{
  "patent_number": "US 10335080",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "Wearable Sensor for Tracking Body Movement and Muscle Activity",
  "original_title": "Biomechanical activity monitoring",
  "summary": "This patent describes a wearable device that combines motion sensing with muscle vibration detection to understand how a body moves and which muscles are being used.",
  "what_it_does": "The patent outlines a wearable sensor apparatus that includes two main components: a motion sensor and a vibration sensor (Claim 1). The motion sensor, often an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer (Claims 2, 4), tracks the device's two or three-dimensional movement and orientation. The vibration sensor, an acoustic pressure sensor, specifically detects acoustic vibrations from skeletal muscles (Claims 1, 3). Both sensors attach to a body. A classification processor then takes signals from both sensors to identify patterns of movement or posture based on the motion signals and determine the specific muscular activity involved based on the acoustic vibrations (Claim 1). For example, a sensor worn on a runner's leg could detect the leg's swing (motion signals) and simultaneously identify the specific leg muscle contractions (vibration signals) used during each stride.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover devices that only use motion sensors without also including a vibration sensor to detect muscle activity.",
    "Does not cover devices that only use vibration sensors to detect muscle activity without also including a motion sensor.",
    "Does not cover systems that simply log raw sensor data without a classification processor to analyze and identify patterns of movement and muscle activity.",
    "Does not cover sensors that are not designed to be attached to a body, as it specifies a 'wearable sensor apparatus' and 'means for attaching... to a body' (Claim 1).",
    "Does not cover classifying movement solely based on muscle vibration signals without also using motion signals, as Claim 1 requires classification of movement based on motion signals and identification of muscular activity based on vibrations."
  ],
  "filed": "2014-11-04",
  "granted": "2019-07-02",
  "expires": "2034-11-04",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Imperial Innovations",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/imperial-innovations",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Sandra Shefelbine",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/sandra-shefelbine"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ravi Vaidyanathan",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/ravi-vaidyanathan"
    },
    {
      "name": "Richard Woodward",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/richard-woodward"
    },
    {
      "name": "Niamh Nowlan",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/niamh-nowlan"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 2,
  "tags": [
    "consumer_electronics",
    "software",
    "biotech",
    "telecommunications",
    "sports_technology"
  ],
  "abstract": "A wearable sensor apparatus comprises a motion sensor configured to sense two or three dimensional movement and orientation of the sensor and a vibration sensor configured to sense acoustic vibrations. The apparatus includes means for attaching the motion sensor and the vibration sensor to a body. The sensor apparatus enables long term monitoring of mechanomyographic muscle activity in combination with body motion for a number of applications.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10335080/biomechanical-activity-monitoring",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10335080/biomechanical-activity-monitoring/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US10335080",
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}