Bio-characteristic value measuring device with graphical display

• US 6,516,221 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2000
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tanita Corporation (Tanita)
• Original Assignee: Tanita Corporation (Tanita)
• Inventors: Sakata, Kazuhiko, Kodama, Masato, Hirouchi, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WINGOOD, PAMELA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/697,166
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 600/547, 382/168-180, 482/1, 482/2, 482/3, 482/4, 482/5, 482/6, 482/7, 482/8, 482/9
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4872 Body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a user with a bio-characteristic index in an easily realizable manner by controlling and displaying said index in a long-term viewpoint, and, in particular, to display a transition of user'"'"'s body fat in an easily sensible manner and to provide a body fat meter employing such display system which allows the user to execute a preferable dieting and to exercise a management of his (her) body weight and body fat.

The body fat meter of the present invention graphically displays on a display section simultaneously a daily, a weekly and a monthly variations of past body fat mass stored in a storage section. Further, variation of body weight values is displayed together with that of the body fat mass simultaneously in the same manner thereto. This allows the user to detect an unreasonable dieting where only the fat free tissue decreases but the body fat doesn'"'"'t decrease, and provides the user with a safe and healthy weight and body fat management system.

Claims

1. A bio-characteristic value measuring device with graphical display comprising:

a measuring device;

a storage device; and

a display device, whereby said measuring device measures a bio-characteristic value, said storage device stores a measured characteristic value, and said display device graphically displays variations of characteristic values in at least a first and a second units of time simultaneously, said characteristic values in said first unit of time being defined by stored characteristic values, and said characteristic values in said second unit of time being defined by average values of characteristic values calculated based on a plurality of characteristic values in said first unit of time.

2. A bio-characteristic value measuring device with graphical display comprising:

a measuring device;

an input device;

an arithmetic device;

a storage device; and

a display device, whereby said measuring device is for measuring a bio-characteristic value, said input device is for inputting a personal body information of a person to be measured, said arithmetic device is for evaluating a bio-characteristic index of said person to be measured based on a measured bio-characteristic value and an input personal body information, said storage device is for storing an evaluated bio-characteristic index and said input personal body information, and said display device is for graphically displaying variations of characteristic values in at least a first and a second units of time simultaneously, said characteristic values in said first unit of time being defined by stored past bio-characteristic indexes, and said characteristic values in said second unit of time being defined by average values of characteristics values calculated based on a plurality of index values in said first unit of time.

3. A body weight scale comprising:

a body weight measuring device;

a storage device; and

a display device, whereby said body weight measuring device measures a body weight, said storage device stores a measured body weight, and said display device simultaneously displays a plurality of variations among a daily variation, a weekly variation and a monthly variation of stored past body weight values.

4. A body fat meter comprising:

an impedance measuring device;

an input device;

an arithmetic device;

a storage device; and

a display device, whereby said impedance measuring device is for measuring a bioelectrical impedance value, said input device is for inputting a personal body information of a person to be measured, said arithmetic device is for evaluating a body fat of said person to be measured based on a measured bioelectrical impedance value and an input personal body information, said storage device is for storing an evaluated body fat and said input personal body information, and said display device is for graphically displaying simultaneously a plurality of variations out of a daily, a weekly and a monthly variations of stored past body fat data.

6. A body fat meter in accordance with claim 4 in which said display device graphically displays simultaneously all of said daily, said weekly and said monthly variations.

7. A body fat meter in accordance with claim 4 in which said body fat displayed on said display device is a body fat mass which means a weight thereof.

5. A body fat meter comprising:

an impedance measuring device;

a weight measuring device;

an input device;

an arithmetic device;

a storage device; and

a display device, whereby said impedance measuring device is for measuring a bioelectrical impedance value, said weight measuring device is for measuring a body weight value, said input device is for inputting a personal body information of a person to be measured, said arithmetic device is for evaluating a body fat of said person to be measured based on a measured bioelectric impedance value and body weight value and an input personal body information, said storage device is for storing an evaluated body fat data, said measured body weight values and said input personal body information, and said display device is for graphically displaying simultaneously a plurality of variations out of a daily, a weekly and a monthly variations of stored past body fat data and stored past body weight values.

8. A body fat meter comprising:

an impedance measuring device;

an input device;

an arithmetic device;

a storage device; and

a display device, wherein said impedance measuring device measures a bioelectrical impedance value, said input device is for inputting a personal body information of a person to be measured, said arithmetic device evaluates a body fat of said person to be measured based on a measured bioelectrical impedance value and an input personal body information, said storage device stores an evaluated body fat and said input personal body information, and said display device graphically displays simultaneously all of a daily variation of stored past body fat data over seven days, a weekly variation of stored past body fat data over twelve weeks and a monthly variation of stored past body fat data over twelve months.

9. A body fat meter comprising:

an impedance measuring device;

a weight measuring device;

an input device;

an arithmetic device;

a storage device; and

a display device, whereby said impedance measuring device measures a bioelectrical impedance value, said weight measuring device measures a body weight value, said input device is for inputting a personal body information of a person to be measured, said arithmetic device evaluates a body fat of said person to be measured based on a measured bioelectrical impedance value and a body weight value and an input personal body information, said storage device stores an evaluated body fat data and said input personal body information, and said display device graphically displays simultaneously all of a daily variation of stored past body fat data and stored past body weight values over seven days, a weekly variation of stored past body fat data and stored past body weight values over twelve weeks and a monthly variation of stored past body fat data and stored past body weight values over twelve months.

10. A body fat meter comprising:

an impedance measuring device;

an input device;

an arithmetic device;

a storage device; and

a display device, wherein said impedance measuring device measures a bioelectrical impedance value, said input device is for inputting a personal body information of a person to be measured, said arithmetic device evaluates a body fat of said person to be measured based on a measured bioelectrical impedance value and an input personal body information, said storage device stores an evaluated body fat and said input personal body information, and said display device graphically displays simultaneously a plurality of variations out of a daily, a weekly and a monthly variations of stored past body fat data, and wherein said display device comprises a dot matrix type LCD, a bar graph is employed as a graph displayed on said dot matrix type LCD, and when a plurality of variations among said daily, said weekly and said monthly variations is displayed simultaneously, a variation in one period is indicated by all dots included in said bar graph showing values of said variations and another variation in another period adjacent to said one period is indicated only by dots for indicating said values of said another variation.

11. A body fat meter comprising:

an impedance measuring device;

a weight measuring device;

an input device;

an arithmetic device;

a storage device; and

a display device, wherein said impedance measuring device measures a bioelectrical impedance value, said weight measuring device measures a body weight value, said input device is for inputting a personal body information of a person to be measured, said arithmetic device evaluates a body fat of said person to be measured based on a measured bioelectrical impedance value and body weight value and an input personal body information, said storage device stores an evaluated body fat data, said measured body values and said input personal body information, and said display device graphically displays simultaneously a plurality of variations out of a daily, a weekly and a monthly variations of stored past body fat data and stored past body weight values, and wherein said display device comprises a dot matrix type LCD, a bar graph is employed as a graph displayed on said dot matrix type LCD, and when a plurality of variations among said daily, said weekly and said monthly variations is displayed simultaneously, a variation in one period is indicated by all dots included in said bar graph showing values of said variations and another variation in another period adjacent to said one period is indicated only by dots for indicating said values of said another variation.