IP Library Granted Patent US 9,531,415
Granted Patent B2
US 9,531,415 · App. 14/205,216 · Granted Dec 27, 2016

Systems and methods for activity determination based on human frame

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,531,415
App. No.
14/205,216
Granted
Dec 27, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and related methods providing for determining activities of individuals are discussed herein. Circuitry may be configured to wirelessly receive tag signals from a plurality of RF location tags. Two or more of the RF location tags may be positioned on an individual, such as at positions that may at least partially define a human frame. The circuitry may be configured to correlate the two or more RF location tags with the individual. Location data for each of the two or more RF location tags may be determined based on the received tag signals. An activity of the individual may be determined based on the location data. In some embodiments, one or more activities involving multiple individuals may be determined based on RF location tags and sensors positioned on each of the multiple individuals. Furthermore, sensor data from the sensors may be communicated over the UWB channel.

Claims (47)

1. A method for determining activity, comprising:

wirelessly receiving signals from a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) tags carried by an individual over a UWB communications channel;

correlating two or more UWB tags of the plurality of UWB tags with an individual profile information, the individual profile information comprising a reference body distance;

determining location data for each of the two or more UWB tags based on the signals;

determining a body distance based on the location data;

comparing the body distance to the reference body distance; and

determining an activity of the individual based on the comparing the body distance to the reference body distance.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two or more UWB tags are each located on the individual at locations such that the two or more UWB tags at least partially define a human frame.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the two or more UWB tags is located at or near the individual's head, shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, or foot.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the activity of the individual further includes determining a characteristic of the activity including one or more of a speed, acceleration, momentum and movement path of at least one of the two or more UWB tags.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising wirelessly receiving sensor data from one or more sensors carried by the individual via the UWB communications channel and wherein determining the activity of the individual is further based on the sensor data.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is co-located with at least one of the two or more UWB tags.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a near field communication (NFC) sensor, a proximity sensor, a heat sensor, an eye dilation sensor, a hydration sensor, an environmental sensor, a heart rate sensor, a blood pressure sensor, and a blood chemistry sensor.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising wirelessly receiving contact data from one or more near field communication (NFC) sensors carried by the individual and wherein:

determining the activity of the individual is further based on the contact data; and

the contact data indicates that at least one of the one or more NFC sensors is in near field communicable range with a second NFC sensor.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wirelessly receiving sensor data from one or more sensors carried by the individual; and

determining one or more characteristics of the activity based on the sensor data and on the comparing the body distance to the reference body distance.

10. An apparatus for determining an activity of an individual, the apparatus comprising:

a communications module configured to:

wirelessly receive signals from a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) tags carried by the individual over a UWB communications channel;

a processor coupled to the communications module, wherein the apparatus is configured to cause the processor to:

correlate two or more UWB tags of a plurality of UWB tags with an individual profile information, the individual profile information comprising a reference body distance;

determine location data for each of the two or more UWB tags based on the signals;

determine a body distance based on the location data;

compare the body distance to the reference body distance; and

determine the activity of the individual based on the comparing the body distance to the reference body distance.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the two or more UWB tags are each located on the individual at locations such that the two or more UWB tags at least partially define a human frame.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the two or more UWB tags is located at or near the individual's head, shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, or foot.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the communications module is further configured to:

wirelessly receive sensor data from one or more sensors carried by the individual; and

wherein the apparatus is further configured to cause the processor to determine one or more characteristics of the activity based on the sensor data and on the comparing the body distance to the reference body distance.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to cause the processor to determine a characteristic of the activity including one or more of a speed, acceleration, momentum and movement path of at least one of the two or more UWB tags.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the communications module is further configured to wirelessly receive sensor data from one or more sensors carried by the individual via the UWB communications channel and wherein the apparatus is further configured to cause the processor to determine the activity of the individual further based on the sensor data.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is co-located with at least one of the two or more UWB tags.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a near field communication (NFC) sensor, a proximity sensor, a heat sensor, an eye dilation sensor, a hydration sensor, an environmental sensor, a heart rate sensor, a blood pressure sensor, and a blood chemistry sensor.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the communications module is further configured to wirelessly receive contact data from one or more near field communication (NFC) tags carried by the individual and wherein the apparatus is further configured to cause the processor to:

determine the activity of the individual further based on the contact data, and wherein

the contact data indicates that at least one of the one or more NFC sensors is in near field communicable range with a second NFC sensor.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and computer program instructions stored therein, the computer program instructions comprising program instructions for:

wirelessly receiving signals from a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) tags carried by an individual over a UWB communications channel;

correlating two or more UWB tags of the plurality of UWB tags with an individual profile information, the individual profile information comprising a reference body distance;

determining location data for each of the two or more UWB tags based on the signals;

determining a body distance based on the location data;

comparing the body distance to the reference body distance; and

determining an activity of the individual based on the comparing the body distance to the reference body distance.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST - 364 - DAY Recorded Mar 5, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; LASER BAND, LLC; TEMPTIME CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 056036/0590 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2020
From: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; LASER BAND, LLC; TEMPTIME CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053841/0212 →
NOTICE OF TRANSFER OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jul 3, 2019
From: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049675/0049 →
MERGER Recorded Mar 29, 2019
From: ZIH CORP.
To: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048884/0618 →
PATENT SECURITY INTEREST ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 25, 2017
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS THE EXISTING AGENT
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS THE SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 044791/0842 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 31, 2014
From: ZIH CORP.; LASER BAND, LLC; ZEBRA ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS CORP.; SYMBOL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC. AS THE COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 034114/0270 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2014
From: STELFOX, JILL; WOHL, MICHAEL A.; O'HAGAN, JAMES J.
To: ZIH CORP.
Reel/Frame 033825/0761 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2014
From: TRAEGER, CYNTHIA
To: ZIH CORP.
Reel/Frame 033825/0976 →