1. Field
The invention relates to a wrist-worn physical activity measurement apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wrist-worn apparatuses capable of a physical activity measurement such as sports watches utilize a bracelet for attaching the apparatus around the wrist. Usability of the apparatus may be affected by how easy and comfortable it is to attach, wear and take off the apparatus.
The present invention seeks to provide an improved wrist-worn physical activity measurement apparatus.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus as specified in claim 1.
Example embodiments of the present invention are described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
The following embodiments are only examples. Although the specification may refer to “an” embodiment in several locations, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference is to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature only applies to a single embodiment. Single features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments. Furthermore, words “comprising” and “including” should be understood as not limiting the described embodiments to consist of only those features that have been mentioned and such embodiments may contain also features/structures that have not been specifically mentioned.
It should be noted that while Figures illustrates various example embodiments of the apparatus 100, they are only a simplified block diagrams that only shows some structures and functional entities. It is apparent to a person skilled in the art that the described apparatus 100 may also comprise other functions and structures. It should be appreciated that details of some functions and structures, are irrelevant to the actual invention. Therefore, they need not be discussed in more detail here.
The apparatus 100 comprises a bracelet 102 comprising a plurality of links 104, and a flexible casing 106 encasing the plurality of the links 104.
In an example embodiment, the apparatus 100 further comprises an electronics module coupled with the bracelet 102.
In an example embodiment of
In an example embodiment of
In an example embodiment of
In an example embodiment, the electronics module 300 comprises a biosignal measurement sensor, and/or a processor module comprising one or more processors and one or more memories including computer program code.
Besides these two types of biosignal measurement sensors, also other types of biosignal measurement sensors may be embedded into the electronics module 300. These types include but are not limited to the following: a PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor, a Laser Doppler-based blood flow sensor, a magnetic blood flow sensor, an EMFI pulse sensor, a polarization blood flow sensor.
In an example embodiment, the apparatus 100 comprises a physical activity measurement sensor interface 708, which may be utilized to obtain measurement data obtained by monitoring a user of the apparatus 100.
The sensors 702, 724 may produce the physical activity-related measurement data such as sports, exercise or activity related data. A non-exhaustive list of sensors 702, 724 includes heart rate sensors, motion sensors, location sensors, swimming sensors and bike sensors, as well as other sensors gathering information regarding the training. The heart rate sensors include, but are not limited to, a cardiovascular sensor (such as an electrocardiogram ECG sensor), an optical heart rate sensor (heart rate, heart rate variability), and a bioimpedance sensor. Motion sensors may include accelerometers worn on chest, wrist, or ankle, for example. Location sensors may utilize GPS (Global Positioning System) or other satellite-based, or radio system-based system for locating the user and measuring various parameters (speed, distance, location, route) relating to the movement of the user. Swimming sensors may measure swimming specific parameters such as number of strokes or distance, for example. Bike sensors may be sensors attached to various parts of the bike for measuring speed, cadence, or power, for example. The gathered sensor information may be utilized to calculate further physical activity-related measurement data of the user such as total energy consumption, an energy consumption speed, an activity level, a cumulated activity, for example.
As illustrated in
The term ‘processor’ 710 refers to a device that is capable of processing data. Depending on the processing power needed, the apparatus 100 may comprise several processors 710 such as parallel processors or a multicore processor. When designing the implementation of the processor 710, a person skilled in the art will consider the requirements set for the size and power consumption of the apparatus 100, the necessary processing capacity, production costs, and production volumes, for example. The processor 710 and the memory 720 may be implemented by an electronic circuitry.
The term ‘memory’ 720 refers to a device that is capable of storing data run-time (=working memory) or permanently (=non-volatile memory). The working memory and the non-volatile memory may be implemented by a random-access memory (RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), a flash memory, a solid state disk (SSD), PROM (programmable read-only memory), a suitable semiconductor, or any other means of implementing an electrical computer memory.
In an example embodiment, a system clock 718 constantly generates a stream of electrical pulses, which cause the various transferring operations within the apparatus 100 to take place in an orderly manner and with specific timing.
In an example embodiment, the processor 710 may be implemented as a microprocessor implementing functions of a central processing unit (CPU) on an integrated circuit. The CPU is a logic machine executing a computer program code 722. The computer program code 722 may be coded as a computer program using a programming language, which may be a high-level programming language, such as C++, C, or Java, or a low-level programming language, such as a machine language, or an assembler. The CPU may comprise a set of registers 712, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 714, and a control unit (CU) 716. The control unit 716 is controlled by a sequence of the computer program code 722 transferred to the CPU from the (working) memory 720. The control unit 716 may contain a number of microinstructions for basic operations. The implementation of the microinstructions may vary, depending on the CPU design. The microprocessor 710 may also have an operating system (a dedicated operating system of an embedded system, a real-time operating system, or even a general-purpose operating system), which may provide the computer program code 722 with system services.
A non-exhaustive list of implementation techniques for the processor 710 and the memory 720 includes, but is not limited to: logic components, standard integrated circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), system-on-a-chip (SoC), application-specific standard products (ASSP), microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, special-purpose computer chips, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), and other suitable electronics structures.
The computer program code 722 may be implemented by software and/or hardware. In an example embodiment, the software may be written by a suitable programming language, and the resulting executable code 722 may be stored on the memory 720 and run by the processor 710.
In an example embodiment, the functionality of the hardware may be designed by a suitable hardware description language (such as Verilog or VHDL), and transformed into a gate-level netlist (describing standard cells and the electrical connections between them), and after further phases the chip implementing the processor 710, memory 720 and the code 722 of the apparatus 100 may be fabricated with photo masks describing the circuitry.
In an example embodiment, the processor 710 and the memory 720 of the apparatus 100 are a part of a microcontroller.
In an example embodiment, the processor 110 and the memory 120, and the other electronic circuits 404, 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612 are separate entities, communicatively coupled together by an appropriate serial bus, for example. In general interfaces between the various elements may be implemented with suitable interface technologies, such as a message interface, a method interface, a sub-routine call interface, a block interface, an appropriate serial/parallel bus, or any hardware/software means enabling communication between various sub-units of the apparatus 100.
An example embodiment provides a computer-readable medium 726 for the apparatus 100 comprising a computer program comprising the computer program code 722. Said computer program code 722, when loaded into the apparatus 100 and executed in the apparatus 100, causes the apparatus 100 to perform the function(s) related to the physical activity measurement on the user. In an example embodiment, the computer program code 722 may be in source code form, object code form, executable file, or in some intermediate form. The computer-readable medium 726 may comprise at least the following: any entity or device capable of carrying computer program code 722 to the apparatus 100, a record medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory, an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunications signal, and a software distribution medium. In some jurisdictions, depending on the legislation and the patent practice, the computer-readable medium 726 may not be the telecommunications signal. In an example embodiment, the computer-readable medium 726 may be a non-transitory computer readable storage medium.
In an example embodiment, the apparatus 100 comprises a display 706. The display 706 may be implemented with suitable technologies including, but not limited to at least the following: LCD (liquid crystal display), EL (electroluminescence), LED (light emitting diode), and OLED (organic light emitting diode).
Next, with reference to
The apparatus 100 is attached to the left hand (or, naturally, to the right hand) 1000 of the user. The hand 1000 comprise an ulna side 1100 of the wrist, a back of the hand side 1102 of the wrist, a radius side 1104 of the wrist, and a palm side 1106 of the wrist.
In an example embodiment, the bracelet 102 is dimensioned and adapted such that it is attachable around the wrist 1108 by pressing 1300, 1302, 1304, 1306, 1308, 1310, 1312 it from the outwards towards the wrist 1108 by the user.
In an example embodiment, also illustrated with
In an example embodiment, the bracelet 102 does not require a traditional pin buckle or other means of attaching the ends 200, 202 with each other. This is because, as shown in
In an example embodiment, the links 104 and the adjacent links 104 are pivotable such that they exert a clamping force 1400, 1402, 1404, 1406 against the wrist 1108.
In an example embodiment a part of the links 104 and the adjacent links 104 are positioned, dimensioned and adapted such that a greater clamping force 1402, 1404 is directed towards ulna and radius bones 1200, 1202 of the wrist 1108 than towards the palm side 1106 of the wrist 1108 and the back of the hand side 1102 of the wrist 1108. This may enhance the wearing comfort of the apparatus 100 even further.
Note that in
In an example embodiment, the flexible casing 106 in the inside of the bracelet 102, which comes into contact with the wrist 1108 when attached, comprises non-skid material, such as polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), silicon, rubber, synthetic rubber, or other material with causes increased friction between the skin of wrist 1108 and the inside of the bracelet 102. Furthermore, said surface of the casing 106 may comprise appropriate texture to increase the friction. The increased friction may aid in preventing the bracelet 102 from moving around the wrist 1108.
Next, with reference to
In an example embodiment, the links 104 are made of suitably rigid material such as plastic, composite or metal. In an example embodiment, the flexible casing 106 is made of plastic, polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), silicon, rubber, synthetic rubber, or other suitably flexible material. The links 104 form the “backbone” of the bracelet 102, whereas the flexible casing 106, while encasing the links 104, improves the wearing comfort as hair or skin cannot stick between the links 104, and, furthermore, dirt cannot accumulate in spaces between the links 104.
In an example embodiment, illustrated in
In an example embodiment of
In an example embodiment of
In an example embodiment of
In an example embodiment of
In an example embodiment, the part and the counterpart comprise a gear wheel mechanism causing that the links 104A and the adjacent 104B links are pivotable in relation to each other stepwise. In an example embodiment of
In an example embodiment, the apparatus 100 further comprises friction structures causing friction between the part and the counterpart as the link 104A and the adjacent link 104B are moved relative to each other. The purpose of such friction is to achieve a predetermined stiffness to the joint between the link 104A and the adjacent link 104B so that they are pivotably lockable in relation to each other in order to wrap and lock around the wrist 1108. Such friction structures may employ suitable dimensioning, and/or suitable texturing, and/or suitable geometry of the part and the counterpart.
In an example embodiment, the apparatus 100 further comprises feedback structures causing senseable feedback to the user while pivoting the links 104 and the adjacent links 104. In an example embodiment, the cogs 1700, 1702 generate the feedback, which the user may sense (by feeling and/or hearing, for example). In another example embodiment, the friction structures generate the feedback.
In an example embodiment of
It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that, as technology advances, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are not limited to the example embodiments described above but may vary within the scope of the claims.