CHOOSING A HEART RATE MONITOR FOR A WEARABLE MONITORING DEVICE

1 . A method for choosing a heart rate monitor for a wearable monitoring device, the method comprising:

identifying, by a selection evaluation controller, a location of a wearable monitoring device on a user; wherein the wearable monitoring device includes a plurality of heart rate monitors;

selecting based on an identification of the location, by the selection evaluation controller, a heart rate monitor from the plurality of heart rate monitors; and

using, by the selection evaluation controller, the selected heart rate monitor to monitor a heart rate of the user.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a location of a wearable monitoring device on a user includes:

determining whether the wearable monitoring device is coupled to a docking device;

in response to determining that the wearable monitoring device is coupled to the docking device, determining a type of the docking device; and

identifying the location of the wearable monitoring device based on the determined type of the docking device.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a location of a wearable monitoring device on a user includes:

determining whether the wearable monitoring device is detecting an ECG signal;

in response to determining that the wearable monitoring device is detecting the ECG signal, identifying a chest monitoring location, as the location of the wearable monitoring device on the user;

wherein selecting based on an identification of the location, by the selection evaluation controller, a heart rate monitor from the plurality of heart rate monitors includes selecting an ECG heart rate monitor from the plurality of heart rate monitors in response to identifying the chest monitoring location, as the location of the wearable monitoring device on the user.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein each heart rate monitor is a different type of heart rate monitor.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of heart rate monitors includes an ECG heart rate monitor and an optical heart rate monitor.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein selecting based on an identification of the location, by the selection evaluation controller, a heart rate monitor from the plurality of heart rate monitors includes selecting an ECG heart rate monitor in response to identifying the chest monitoring location, as the location of the wearable monitoring device on the user.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein selecting based on an identification of the location, by the selection evaluation controller, a heart rate monitor from the plurality of heart rate monitors includes selecting an optical heart rate monitor in response to identifying the wrist monitoring location, as the location of the wearable monitoring device on the user.

8 . A method for choosing a heart rate monitor for a wearable monitoring device, the method comprising:

generating, by a selection evaluation controller, an activity level measurement based on sensed motion of the user;

based on the activity level measurement, generating, by the selection evaluation controller, a recommendation indicating a recommended location to place a wearable monitoring device on the user; and

providing, by the selection evaluation controller, the recommendation to the user.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the sensed motion of the user includes at least one of acceleration data and gyroscope data.

10 . The method of claim 8 wherein generating a recommendation indicating a recommended location to place a wearable monitoring device on the user includes:

determining whether the activity level measurement is above a predetermined threshold; and

in response to determining that the activity level measurement is above the predetermined threshold, identifying a chest monitoring location as the recommended location.

11 . An apparatus for choosing a heart rate monitor for a wearable monitoring device, the apparatus comprising a computer processor and computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

identifying, by a selection evaluation controller, a location of a wearable monitoring device on a user; wherein the wearable monitoring device includes a plurality of heart rate monitors;

selecting based on an identification of the location, by the selection evaluation controller, a heart rate monitor from the plurality of heart rate monitors; and

using, by the selection evaluation controller, the selected heart rate monitor to monitor a heart rate of the user.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein identifying a location of a wearable monitoring device on a user includes:

determining whether the wearable monitoring device is coupled to a docking device;

in response to determining that the wearable monitoring device is coupled to the docking device, determining a type of the docking device; and

identifying the location of the wearable monitoring device based on the determined type of the docking device.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein identifying a location of a wearable monitoring device on a user includes:

determining whether the wearable monitoring device is detecting an ECG signal;

in response to determining that the wearable monitoring device is detecting the ECG signal, identifying a chest monitoring location, as the location of the wearable monitoring device on the user;

wherein selecting based on an identification of the location, by the selection evaluation controller, a heart rate monitor from the plurality of heart rate monitors includes selecting an ECG heart rate monitor from the plurality of heart rate monitors in response to identifying the chest monitoring location, as the location of the wearable monitoring device on the user.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein each heart rate monitor is a different type of heart rate monitor.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the plurality of heart rate monitors includes an ECG heart rate monitor and an optical heart rate monitor.

16 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein selecting based on an identification of the location, by the selection evaluation controller, a heart rate monitor from the plurality of heart rate monitors includes selecting an ECG heart rate monitor in response to identifying the chest monitoring location, as the location of the wearable monitoring device on the user.

17 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein selecting based on an identification of the location, by the selection evaluation controller, a heart rate monitor from the plurality of heart rate monitors includes selecting an optical heart rate monitor in response to identifying the wrist monitoring location, as the location of the wearable monitoring device on the user.

18 . A computer readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a computer for choosing a heart rate monitor for a wearable monitoring device, the instructions comprising:

instructions that are executable by the computer to identify, by a selection evaluation controller, a location of a wearable monitoring device on a user; wherein the wearable monitoring device includes a plurality of heart rate monitors;

instructions that are executable by the computer to select based on an identification of the location, by the selection evaluation controller, a heart rate monitor from the plurality of heart rate monitors; and

instructions that are executable by the computer to use, by the selection evaluation controller, the selected heart rate monitor to monitor a heart rate of the user.

19 . The computer readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein the instructions are executable by a processor integrated into a device selected from the group consisting of a navigation device, a communications device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a fixed location data unit, and a computer.