Biological information measurement device and method of measuring biological information suitable for regular measurement of biological information

• US 7,774,146 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shinya, Kubo, Takeshi, Kinoshita, Yumi, Yamazaki, Eisuke, Jin, Jiazheng
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAI, CAROL S W
• Application Number:
  US11/942,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20080294348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 702/21, 702/19, 600/509, 600/551, 600/300, 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A biological information measurement device stores, in a storage unit, biological data representing data of calculated biological information and measurement date data in association with each other. The biological information measurement device displays, as measurement frequency specifying information, information for specifying frequency of day(s) when the measurement was conducted, in a prescribed period from a current date based on a plurality of pieces of measurement date data stored in the storage unit and an output from a time keeping unit.

Claims

1. A biological information measurement device configured for measurement of biological data for a plurality of subjects, comprising:

a measurement unit for sensing characteristic information of a subject and converting the characteristic information to a corresponding signal;

a first calculation unit calculating biological information of said subject based on said corresponding signal;

a storage unit for storing, for each of the subjects, biological data representing data of said biological information calculated by said first calculation unit and measurement date data representing a day on which measurement by said measurement unit was conducted, in association with each other;

a time keeping unit performing a time keeping operation;

a display unit comprising a first area and a second area; and

a display control unit carrying out, for each of the subjects, control for displaying measurement frequency specifying information in the first area of the display unit based on a plurality of pieces of said measurement date data stored in said storage unit and an output from said time keeping unit, the display control unit causing the second area of the display unit to emit light of a color predetermined for each subject so that the measurement frequency specifying information displayed in the first area of the display unit is identified by the color for each subject, wherein said measurement frequency specifying information specifies frequency of day(s) when said measurement was conducted in a past prescribed period from a current date.

2. The biological information measurement device according to claim 1, wherein said biological information includes at least any of weight and body composition.

3. The biological information measurement device according to claim 1, wherein said storage unit further stores measurement time data of said biological information in association with said biological data and said measurement date data, and

said biological information measurement device further comprises a second calculation unit calculating next measurement time based on said measurement time data stored in said storage unit, and a notification unit performing processing for giving notification that current time is included in a prescribed time interval including said next measurement time calculated by said second calculation unit.

4. The biological information measurement device according to claim 3, wherein said prescribed time interval refers to a time interval starting from 0 minutes past X o'"'"'clock when said next measurement time is assumed as Y minutes past X o'"'"'clock.

5. The biological information measurement device according to claim 3, wherein said notification unit gives notification that said current time is included in said prescribed time interval through blinking of a light-emitting device or display and varies interval of turning on and blinking in accordance with a time from said next measurement time.

6. The biological information measurement device according to claim 3, wherein said notification unit gives notification that said current time is included in said prescribed time interval for the subject, by causing the second area to emit the light of the predetermined color using a light-emitting device or using a multiple color screen.

7. The biological information measurement device according to claim 3, wherein said display unit includes a liquid crystal panel,

the first area comprises a plurality of blocks in the liquid crystal panel that corresponds to the number of days of the prescribed period and is arranged to surround the second area;

said display control unit displays said measurement frequency specifying information on said liquid crystal panel by displaying block(s) corresponding to the day(s) on which said measurement was conducted so as to distinguish the corresponding block(s) from other block(s),

said biological information measurement device further comprises a light-emitting device provided on a back side of said liquid crystal panel and at a position corresponding to the second area such that light emitted therefrom is transmitted through said liquid crystal panel, and

said notification unit gives notification that said current time is included in said prescribed time interval by turning on said light-emitting device and causing said light-emitting device to blink.

8. The biological information measurement device according to claim 7, wherein

said light-emitting device is a multi-color LED, and

said notification unit gives notification that said current time is included in said prescribed time interval for the subject, using a color of the light-emitting device predetermined for each said subject.

9. The biological information measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the first area comprises a plurality of blocks that corresponds to the number of days of the prescribed period, and

said display control unit specifies number of days on which said measurement was conducted in said prescribed period, and displays said measurement frequency specifying information by displaying block(s) in number corresponding to said number of days on which said measurement was conducted so as to distinguish the corresponding block(s) from other block(s).

10. The biological information measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the first area comprises a plurality of blocks that corresponds to the number of days of the prescribed period and is arranged sequentially, and

said display control unit displays said measurement frequency specifying information by displaying block(s) corresponding to the day(s) on which said measurement was conducted so as to distinguish the corresponding block(s) from other block(s).

11. The biological information measurement device according to claim 1, wherein

said prescribed period is one week,

the first area comprises seven blocks arranged sequentially and

said display control unit displays said measurement frequency specifying information by displaying block(s) corresponding to the day(s) on which said measurement was conducted so as to distinguish the corresponding block(s) from other block(s).

12. A method of measuring biological information performed in a biological information measurement device, configured for measurement of biological data for a plurality of subjects, including a storage unit storing data, a display unit displaying data, a measurement unit for sensing characteristic information of a subject and converting the characteristic information to a corresponding signal, a time keeping unit performing a time keeping operation, and a control unit performing operation processing, comprising the steps of:

said control unit calculating biological information of said subject based on said corresponding signal;

said control unit causing said storage unit to store, for each subject, biological data representing data of calculated said biological information and measurement date data representing a day on which measurement by said measurement unit was conducted, in association with each other;

said control unit causing a first area of said display unit to display, for a subject, measurement frequency specifying information for specifying frequency of day(s) when said measurement was conducted in a past prescribed period from a current date, based on a plurality of pieces of said measurement date data stored in said storage unit and an output from said time keeping unit; and

the display control unit causing a second area of the display unit to emit light of a color predetermined for the subject whose measurement frequency specifying information is displayed in the first area so as to identify the subject.