TECHNIQUES FOR DETERMINING PHYSIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF A USER USING VASCULAR-RELATED SIGNALS QUALIFIED BY ACTIVITY STATE

• US 20160361023A1
• Filed: 06/10/2015
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, Russel Allyn, Samadani, Ramin
• Application Number:
  US14/736,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20160361023A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0204 of power management
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02125 of pulse wave propagation time
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7221 Determining signal validity, reliability or quality A61B5/7207 and A61B5/7217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence

Abstract

Techniques for determining one or more physiological properties of a user of a device is disclosed. The techniques include, in part, obtaining one or more vascular-related signals and a first set of data corresponding to one or more inertial sensors. The one or more vascular-related signals and the first set of data correspond to a common time interval. The techniques further include determining one or more motion state categories in accordance with the first set of data, selecting portions of the one or more vascular-related signals based on their corresponding motion state category, and processing the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals to determine the physiological properties of the user.

Claims

1. A method for determining one or more physiological properties of a user of a device, comprising:

obtaining one or more vascular-related signals and a first set of data corresponding to one or more inertial sensors, wherein the one or more vascular-related signals and the first set of data correspond to a common time interval;

determining one or more motion state categories in accordance with the first set of data;

selecting portions of the one or more vascular-related signals based on their corresponding motion state category; and

processing the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals to determine the physiological properties of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals correspond to a plurality of discontinuous portions of the common time interval.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals correspond to a plurality of continuous portions of the common time interval, and the method further comprises:

determining one or more weights corresponding to the one or more motion state categories; and

processing the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals in accordance with the one or more weights.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a total duration of the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals corresponding to a first motion state category is less than a threshold; and

causing a power level associated with the one or more vascular-related signals to be increased upon determination that the total duration of the selected portions corresponding to the first motion state category is less than the threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more inertial sensors comprise an accelerometer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more vascular-related signals comprise a photoplethysmography (PPG) signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals correspond to a common motion state category.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more physiological properties of the user comprise a heart rate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more physiological properties of the user comprise a blood pressure.

10. An apparatus for determining one or more physiological properties of a user of the apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

obtain one or more vascular-related signals and a first set of data corresponding to one or more inertial sensors, wherein the one or more vascular-related signals and the first set of data correspond to a common time interval;

determine one or more motion state categories in accordance with the first set of data;

select portions of the one or more vascular-related signals based on their corresponding motion state category; and

process the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals to determine the physiological properties of the user; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals correspond to a plurality of discontinuous portions of the common time interval.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals correspond to a plurality of continuous portions of the common time interval, and the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine one or more weights corresponding to the one or more motion state categories; and

process the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals in accordance with the one or more weights.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

determine a total duration of the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals corresponding to a first motion state category is less than a threshold; and

cause a power level associated with the one or more vascular-related signals to be increased upon determination that the total duration of the selected portions corresponding to the first motion state category is less than the threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more inertial sensors comprise an accelerometer.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more vascular-related signals comprise a photoplethysmography (PPG) signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals correspond to a common motion state category.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more physiological properties of the user comprise a heart rate.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more physiological properties of the user comprise a blood pressure.

19. An apparatus for determining one or more physiological properties of a user, comprising:

means for obtaining one or more vascular-related signals and a first set of data corresponding to one or more inertial sensors, wherein the one or more vascular-related signals and the first set of data correspond to a common time interval;

means for determining one or more motion state categories in accordance with the first set of data;

means for selecting portions of the one or more vascular-related signals based on their corresponding motion state category; and

means for processing the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals to determine the physiological properties of the user.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals correspond to a plurality of discontinuous portions of the common time interval.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals correspond to a plurality of continuous portions of the common time interval, the apparatus further comprising:

means for determining one or more weights corresponding to the one or more motion state categories; and

means for processing the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals in accordance with the one or more weights.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means for determining a total duration of the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals corresponding to a first motion state category is less than a threshold; and

means for causing a power level associated with the one or more vascular-related signals to be increased upon determination that the total duration of the selected portions corresponding to the first motion state category is less than the threshold.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the one or more vascular-related signals comprise a photoplethysmography (PPG) signal.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals correspond to a common motion state category.

25. A non-transitory processor-readable medium for determining one or more physiological properties of a user, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

obtain one or more vascular-related signals and a first set of data corresponding to one or more inertial sensors, wherein the one or more vascular-related signals and the first set of data correspond to a common time interval;

determine one or more motion state categories in accordance with the first set of data;

select portions of the one or more vascular-related signals based on their corresponding motion state category; and

process the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals to determine the physiological properties of the user.

26. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals correspond to a plurality of discontinuous portions of the common time interval.

27. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals correspond to a plurality of continuous portions of the common time interval, and the processor-readable instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to:

determine one or more weights corresponding to the one or more motion state categories; and

process the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals in accordance with the one or more weights.

28. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the processor-readable instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to:

determine a total duration of the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals corresponding to a first motion state category is less than a threshold; and

cause a power level associated with the one or more vascular-related signals to be increased upon determination that the total duration of the selected portions corresponding to the first motion state category is less than the threshold.

29. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the one or more vascular-related signals comprise a photoplethysmography (PPG) signal.

30. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the selected portions of the one or more vascular-related signals correspond to a common motion state category.