US 2,014,278,229 · Filed 2014-05-30
How Fitbit Taught Wearables to Count Your Swimming Strokes
Fitbit figured out how to use the same spinning sensors (gyroscopes) that keep drones balanced to track what you're doing in the pool or on a bike. Instead of just counting steps, the device now knows whether you're doing freestyle or breaststroke, and how many laps you've completed.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The patent covers the specific method of using gyroscope sensors embedded in wearable fitness trackers to measure and identify swimming metrics like stroke count, lap distance, and stroke type, as well as performance data from cycling activities. What's protected here is the technical approach of analyzing gyroscope motion data to distinguish between different swimming and cycling movements and automatically log those activities with precision.
Why it matters
As wearable fitness trackers became mainstream, accurately tracking swimming and cycling posed a unique challenge because traditional step-counting technology doesn't work underwater or on a pedal. By patenting a gyroscope-based solution, Fitbit secured intellectual property around a core feature that made their devices genuinely useful for swimmers and cyclists, categories that competitors also wanted to serve.
Real-world use
When you wear a Fitbit during a swim workout, the gyroscope inside detects the rotation of your wrist as you stroke through the water and automatically logs each lap and stroke type without requiring manual input.
Original USPTO abstract
Biometric monitoring devices, including various technologies that may be implemented in such devices, are discussed herein. Additionally, techniques for utilizing gyroscopes in biometric monitoring devices are provided. Such techniques may, in some implementations, involve obtaining swimming metrics regarding stroke cycle count, lap count, and stroke type. Such techniques may also, in some implementations, involve obtaining performance metrics for bicycling activities.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,014,278,229
- Filing date
- 2014-05-30
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Fitbit, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- HONG JUNG OOK, YUEN SHELTEN GEE JAO
- CPC class
- A61B5/1123
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