EP-4739209-A1 - MEMORY DEVICE AND METHOD OF OPERATION

Abstract

An intra-oral device for providing a stream of data representative of acceleration experienced by a wearer of the device. The device comprises: an acceleration sensor; a first memory; a second memory with a lower latency than the first memory; and one or more processor resource. The one or more processor resource is configured to: identify a start of a data record for data to be stored in a first memory; receive a data stream comprising one or more data values; and store the data stream values in a first buffer of a plurality of buffers in a second memory with a lower latency than the first memory as buffered values. Responsive to a determination that the first buffer is full, the processor resource is further configured to: store further data stream values in a second buffer of the plurality of buffers as buffered values; and transfer the buffered values from the first buffer to the data record in the first memory. The processor resource is further configured, responsive to a determination that the second buffer is full, to: store further data stream values in another buffer of the plurality of buffers as buffered values; and transfer the buffered values from the second buffer to the data record in the first memory.

Inventors

• RUSSELL, DEREK
• JONES, CHRISTOPHER

Assignees

• SPORTS & WELLBEING ANALYTICS LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20240729

Claims (20)

1. 1 . An intra-oral device for providing a stream of data representative of acceleration experienced by a wearer of the device, comprising: an acceleration sensor; a first memory; a second memory with a lower latency than the first memory; and one or more processor resource; wherein the one or more processor resource is configured to: identify a start of a data record for data to be stored in a first memory; receive a data stream comprising one or more data values; store the data stream values in a first buffer of a plurality of buffers in a second memory with a lower latency than the first memory as buffered values; responsive to a determination that the first buffer is full: store further data stream values in a second buffer of the plurality of buffers as buffered values; and transfer the buffered values from the first buffer to the data record in the first memory; responsive to a determination that the second buffer is full: store further data stream values in another buffer of the plurality of buffers as buffered values; and transfer the buffered values from the second buffer to the data record in the first memory.
2. 2. A device according to claims 1 , wherein the one or more processor resource is further configured to: write the buffered values from the buffer to the data record; and responsive to completion of the writing, erase the contents of the buffer to form an erased buffer and prepare the erased buffer for receiving data stream values; for transferring buffered values from a buffer to the data record in the first memory.
3. 3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein another buffer of the plurality of buffers comprises any buffer of the plurality of buffers which is not full.
4. 4. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein another buffer of the plurality of buffers comprises the first buffer.
5. 5. A device according to any preceding claim, further configured to store the buffered values sequentially and concatenated within the second memory, and further configured to process the buffers containing the buffered values in the order in which they were filled.
6. 6. A device according to any of claim 1 to claim 5, wherein the second memory comprises addressable bits.
7. 7. A device according to claim 6 wherein to identify a start of a data record the device is further configured to: determine whether a data record exists in the second memory; responsive to a determination that a data record does not exist: determine a lowest address value of the second memory as the address for a start of a new data record; and create a data record at the determined address responsive to a determination that at least one data record does exist: sequentially interrogate data records in the second memory to identify an address for a start of a new data record.
8. 8. A device according to claim 7 wherein an address of the end of a data record is adjacent the address of the start of the next data record or the address for a new data record.
9. 9. A device according to any of claim 1 to claim 8 further comprising a further sensor for determining the proximity of a gum or tooth of a user and further configured to instantiate a data stream responsive to a determination that the device is in a mouth of a user.
10. 10. A device according to claim 9, further configured to: inhibit receiving the data stream; and transfer the stored data stream values in each buffer containing data values to the data record; responsive to a determination that the intra-oral device is no longer in the mouth of the user.
11. 11. A device according to any of claim 7 to claim 10, wherein the data record comprises a file comprising a header and an array, the header comprising: an indicator of the end address of the file; and an indicator of a state of the file.
12. 12. A device according to claim 11 , wherein the state of the file is one of: the file is the last file; the file is open; the file is closed.
13. 13. A device according to claim 12, wherein sequentially interrogating the files in the storage location to identify an address for a new file comprises: a) identifying the file with the lowest or earliest address in the storage location as the present file; b) reading the indicator of the end address of the file from the header of present file to identify the address of the next file in the storage location; c) identifying the next file in the storage location as the present file; d) reading the indicator of the state of the file from the header of the present file; e) responsive to a determination that the present file is the last file, reading the indicator of the end address of the file to determine the next empty address of the storage location; f) responsive to a determination that the present file is closed, performing steps b to d and conditionally e or f, dependent upon the state of the file.
14. 14. A device according to claim 13 wherein the device, responsive to a determination that a file state is open, is further configured to: search the addresses of the storage location between the start of the file and the end of the storage location to identify the end address of the file; change the file status to indicate it is closed; and update the indicator of the end address of the file with the identified end address of the file.
15. 15. A device according to claim 14 wherein the search identifies formatted data points.
16. 16. A device according to claim 14 or claim 15 wherein the search comprises a half-interval search, wherein the half-interval search is conducted until the start and end of the search range are adjacent.
17. 17. A device according to any of claim 12 to claim 16, wherein the header further comprises a timestamp.
18. 18. A device according to claim 17, wherein the timestamp of the header corresponds to the time that the first data stream value stored in the file was recorded by the accelerometer.
19. 19. A device according to any of claim 11 to claim 18, further configured to write the buffered values from a buffer to a file by writing the buffered values into the array of the file.
20. 20. A device according to any of claim 11 to claim 19, wherein the indicator of the end address of the file comprises a size of the file header.

Description

Memory device and method of operation Field The present invention relates to a memory device, and a method of operation thereof, for an intra-oral assembly, for example a mouth-guard, for monitoring impacts to a wearer. In particular, but not exclusively, to an intra-oral assembly for wear by a participant in a contact sport. Background Participants in sports, particularly contact sports, such as, for example, Rugby Football, American (NFL) Football, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), etc., and particularly professional participants in sports, receive impacts from collisions with other participants during match play. These impacts may be, and often are, heavy, violent impacts and may include direct head impacts. A head of the participant receiving such a heavy impact may be moved violently and be subject to great accelerative forces, termed hereinafter a “head impact event.” While an individual head impact event may not cause a concussion event of its own effect, or other form of brain injury, the effect of such violent movements can be cumulative. Therefore, when a participant has sustained a critical number of violent head movements over a certain period it is advisable to prevent the participant from playing in further games, matches or events to reduce the risk of the participant being exposed to the chance of a potential serious head impact event, for example, one that might cause concussion, or further concussion, or other serious injury. Additionally, multiple relatively low impact head impact events may have a cumulative adverse effect on brain function. It is possible to monitor impacts sustained by participants, not only during individual matches, but also over the course of their careers so that a medical team or coach, for example, can be made aware of the situation. A participant may be advised as to when they should next play or train. In addition to impacts sustained by participants from other participants during, for example, a match or game, lower-level impacts that occur during low relative intensity training may negatively affect participant health. Furthermore, the cumulative effect of low impacts sustained during non-contact sports such as the winter sport “skeleton” may also negatively affect participant health. There is therefore a need to record lower-level impacts as well as high-level impacts. i In an attempt to objectively measure the accelerations or forces sustained by a participant it has been suggested to use monitoring units to be worn by the participant. Such monitoring units include sensors, for example inertial measurement units, which operate to monitor acceleration experienced by a wearer during the course of match play. Data produced by the sensors of the monitoring units can be stored in an on-board memory and/or transmitted to a monitoring station for review by a technician. However, use of such monitoring units, particularly in professional games, may be prohibited under the regulations of certain sports, because the regulations prohibit the attachment of solid objects to the outside of a body of the participant (i.e. either worn by the participant or worn in the clothing of the participant). In addition, there has been resistance from participants who are reluctant to adopt the use of such monitoring units. This may stem from a concern that their careers may be ended prematurely if they are involved in what is assessed to be too many head impact events. It is therefore desirable that any system developed to address the problems of low adoption rates and reducing subjectivity in assessments can accurately measure the accelerations sustained to try to reduce instances of false positives, and possibly lengthen a playing career otherwise shortened due to the inaccuracy and procedures associated with conventional approaches. One type of known monitoring unit comprises an adhesive-backed unit, which allows for mounting of the unit behind an ear of a participant. The unit is operative to monitor for head impact events. However, measured impact readings from such units can vary extensively, depending on the location of the sensor behind the ear, which puts into question the accuracy of the measurements. Furthermore, as discussed above, use of such devices in professional games are prohibited. Another type of known monitoring unit comprises a unit integrated with, or embedded in, a helmet (e.g. as used in American Football). Again, this type of unit is operative to monitor for head impact events during match play. However, as the helmets may move relative to the head during an impact event the measurements may be inaccurate and may not provide an accurate indication of whether or not a head impact event has occurred. In addition, such a system is suitable only for sports like American Football where helmets are used and is not suitable for other sports such as, for example, Rugby Football. A further known type of monitoring unit comprises an intra-oral device such as a