Method and apparatus for outputting pregnancy movements

1 . A method of reproducing a movement occurring during a pregnancy, the method comprising:

determining movement data relating to movements of a fetus during pregnancy using a sensor device;

transmitting the movement data from the sensor device to an external device;

storing the movement data on the external device; and

transmitting data relating to one or more movements of the movement data from the external device to an output device that is arranged to reproduce the movements;

wherein the external device is configured for transmitting the data relating to one or more movements to a plurality of output devices; and

wherein the method comprises determining an output device to which to transmit the data in dependence on a property of the movement data.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the output device to which the data relating to one or more movements is transmitted is dependent on an amount of access associated with the plurality of output devices.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting data relating to one or more movements of the movement data comprises

transmitting the data at least one minute after the storing of the movement data.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting depends on one or more of:

a user input;

a time period and/or a movement selected by a user;

a user and/or output device authorization; and

a request from a user and/or the output device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:

outputting the movement data to two or more of the plurality of output devices; and/or

determining a distribution list relating to the movement data.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining movement data comprises detecting a movement that exceeds a threshold and/or wherein determining movement data comprises detecting a movement that exceeds at least one of: a force threshold and a duration threshold.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the movement data comprises one or more of: a movement direction; a movement location; a movement force; a movement duration; a period of interest; one or more movements within the movement data; a peak in movement; a peak force; and a period of high movement.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising one or more of:

processing the movement data to determine a feature of the movement data and/or to determine the movements;

identifying or selecting a period of interest;

identifying or selecting one or more movements within the movement data;

identifying a peak in movement;

identifying a peak force;

identifying or selecting a period of high movement;

filtering the movement data to remove noise and/or movements not caused by the fetus;

determining one or more parties to whom the movement data is to be transmitted; and

processing the data at the external device.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor device is arranged to store at least one minute of movement data, at least five minutes of movement data, at least thirty minutes of movement data, at least one hour of movement data, at least six hours of movement data, and/or at least twelve hours of movement data.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising outputting a notification following the transmission of the movement data to the external device.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the output device is dependent on one or more of:

the property of the movement data; and

a user selection by a pregnant party related to the movement data.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the movement data is transmitted to the external device and/or

the output device when a period of low movement is detected; and/or

the movement data is transmitted to the external device no more than: once every minute, once every hour, once every six hours, once every twelve hours, and/or once every twenty-four hours; and/or

the sensor device is arranged to enter a low power mode during periods of low movement.

13 . The method of claim 1 , comprising combining a plurality of movement data to provide a movement history, preferably wherein the movement history relates to movement data for at least one day, at least one week, at least one month, and/or at least six months.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor device is arranged to be integrated with and/or removably attached to an item of clothing and/or wherein the sensor device comprises a belt and/or a shell and/or wherein the sensor device is portable.

15 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:

monitoring a heartbeat using the sensor device; and/or

outputting and/or reproducing the heartbeat monitored using the sensor device.

16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving and/or outputting further information relating to the pregnancy, wherein the further information comprises one or more of: a progress of the pregnancy, an approximate date of inception, an expected date of delivery, an experience of a pregnant party, and medical information relating to the pregnant party.

17 . The method of claim 1 , being a computer-implemented method.

18 . The method of claim 1 , comprising reproducing the movements using the output device.

19 . A sensor device for sensing movements during pregnancy, the sensor device comprising:

a processor for determining movement data relating to movements of a fetus during pregnancy;

a sensor element for recording the movement data;

a storage for storing the movement data; and

a communication interface for transmitting the movement data to an external device;

wherein the communication interface is configured for transmitting the data relating to one or more movements to a plurality of output devices; and

wherein the output device to which the data relating to one or more movements is transmitted is dependent on a property of the movement data.

20 . A system for reproducing a movement occurring during a pregnancy, the system comprising:

a sensor device comprising:

a processor for determining movement data relating to movements of a fetus during pregnancy; and

a communication interface for transmitting the movement data to an external device;

a storage device for storing the movement data;

the external device; and

a plurality of output devices arranged to reproduce one or more movements of the movement data substantially after the storing of the movement data;

wherein the external device is configured for transmitting the data relating to one or more movements to each of the plurality of output devices; and

wherein the output device to which the data relating to one or more movements is transmitted is dependent on a property of the movement data.