System for compression of physiological signals

• US 20060059324A1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Simske, Steven J., Zhang, Tong, Blakley, Daniel R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,310,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/335 using integrated circuit memory devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A method of optimizing retention of signal information from a physiologically generated digital signal is provided. The method can comprise steps of generating a digital signal from a physiological source, storing the digital signal into a memory location as a stored digital signal, identifying within the stored digital signal a preferred digital signal event exclusive of a non-preferred digital signal event, wherein the preferred digital signal event has a first event compression level and the non-preferred digital signal event has a second event compression level, detecting a memory storage limitation in the memory location, and increasing the second event compression level of the non-preferred digital signal event as a result of detecting a memory storage limitation. Also, the portable monitor can detect the presence of an upload source to which the digital signal can be uploaded in order to minimize the need to compress the signal.

Claims

1. A method of optimizing retention of signal information from a physiologically generated digital signal, comprising steps of:

a) generating a digital signal from a physiological source, the digital signal having an acquisition compression level;

b) storing the digital signal into a memory location as a stored digital signal, wherein the stored digital signal has a stored compression level;

c) detecting a memory storage limitation in the memory location; and

d) increasing the stored compression level of at least a portion of the stored digital signal in the memory location as a result of the memory storage limitation in the memory location.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the acquisition compression level is no compression.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the acquisition compression level is at least some compression.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the stored compression level is no compression.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the stored compression level is at least some compression.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of increasing the stored compression level results in a uniform compression of essentially all of the stored digital signal.

7. A method as in claim 1, further comprising a step of identifying within the stored digital signal a preferred digital signal event exclusive of a non-preferred digital signal event.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein the preferred digital signal event has a first event compression level and the non-preferred digital signal event has a second event compression level.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the first event compression level is different from the second event compression level.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein the first event compression level is of a lower compression than the second event compression level.

11. A method as in claim 8, further comprising the step of increasing the second event compression level of the non-preferred digital signal event as a result of detecting a memory storage limitation.

12. A method as in claim 8 further comprising steps of:

a) determining that the second event compression level of the non-preferred digital signal event cannot be increased; and

b) increasing the first event compression level of the preferred digital signal event.

13. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of increasing the acquisition compression level of the digital signal in response to detecting a memory storage limitation in the memory location.

14. A method as in claim 1, further comprising step of detecting an energy supply limitation.

15. A method as in claim 14, further comprising decreasing the acquisition compression level of the digital signal.

16. A method as in claim 14, further comprising decreasing the stored compression level of the stored digital signal.

17. A method as in claim 1, further comprising steps of:

a) detecting an upload source; and

b) uploading the digital signal to the upload source.

18. A method of optimizing retention of signal information from a physiologically generated digital signal, comprising steps of:

a) generating a digital signal from a physiological source, the digital signal having an acquisition compression level;

b) storing the digital signal into a memory location as a stored digital signal;

c) identifying within the stored digital signal a preferred digital signal event exclusive of a non-preferred digital signal event, the preferred digital signal event having a first event compression level and the non-preferred digital signal event having a second event compression level;

d) detecting a memory storage limitation in the memory location; and

e) increasing the second event compression level of the non-preferred digital signal event as a result of detecting a memory storage limitation.

19. A method as in claim 18, wherein the acquisition compression level is no compression.

20. A method as in claim 18, wherein the acquisition compression level is at least some compression.

21. A method as in claim 18, wherein the first event compression level is no compression.

22. A method as in claim 18, wherein the first event compression level is at least some compression.

23. A method as in claim 18, wherein the second event compression level is no compression.

24. A method as in claim 18, wherein the second event compression level is at least some compression.

25. A method as in claim 18, wherein the first event compression level is different from the second event compression level.

26. A method as in claim 18, wherein the first event compression level is of a lower compression than the second event compression level.

27. A method as in claim 18 further comprising steps of:

a) determining that the second event compression level of the non-preferred digital signal event cannot be increased; and

b) increasing the first event compression level of the preferred digital signal event.

28. A method as in claim 18, further comprising the step of increasing the acquisition compression level of the digital signal in response to detecting a memory storage limitation in the memory location.

29. A method as in claim 18, further comprising a step of detecting an energy supply limitation.

30. A method as in claim 29, further comprising decreasing the acquisition compression level of the digital signal.

31. A method as in claim 29, further comprising decreasing the stored compression level of the stored digital signal.

32. A method as in claim 18, further comprising steps of:

a) detecting an upload source; and

b) uploading the digital signal to the upload source.

33. A system for optimizing retention of signal information from a physiologically generated digital signal, comprising:

a) a signal recorder having an online mode and a remote mode;

b) an online memory module operationally coupled to the signal recorder when in the online mode, such that the digital signal is stored in the online memory module when the signal recorder is in the online mode;

c) a local memory module operationally coupled to the signal recorder when in the remote mode, such that the digital signal is stored in the local memory module as a stored digital signal when the signal recorder is in the remote mode;

d) a local memory monitor operationally coupled to the local memory module to detect a memory storage limitation in the local memory module;

e) a compression unit operationally coupled to the local memory module to compress at least a portion of a stored digital signal recorded by the signal recorder;

f) a control unit operationally coupled to the local memory module to evaluate a compression level of the stored digital signal; and

g) an online detection unit operationally coupled to the control unit to detect the when the signal recorder is in the online mode.

34. A system as in claim 33, further comprising an acquisition compression unit operationally coupled to the local memory module to compress the digital signal prior to the digital signal being stored as a stored digital signal in the local memory module.