Intersection cross-cut: sensor-accelerometer ∩ algo-step-count

Axes: sensors × algorithms

18 corpus entries disclose both tags.

Earliest disclosure: 2003

These entries are the direct inputs to OBVIOUSNESS_TEMPLATE.md. Any patent claim combining these two elements is anticipated or rendered obvious by the chain below.

Garmin Forerunner 201 (2003) — wristworn GPS running watch with pace/distance and heart-rate (strap) integration (2003)

  • id: garmin-forerunner-201-2003
  • corpus: private
  • form factor: watch
  • creator: Garmin Ltd.
  • disclosure: Garmin Ltd. ‘Forerunner 101/201’, introduced 2003 — a wrist-worn GPS receiver/watch logging pace, distance, route, and (with a paired chest strap) heart rate, with workout history and a web/PC sync. Later Garmin watches (Fenix/Forerunner with the ‘Elevate’ optical sensor, c. 2015) moved heart rate, and subsequently SpO2 (pulse ox) and respiration, onto the wrist.
  • ip status: patented
  • sensors: sensor-accelerometer, sensor-ecg, sensor-ppg
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-step-count, algo-calorie-estimation, algo-activity-classification
  • prior art notes: Discloses a wrist-worn GPS sport watch deriving pace, distance, and route, integrating heart rate from a paired electrode chest strap, and syncing workout history to a host — and, in later Garmin models, on-wrist optical-PPG heart rate, SpO2, and respiration. Anticipates GPS-sport-watch claims from 2003 and (for the later models) wrist-optical-vitals claims. Product-side anchor for the watch × GPS-fitness cross-cut.

Nike+iPod Sport Kit (2006) — instrumented-shoe accelerometer pod (2006-05-23)

  • id: nike-plus-ipod-sport-kit-2006
  • corpus: private
  • form factor: shoe
  • creator: Nike, Inc. / Apple Inc.
  • disclosure: Nike, Inc. and Apple Inc. ‘Nike+iPod Sport Kit’, announced 23 May 2006 — an accelerometer pod that sits in a cavity in a Nike+ running shoe and transmits pace, distance, and calories wirelessly to an iPod nano.
  • ip status: patented
  • sensors: sensor-accelerometer
  • algorithms: algo-step-count, algo-activity-classification, algo-calorie-estimation

  • prior art notes: Discloses an accelerometer module integrated into the structure of a running shoe that derives pace, distance, and calories and transmits them wirelessly to a paired device. Anticipates instrumented-footwear claims combining ‘an inertial sensor housed in a shoe’, ‘derivation of gait/running metrics’, and ‘wireless transmission to a companion device’ from 2006. Anchor for the shoe/insole × accelerometer cross-cut on the product side; predates the smart-insole patent wave.

  • Pokémon — ‘Pokétch’ wrist device with an app ecosystem (2006-09-28) — pokemon-poketch [fictional] — Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (Nintendo / Game Freak, 2006); the ‘Pokétch’ — a wrist-worn touchscreen device hosting an extensible set of small applications (clock, calculator, step counter, map, friendsh…

    Continua Health Alliance — Design Guidelines (first edition, 2007) (2007)

  • id: continua-design-guidelines-2007
  • corpus: standards
  • form factor: other
  • creator: Continua Health Alliance
  • disclosure: Continua Health Alliance (later Personal Connected Health Alliance). ‘Continua Design Guidelines’ (first edition published 2007; subsequently maintained, ITU-T H.810 series). Specifies end-to-end interoperability for personal connected health devices, profiling IEEE 11073, Bluetooth, USB, ZigBee, HL7/IHE.
  • ip status: standards
  • sensors: sensor-ppg, sensor-ecg, sensor-glucose-cgm, sensor-accelerometer
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-step-count, algo-glucose-cgm-readout
  • prior art notes: Publicly-published end-to-end interoperability framework for personal connected health devices — defining how a body-worn sensor (weight scale, blood-pressure cuff, glucose meter, pulse oximeter, activity monitor, ECG, etc.) connects to an application hub and onward to health-record systems, profiling the underlying transport and data standards. Prior art for connected-wearable-system claims reciting the architecture, the device-to-hub-to-record data flow, or the standard profiles assembled here, public from 2007.

Fitbit Tracker (2009) — clip-on accelerometer activity and sleep monitor (2009-10)

  • id: fitbit-tracker-2009
  • corpus: private
  • form factor: pendant
  • creator: Fitbit, Inc. (James Park, Eric Friedman)
  • disclosure: Fitbit, Inc. ‘Fitbit Tracker’, launched October 2009 — a clip-worn device with a 3-axis accelerometer estimating steps, distance, calories burned, active minutes, and sleep quality, syncing wirelessly to a web dashboard. (The wrist PPG heart-rate variant, Fitbit Charge HR, followed in January 2015.)
  • ip status: patented
  • sensors: sensor-accelerometer
  • algorithms: algo-step-count, algo-calorie-estimation, algo-activity-classification, algo-sleep-staging
  • prior art notes: Discloses a small body-worn (clip) device with a 3-axis accelerometer that estimates step count, distance, calories, active minutes, and sleep quality on-device and syncs wirelessly to a cloud dashboard. Anticipates consumer-activity-tracker claims combining ‘a body-worn accelerometer’, ‘on-device estimation of steps/calories/activity/sleep’, and ‘wireless sync to a remote service’ from 2009. Anchor for the step-count and consumer-sleep-tracking cross-cuts on the product side.

The Circle — ‘SeeChange’ wearable cameras and employee health wristbands (2013-10-08)

  • id: the-circle-seechange-and-health-wristbands
  • corpus: fictional
  • form factor: bracelet
  • creator: Dave Eggers
  • disclosure: Eggers, Dave. The Circle. Alfred A. Knopf, 2013 (film adaptation 2017); ‘SeeChange’ miniature wearable/mountable cameras streaming continuously, and employee wristbands (worn in pairs on each wrist) that continuously monitor heart rate, activity, sleep, and other physiological data and upload it to the company.
  • ip status: fictional
  • sensors: sensor-ppg, sensor-accelerometer, sensor-camera-rgb
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-step-count, algo-sleep-staging
  • prior art notes: Discloses (a) continuously-worn wristbands with PPG and motion sensing that stream heart rate, activity, and sleep data to an employer, and (b) tiny body-wearable always-streaming cameras. Relevant to workplace-wellness wearable claims combining ‘a wrist-worn PPG/motion sensor’, ‘continuous physiological streaming to a remote/employer system’, and to body-worn-camera streaming claims. § 103 motivation that the employer-monitored wrist wearable and the always-streaming wearable camera were articulated objectives by 2013.

Sensoria Smart Socks (2014) — pressure-sensing sock + electronic anklet for gait/running analysis (2014-01)

  • id: sensoria-smart-socks-2014
  • corpus: private
  • form factor: sock
  • creator: Sensoria Inc. (formerly Heapsylon)
  • disclosure: Sensoria Inc. ‘Sensoria Fitness Smart Socks’, announced January 2014 — running socks with three pressure-sensitive textile sensors woven into the sole (under the heel, ball of foot, and toes) and a magnetically-attached ‘Sensoria Core’ anklet (accelerometer + Bluetooth) that derives cadence, foot strike pattern (heel/mid/forefoot), foot landing zone, pace, distance, and provides real-time audio coaching.
  • ip status: patented
  • sensors: sensor-pressure-skin, sensor-piezoelectric, sensor-accelerometer
  • algorithms: algo-step-count, algo-gait-analysis, algo-activity-classification
  • prior art notes: Discloses a sock with multiple pressure-sensitive textile sensors woven into the sole, paired with a removable ankle-worn electronics module that derives cadence, foot-strike pattern, pressure distribution, and pace. Anticipates smart-sock/sole-pressure-sensing claims combining ‘a sock with one or more textile pressure sensors at multiple positions of the foot sole’ and ‘a paired electronics module deriving gait metrics’ from 2014. Product-side anchor for the sock form-factor cross-cut (the only sock entry); cf. [[nike-plus-ipod-sport-kit-2006]] (the earlier shoe/insole route).

Bragi Dash (2014) — the first true ‘hearable’: in-ear PPG heart rate, accelerometer, storage and touch control inside wireless earbuds (2014-02-25)

  • id: bragi-dash-2014
  • corpus: private
  • form factor: earbud
  • creator: Bragi GmbH
  • disclosure: Bragi GmbH. ‘The Dash’ wireless smart earphones, crowdfunded February 2014 (shipped 2016) — fully wireless in-ear earbuds with a reflectance-PPG heart-rate sensor and oxygen-saturation estimation against the ear-canal wall, a 3-axis accelerometer (head-gesture and step/activity tracking), 4 GB onboard music storage, bone-conduction microphone, and capacitive touch control.
  • ip status: patented
  • sensors: sensor-ppg, sensor-spo2, sensor-accelerometer, sensor-microphone-bone
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-spo2-estimation, algo-step-count, algo-activity-classification
  • prior art notes: Discloses fully-wireless in-ear earbuds with a reflectance-PPG heart-rate and SpO2 sensor against the ear-canal wall, an accelerometer for head-gesture and step/activity tracking, onboard music storage, a bone-conduction microphone, and capacitive touch control — i.e. physiological sensing integrated into wireless earbuds. Anticipates hearable claims combining ‘a wireless earbud housing’, ‘an in-ear PPG/SpO2 sensor’, ‘an accelerometer for activity or head gesture’, and ‘on-device media and controls’ from 2014. Product-side anchor for the earbud × PPG cross-cut.

Microsoft Band (2014) — ten-sensor wristband (optical HR, GPS, GSR, UV, skin temp, barometer, ambient light, capacitive, microphone, IMU) (2014-10-30)

  • id: microsoft-band-2014
  • corpus: private
  • form factor: watch
  • creator: Microsoft Corp.
  • disclosure: Microsoft Corp. ‘Microsoft Band’, released 30 October 2014 — a wristband integrating ten sensors: an optical (PPG) heart-rate sensor, a 3-axis accelerometer/gyroscope, GPS, an ambient-light sensor, a skin-temperature sensor, a UV sensor, a capacitive (wear-detection) sensor, a galvanic-skin-response sensor, a microphone, and a barometer (added in Band 2).
  • ip status: patented
  • sensors: sensor-ppg, sensor-accelerometer, sensor-gyroscope, sensor-skin-temperature, sensor-uv, sensor-gsr, sensor-barometer, sensor-photodiode-ambient, sensor-microphone-air
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-step-count, algo-calorie-estimation, algo-sleep-staging, algo-stress-index, algo-uv-dose-tracking
  • prior art notes: Discloses a single wristband integrating an unusually broad sensor suite — reflectance-PPG HR, IMU, GPS, skin temperature, UV exposure, galvanic skin response (electrodermal activity), barometer, ambient light, capacitive wear-detection, and a microphone — feeding HR, activity, sleep, UV dose, and stress-index estimations. Prior art for multi-sensor-wristband claims reciting combinations of these sensors (notably wrist GSR/EDA + PPG + skin temperature for stress) from October 2014. Product-side anchor for the multi-sensor wristband cross-cut.

Fitbit Charge HR (2015) — wristband with continuous wrist-PPG heart rate (‘PurePulse’) (2015-01-06)

  • id: fitbit-charge-hr-2015
  • corpus: private
  • form factor: watch
  • creator: Fitbit, Inc.
  • disclosure: Fitbit, Inc. ‘Fitbit Charge HR’, announced January 2015 — a wristband with ‘PurePulse’ continuous optical (green-LED PPG) heart rate, a 3-axis accelerometer, steps/distance/floors/calories/active-minutes, automatic sleep tracking, and call/text notifications.
  • ip status: patented
  • sensors: sensor-ppg, sensor-accelerometer, sensor-barometer
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-step-count, algo-calorie-estimation, algo-activity-classification, algo-sleep-staging
  • prior art notes: Discloses a wristband with continuous green-LED reflectance-PPG heart rate plus accelerometry and an altimeter, deriving HR, steps, floors, calories, and sleep, with phone notifications. A mainstream realization of [[mendelson-ochs-1988-reflectance-pulse-oximetry]]-geometry wrist PPG; anticipates wrist-PPG-HR-band claims from January 2015. Product-side anchor for the watch × PPG cross-cut alongside [[apple-watch-original-2015]].

Apple Watch (1st generation, 2015) — wrist green-PPG heart rate and activity (2015-04-24)

  • id: apple-watch-original-2015
  • corpus: private
  • form factor: watch
  • creator: Apple Inc.
  • disclosure: Apple Inc. ‘Apple Watch’, announced September 2014, available 24 April 2015 — a wrist-worn device with a green/infrared photoplethysmography heart-rate sensor against the dorsal wrist, accelerometer and gyroscope, and activity/exercise tracking.
  • ip status: patented
  • sensors: sensor-ppg, sensor-multi-wavelength-ppg, sensor-accelerometer, sensor-gyroscope
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-step-count, algo-calorie-estimation, algo-activity-classification
  • prior art notes: Discloses a wristworn device with a dorsal-wrist green-LED photoplethysmography heart-rate sensor (with IR for low-perfusion conditions), inertial sensors, and continuous HR/activity tracking. Anticipates wristworn-PPG-HR claims to the extent they postdate April 2015; combined with the much earlier PPG principle ([[hertzman-1937-photoplethysmography]]) and wrist form factor, the combination is in any case obvious under [[obviousness-template]]. Product-side anchor for the watch × PPG cross-cut.

Pine64 PineTime (2018-2020) — low-cost open-source smartwatch (2018-09)

  • id: pine64-pinetime-2020
  • corpus: open
  • form factor: watch
  • creator: Pine Store Ltd. (Pine64)
  • disclosure: Pine64. ‘PineTime’ open-source smartwatch — first announced September 2018, dev-kit shipping early 2020, sealed units (~US$30) shipping from late 2020. Hardware: Nordic nRF52832 (ARM Cortex-M4), heart-rate monitor, 3-axis accelerometer, touchscreen, BLE. Open firmware: ‘InfiniTime’ (C++/FreeRTOS) at github.com/InfiniTimeOrg/InfiniTime; ‘Wasp-OS’ (Python/MicroPython) at github.com/daniel-thompson/wasp-os. Hardware schematics at wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PineTime. https://pine64.com/product/pinetime-smartwatch-sealed/
  • ip status: open-permissive
  • sensors: sensor-ppg, sensor-accelerometer
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-step-count
  • prior art notes: Discloses a low-cost (US$30) wrist-worn smartwatch with PPG-HR sensor, accelerometer, touchscreen, BLE, and fully open-source firmware (InfiniTime in C++/FreeRTOS, or Wasp-OS in Python/MicroPython on the same hardware) and published hardware schematics. Establishes (since 2018-2020) that the basic smartwatch architecture — MCU + PPG + accel + display + BLE + open firmware — is unencumbered open-hardware prior art. Distinct from [[healthypi-move-2026]] in being earlier and simpler; together they establish open-watch prior art across a >5-year span.

Omron HeartGuide (2019) — wristwatch with an inflatable oscillometric blood-pressure cuff in the band (2019-01-08)

  • id: omron-heartguide-2019
  • corpus: private
  • form factor: watch
  • creator: Omron Healthcare Co., Ltd.
  • disclosure: Omron Healthcare. ‘HeartGuide’ (model BP8000-M), announced January 2019, FDA-cleared — a wristwatch whose band contains an inflatable cuff and an oscillometric pressure transducer, taking a clinically-validated brachial-style blood-pressure measurement at the wrist on demand, alongside heart rate, steps, and sleep.
  • ip status: patented
  • sensors: sensor-pressure-skin, sensor-accelerometer, sensor-ppg
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-step-count, algo-sleep-staging
  • prior art notes: Discloses a wristwatch whose strap incorporates an inflatable cuff and pressure transducer, performing an oscillometric blood-pressure measurement at the wrist (occlude-and-release, automatically positioned at heart level by the wearer) in a watch form factor, plus activity and sleep tracking. Distinct from cuffless-PPG approaches: it is a true oscillometric cuff miniaturized into a watch band. Anticipates watch-with-integrated-inflatable-cuff BP claims from 2019. Product-side anchor for the watch × oscillometric-BP cross-cut (vs. the cuffless-PPG variant in [[samsung-galaxy-watch-bp-ecg-2020]] and [[aktiia-bracelet-cuffless-bp-2021]]).

Withings ScanWatch (2020) — hybrid analog watch with PPG, SpO2 pulse oximetry, single-lead ECG, and accelerometer (2020-01-05)

  • id: withings-scanwatch-2020
  • corpus: private
  • form factor: watch
  • creator: Withings SA
  • disclosure: Withings (Nokia/Withings). ‘ScanWatch’, announced January 2020 (CE-marked 2020; FDA cleared 2022) — a hybrid analog wristwatch integrating a reflectance-PPG sensor (heart rate, irregular-rhythm screening), an SpO2 (pulse-oximetry) measurement, a single-lead ECG (back electrode plus a bezel electrode touched by the opposite hand, with AF detection), a 3-axis accelerometer, and an altimeter — with sleep and activity tracking.
  • ip status: patented
  • sensors: sensor-ppg, sensor-spo2, sensor-ecg, sensor-accelerometer, sensor-barometer
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-spo2-estimation, algo-afib-detection, algo-arrhythmia-classification, algo-sleep-staging, algo-step-count, algo-respiratory-rate
  • prior art notes: Discloses a wristwatch combining reflectance-PPG heart rate, pulse-oximetry SpO2, a single-lead ECG with AF detection, accelerometry, and an altimeter, with sleep-apnea screening (from the SpO2/respiration signals) — multiple regulated cardiorespiratory measurements in one consumer watch. Anticipates multi-modal medical-smartwatch claims reciting combinations of wrist PPG-HR + wrist SpO2 + single-lead ECG from 2020. Product-side anchor for the watch × {PPG, SpO2, ECG} multi-sensor cross-cut.

Bangle.js 2 (Espruino, 2021) — open JavaScript-app smartwatch validated in academic research (2021)

  • id: bangle-js-2-2021
  • corpus: open
  • form factor: watch
  • creator: Pur3 Ltd. (Gordon Williams, Espruino)
  • disclosure: Espruino / Pur3 Ltd. ‘Bangle.js 2’, released 2021 — Nordic nRF52840 (ARM Cortex-M4), GPS, heart rate, 3-axis accelerometer, magnetometer, pressure sensor; 4-week battery life; JavaScript app development with web-based app loader. https://banglejs.com . Validated for step counting and heart-rate measurement in academic research (multi-subject MDPI study).
  • ip status: open-permissive
  • sensors: sensor-ppg, sensor-accelerometer, sensor-magnetometer, sensor-barometer
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-step-count, algo-activity-classification
  • prior art notes: Discloses an open-hardware smartwatch with PPG + IMU + magnetometer + barometer + GPS, web-loaded JavaScript apps, and 4-week battery life — validated against reference devices in peer-reviewed studies for step counting and HR. As open-source hardware released in 2021 it is unencumbered prior art against patents reciting the open-firmware-platform smartwatch with this sensor set.

Open-Watch (Salar Motlaqolahi, 2021) — fully documented open STM32 smartwatch (BSc thesis) (2021)

  • id: smotlaq-open-watch-2021
  • corpus: open
  • form factor: watch
  • creator: Salar Motlaqolahi
  • disclosure: Motlaqolahi S. ‘Open-Watch’ — fully open-source smartwatch released as BSc thesis output (MIT license). Hardware: STM32 ARM Cortex-M MCU, MPU6050 6-axis IMU, MAX30102 reflectance PPG + SpO2, 4-layer PCB sponsored by PCBWay, full schematics + Gerbers + firmware published. https://github.com/SMotlaq/open-watch
  • ip status: open-permissive
  • sensors: sensor-ppg, sensor-spo2, sensor-accelerometer, sensor-gyroscope
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-spo2-estimation, algo-step-count
  • prior art notes: Discloses, as an MIT-licensed open-hardware smartwatch with full PCB design files (4-layer, PCBWay-sponsored fabrication) and firmware published, a wrist-worn device with reflectance PPG + SpO2 + 6-axis IMU + MCU + display. Demonstrates that the entire smartwatch design — schematic, layout, firmware — can be reproduced from undergraduate-thesis-level public work, defeating any claim that the integrated smartwatch is novel as a combination.

HealthyPi Move (ProtoCentral, 2026) — open-source medical-grade smartwatch (2024)

  • id: healthypi-move-2026
  • corpus: open
  • form factor: watch
  • creator: ProtoCentral Electronics
  • disclosure: ProtoCentral Electronics (Bengaluru, India). ‘HealthyPi Move’ fully open-source AMOLED smartwatch — Crowd Supply campaign launched 2024, units shipping 15 May 2026. Sensors: single-lead ECG, dual-site PPG (wrist + finger), SpO2, blood-pressure trending, EDA/GSR, heart rate, HRV, respiration rate (derived), body temperature, 6-axis IMU. Compute: Nordic nRF5340 (dual ARM Cortex-M33). Display: AMOLED, 300 mAh battery. Companion app: Flutter, runs on Android/iOS/macOS/Windows/Linux, all data stored locally. Hardware design, firmware (Zephyr RTOS on nRF Connect SDK), and companion app all open-source. https://www.crowdsupply.com/protocentral/healthypi-move
  • ip status: open-permissive
  • sensors: sensor-ecg, sensor-ppg, sensor-spo2, sensor-multi-wavelength-ppg, sensor-gsr, sensor-accelerometer, sensor-gyroscope, sensor-skin-temperature
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-hrv, algo-spo2-estimation, algo-respiratory-rate, algo-pwv-bp-estimation, algo-sleep-staging, algo-activity-classification, algo-step-count
  • prior art notes: Discloses, as fully open-source hardware and firmware (CC and MIT-style licensing across components), a wrist-worn smartwatch with the full consumer-medical sensor stack: single-lead ECG between back-of-watch electrode and a finger-touch electrode; multi-wavelength reflectance PPG with SpO2 and BP-trending; EDA/GSR; skin temperature; 6-axis IMU; on-device Zephyr-RTOS application; AMOLED display; all-local data storage via cross-platform Flutter app. Anticipates wrist-multi-sensor-watch claims from 2024-2026 to the extent they recite combinations of these elements; as open prior art it is unencumbered and any patent claim reciting these combinations must distinguish over HealthyPi Move’s specific implementation. The product-side anchor for the ‘open watch with the full sensor stack’ cross-cut.

Samsung Galaxy Ring (2024) — smart ring with PPG, skin temperature and accelerometer for HR/HRV, sleep and cycle tracking (2024-07-10)

  • id: samsung-galaxy-ring-2024
  • corpus: private
  • form factor: ring
  • creator: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
  • disclosure: Samsung Electronics. ‘Samsung Galaxy Ring’, announced July 2024 — a finger ring with infrared photoplethysmography, an IR skin-temperature sensor, and a 3-axis accelerometer, deriving heart rate, heart-rate variability, skin temperature, sleep staging, activity, snore detection, and (with cycle-tracking) menstrual-cycle predictions.
  • ip status: patented
  • sensors: sensor-ppg, sensor-skin-temperature, sensor-accelerometer
  • algorithms: algo-hr, algo-hrv, algo-respiratory-rate, algo-sleep-staging, algo-snore-detection, algo-step-count
  • prior art notes: Discloses a smart ring with infrared PPG, IR skin-temperature, and accelerometer, deriving HR/HRV, sleep, snore detection, activity, and menstrual-cycle prediction — a Samsung entry directly in the wake of [[oura-ring-gen1-2015]] and the [[asada-mit-wearable-ring-sensor-2003]] academic root. Product-side reference in the ring × PPG × HRV cross-cut alongside Oura.

Public domain (CC0 1.0). The corpus IS the prior art commons.

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