Physical activity monitor and data collection unit

Abstract

A physical activity data collection unit includes one or more infrared sensors configured to provide an output indicative of a pulse rate of a user of the physical activity data collection unit, at least one temperature sensor configured to provide an output indicative of at least a body temperature of the user, and at least one accelerometer configured to provide an output indicative of movements of the user, The physical activity data collection unit can also include a microcontroller configured to determine a pulse rate, a body temperature, and movement characteristics of the user of the data collection unit based on outputs from the one or more infrared sensors, the at least one temperature sensor, and the at least one accelerometer; determine a physical exertion level of the user based on one or more of the pulse rate, the body temperature, or the movement characteristics of the user; and store, in a memory, data indicative of the physical exertion level during a time period during which the physical exertion level exceeds a predetermined threshold.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A physical activity data collection unit, including:
 two or more infrared sensors arranged on the data collection unit such that hen the data collection unit is worn by a user, the two or more infrared sensors are positioned adjacent to a wrist of the user, the two or more infrared sensors each being configured to provide an output indicative of a pulse rate of the user of the physical activity data collection unit;   at least one temperature sensor configured to provide an output indicative of at least a body temperature of the user;   at least one accelerometer configured to provide an output indicative of movements of the user; and   microcontroller configured to:
 determine a physical exertion level of the user based on the outputs of the two or more infrared sensors and also based on at least one of the output provided by the at least one temperature sensor and the output provided by the at least one accelerometer; and 
 if the determined physical exertion level exceeds a predetermined threshold, store, in a memory, data indicative of the physical exertion level of the user and data indicative of an amount of time the physical exertion level of the user exceeds the predetermined threshold. 
   
     
     
         25 . The physical activity data collection unit of  claim 24 , further including a transceiver, and wherein the microcontroller is further configured to transmit data indicative of the exertion level of the user to an external data collection portal. 
     
     
         26 . The physical activity data collection unit of  claim 25 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to determine the presence of stored physical exertion data and automatically initiate transmission of the stored data upon determining that the data collection unit has come within a predetermined range of the data collection portal. 
     
     
         27 . The physical activity data collection unit of  claim 25 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to determine the presence of stored physical exertion data and initiate transmission of the stored data upon receiving an interrogation signal from the data collection portal. 
     
     
         28 . The physical activity data collection unit of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one temperature sensor includes at least one of a thermocouple, diode, resistive temperature device, or infrared device. 
     
     
         29 . The physical activity data collection unit of  claim 24 , wherein the two or more infrared sensors each include an infrared transceiver unit. 
     
     
         30 . The physical activity data collection unit of  claim 24 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to condition output signals provided by the two or ore infrared sensors, the at least one temperature sensor, or the at least one accelerometer and store the conditioned signals in the memory. 
     
     
         31 . The physical activity data collection unit of  claim 24 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to:
 generate a signal to be emitted by the data collection unit;   detect the presence of similar signals generated in the vicinity of the data collection unit; and   shut down the data collection unit if potentially fraudulent use is recognized based on the detection of the similar signals.   
     
     
         32 . The physical activity data collection unit of  claim 24 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to recognize potentially fraudulent use of the data collection unit and take at least one action in response to the recognized potentially fraudulent use. 
     
     
         33 . The physical activity data collection unit of  claim 24 , further including an RFD tag to aid in recognition of the data collection unit or the user of the data collection unit. 
     
     
         34 . The physical activity data collection unit of  claim 24 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to communicate a unique code associated with the data collection unit to aid in recognition of the data collection unit.