Vehicle-loaded heartbeat meter

• US 4,664,127 A
• Filed: 08/28/1985
• Issued: 05/12/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikeyama, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shay, David
• Application Number:
  US06/770,042
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 128/687, 128/689, 340/505, 340/526, 340/575, 340/576
• US Class Current: 600/502
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators

Abstract

A device for measuring heartbeats of a driver using a multiplicity of optical heartbeat sensors which are dispersed about the rim of steering wheel. Fluctuation (variance) in the period of a heartbeat signal is measured and compared with a reference value to decide the presence or absence of abnormality. The presence of abnormality is signaled by a visual indication and acoustic output. The reference value is set based on the value which was obtained from the actual heartbeat measurement of the driver in a reference value setting mode. The reference value is stored in a non-volatile read/write memory to be held even when the power is off. The difference in output levels of a light receiving element between when a light emitting element is energized and when it is deenergized, is checked for each heartbeat sensor to decide whether a heartbeat signal has been actually obtained therefrom. As a result of the decision, only those heartbeat sensors actually issuing the heartbeat signals are selectively utilized for making the measurement.

Claims

1. A vehicle-loaded heartbeat meter comprising:

plural heartbeat detection means, including optical detection means, on a steering wheel or a member supporting said steering wheel;

switch means for enabling entry of user identification information;

informing means for providing at least one of a visual indication and an acoustic outout; and

electronic control means connected to said plural heartbeat detection means, said switch means, and said informing means, including non-volatile memory means adapted to hold the content stored therein even when powered off,

selection means for selecting at least one of said plural heartbeat detection means having a difference between an output level of the heartbeat detection means when the heartbeat detection means is energized and an output level of the heartbeat detection means when the heartbeat detection means is deenergized larger than a predetermined level.

processing means for generating at least one of information corresponding to the fluctuation periods of signals output from said heartbeat detection means selected by said selection means and information on variations thereof,

storing control means for storing said information generated from said processing means into said non-volatile memory means when said switch means is turned on,

comparing means for comparing signal output from said heartbeat detection means selected by said selection means with said information stored in said non-volatile memory means, and

means for energizing said informing means in response to the result of comparing of said comparing means.

2. A vehicle-loaded heartbeat meter according to claim (1), wherein said non-volatile memory means includes a plurality of storage areas for storing therein a plurality of reference values, said switch means includes identification switch means comprising a plurality of switches adapted to identify a plurality of users individually, and said electronic control means further includes means for selecting a storage area of said non-volatile memory means for storing and reading in response to operation of said identification switch means.

3. A vehicle-loaded heartbeat meter according to claim (1), wherein said electronic control means further includes means for intermittently energizing said plural heartbeat detection means for sequentially switching said plural heartbeat detection means, means for comparing the difference between a signal level obtained at the time when energized and a signal level obtained at the time when deenergized with a predetermined threshold value for deciding the presence or absence of a heartbeat signal issued from each of said heartbeat detection means, and wherein said selection means includes means for automatically selecting those heartbeat detection means which issue the heartbeat signals for the heartbeat measurement.

4. A vehicle-loaded heartbeat meter according to claim (1), wherein said selection means includes means for sequentially selecting all of said plural heartbeat detection means one by one, and wherein said electronic control means includes means for intermittently energizing said heartbeat detection means selected, and means for comparing the difference between a signal level obtained at the timing when energized and a signal level obtained at the timing when deenergized with a predetermined threshold value for deciding the presence or absence of a heartbeat signal issued from each of said heartbeat detection means, and wherein said selection means includes means for automatically selecting all those heartbeat detection means which issue the heartbeat signals for the heartbeat measurement.

5. A vehicle-loaded heartbeat meter according to claim (1), wherein said optical detection means comprises light emitting means and light receiving means disposed near said light emitting means to have the optical axis thereof directed substantially in the same direction as that of said light emitting means.

6. A vehicle-loaded heartbeat meter comprising:

plural heartbeat detection means arranged on a steering wheel or a member supporting said steering wheel, each of said plural heartbeat detection means including light emitting means and light receiving means;

switch means for enabling entry of user indentification information;

informing means for providing at least one of a visual indication and an acoustic output; and

electronic control means, connected with said plural heartbeat detection means, said switch means, and said informing means, including;

non-volatile memory means adapted to hold the content stored therein even when powered off;

selection means for selecting at least one of said plural heartbeat detection means;

first processing means for controlling said selection means to sequentially select said plural heartbeat detection means one by one, for controlling energizing and deenergizing of said light emitting means of the selected heartbeat detection means, for comparing the difference between an output level of said light receiving means of said selected heartbeat detection means when said light emitting means is energized and an output level of said light receiving means of said selected heartbeat detection means when said light emitting means is deenergized with a predetermined threshold value to decide the presence or absence of a heartbeat signal issued from the selected heartbeat detection means, and for controlling said selection means to select those heartbeat detection means which issue the heartbeat signals as a result of said decision;

second processing means for generating at least information on the fluctuation periods of signals output from those selected heartbeat detection means and information on variations thereof, and for storing the generated information in said non-volatile memory means as a reference value when said switch means is turned on; and

third processing means for generating at least one of information on the fluctuation periods of signals output from those selected heartbeat detection means and information on variations thereof, for comparing the information generated by the third processing means with said reference value stored in said non-volatile memory means, and for energizing said informing means in accordance with result of the comparing.

7. A vehicle-loaded heartbeat meter according to claim (6), wherein said non-volatile memory means includes a plurality of storage areas for storing therein a plurality of reference values, said switch means includes identification switch means comprising a plurality of switches adapted to identify a plurality of users individually, and wherein said electronic control means includes means for selecting a storage area of said non-volatile memory means for storing and reading in response to operation of said identification switch means.

8. A vehicle-loaded heartbeat meter according to claim 6, wherein each said plural heartbreak detection means comprises light emitting means and light receiving means disposed near said light emitting means to have the optical axis thereof directed substantially in the same direction as that of said light emitting means.