Wearable Device Heart Monitor Systems

Abstract

In 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.

1 . A method implemented by a wearable device, the method comprising:
 contacting skin of a user with electrodes while wearing the wearable device, the electrodes integrated in a housing base of the wearable device;   receiving electrical signals from at least two of the electrodes with an electromyography (EMG) system that detects muscular movement of the user;   combining the electrical signals from the electrodes with an electrocardiogram (ECG) system when the user touch contacts a housing bezel of the wearable device to complete an ECG loop between the electrodes and the housing bezel; and   determining a heart rate reading of the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising illuminating the skin of the user and an optical sensor that detects reflected light from which heart rate measurements of the user are determined. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 detecting user activity based on one or more sensor inputs;   dynamically switching between the EMG system and the ECG system based on the detecting user activity; and   activating a photoplethysmogram (PPG) system having a light emitting diode in conjunction with, or independently from, the EMG system or the ECG system for the illuminating.   
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising determining a gesture input to the wearable device based on the detected muscular movement of the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the determining the heart rate reading is determined over time with the ECG system by measuring the combined electrical signals between a first extremity of the user in contact with the electrodes, through a heart of the user, and a second extremity of the user in contact with the housing bezel. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 5 , further comprising determining an electrocardiogram reading of the user. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the electrodes are equally spaced and arranged in a pattern that allows any combination of the electrodes being utilized as the at least two electrodes by the EMG system. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising coupling the electrodes to the EMG system and to the ECG system on a circuit board, and wherein the combining the electrical signals from the electrodes to complete the ECG loop for the heart rate reading of the user with an electronic switch integrated in the circuit board. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the housing bezel of the wearable device is grounded to the circuit board to complete the ECG loop between the electrodes and the housing bezel when the user touch contacts the housing bezel while wearing the wearable device. 
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 receiving electrical signals from electrodes integrated in a housing base of a wearable device, the electrodes contacting skin of a user while wearing the wearable device;   detecting muscular movement of the user by an electromyography (EMG) system based on the electrical signals received from at least two of the electrodes;   combining the electrical signals from the electrodes when the user touch contacts a housing bezel of the wearable device designed as an additional point of contact on the wearable device; and   determining a heart rate reading of the user by an electrocardiogram (ECG) system 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.   
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 illuminating the skin of the user with a light emitting diode of a photoplethysmogram (PPG) system;   detecting reflected light with an optical sensor of the PPG system; and   determining heart rate measurements of the user based on emitted light and the detected reflected light.   
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 detecting user activity based on one or more sensor inputs;   dynamically switching between the EMG system and the ECG system based on the detected user activity; and   activating the PPG system in conjunction with, or independently from, the EMG system or the ECG system.   
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining a gesture input to the wearable device by the EMG system based on the detected muscular movement of the user.   
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said determining, by the ECG system, the heart rate reading over time by measuring the combined electrical signals between a first extremity of the user in contact with the electrodes, through a heart of the user, and a second extremity of the user in contact with the housing bezel. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising:
 determining an electrocardiogram reading of the user by the ECG system.   
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the electrodes are equally spaced and arranged in a pattern that allows any combination of the electrodes being utilized as the at least two electrodes by the EMG system. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 coupling the electrodes to the EMG system and to the ECG system, and said combining the electrical signals from the electrodes with an electronic switch to complete the ECG loop for the heart rate reading of the user; and   grounding the housing bezel to the circuit board to complete the ECG loop between the electrodes and the housing bezel when the user touch contacts the housing bezel while wearing the wearable device.   
     
     
         18 . A method implemented by a heart sensor assembly, the method comprising:
 an electromyography (EMG) system to receiving electrical signals from electrodes with an electromyography (EMG) system that detects muscular movement of a user, the electrodes contacting skin of the user while wearing a wearable device that includes the heart sensor assembly;   combining the electrical signals from the electrodes with an electrocardiogram (ECG) system when the user touch contacts a housing of the wearable device to complete an ECG loop between the electrodes and the housing; and   determining a heart rate reading of the user over time with the ECG system by measuring the combined electrical signals between a first extremity of the user in contact with the electrodes, through a heart of the user, and a second extremity of the user in contact with the housing of the wearable device.   
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising illuminating the skin of the user and an optical sensor that detects reflected light from which heart rate measurements of the user are determined, the illuminating with a photoplethysmogram (PPG) system having a light emitting diode. 
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 19 , further comprising:
 detecting user activity based on one or more sensor inputs;   dynamically switching between the EMG system and the ECG system based on the detecting user activity; and   activating the PPG system in conjunction with, or independently from, the EMG system or the ECG system for the illuminating.