Device for Tracking Activity and Associated Methods

Abstract

A device for tracking activity of a person includes a motion detection component, a notification component, and a band. The motion detection component includes circuitry for detecting and recording movement of the device. The notification component is connected to the circuitry of the motion detection component. The notification component is defined to signal when an amount of recorded movement of the device has exceeded a predetermined amount of movement. The band is formed to secure to a part of a human body. The band includes the motion detection component and the notification component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a motion detection component including circuitry for detecting and recording movement of the apparatus;   a notification component connected to the circuitry of the motion detection component, the notification component defined to signal when an amount of recorded movement of the apparatus has exceeded a predetermined amount of movement;   a band formed to secure to a part of a human body, the band including the motion detection component and the notification component.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the notification component includes a light emitting diode, the circuitry defined to illuminate the light emitting diode when the amount of recorded movement of the apparatus exceeds the predetermined tined amount of movement. 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the circuitry is defined to control a color emitted by the light emitting diode, the color indicating the amount of recorded movement of the apparatus. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the notification component includes a series of light emitting diodes, the circuitry defined to illuminate the series of light emitting diodes in accordance with the amount of recorded movement of the apparatus. 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the circuitry is defined to control one or more colors emitted by the series of light emitting diodes, the one or more colors indicating the amount of recorded movement of the apparatus. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the notification component is defined to display an alphanumeric message. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the alphanumeric message is associated with the amount of movement recorded by the circuitry. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the alphanumeric message indicates that the amount of movement recorded by the circuitry has reached a predetermined threshold of movement. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the circuitry is defined to translate the amount of recorded movement of the apparatus into an amount of points. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the notification component is a liquid crystal display. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the notification component is defined to generate an audible signal associated with the amount of recorded movement of the apparatus. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the band includes a housing for receiving and holding the motion detection component and the notification component. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the housing is a pocket in the band. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a motion detector defined to detect a change in a magnetic field indicative of movement;   circuitry connected to receive signals from the motion detector and process the received signals through an algorithm to determine an orientation and a quantity of movement;   a display defined to provide a visual indication of the quantity of movement recorded by the circuitry; and   a band formed to secure to a part of a human body, the band including the motion detector, the circuitry, and the display.   
     
     
         15 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the motion detector includes an inductor. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the band includes a housing for receiving and holding the motion detector. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the housing is a pocket in the band. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a band defined to secure to a wrist of a human body;   a motion detector secured within the band, the motion detector defined to detect movement of the human body when the band is secured to the human body;   a memory for recording movement data detected by the motion detector;   a display screen defined to visually display an alphanumeric message associated with the movement data recorded in the memory.   
     
     
         19 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the band includes a clasp to close the band about the wrist of the human body. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the motion detector is a type of dampening device motion detector. 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the motion detector includes a magnet. 
     
     
         22 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the motion detector, memory, and display screen are integrated within a component secured within the band. 
     
     
         23 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the component is removable from the band. 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the display screen is a liquid crystal display screen. 
     
     
         25 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a series of light emitting diodes defined to visually display information associated with the movement data recorded in the memory.   
     
     
         26 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 25 , wherein the series of light emitting diodes and the display screen are defined separately on the apparatus. 
     
     
         27 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 25 , further comprising:
 circuitry defined to control illumination of the series of light emitting diodes such that individual light emitting diodes of the series of light emitting diodes turn on to emit light in a progression from one end of the series of light emitting diodes toward another end of the series of light emitting diodes, wherein an amount of the progression is based on an amount of movement of the human body as indicated by the movement data recorded in the memory.   
     
     
         28 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 circuitry defined to translate an amount of movement of the human body as indicated by the movement data recorded in the memory into a points value.   
     
     
         29 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 28 , wherein the alphanumeric message displays the points value. 
     
     
         30 . A device for use by a user to track physical activity of the user when the device is associated with the user, comprising:
 (a) a band for affixing the device to a wrist of the user, the band includes a pocket that is a housing for the device;   (b) a sensor being part of the device, the sensor defined to sense motion activity of the device for associated motion of the user having the band affixed to the user's wrist;   (c) an electrical circuit being part of the device, the electrical circuit being interfaced with the sensor and memory, the memory defined to store the sensed motion activity over a period of time, the electronic circuit includes algorithms that detect and interpret signals from the sensor; and   (d) a display device being part of the device, the display device includes a series of light emitting diodes, the series of light emitting diodes arranged along a single row, herein one or more light emitting diodes of the series of light emitting diodes in the single row activate to reveal a code upon reaching or exceeding one or more thresholds of physical activity as controlled by the algorithms processed by the electrical circuit of the device.