Calibration of performance monitor

• US 7,917,198 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Kinnunen, Hannu, Mäentausta, Jarmo, Niva, Arto, Miettinen, Jari, Niemimäki, Mika, Ahola, Onni
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertram; Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US11/803,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 600/519
• US Class Current: 600/519
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0223 of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate

Abstract

In the solution of the invention, an association is formed between activity information characterizing the activity level of a user and a performance parameter value proportional to the heart rate information of the user, the activity information and heart rate information having been measured in a user-specific performance monitor, and the heart rate information being responsive to the activity level.

Claims

1. A method of calibrating a user-specific performance monitor, comprising:

forming an association between an activity level of a user and a performance parameter value proportional to heart rate information of the user by a computing device, wherein the activity level represents the amount of physical activity determined from physical movements generated by the user, the activity level and heart rate information having been measured in a user-specific performance monitor, and the heart rate information being responsive to the activity level; and

forming an association between the activity level and performance parameter value by associating the activity level with a performance parameter value occurring later than the activity level by an assumed or defined time interval, thereby taking into account the delay between the activity level and heart rate information.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performance parameter characterizes at least one of the following:

heart rate frequency, heart rate interval, energy consumption of user, stress level of user.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the type of the performance on the basis of the activity level, the type of performance representing at least one of a sport the user is performing, an activity the user is performing, the rhythmics of the activity the user is performing, and the amplitude of the user'"'"'s limbs; and

forming a performance type-specific association between the performance type-specific activity level and performance type-specific performance parameter value.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the user'"'"'s rest state on the basis of activity level by identifying the user'"'"'s rest state when the activity level is less than a threshold value during a predefined time interval; and

determining a performance parameter value in the rest state of the user.

5. A user-specific performance monitor, comprising:

performance parameter determination means configured to determine a performance parameter value proportional to heart rate information of a user;

activity measurement means for measuring an activity level of the user, wherein the activity level represents physical activity expressed by physical movements generated by the user; and

association means for forming an association between the activity level and performance parameter value proportional to the heart rate information that is responsive to the activity level, wherein the association means is configured to form the association between the activity level and performance parameter value by associating the activity level with a performance parameter value occurring later than the activity level by an assumed or defined time interval, thereby taking into account the delay between the activity level and heart rate information.

6. A user-specific performance monitor as claimed in claim 5, wherein the performance parameter characterizes at least one of the following:

heart rate frequency, heart rate interval, energy consumption of user, stress level of user.

7. A user-specific performance monitor as claimed in claim 5, further comprising identification means for identifying the type of the performance on the basis of the activity level, the type of performance representing at least one of a sport the user is performing, an activity the user is performing, the rhythmics of the activity the user is performing, and the amplitude of the user'"'"'s limbs;

and

wherein the association means is configured to form a performance type-specific association between the performance type-specific activity level and performance type-specific performance parameter value.

8. A user-specific performance monitor as claimed in claim 5, further comprising rest state identification means for identifying a rest state of the user on the basis of the activity level by identifying the user'"'"'s rest state when the activity level is less than a threshold value during a predefined time interval;

and

wherein the performance parameter determination means is configured to determine the performance parameter value in the rest state of the user.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising encoded instructions for executing a computer process in a digital processor, the computer process being suitable for calibrating a user-specific performance monitor by:

forming an association between an activity level of a user and a performance parameter value proportional to the heart rate information of the user, wherein the activity level represents physical activity expressed by physical movements generated by the user, the activity level and heart rate information having been measured in the user-specific performance monitor, and the heart rate information being responsive to the activity level; and

forming the association between the activity level and the performance parameter value by associating the activity level with a performance parameter value occurring later than the activity level by an assumed or defined time interval, thereby taking into account the delay between the activity level and heart rate information.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 9, wherein the performance parameter characterizes at least one of the following:

heart rate frequency, heart rate interval, energy consumption of user, stress level of user.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 9, comprising encoded instructions for executing a computer process in a digital processor, the computer process being suitable for calibrating a user-specific performance monitor by:

identifying the type of the performance on the basis of activity level, the type of performance representing at least one of a sport the user is performing, an activity the user is performing, the rhythmics of the activity the user is performing, and the amplitude of the user'"'"'s limbs; and

forming a performance type-specific association between the performance type-specific activity level and performance type-specific performance parameter value.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 9, further comprising encoded instructions for executing a computer process in a digital processor, the computer process being suitable for calibrating a user-specific performance monitor by:

identifying the user'"'"'s rest state on the basis of activity level by identifying the user'"'"'s rest state when the activity level is less than a threshold value during a predefined time interval; and

determining the performance parameter value in the rest state of the user.