In 2019, Apple's CEO Tim Cook stated in an interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer that Apple had been investing in health and wellness in recent years as it capitalized on the success of its Watch and hired dozens of doctors to bolster its health technology segment. “I believe, if you zoom out into the future, and you look back, and you ask the question, ‘What was Apple’s greatest contribution to mankind?’ it will be about health.”

Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a patent application from Apple titled "Monitoring user Health using Gait Analysis."  The patent lists one of Apple's health teams with 14 inventors.

One of the inventors is Adeeti Ullal, a Senior Engineering Manager, Applied Sensing and Health. He notes in his bio: "I lead a team applying sensing to health, fitness, safety and wellbeing features. My team has shipped gait metrics on iPhone, 6MWD and a Parkinson’s tracking API via tremor and dyskinesia measurements on the Apple Watch (used in 2 FDA approved apps and clinical trials).

Another inventor is Jaehyun Bae, Algorithm in Applied Sensing and Health at Apple. His PhD research was on post-stroke gait assistance and rehabilitation through wearable robot was awarded Best Medical Robotics paper in IEEE ICRA 2018.

Apple's health team's invention published today by the U.S. Patent Office relates to systems, methods, devices and non-transitory, computer-readable mediums are disclosed for electronically monitoring a user's health by analyzing the user's gait.

In an aspect, a method includes obtaining, at a computing device, sensor data generated by one or more accelerometers and one or more gyroscopes over a time period. The sensor data includes an acceleration signal indicative of an acceleration measured by the one or more accelerometers over a time period, and an orientation signal indicative of an orientation measured by the one or more gyroscopes over the time period.

The one or more accelerometers and the one or more gyroscopes are physically coupled to a user walking along a surface. The method also includes identifying, by the computing device, one or more portions of the sensor data based on one or more criteria; and determining, by the computing device, characteristics regarding a gait of the user based on the one or more portions of the sensor data, where the characteristics include a walking speed of the user and an asymmetry of the gait of the user.

Implementations of this aspect can include one or more of the following features:

• In some implementations, the characteristics can include a step length of the user.

• In some implementations, the characteristics can include a percentage of time that both feet of the user are contacting the ground during a cycle of the gait of the user.

• In some implementations, the method can also include determining, based on the sensor data, the acceleration with respect to an inertial frame of reference.

• In some implementations, the characteristics regarding a gait of the user can be estimated based on a pendulum model having the acceleration signal as an input.

• In some implementations, the one or more portions of the sensor data can be identified based on an estimated grade of the surface.

• In some implementations, the grade of the surface can be estimated based on a barometer measurement obtained from a barometric sensor.

• In some implementations, the one or more portions of the sensor data can be identified based on a comparison between the acceleration signal and a simulated acceleration signal.

• In some implementations, the simulated acceleration signal can be determined based on a pendulum model, and more.

Apple's patent FIG. 2A below shows two example positions at which a user (#200) might position the mobile device (iPhone #100). As a first example, a user can position an iPhone at a location #202a along his thigh. This could correspond, for example, to the user placing the iPhone in an article of clothing being worn by the user such as in the pocket of a pair of pants, dress, skirt, shorts, jacket, coat, shirt, or other article of clothing.

As a second example, a user can position an iPhone at location #202b along his hip. This could correspond, for example, to the user placing their iPhone on a hip-secured support structure, such as a belt clip or hip holster.

As the user walks with their iPhone, it collects sensor data regarding the motion of the user. For instance, using the motion sensors #110 (e.g., one or more accelerometers), the iPhone can measure an acceleration experienced by the motion sensors and correspondingly, the acceleration experienced by the iPhone.

Further, using the motion sensors (e.g., one or more compasses or gyroscopes), the iPhone can measure an orientation of the motion sensors  and correspondingly, an orientation of the iPhone.

Further, using the motion sensors (e.g., one or more pedometers), the iPhone can determine the number of steps taken by a user over a period of time and/or the user's step cadence for that period of time. In some implementations, the motion sensors can collect data continuously or periodically over a period of time. In some implementations, the motion sensors can collect motion data with respect to one or more specific directions relative to the orientation of the iPhone.

For example, the motion sensors can collect sensor data regarding an acceleration of the iPhone with respect to the x-axis (e.g., a vector projecting from a side of the iPhone, as shown in FIG. 2B), the y-axis (e.g., a vector projecting from a top of the iPhone, as shown in FIG. 2B) and/or the z-axis (e.g., a vector projecting from a front of the iPhone where the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis refer to a Cartesian coordinate system in a frame of reference of the iPhone.

Apple's patent FIG. 7B above is a diagram of an example measurement window for estimating the walking speed of a user and/or other metrics regarding a gait of the user; FIG. 8 above is a diagram showing example signals generated using a pendulum model; FIG. 11 is a diagram of another example process for estimating the walking speed of a user and/or other metrics regarding a gait of the user.

For those working in the Health Field that would like to know the full details of this invention could do so by reviewing Apple's patent application 20240315601.