SYSTEM, METHOD AND DEVICE FOR AUDITORY REPRESENTATION OF RHYTHMICAL PARAMETERS

• US 20110298620A1
• Filed: 01/21/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Heinrich Zimmermann
• Original Assignee: Heinrich Zimmermann
• Inventors: Zimmermann, Heinrich
• Application Number:
  US13/147,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298620A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02455 provided with high/low alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7415 Sound rendering of measured values, e.g. by pitch or volume variation A61B5/741 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/062 used as a control parameter for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/207 P-O2, i.e. partial O2 value
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity

Abstract

An auditory representation method is used to generate an audible signal which characterizes the instantaneous value of a rhythmical parameter such as the pulse of a human patient. A periodic signal (15) from a sensor (10) is standardized by a pulse detector (20) to generate a shaped pulse sequence (25) which is inputted to a pulse interval decoder (30). The pulse interval decode (30) generates a pulse interval length signal (35) which represents the current pulse interval length at any one time. An audio signal generator (40) then produces an audible signal having characteristics such as frequency (pitch) which characterize the current pulse interval length. A system and device for carrying out the method are also described.

Claims

1. Method of representing as variations in an audible tone, variations in rhythmical parameter information from a system under analysis, the method comprising:

a first step of deriving from said system under analysis one or more input signals (15, 16) representing said rhythmical parameter information and,

a second step of generating a sequence of standardized pulse signals (25, 26) from the or each input signal (15, 16),

the method being characterized by

a third step of, upon the generation of each standardized pulse signal in a first of said one or more sequences of standardized pulse signals (25, 26), determining a pulse interval (T, T₁) between the said each standardized pulse signal and a previously generated standardized pulse signal, and outputting a pulse interval signal (35) representing the length of the said each determined pulse interval (T, T₁), and

a fourth step of generating an audible signal having one or more audible characteristics determined as a predetermined function of the pulse interval signal (35).

2. Method according to claim 1, in which the one or more audible characteristics are the audio frequency, the timbre and/or the volume of the audible signal.

3. Method according to claim 1, in which the said rhythmical parameter information is a physiological parameter of a human body, in particular an acoustic parameter, a pressure in a part of the body, the flow rate of a fluid in the body, an electrical potential in the body, a measure of the muscular activity in a body, or the position or movement of the body or a part of the body.

4. Method according to claim 3, in which the at least one input means (10, 11) include a first sensor means (10) for detecting a first input signal (15) representing rhythmical parameter information in a first part of the human body, and a second sensor means (11) for detecting a second input signal (16) representing rhythmical parameter information in a second part of the human body, and in which the pulse interval detection means (31) is adapted to measure the time interval (T₁) between a first pulse signal in a first one of said sequences of pulse signals (25), and a second pulse signal in a second one of said sequences of pulse signals (26).

5. Method according to claim 1, in which the said predetermined function is a linear function, a polynomial function, or a function defined by a set of mapping data in a lookup table.

6. Method according to claim 1, in which at least one of the said input means (10, 11), pulse signal generating means (20, 21), pulse interval detection means (30, 31) and the audible signal generation means (40, 50) are integrated into a portable or wearable device.

7. Method according to claim 1, in which at least one of the pulse signal generating means (20, 21), the pulse interval detection means (30, 31) and the audible signal generation means (40, 50) are integrated into a first unit and in which the at least one sensor means (10, 11) and the first unit are equipped with means for communicating with each other via a wireless communications link.

10. System according to claim 1, in which the said rhythmical parameter information is a physiological parameter of a human body, in particular an acoustic parameter, a pressure in a part of the body, the flow rate of a fluid in the body, an electrical potential in the body, a measure of the muscular activity in a body, or the position or movement of the body or a part of the body.

11. System according to claim 10, in which the at least one input means (10, 11) include a first sensor means (10) for detecting a first input signal (15) representing rhythmical parameter information in a first part of the human body, and a second sensor means (11) for detecting a second input signal (16) representing rhythmical parameter information in a second part of the human body, and in which the pulse interval detection means (31) is adapted to measure the time interval (T₁) between a first pulse signal in a first one of said sequences of pulse signals (25), and a second pulse signal in a second one of said sequences of pulse signals (26).

8. System for representing variations in rhythmical parameter information as variations in an audible tone, the system comprising:

at least one input means (10, 11) for inputting one or more input signals (15, 16) representing said rhythmical parameter information and,

pulse signal generating means (20, 21) for generating a sequence of standardized pulse signals (25, 26) from the or each input signal (15, 16),

the system being characterized by

pulse interval detection means (30, 31) for receiving the or each said sequence of standardized pulse signals (25, 26) and, upon receipt of a received pulse signal in said the or each received sequence of pulse signals (25, 26), determining a pulse interval (T, T₁) between the said received pulse signal and a previously received pulse signal, and outputting a pulse interval signal (35) representing the length of the said each determined pulse interval (T, T₁), and

audible signal generation means (40, 50) for generating, from the pulse interval signal (T, T₁) output by the pulse interval detection means (30, 31), an audible signal having one or more audible characteristics determined as a predetermined function of the pulse interval signal (35).

9. System according to claim 8, in which the one or more audible characteristics are the audio frequency, the timbre and/or the volume of the audible signal.

12. System according to claim 8, in which the said predetermined function is a linear function, a polynomial function, or a function defined by a set of mapping data in a lookup table.

13. System according to claim 8, in which at least one of the said input means (10, 11), pulse signal generating means (20, 21), pulse interval detection means (30, 31) and the audible signal generation means (40, 50) are integrated into a portable or wearable device.

14. System according to claim 8, in which at least one of the pulse signal generating means (20, 21), the pulse interval detection means (30, 31) and the audible signal generation means (40, 50) are integrated into a first unit and in which the at least one sensor means (10, 11) and the first unit are equipped with means for communicating with each other via a wireless communications link.

15. Device for converting rhythmical parameter information into an audible tone, said device comprising:

at least one input, the or each input being for receiving an input signal (15, 16) representing rhythmical parameter information to be converted into said audible tone,

a pulse signal generator (20, 21) for generating a sequence of standardized pulse signals (25, 26) from the said at least one input signal (15, 16),

the device being characterized by

a pulse interval detector (30, 31) for receiving the or each said sequence of standardize pulse signals (25, 26) generated by the pulse signal generator (20, 21) and, upon receipt of a pulse signal in the or each received sequence of pulse signals (25, 26), determining a pulse interval (T, T₁) between the said received pulse signal and a previously received pulse signal, and outputting a pulse interval signal (35) representing the length of the said each determined pulse interval (T, T₁), and

audible signal generator (40, 50) for generating, from the pulse interval signal (35) output by the pulse interval detector (30, 31), an audible signal having one or more audible characteristics determined as a predetermined function of the pulse interval signal (35).