Calibration Techniques for Activity Sensing Devices

Abstract

Improved techniques and systems to calibrate an electronic device that is providing activity sensing are disclosed. The activity being sensed can, for example, correspond to walking or running by a user. In one embodiment, calibration can be performed by a portable electronic device so that activity data it receives from a remote sensor device can be more accurately processed. The improved techniques and systems to calibrate can be used to monitor, process, present and manage data captured by a remote sensor. The portable electronic device can also offer a convenient user interface that can be visual and/or audio based, customized to a particular application, user-friendly and/or dynamic. The portable electronic device can pertain to a portable media player and thus also provide media playback.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a portable electronic device, a request from a user to monitor a physical activity using the portable electronic device, the request including an indication of a first distance for which the physical activity is to be performed;   receiving, at the portable electronic device and from an activity sensor, activity data measurements corresponding to the physical activity performed by the user;   estimating, using existing calibration data and the activity data measurements, a second distance traveled by the user in performing the physical activity;   computing a difference between the first distance and the second distance;   comparing the difference to a set margin;   responsive to the difference being less than the set margin, modifying the existing calibration data based on the activity data measurements; and   responsive to the difference being greater than the set margin, discarding the activity data measurements without modifying the existing calibration data.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the portable electronic device is one of a portable media player, a mobile telephone, or a wristwatch and the activity sensor includes a pedometer that is communicatively coupled to the portable electronic device, and
 wherein the activity data measurements are received at the portable electronic device from the activity sensor over a wireless connection between the portable electronic device and the activity sensor.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 obtaining, by a computer that is communicatively coupled to the portable electronic device, one or more of the calibration data or the activity data measurements from the portable electronic device; and   processing, by the computer, the calibration data or the activity data measurements.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving, at a server, one or more of the calibration data or the activity data measurements from the computer; and   processing, by the server, one or more of the calibration data or the activity data measurements received from the computer in conjunction with one or more of additional calibration data or additional activity data measurements corresponding to other portable electronic devices.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 updating, by the server, a default calibration model associated with the portable electronic device or other portable electronic devices based on the processing; and   publishing, by the server, information about one or more of physical activity or activity data measurements associated with various devices on a website, wherein the website is accessible by the portable electronic device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the existing calibration data corresponds to a first calibration model associated with the portable electronic device, the method further comprising:
 receiving, at the portable electronic device and from one or more additional sensors, data indicating one or more of a characteristic of a wearable associated with the user, or a type of surface on which the physical activity is performed;   selecting, from calibration data available at the portable electronic device, the first calibration model based on one or more of the characteristic of the wearable associated with the user or the type of surface on which the physical activity is performed; and   modifying the first calibration model based on the activity data measurements.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the wearable includes a shoe worn by the user, and wherein the one or more additional sensors include a sensor coupled to the shoe. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein receiving the request from the user comprises receiving a user selection of a type of the physical activity, and wherein receiving the activity data measurements from the activity sensor further comprises:
 determining, based on the activity data measurements, whether a current activity type of the user is same as the selected type of the physical activity; and   when the current activity type is determined to be different from the selected type of the physical activity, providing a notification to the user that the current activity type is different from the selected type of the physical activity.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the existing calibration data includes first calibration data that is generated from a default calibration model based on previous activity data measurements corresponding to previous physical activity performed by the user at a first pace, and
 wherein receiving the activity data measurements from the activity sensor corresponding to the physical activity performed by the user comprises:
 receiving, at the portable electronic device and from the activity sensor, the activity data measurements corresponding to the physical activity performed by the user at a second pace that is different from the first pace. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the physical activity includes one of walking or running by the user. 
     
     
         12 . A portable electronic device comprising:
 a computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, at the portable electronic device, a request from a user to monitor a physical activity using the portable electronic device, the request including an indication of a first distance for which the physical activity is to be performed; 
 receiving, at the portable electronic device and from an activity sensor, activity data measurements corresponding to the physical activity performed by the user; 
 estimating, using existing calibration data and the activity data measurements, a second distance traveled by the user in performing the physical activity; 
 computing a difference between the first distance and the second distance; 
 comparing the difference to a set margin; 
 responsive to the difference being less than the set margin, modifying the existing calibration data based on the activity data measurements; and 
 responsive to the difference being greater than the set margin, discarding the activity data measurements without modifying the existing calibration data. 
   
     
     
         13 . The portable electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the portable electronic device is one of a portable media player, a mobile telephone, or a wristwatch and the activity sensor includes a pedometer that is communicatively coupled to the portable electronic device, and
 wherein the activity data measurements are received at the portable electronic device from the activity sensor over a wireless connection between the portable electronic device and the activity sensor.   
     
     
         14 . The portable electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the existing calibration data corresponds to a first calibration model associated with the portable electronic device, and wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:
 receiving, at the portable electronic device and from one or more additional sensors, data indicating one or more of a characteristic of a wearable associated with the user, or a type of surface on which the physical activity is performed;   selecting, from calibration data available at the portable electronic device, the first calibration model based on one or more of the characteristic of the wearable associated with the user or the type of surface on which the physical activity is performed; and   modifying the first calibration model based on the activity data measurements.   
     
     
         15 . The portable electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein receiving the request from the user comprises receiving a user selection of a type of the physical activity, and wherein receiving the activity data measurements from the activity sensor further comprises:
 determining, based on the activity data measurements, whether a current activity type of the user is same as the selected type of the physical activity; and   when the current activity type is determined to be different from the selected type of the physical activity, providing a notification to the user that the current activity type is different from the selected type of the physical activity.   
     
     
         16 . The portable electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the existing calibration data includes first calibration data that is generated from a default calibration model based on previous activity data measurements corresponding to previous physical activity performed by the user at a first pace, and
 wherein receiving the activity data measurements from the activity sensor corresponding to the physical activity performed by the user comprises:   receiving, at the portable electronic device and from the activity sensor, the activity data measurements corresponding to the physical activity performed by the user at a second pace that is different from the first pace.   
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 a portable electronic device that is configured to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, at the portable electronic device, a request from a user to monitor a physical activity using the portable electronic device, the request including an indication of a first distance for which the physical activity is to be performed; 
 receiving, at the portable electronic device and from an activity sensor, activity data measurements corresponding to the physical activity performed by the user; 
 estimating, using existing calibration data and the activity data measurements, a second distance traveled by the user in performing the physical activity; 
 computing a difference between the first distance and the second distance; 
 comparing the difference to a set margin; 
 responsive to the difference being less than the set margin, modifying the existing calibration data based on the activity data measurements; and 
 responsive to the difference being greater than the set margin, discarding the activity data measurements without modifying the existing calibration data. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the portable electronic device is one of a portable media player, a mobile telephone, or a wristwatch and the activity sensor includes a pedometer that is communicatively coupled to the portable electronic device, and
 wherein the activity data measurements are received at the portable electronic device from the activity sensor over a wireless connection between the portable electronic device and the activity sensor.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a computer that is communicatively coupled to the portable electronic device and configured to perform operations comprising:
 obtaining, by the computer, one or more of the calibration data or the activity data measurements from the portable electronic device; and   processing, by the computer, the calibration data or the activity data measurements.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a server that is configured to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, at the server, one or more of the calibration data or the activity data measurements from the computer; and   processing, by the server, one or more of the calibration data or the activity data measurements received from the computer in conjunction with one or more of additional calibration data or additional activity data measurements corresponding to other portable electronic devices.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the server is configured to perform operations further comprising:
 updating, by the server, a default calibration model associated with the portable electronic device or other portable electronic devices based on the processing; and   publishing, by the server, information about one or more of physical activity or activity data measurements associated with various devices on a website, wherein the website is accessible by the portable electronic device.