Patents by Inventor Peter W. Richards

Peter W. Richards has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11950914
    Abstract: Multiple circuits in a computing device can share one or more conductive elements. The use of the conductive element can vary by circuit, such as an antenna radiator for a radio frequency (RF) circuit or an electrode for an electrocardiography (ECG) circuit. The circuitry sharing a conductive element can utilize signals obtained over different frequency ranges. Those ranges can be used to select decoupling circuitry, or elements, that can enable the respective circuits to obtain signals over a respective frequency range, excluding signals over one or more other frequency ranges corresponding to other circuitry sharing the circuit. Such an approach allows for concurrent independent operation of the circuitry sharing a conductive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Fitbit, Inc.
    Inventors: Faton Tefiku, Yonghua Wei, Kevin Li, Man-Chi Liu, Lindsey Michelle Sunden, Peter W. Richards, Dennis Jacob McCray, Christos Kinezos Ioannou, Kyung Nim Noh
  • Patent number: 11779231
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for tracking one or more physiological metrics (e.g., heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and the like) of a user are described. For example, one or more light sources and one or more light detectors may be positioned on a wearable device such that light can be emitted towards the user's skin and further such that light reflected back to the wearable device can be measured and used to generate values for the one or more physiological metrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: FITBIT, INC.
    Inventors: Kyle P. Nadeau, Chris H. Sarantos, Kevin Pu Weekly, Javier L. Prieto, Peter W. Richards, Paul Francis Stetson, Aniket Sanjay Deshpande
  • Patent number: 11747950
    Abstract: A device configured to determine the location and magnitude of a touch on a surface of the device. The device includes a transparent touch sensor that is configured to detect a location of a touch on the transparent touch sensor. The device also includes a force-sensing structure disposed at the periphery of the transparent touch sensor. The force sensor includes an upper capacitive plate and a compressible element disposed on one side of the upper capacitive plate. The force sensor also includes a lower capacitive plate disposed on a side of the compressible element that is opposite the upper capacitive plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonah A. Harley, Peter W. Richards, Brian Q. Huppi, Omar Sze Leung, Dhaval N. Shah, Martin P. Grunthaner, Steven P. Hotelling, Miguel C. Christophy, Vivek Katiyar, Tang Yew Tan, Christopher J. Butler, Erik G. De Jong, Ming Sartee, Rui Qiao, Steven J. Martisauskas, Storrs T. Hoen, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Lee E. Hooton, Ian A. Spraggs, Sawyer I. Cohen, David A. Pakula
  • Publication number: 20230270377
    Abstract: Approaches to determining a sleep fitness score for a user are provided, such as may be based upon monitored breathing disturbances of a user. The system receives user state data generated over a time period by a combination of sensors provided via a wearable tracker associated with the user. A system can use this information to calculate a sleep fitness score, breathing disturbance score, or other such value. The system can classify every minute within the time period as either normal or atypical, for example, and may provide such information for presentation to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Suraj Gowda, Conor Joseph Heneghan, Shelten Gee Jao Yuen, Anjian Wu, Daniel Joel Freschl, Peter W. Richards, Chris H. Sarantos, Jonathan Wonwook Kim
  • Publication number: 20230218181
    Abstract: An aspect of the disclosure pertains to a blood pressure measurement device and methods of controlling an inflation rate in a blood pressure measurement. An inflatable bladder of the blood pressure measurement device defines, at least in part, a pressurizable volume. The inflatable bladder may be inflated to pressurize a user's appendage and temporarily occlude blood flow in the user's appendage. A pressure sensor of the blood pressure measurement device is configured to obtain blood pressure measurements, and a pump of the blood pressure measurement device is configured to inflate the inflatable bladder and control an inflation rate by controlling at least one of a duty cycle, a voltage, or a drive frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Dan Stefan Tudose, Xi Zhang, Keith Adam Wong, Andrew Larsen Axley, Peter W. Richards, Conor Joseph Heneghan, Radu Dobroiu, Alexandru-Mihai Solot
  • Patent number: 11678838
    Abstract: Approaches to determining a sleep fitness score for a user are provided, such as may be based upon monitored breathing disturbances of a user. The system receives user state data generated over a time period by a combination of sensors provided via a wearable tracker associated with the user. A system can use this information to calculate a sleep fitness score, breathing disturbance score, or other such value. The system can classify every minute within the time period as either normal or atypical, for example, and may provide such information for presentation to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: FITBIT, INC.
    Inventors: Suraj Gowda, Conor Joseph Heneghan, Shelten Gee Jao Yuen, Anjian Wu, Daniel Joel Freschl, Peter W. Richards, Chris H. Sarantos, Jonathan Wonwook Kim
  • Publication number: 20230157610
    Abstract: Multiple circuits in a computing device can share one or more conductive elements. The use of the conductive element can vary by circuit, such as an antenna radiator for a radio frequency (RF) circuit or an electrode for an electrocardiography (ECG) circuit. The circuitry sharing a conductive element can utilize signals obtained over different frequency ranges. Those ranges can be used to select decoupling circuitry, or elements, that can enable the respective circuits to obtain signals over a respective frequency range, excluding signals over one or more other frequency ranges corresponding to other circuitry sharing the circuit. Such an approach allows for concurrent independent operation of the circuitry sharing a conductive element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Inventors: Faton Tefiku, Yonghua Wei, Kevin Li, Man-Chi Liu, Lindsey Michelle Sunden, Peter W. Richards, Dennis Jacob McCray, Christos Kinezos Ioannou, Kyung Nim Noh
  • Patent number: 11633117
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a data processing method comprises obtaining one or more first photoplethysmography (PPG) signals based on one or more first light sources that are configured to emit light having a first light wavelength corresponding to a green light wavelength; obtaining one or more second PPG signals based on one or more second light sources that are configured to emit light having a second light wavelength corresponding to a red light wavelength, one or more of the first light sources and one or more of the second light sources being co-located; generating an estimated heart rate value based on one or more of the first PPG signals and the second PPG signals; and causing the estimated heart rate value to be displayed via a user interface on a client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: FITBIT, INC.
    Inventors: Kevin Pu Weekly, Subramaniam Venkatraman, Andrew Larsen Axley, Daniel J. Freschl, Peter W. Richards, Chris H. Sarantos
  • Patent number: 11553848
    Abstract: An aspect of the disclosure pertains to a blood pressure measurement device and methods of controlling an inflation rate in a blood pressure measurement. An inflatable bladder of the blood pressure measurement device defines, at least in part, a pressurizable volume. The inflatable bladder may be inflated to pressurize a user's appendage and temporarily occlude blood flow in the user's appendage. A pressure sensor of the blood pressure measurement device is configured to obtain blood pressure measurements, and a pump of the blood pressure measurement device is configured to inflate the inflatable bladder and control an inflation rate by controlling at least one of a duty cycle, a voltage, or a drive frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: FITBIT, INC.
    Inventors: Dan Stefan Tudose, Xi Zhang, Keith Adam Wong, Andrew Larsen Axley, Peter W. Richards, Conor Joseph Heneghan, Radu Dobroiu, Alexandru-Mihai Ş olot
  • Patent number: 11504043
    Abstract: Multiple circuits in a computing device can share one or more conductive elements. The use of the conductive element can vary by circuit, such as an antenna radiator for a radio frequency (RF) circuit or an electrode for an electrocardiography (ECG) circuit. The circuitry sharing a conductive element can utilize signals obtained over different frequency ranges. Those ranges can be used to select decoupling circuitry, or elements, that can enable the respective circuits to obtain signals over a respective frequency range, excluding signals over one or more other frequency ranges corresponding to other circuitry sharing the circuit. Such an approach allows for concurrent independent operation of the circuitry sharing a conductive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: FITBIT, INC.
    Inventors: Yonghua Wei, Faton Tefiku, Kevin Li, Man-Chi Liu, Lindsey Michelle Sunden, Peter W. Richards, Dennis Jacob McCray, Christos Kinezos Ioannou, Kyung Nim Noh
  • Publication number: 20220280048
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for creating a blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) value, the method comprises receiving one or more photoplethysmography (PPG) signals for SpO2 detection from one or more PPG sensors; receiving one or more PPG signals for characterizing a heart rate from the one or more PPG sensors; using the one or more PPG signals for SpO2 detection, forming one or more SpO2 datasets wherein the SpO2 datasets respectively comprise one or more noise components; removing the one or more noise components from the one or more SpO2 datasets that are inconsistent with a feature of the one or more PPG signals characterizing the heart rate to produce one or more filtered SpO2 datasets; and using the one or more filtered SpO2 datasets, creating and storing the SpO2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Anjian Wu, Chris H. Sarantos, Peter W. Richards, Shelten Gee Jao Yuen
  • Patent number: 11418191
    Abstract: A capacitive sensing device can include multiple capacitive sensors. A first device controller is operatively connected to a portion of the capacitive sensors, while a second device controller is operatively connected to another portion of capacitive sensors. A common node or shield can be connected between the first device controller and the second device controller. Charging and discharging events of selected drive lines in the capacitive sensing device and/or of the common node or shield can be synchronized to reduce undesirable effects such as noise and/or to prevent the charging events and the discharging events from overlapping with each other. One or more reference capacitive sensors can be shared by the multiple device controllers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christian M. Sauer, Peter W. Richards
  • Patent number: 11317816
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for creating a blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) value, the method comprises receiving one or more photoplethysmography (PPG) signals for SpO2 detection from one or more PPG sensors; receiving one or more PPG signals for characterizing a heart rate from the one or more PPG sensors; using the one or more PPG signals for SpO2 detection, forming one or more SpO2 datasets wherein the SpO2 datasets respectively comprise one or more noise components; removing the one or more noise components from the one or more SpO2 datasets that are inconsistent with a feature of the one or more PPG signals characterizing the heart rate to produce one or more filtered SpO2 datasets; and using the one or more filtered SpO2 datasets, creating and storing the SpO2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Fitbit, Inc.
    Inventors: Anjian Wu, Chris H. Sarantos, Peter W. Richards, Shelten Gee Jao Yuen
  • Publication number: 20210330207
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for tracking one or more physiological metrics (e.g., heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and the like) of a user are described. For example, one or more light sources and one or more light detectors may be positioned on a wearable device such that light can be emitted towards the user's skin and further such that light reflected back to the wearable device can be measured and used to generate values for the one or more physiological metrics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: Peter W. Richards, Javier L. Prieto, Kevin Pu Weekly, Chris H. Sarantos, Kyle P. Nadeau, Aniket Sanjay Deshpande, Paul Francis Stetson, Vahe Tshitoyan, Julian Maclaren
  • Publication number: 20210330209
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for tracking one or more physiological metrics (e.g., heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and the like) of a user are described. For example, one or more light sources and one or more light detectors may be positioned on a wearable device such that light can be emitted towards the user's skin and further such that light reflected back to the wearable device can be measured and used to generate values for the one or more physiological metrics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: Kyle P. Nadeau, Chris H. Sarantos, Kevin Pu Weekly, Javier L. Prieto, Peter W. Richards, Paul Francis Stetson, Aniket Sanjay Deshpande
  • Patent number: 11051706
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for tracking one or more physiological metrics (e.g., heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and the like) of a user are described. For example, one or more light sources and one or more light detectors may be positioned on a wearable device such that light can be emitted towards the user's skin and further such that light reflected back to the wearable device can be measured and used to generate values for the one or more physiological metrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Fitbit, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle P. Nadeau, Chris H. Sarantos, Kevin Pu Weekly, Javier L. Prieto, Peter W. Richards, Paul Francis Stetson, Aniket Sanjay Deshpande
  • Publication number: 20210184676
    Abstract: A capacitive sensing device can include multiple capacitive sensors. A first device controller is operatively connected to a portion of the capacitive sensors, while a second device controller is operatively connected to another portion of capacitive sensors. A common node or shield can be connected between the first device controller and the second device controller. Charging and discharging events of selected drive lines in the capacitive sensing device and/or of the common node or shield can be synchronized to reduce undesirable effects such as noise and/or to prevent the charging events and the discharging events from overlapping with each other. One or more reference capacitive sensors can be shared by the multiple device controllers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Christian M. Sauer, Peter W. Richards
  • Publication number: 20210169345
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a ring-shaped wearable device for detecting biometrics with a light source and a photodetector directed towards a digit wearing the ring-shaped device. The ring can thus detect oxygen saturation of a wearer based on light transmitted through the wearer's finger. The ring can include power saving measures to extend the battery life. A motion sensor can help determine opportune moments for data collection such as when the wearer is still. The motion sensor can be used to remove noise from the data caused by motion. After data is collected or during data collection, the ring can wirelessly communicate the data to another portable electronic device such as a phone or watch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Jaclyn Leverett Wasson, Peter W. Richards, Lindsey Michelle Sunden, Corey Stephen O'Connor, Conor Joseph Heneghan, Xi Zhang, Hamed Vavadi, Chris Hanrahan Sarantos, Peter Colin Dess
  • Publication number: 20210161464
    Abstract: Approaches to determining a sleep fitness score for a user are provided, such as may be based upon monitored breathing disturbances of a user. The system receives user state data generated over a time period by a combination of sensors provided via a wearable tracker associated with the user. A system can use this information to calculate a sleep fitness score, breathing disturbance score, or other such value. The system can classify every minute within the time period as either normal or atypical, for example, and may provide such information for presentation to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Suraj Gowda, Conor Joseph Heneghan, Shelten Gee Jao Yuen, Anjian Wu, Daniel Joel Freschl, Peter W. Richards, Chris H. Sarantos, Jonathan Wonwook Kim
  • Publication number: 20210137439
    Abstract: Multiple circuits in a computing device can share one or more conductive elements. The use of the conductive element can vary by circuit, such as an antenna radiator for a radio frequency (RF) circuit or an electrode for an electrocardiography (ECG) circuit. The circuitry sharing a conductive element can utilize signals obtained over different frequency ranges. Those ranges can be used to select decoupling circuitry, or elements, that can enable the respective circuits to obtain signals over a respective frequency range, excluding signals over one or more other frequency ranges corresponding to other circuitry sharing the circuit. Such an approach allows for concurrent independent operation of the circuitry sharing a conductive element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Yonghua Wei, Faton Tefiku, Kevin Li, Man-Chi Liu, Lindsey Michelle Sunden, Peter W. Richards, Dennis Jacob McCray, Christos Kinezos Ioannou, Kyung Nim Noh