exercise.

In some embodiments the sensor may comprise:

A radial tonometer configured to output a pressure signal indicating a pulse pressure wave at the user's wrist;

Two or more electrodes configured to output an electrical signal indicating the user's heart has been commanded to contract;

A microphone configured to output an audio signal indicating a closing of the user's aortic valve;

And/or

A pulse transit time monitor configured to: calculate a pre-ejection period of the user's heart based on at least the pressure, electrical, and audio signals; and calculate a pulse transit time based on at least the pre- ejection period, the pressure signal, and the electrical signal.

In some embodiments the sensor comprises a blood pressure monitor.

In some embodiments the sensor comprises a blood oxygen level monitor.

In some embodiments the sensor comprises a sweat monitor.

The apparatus may thereby provide a health and fitness management system that has a health and fitness software application operating, e.g., on a smart phone, that can wirelessly communicate with the housing worn on the user which has a motion sensor such as an accelerometer. The application may thereby accept food and weight inputs (e.g., from the smart phone) and user activity units (e.g., from the activity unit) and develop a user intrinsic metabolism. The application may thereby include fitness arc and health quotient graphical indicators that guide the user on health and fitness activities. For example the apparatus may provide a method for instantaneously and continuously assessing real time energy balance for fitness management comprising, in order: (a) collecting food intake information for actual or expected food intake of a user over a specified period of time and contemporaneously converting the food intake information into food intake energy units for the first period of time, wherein the food intake units are based on relative energy content of one food compared to another without relying on standard caloric values.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the Figures in which:

Brief Description of Figures

Figure 1 shows an isometric view of an embodiment of the device according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a reverse isometric view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows an isometric view from below of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 in use on a wristwatch;

Figure 4 shows an exploded isometric view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1;

And

Figure 5 shows a reverse isometric view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1.

Detailed Description of Figures

With reference to the pictured embodiment there is shown an embodiment of the device 1 generally comprising a rigid housing 10 and internal circuitry including a sensor 13 arranged to monitor bodily statistics of a user, and an attachment mechanism 2 for a wristwatch 100, wherein the wristwatch attachment mechanism configures the housing to locate the sensor 13 in contact with the user’s skin in use.

In particular reference to the embodiment shown in the Figures, the embodiment comprises a stainless-steel housing 10, which is circular in plan and substantially flat in profile.

The housing has a diameter of 35mm and is 4.5mm deep.

In this way the housing may be envisaged to easily and comfortably fit underneath a standard wristwatch face.

The device is thereby envisaged to form apparatus 99 as shown in Figure 3 that turns a wristwatch into a smartwatch hybrid, without the need to replace an existing wristwatch. The subtle design of the device is slim enough to be secured underneath any wristwatch, tracking the user’s every step.

The pictured embodiment comprises a circuit board 4 with the following parts:

3-axis accelerometer 55

Vibration motor 51

GPS (global positioning system) module 52

Bluetooth (RTM) wireless transceiver and antenna 6

Ultra-thin lithium-polymer battery 53

The device further comprises:

Induction charging coil 5

Heart rate monitor 31 and sensor 13

Top housing part 12, clipping to bottom housing part 11 having central lacuna 21 for sensor 13

Adhesive ring 2

In some embodiments the sensor comprises a blood pressure monitor.

In some embodiments the sensor comprises a blood oxygen level monitor.

In some embodiments the sensor comprises a sweat monitor.

As shown in Figure 3 the pictured embodiment is envisaged to secure to the underside of a wristwatch in use.

The device can be paired with any smartphone or other item or personal computing through the installed software application via Bluetooth (RTM).

The device is arranged to use vibrations for haptic feedback that can be customised to the user's needs, where the device is in use pushed against the user’s wrist secured neatly on the back of the wristwatch.

Induction charging ensures charging as soon as the housing comes into contact with a charge docking station. It may be envisaged that kinetic energy harvesting charging could also be available in some embodiments of the device.

With reference to the software application:

A home screen allows the user to navigate around the app intuitively using symbols and icons.

Pressing the middle icon activates Bluetooth (RTM), once activated and paired the text shows ‘Connected’.

The navigation menu gives the user an easy way to look at all the features the device has to offer. Clicking ‘Alerts’ goes to a different page.

An Alerts menu provides a way to customise and control how many times the device vibrates when a notification comes through when in range. An option is available to customise vibrations to fitness, e.g. every time 1Km is ran. Pressing an icon mutes them.

After a workout the device tracks the location of where and how far the user has travelled, logging the information and pairing back up with the user’s personal computing item when in range.

Clicking on a heart icon links to another screen that can go into further detail about the activity carried out including calories burnt and bpm.

The invention has been described by way of examples only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the scope of invention as defined by the claims, in particular but not solely 5 combination of features of described embodiments.

Claims

1. A wrist band has a housing which receives a tracking device with a sensor, the housing is adapted to be configured to locate the sensor in contact with a wearer’s skin.

2. An exercise tracking device includes the wristband according to claim 1 and the tracking device has a housing and at least one sensor which is arranged to monitor at least one physiological characteristic of the wearer.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a blood pressure monitor.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a blood oxygen level monitor.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a sweat monitor.

6. A device according to any of claims 2 to 5 wherein the attachment mechanism comprises an adhesive mechanism.

7. A device according to any of claims 2 to 5 wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a ferromagnetic mechanism so that it can be connected to the housing.

8. A device according to any preceding claim comprising a haptic feedback means.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein the haptic feedback device includes a vibration motor.

10. A device according to any preceding claim comprising a wireless transceiver.

11. A device according to any preceding claim comprising an inductive charging coil.