Description:FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wearable device, and specifically relates to a wearable device for determining thermoregulatory fitness score of a user.
BACKGROUND
Regular health monitoring is important for accomplishing long term wellness goals. Today, there are many wearable devices such as smart watches, available to collect a plurality of health parameters non-invasively. Wearable devices may collect health parameters using a plurality of sensors such as, SpO2 sensor, ECG sensor, etc. The wearable devices also render the health parameters to a user via the screen or an external device like smartphone.
These wearable devices are not capable of interpreting the thermal regulation of a user’s body. However, such wearable devices are precise in monitoring heartbeat, SpO2 level, or exercise mode of the user but lacks in determining an optimum time to cool the body between two consecutive fitness or training sessions.
Thus, there remains a need for a wearable device capable for providing detailed and comprehensive thermal regulation of the user’s body.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
A general objective of the invention is to provide a wearable device capable of monitoring temperature of the user in real-time.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a wearable device capable of calculating a temperature recovery time of the user, upon completion of a training session.
Yet another objective of the invention is to provide a wearable device capable of determining a thermoregulatory fitness score of the user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings constitute a part of the description and are used to provide further understanding of the present invention. Such accompanying drawings illustrate the embodiments of the present invention which are used to describe the principles of the present invention. The embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this invention are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and they mean at least one. In the drawings:
Fig. 1 illustrates a wearable device capable of determining a thermoregulatory fitness score, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
Fig. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system for determining a thermoregulatory fitness score, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. Each embodiment described in this disclosure is provided merely as an example or illustration of the present invention, and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.
The proposed invention relates to a wearable device capable of determining thermoregulatory fitness score of a user. The wearable device may be a smart watch, smart band, or an electronic ring. Although the details have been provided successively with reference to a smart ring merely for the sake of explanation, it must be understood that the invention could be fairly implemented in a similar manner using any other wearable device, such as the ones listed above.
Fig. 1 illustrates a wearable device, such as smart ring (100) capable of determining a thermoregulatory fitness score of a user, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The smart ring (100) may be made using a hypoallergenic material for allowing comfortable and continuous wear by the user. The smart ring (100) may comprise an outer layer (102), a middle layer (104), and an inner layer (106). The outer layer (102) may be made of a rigid and antirust material, such as titanium, transparent material, translucent material such as hardened glass, fibre, sapphire glass, or any other scratch proof hard material. The middle layer (104) positioned between the outer layer (102) and the inner layer (106) may be a flexible Printed Circuit Board (PCB). The flexible PCB (or rigid Flex) may house a plurality of sensors to capture health parameters of the user. One of the plurality of sensors is a thermal sensor (108) configured to measure a peripheral temperature of the user in real-time.
Further, a microcontroller may be mounted on the flexible PCB. The thermal sensor (108) mounted on the flexible PCB may be connected to the microcontroller. The thermal sensor (108) may transmit values of the peripheral temperature detected by the thermal sensor (108) to the microcontroller, in real-time. The microcontroller may also store values of the peripheral temperature of a user in its own memory or a separate memory element mounted on the flexible PCB. A wireless module may also be mounted on the flexible PCB to wirelessly communicate the peripheral temperature to a user device, such as a smartphone or a laptop. The wireless module may work on one or more of Bluetooth, a Wi-Fi, a radio frequency. and Near Field Communication (NFC). Further, a battery may be used to power the thermal sensor (108), the micro-controller, and the wireless module used in the smart ring (100).
The inner layer (106) of the smart ring (100) may come in contact with the user’s finger once the user wears the smart ring (100). The inner layer (106) may be made of a semi-transparent, or completely transparent material. Materials such as glass, plastic, resin, or silicone may be used to fabricate the inner layer (106). Transparency of the inner layer would allow the sensors to obtain reading from the finger of the user.
Referring now to Fig. 2, a block diagram of a system (200) for determining a thermoregulatory fitness score is illustrated, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The system (200) includes a wearable device, such as smart ring (100) and a user device (204) interacting with a user (202). The user (202) may want to calculate the thermoregulatory fitness score for a training session. Thus, the user (202) may wear the smart ring (100) in one of its fingers before starting the training session. Further as explained in detail in Fig. 1, the smart ring (100) includes a thermal sensor (108) configured to detect a peripheral temperature of the user (202). Further, the thermal sensor (108) detects the peripheral temperature before starting the training session, during the training session, and after completing the training session. The smart ring (100) may store the peripheral temperatures corresponding to their timestamps in a memory (208) of the smart ring (100).
In an embodiment, the smart ring (100) may transmit the peripheral temperatures with their corresponding timestamps to the user device (202). The smart ring (100) and the user device (202) are communicatively coupled via the wireless modules (206 and 210) as explained in Fig. 1. Further, the user device (202) may include an application (212) configured to determine a temperature recovery time, which is the time taken for peripheral temperature to return to pre-training temperature levels after completing the training based on the peripheral temperatures and their corresponding timestamps. Further, the user device (204) determines a thermoregulatory fitness score based on the temperature recovery time. The thermoregulatory Fitness Score may provide a practical marker for the user’s ability to handle physical strain and recover efficiently. Further, the application (212) may generate personalized recommendations for physical training and recovery strategies to the user (202) based on the thermoregulatory fitness score.
The user device (204) may also include a User Interface (UI) (214) configured to render the peripheral temperature with corresponding timestamps, the temperature recovery time, the thermoregulatory fitness score, and the recommendations to the user (202).

, Claims:N.A.