Abstract: The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to a portable monitoring device comprises (i) a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the user, (ii) a motion sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect motion of a user and, in response thereto, to generate motion data, (iii) an altitude sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect a change in altitude of the user and, in response thereto, to generate change in altitude data, and (iv) processing circuitry, disposed in the housing, to: (a) calculate a change in elevation of the user using the motion data and the change in altitude data, and (b) a state of an avatar (which is a graphical representation of the user) using the motion data and/or the change in altitude data, and (vi) a display to output state of avatar data.

Abstract: The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to an activity monitoring system comprising a portable monitoring device and a base device. In one embodiment, the portable monitoring device includes a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the body of the user, a motion sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect motion of a user and, in response thereto, to generate data which is representative of motion of the user, processing circuitry, disposed in the housing, to calculate a calorie burn of the user and/or number of steps taken by the user using the data which is representative of motion of the user. The portable monitoring device also includes a display to display data to the user, wherein the display includes a data transfer mode to optically transmit data which is representative of the calorie burn of the user and/or number of steps taken by the user.

Abstract: The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to a portable monitoring device comprising (i) a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the user, (ii) a motion sensor, disposed in the housing, to detect motion of the user and, in response thereto, to generate motion data, (iii) an altitude sensor, disposed in the housing, to sample an altitude of the user in response to a sample signal, wherein, in response to sampling the altitude of the user, the altitude sensor generates change in altitude data, and (iv) processing circuitry, disposed in the housing, to: generate the sample signal using the motion data, and calculate a number of stairs or flights of stairs traversed by the user using the motion data and the change in altitude data.

Abstract: The present inventions, in one aspect, is an activity monitoring system comprising a fixture having size/shape adapted to couple to a location on the user's body and a particular signature; and a portable monitoring device adapted to detect the fixture's particular signature. The monitoring device includes a housing that is adapted to engage the fixture; activity sensors, disposed in the housing, to detect activity of the user and to generate data which is representative of the activity of the user; and processing circuitry, disposed in the housing, to calculate an activity-related quantity of the user using the data which is representative of the activity of the user, wherein the processing circuitry: determines the monitoring device is engaging the fixture by detecting the fixture's particular signature, and, in response thereto, calculates the activity-related quantity using data from a set of the activity sensors.

Abstract: An adaptable method for facilitating user interaction with digital media objects. Representations of substantially-reduced data size of each of the digital media objects are transferred before the transfer of copies of the original data size of each of the digital media objects so as to enable earlier user interaction. The user interaction includes, for example, requesting modifications to the object. The method provides feedback of any requested action from the user interaction with the substantially-reduced data size representations and in response thereto, determines as a function of the requested action whether to reprioritize transfer of untransferred original data size copies of the corresponding digital media object. The method provides for modification of copies that are to be transferred according to modifications requested by the user with respect to the transferred substantially-reduced data size representations. The method can be used for audio, video, image, and other digital media objects.

Abstract: An adaptable method for facilitating user interaction with digital media objects. Representations of substantially-reduced data size of each of the digital media objects are transferred before the transfer of copies of the original data size of each of the digital media objects so as to enable earlier user interaction. The user interaction includes, for example, requesting modifications to the object. The method provides feedback of any requested action from the user interaction with the substantially-reduced data size representations and in response thereto, determines as a function of the requested action whether to reprioritize transfer of untransferred original data size copies of the corresponding digital media object. The method provides for modification of copies that are to be transferred according to modifications requested by the user with respect to the transferred substantially-reduced data size representations. The method can be used for audio, video, image, and other digital media objects.