Patent ID: 8463576

Claim:
A portable activity monitoring device adapted to couple to a body of a user, the portable activity monitoring device comprising: a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the body of the user; an altitude sensor, disposed in the housing, to generate data which is representative of a change in altitude of the user; processing circuitry, disposed in the housing and coupled to the altitude sensor, to calculate: a number of stairs or flights of stairs traversed by the user using the data which is representative of a change in altitude of the user, and a state of an avatar using the data which is representative of the number of stairs or flights of stairs traversed by the user, wherein the avatar is (i) digital representation of a pet or physical object, (ii) a graphical representation of the user or alter ego thereof, and/or (iii) a game character; and a display, coupled to the processing circuitry, to output data which is representative of the state of the avatar.