Electronic calorie counter

• US 4,159,416 A
• Filed: 05/30/1978
• Issued: 06/26/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carl J. Brejnik, William T. Whitlow
• Original Assignee: Carl J. Brejnik, William T. Whitlow
• Inventors: Whitlow, William T., Brejnik, Carl J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thesz, Joseph M.
• Application Number:
  US05/911,052
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 235/92 MT, 235/92 DP, 235/92 TF, 235/92 FQ, 364/415, 364/705, 128/2.05 T, 128/2.06 F, 272/DIG. 3, 272/DIG. 5, 272/DIG. 6, 272/73, 272/132
• US Class Current: 377/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 47/061 calculating scales for indicating relationship between quantity and time indicating or recording of quantity-time ratios G01D; meters for measuring average speed, measuring speed by chronograph G01P; slide rules and calculating wheels G06G
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/025 for measuring physiological data

Abstract

A calorie counter which is adapted to be constructed in the shape of a wristwatch and which includes a pulse detector for detecting the heart pulses. The calorie counter circuit consists of seven sections; time base, clock, data accumulator, data multiplier, translator, data selector and the display. The heart pulse rate is received, amplified and filtered into uniform shaped waves which are applied to the data accumulator section which totalizes the pulse count and determines the actual pulse rate which is held in a storage latch and updated at one-minute intervals. The actual pulse rate is applied to both the data multiplier section and the binary to BCD decoders. The data multiplier section includes means for presetting the calorie counter to the user'"'"'s metabolism. The actual pulse rate from the data accumulator is multiplied by the preset metabolism factor and applied to the look-up memory of the translator which provides a direct calorie reading for every heart pulse rate from 40 pulses per minute to 199 pulses per minute based on the preset metabolism combination. The binary to BCD decoder converts the pulse count stored in the data accumulator latch in a binary format to a binary coded decimal format and represents the actual heart pulse rate which is applied to the data selector for numerical display. The binary coded decimal output information from the clock, translator, and binary to BCD decoder is applied to the data selector for synchronizing. Manual control is used to select the desired format of display; i.e., time, pulses per minute, or calorie total.

Claims

1. An electronic calorie counter comprising,

a portable pulse detector means adapted to be attached to a person'"'"'s wrist and worn during daily activities for detecting the heart pulse of the person,

electronic circuit means including an electronic counter means operatively connected to said pulse detector means for determining the pulse rate,

a selectively adjustable data multiplier circuit means operatively connected to said electronic counter means for providing selective adjustment for a person'"'"'s metabolic rate,

electronic computer means operatively connected to said data multiplier circuit means for converting the adjusted detected pulse rate into the approximate calorie burn rate in response to programmed information in the computer means,

said electronic computer means including means for computing the calorie burn total, for a predetermined length of time, in response to the computed calorie burn rate,

and visual display means operatively connected to said means for computing the calorie burn total for displaying the computed calorie burn total.

2. The calorie counter of claim 1 wherein said visual display means is operatively connected to said electronic counter means for displaying the person'"'"'s pulse rate.