Method and Apparatus for Heart Rate Monitoring

• US 20100280402A1
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Ravindran, Sourabh, Dunbar, Steven T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,808,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/519
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7221 Determining signal validity, reliability or quality A61B5/7207 and A61B5/7217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity

Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring heart rate. The method includes receiving a digital heart monitoring signal, determining the integrity of said signal with a “hand detect” signal that confirms electrical connection to the subject, dividing the digital heart monitoring signal into at least one frame, generating a folded correlation value for the center sample in the at least one frame, identify the number of peaks folded correlation values based on amplitude and distance parameters of the digital heart monitoring signal in the at least one frame, removing false peaks and collecting peaks corresponding to a length of time, determining the heart rate based on the identified peaks wherein the identified peaks relate to a minimum distance between valid heart beat peaks based on a heart rate estimate, computing the weighted average of heart rate value based on the number of previous heart rate values.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a heart rate, comprising:

receiving a digital heart monitoring signal;

dividing the digital heart monitoring signal into at least one frame;

generating a folded correlation value for the center sample in the at least one frame;

identify the number of peaks folded correlation values based on amplitude and distance parameters of the digital heart monitoring signal in the at least one frame;

removing false peaks and collecting peaks corresponding to a length of time;

determining the heart rate based on the identified peaks, wherein the identified peaks relate to a minimum distance between valid heart beat peaks based on a heart rate estimate;

computing the weighted average of heart rate value based on the number of previous heart rate values; and

at least one of storing or displaying the computed heart rate value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the length of time is predetermined.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising at least one of:

re-computing parameters based on the heart rate and accordingly process the next set of folded correlation value in the at least one frame;

utilizing status of an electrocardiogram connection to start, stop, or re-initialize the method;

setting a timer for estimating the allowable amount of change in the heart rate compared to the previous heart rate value; and

utilizing a second timer for allowing the heart rate to settle before using the heart rate to set parameters utilized in computing the heart rate.

4. An apparatus for monitoring a heart rate, comprising:

means for receiving a digital heart monitoring signal;

means for dividing the digital heart monitoring signal into at least one frame;

means for generating a folded correlation value for the center sample in the at least one frame;

means for identify the number of peaks folded correlation values based on amplitude and distance parameters of the digital heart monitoring signal in the at least one frame;

means for removing false peaks and for collecting peaks corresponding to a length of time;

means for utilizing status of an electrocardiogram connection to start, stop, or re-initialize the method;

means for determining the heart rate based on the identified peaks, wherein the identified peaks relate to a minimum distance between valid heart beat peaks based on a heart rate estimate; and

means for computing the weighted average of heart rate value based on the number of previous heart rate values.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the length of time is predetermined.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising at least one of:

means for storing;

means for displaying the computed heart rate value;

means for re-computing parameters based on the heart rate and accordingly process next set of folded correlation value in the at least one frame;

means for setting a timer for estimating the allowable amount of change in the heart rate compared to the a previous heart rate value; and

means for utilizing a second timer for allowing the heart rate to settle before using the heart rate to set parameters utilized in computing the heart rate.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions, when executed perform a method for monitoring a heart rate, the method comprising:

receiving a digital heart monitoring signal;

dividing the digital heart monitoring signal into at least frame;

generating a folded correlation value for the center sample in the at least one frame;

identify the number of peaks folded correlation values based on amplitude and distance parameters of the digital heart monitoring signal in the at least one frame;

removing false peaks and collecting peaks corresponding to a length of time;

determining the heart rate based on the identified peaks, wherein the identified peaks relate to a minimum distance between valid heart beat peaks based on a heart rate estimate;

computing the weighted average of heart rate value based on the number of previous heart rate values; and

at least one of storing or displaying the computed heart rate value.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the length of time is predetermined.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the method further comprising at least one of:

re-computing parameters based on the heart rate and accordingly process regenerated folded correlation value in the at least one frame;

setting a timer for estimating the change of the heart rate compared to the a previous heart rate value;

utilizing status of an electrocardiogram connection to start, stop, or re-initialize the method; and

utilizing a second timer for allowing he heart rate to settle before using the heart rate to set parameters utilized in computing the heart rate.