Activity monitors

Abstract

An activity monitor that is worn by a user for monitoring water-based activities. The activity monitor includes at least one motion sensor, a water sensor, a memory, and a processor. The processor is operable to run an algorithm to calculate activity data based on an output from the motion sensor and to save the activity data to the memory. The processor can be triggered to operate to calculate the activity data and to save it to memory by an output from the water sensor to indicate that the monitor is immersed in water.

1 . An activity monitor for water-based activity, the activity monitor adapted to be worn by a user to monitor a water based activity performed by the user, the monitor comprising:
 at least one motion sensor;   a water sensor;   a memory; and   a processor operable to run an algorithm to calculate activity data based on an output from the at least one motion sensor and to save the activity data to the memory;   wherein the processor can be triggered to operate to calculate the activity data and save it to memory by an output from the water sensor to indicate that the monitor is immersed in water.   
     
     
         2 . An activity monitor according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor only operates to calculate the activity data and save it to memory when, in addition to an output from the water sensor indicating that the monitor is immersed in water, an output from the motion sensor or from an additional activity sensor indicates that the user is performing an activity. 
     
     
         3 . An activity monitor according to  claim 2 , wherein the activity monitor is for measuring a swimming activity and said output from the motion sensor or from an additional activity sensor indicates the orientation of the user in the water, the processor only operating to commence calculation of the activity data when said sensor indicates the user's orientation to be substantially horizontal. 
     
     
         4 . An activity monitor according to  claim 3 , wherein the processor stops calculation of the activity data when the output from said sensor indicates that the user is in an upright orientation. 
     
     
         5 . An activity monitor according to  claim 2 , wherein the processor only operates to calculate the activity data and save it to memory when an output from the motion sensor indicates that the user is moving. 
     
     
         6 . An activity monitor according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one motion sensor is one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a digital compass and a GPS receiver. 
     
     
         7 . An activity monitor according to  claim 1 , wherein the monitor has a sleep mode in which the monitor consumes little or no battery power, a standby mode in which power consumption is higher than the sleep mode but in which the processor is not operating to calculate activity data and an active mode in which the processor is operating to calculate activity data, wherein:
 a) the monitor cannot switch from standby mode active mode unless the water sensor indicates that the monitor is immersed in water; and   b) the monitor cannot switch directly from sleep mode to active mode, even if the water monitor is immersed in water.   
     
     
         8 . An activity monitor according to  claim 1 , wherein the monitor further comprises a wireless transmitter for transmitting activity data from the memory to another device. 
     
     
         9 . An activity monitor according to  claim 8 , wherein the wireless transmitter is a wireless transceiver, whereby the activity monitor can also receive data from another device. 
     
     
         10 . A swimsuit in combination with an activity monitor mounted on the swimsuit, wherein:
 the swimsuit comprises a first attachment feature at a predefined location on the suit; and   the activity monitor comprises a second attachment feature that cooperates with the first attachment features to mount the activity monitor on the swimsuit at said predefined location.   
     
     
         11 . A swimsuit and activity monitor combination according to  claim 10 , wherein the first and second attachment features are adapted to mount the activity monitor at said pre-defined location on the swimsuit in a specific orientation. 
     
     
         12 . A swimsuit and activity monitor combination according to  claim 10 , wherein said pre-defined location corresponds to a mid-line of a user's torso when they wear the swimsuit. 
     
     
         13 . A swimsuit and activity monitor combination according to  claim 10 , wherein the activity monitor is integrated with the swimsuit.