Multimodal Method And System For Transmitting Information About A Subject

• US 20110054270A1
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: DERCHAK, P. Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,971,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1135 by monitoring thoracic expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4875 Hydration status, fluid retention of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 : Vests
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7465 : Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 : Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 : Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

The present invention is directed to multimodal communications means for transmitting signals representing physiological, performance, and contextual information associated with a subject. In an exemplary embodiment, the multimodal communications means includes multiple radio subsystems (or modes) that enable connection to an external monitoring device to be acquired in a wide range of settings where a single radio mode would be ineffective. Additionally, combining the multimodal communications means of the invention with real-time data-processing allows the communications functionality to be engaged only when data determined to be relevant to the user is identified.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting information about a subject engaged in a physical activity, the system comprising:

a data acquisition subsystem carried on a subject'"'"'s body, wherein the data acquisition subsystem is configured to monitor the subject and generate a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal and the second signal are representative of parameters of the subject; and

a data transmission subsystem configured to transmit the first signal and the second signal from the data acquisition subsystem to a data monitoring subsystem,

wherein the data transmission subsystem is configured to transmit the first signal using a first transmission mode,

wherein the data transmission subsystem is configured to transmit the second signal using a second transmission mode, and

wherein the second transmission mode is different from the first transmission mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transmission mode comprises a radio transmission according to a first frequency and the second transmission mode comprises a radio transmission according to a second frequency.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first transmission mode includes steady state frequencies.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the second transmission mode includes random frequencies.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the second transmission mode includes steady state frequencies.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the first transmission mode includes random frequencies.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data transmission subsystem is further configured to transmit the first signal and the second signal from the data acquisition subsystem to the data monitoring subsystem via a data processing subsystem.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the data processing subsystem is configured to process the first signal to obtain a physiological parameter of the subject, and wherein the data transmission subsystem is configured to transmit the physiological parameter from the data processing subsystem to the data monitoring subsystem.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the data processing subsystem is configured to process the first signal to determine a performance parameter of the subject and wherein the data transmission subsystem is configured to transmit the performance parameter from the data processing subsystem to the data monitoring subsystem.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the data processing subsystem is configured to process the first signal to obtain a respiratory parameter of the subject and wherein the data transmission subsystem is configured to transmit the respiratory parameter from the data processing subsystem to the data monitoring subsystem.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the data processing subsystem is configured to process the first signal to obtain a spatial parameter of the subject and wherein the data transmission subsystem is configured to transmit the spatial parameter from the data processing subsystem to the data monitoring subsystem.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the data transmission subsystem is configured to determine if the first signal is relevant, and to transmit the first signal only when the first signal is determined to be relevant.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the data transmission subsystem is configured to transmit the first signal during particular periods of activity.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the data transmission subsystem is configured to transmit the first signal via a first mode in response to a condition of another mode.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transmission mode and the second transmission mode comprise modes compatible with at least one of Global System for Mobile Communications and BlueTooth®

systems.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the data acquisition subsystem comprises a sensor, the sensor being positioned on a garment worn by the subject and being configured to generate the first signal.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the data acquisition subsystem includes a first magnetometer and a second magnetometer, wherein the first and second magnetometers are responsive to changes in distance therebetween, and wherein the first signal contains information regarding the distance between the first magnetometer and the second magnetometer.

18. A method for transmitting information about a subject engaged in a physical activity, the method comprising:

generating a first signal and a second signal with a data acquisition subsystem, wherein the first and second signals each contain information representing a parameter of the subject;

transmitting the first signal using a first transmission mode, wherein the first signal is transmitted by a data transmission subsystem to a data monitoring subsystem; and

transmitting the second signal using a second transmission mode, wherein the second transmission mode is different from the first transmission mode, and wherein the second signal is transmitted by the data transmission subsystem to the data monitoring subsystem.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first transmission mode includes steady state frequencies.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the second transmission mode includes random frequencies.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the second transmission mode includes steady state frequencies.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the first transmission mode includes random frequencies.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising processing the first signal and the second signal with a data processing subsystem, wherein transmitting the first signal and the second signal to the data monitoring subsystem comprises transmitting the first signal and the second signal to the data monitoring subsystem via the data processing subsystem.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising processing the first signal with the data processing subsystem to obtain a physiological parameter of the subject.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising processing the first signal with the data processing subsystem to obtain a performance parameter of the subject.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising processing the first signal with the data processing subsystem to obtain a respiratory parameter of the subject.

27. The method of claim 23 further comprising processing the first signal with the data processing subsystem to obtain a spatial parameter of a subject.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the first transmission mode comprises a radio transmission according to a first frequency and the second transmission mode comprises a radio transmission according to a second frequency.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the data acquisition subsystem includes a first magnetometer and a second magnetometer, wherein the first and second magnetometers are responsive to changes in distance therebetween, and wherein the first signal is representative of the distance between the first magnetometer and the second magnetometer.

30. A fitness monitoring system for monitoring physiological parameters of a subject engaged in a physical activity, comprising:

a monitoring garment adapted to cover at least a portion of a subject'"'"'s torso;

a sensor subsystem including a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first and second sensors are responsive to changes in distance therebetween, wherein the sensor subsystem is configured to generate and transmit a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal represents a change in the distance between the first and second sensors, wherein the second signal represents a physiological parameter of the subject, wherein the first and second sensors are incorporated into the garment, and wherein the first and second sensors are proximate to a subject'"'"'s chest region when the garment is worn by the subject;

a processor in communication with the sensor subsystem and configured to receive the first signal, wherein the processor is programmed and adapted to control the sensor subsystem and to process the first signal; and

a data transmission subsystem configured to transmit the first and second signals from the processor to a data monitoring subsystem,

wherein the data transmission subsystem is configured to transmit the first signal using a first transmission mode,

wherein the data transmission subsystem is configured to transmit the second signal using a second transmission mode, and

wherein the second transmission mode is different from the first transmission mode.