Method and Apparatus in Connection with Exercise

• US 20110137191A1
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Kinnunen, Hannu
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/512
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/341 Vectorcardiography [VCG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/04 heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance

Abstract

An apparatus in connection with a fitness exercise of a person, including means for processing multidimensional electrocardiographic data of the person, the multidimensional electrocardiographic data comprising at least two spatially separately measured electrocardiographic signal components, means for forming a vectorcardiographic measure on the basis of the multidimensional electrocardiographic data, and means for applying the vectorcardiographic measure in determination of a fitness exercise related parameter.

Claims

1. An apparatus in connection with a fitness exercise of a person, the apparatus comprising:

a processing device to process multidimensional electrocardiographic data of the person, the multidimensional electrocardiographic data comprising at least two spatially separately measured electrocardiographic signal components;

a forming device to form a vectorcardiographic measure on the basis of the multidimensional electrocardiographic data; and

an applicator to apply the vectorcardiographic measure in determination of a fitness exercise related parameter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a transformer to transform at least a portion of the multidimensional electrocardiographic data into an orthogonal representation of the data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a monitoring device to monitor a heart rate of the person; and

a determiner to determine the fitness-exercise-related parameter on the basis of the heart rate of the person and the vectorcardiographic measure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

an identifier to indentify a multidimensional R wave and a multidimensional T wave from the multidimensional electrocardiographic data; and

a forming device to form, as the vectorcardiographic measure, a relationship between the multidimensional R wave and the multidimensional T wave.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a forming device to form a vector representation characterizing a multidimensional R wave in the electrocardiographic data;

a forming device to form a vector representation characterizing a multidimensional T wave in the electrocardiographic data; and

an estimator to estimate an angle measure characterizing the angle between the vector representation of the multidimensional R wave and the vector representation of the multidimensional T wave.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a monitoring device to monitor if the vectorcardiographic measure exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and

an indicator to indicate if the vectorcardiographic measure exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises an applicator to apply the vectorcardiographic measure in determination of the fitness-exercise-related parameter during the fitness exercise and/or after the fitness exercise.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes one or more elements of a group comprising a processor usable as an electric device, a performance monitor, a mobile station, an external computer and an exercise device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the exercise-related parameter characterizes at least one element of a group comprising:

exertion level of the person in the fitness exercise, mental stress, energy expenditure.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises an operation mode, in which the processing device to multidimensional electrocardiographic data of the person, the forming device to form a vectorcardiographic measure of the multidimensional electrocardiographic data, and applicator to apply the vectorcardiographic measure in determination of a fitness-exercise-related parameter are activated.

11. A method in connection with a fitness exercise of a person, the method comprising:

processing multidimensional electrocardiographic data of the person, the multidimensional electrocardiographic data comprising at least two spatially separately measured electrocardiographic signal components;

forming a vectorcardiographic measure on the basis of the multidimensional electrocardiographic data; and

applying the vectorcardiographic measure in determination of a fitness-exercise-related parameter.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring a heart rate of the person; and

determining the fitness-exercise-related parameter on the basis of the heart rate of the person and the vectorcardiographic measure.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying a multidimensional R wave and a multidimensional T wave from the multidimensional electrocardiographic data; and

forming, as the vectorcardiographic measure, a relationship between the multidimensional R wave and the multidimensional T wave.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring if the vectorcardiographic measure exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and

providing an indication if the vectorcardiographic measure exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

process multidimensional electrocardiographic data of the person, the multidimensional electrocardiographic data comprising at least two spatially separately measured electrocardiographic signal components;

form a vectorcardiographic measure on the basis of the multidimensional electrocardiographic data; and

apply the vectocardiographic measure in determination of a fitness-exercise-related parameter.

16. An apparatus in connection with a fitness exercise of a person, the apparatus comprising:

means for processing multidimensional electrocardiographic data of the person, the multidimensional electrocardiographic data comprising at least two spatially separately measured electrocardiographic signal components;

means for forming a vectorcardiographic measure on the basis of the multidimensional electrocardiographic data; and

means for applying the vectorcardiographic measure in determination of a fitness exercise related parameter.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, the apparatus further comprising means for transforming at least a portion of the multidimensional electrocardiographic data into an orthogonal representation of the data.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, the apparatus further comprising:

means for monitoring a heart rate of the person; and

means for determining the fitness-exercise-related parameter on the basis of the heart rate of the person and the vectorcardiographic measure.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, the apparatus comprising:

means for identifying a multidimensional R wave and a multidimensional T wave from the multidimensional electrocardiographic data; and

means for forming, as the vectorcardiographic measure, a relationship between the multidimensional R wave and the multidimensional T wave.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, the apparatus comprising:

means for forming a vector representation characterizing a multidimensional R wave in the electrocardiographic data;

means for forming a vector representation characterizing a multidimensional T wave in the electrocardiographic data; and

means for estimating an angle measure characterizing the angle between the vector representation of the multidimensional R wave and the vector representation of the multidimensional T wave.