Arrangement, method and computer program for determining physical activity level of human being

• US 8,021,312 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Kinnunen, Hannu, Miettinen, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): Hlndenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): LLOYD, EMILY M
• Application Number:
  US10/980,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20050130802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,512 Days
• Field of Search: 600/595, 235/105, 377/24.2, 702/160, 482/8, 482/9
• US Class Current: 600/595
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence

Abstract

An arrangement, method and computer program for determining the physical activity level of a human being. The arrangement comprises a movement sensor to be attached to an upper limb of the human being for measuring upper limb movements, a processing unit connected to the movement sensor for filtering upper limb movements following one another more frequently than a predetermined threshold period from upper limb movements during a determination period, for forming the number of upper limb movements during the determination period from the filtered upper limb movements during the determination period, and for determining the physical activity level on the basis of the number of upper limb movements during the determination period formed from the filtered upper limb movements during the determination period.

Claims

1. An arrangement for determining the physical activity level of a human being, the arrangement comprising:

a movement sensor capable of being attached to an upper limb of the human being for measuring upper limb movements; and

a processing unit connected to the movement sensor for filtering the upper limb movements during a determination period such that the upper limb movements measured during a predetermined threshold period following each accepted upper limb movement are rejected from the accepted upper limb movements, for forming the number of filtered upper limb movements during the determination period from the number of accepted upper limb movements during the determination period, for determining the physical activity level on the basis of the number of filtered upper limb movements during the determination period, and for recognizing filtered upper limb movements as a rhythmic activity if a number of intervals between subsequent filtered movements according to a predetermined number threshold value are equal with the accuracy of a predetermined variation threshold value and using the recognized rhythmic action in determining the physical activity level, wherein the processing unit is further configured to filter the filtered upper limb movements following one another more frequently than an extended threshold period if the processing unit did not recognize the filtered upper limb movements as a rhythmic activity and to use the doubly filtered upper limb movements in forming the number of movements and in determining the physical activity level.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold period in the processing unit includes periods longer than 0.4 seconds but shorter than 1.0 seconds.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold period in the processing unit includes a period with a length of 0.6 seconds.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined number threshold value in the processing unit comprises 65 to 95% of the total number of intervals and the predetermined variation threshold value comprises ±

10 to 30% of the average interval length.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined number threshold value in the processing unit comprises 75% of the total number of intervals and the predetermined variation threshold value comprises ±

25% of the average interval length.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined extended threshold period in the processing unit comprises periods longer than 0.7 seconds but shorter than 1.2 seconds.

7. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined extended threshold period in the processing unit comprises a period with a length of 0.85 seconds.

8. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the movement sensor comprises an acceleration sensor that is configured to measure upper limb movements as acceleration.

9. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the movement sensor is configured to measure upper limb movements in one direction.

10. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the movement sensor is configured to measure upper limb movements as longitudinal movements parallel with the dorsal plane of the forearm and/or as movements transverse to the dorsal plane of the forearm.

11. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement is part of a measuring device configured to measure energy consumption involved in exercise.

12. A method of determining the physical activity level of a human being, the method comprising:

measuring upper limb movements of the human being;

filtering, using a processing device, the upper limb movements during a determination period such that the upper limb movements measured during a predetermined threshold period following each accepted upper limb movement are rejected from the accepted upper limb movements;

forming, using the processing device, the number of filtered upper limb movements during the determination period from the number of accepted upper limb movements during the determination period;

determining, using the processing device, the physical activity level on the basis of the number of filtered upper limb movements during the determination period;

providing user access to the physical activity level;

recognizing filtered upper limb movements as a rhythmic activity if a number of intervals between subsequent filtered movements according to a predetermined number threshold value are equal with the accuracy of a predetermined variation threshold value;

using the rhythmic activity in determining the physical activity level;

filtering the filtered upper limb movements following one another more frequently than an extended threshold period if the filtered upper limb movements were not recognized as a rhythmic activity; and

using the doubly filtered upper limb movements in forming the number of movements and in determining the physical activity level.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined threshold period comprises periods longer than 0.4 seconds but shorter than 1.0 seconds.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined threshold period includes a period with a length of 0.6 seconds.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined number threshold value comprises 65 to 95% of the total number of intervals and the predetermined variation threshold value comprises ±

10 to 30% of the average interval length.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined number threshold value comprises 75% of the total number of intervals and the predetermined variation threshold value comprises ±

25% of the average interval length.

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined extended threshold period comprises periods longer than 0.7 seconds but shorter than 1.2 seconds.

18. A method according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined extended threshold period comprises a period with a length of 0.85 seconds.

19. A method according to claim 12, the method further comprising measuring upper limb movements of the human being by a movement sensor attached to an upper limb.

20. A method according to claim 12, the method further comprising measuring upper limb movements as acceleration.

21. A method according to claim 12, the method further comprising measuring upper limb movements in one direction.

22. A method according to claim 12, the method further comprising measuring upper limb movements by measuring longitudinal movements parallel with the dorsal plane of the forearm and/or movements transverse to the dorsal plane of the forearm.

23. An arrangement for determining the physical activity level of a human being, the arrangement comprising:

movement measuring means for measuring upper limb movements, the movement measuring means for measuring upper limb movements capable of being attached to an upper limb of the human being; and

processing means for filtering the upper limb movements during a determination period such that the upper limb movements measured during a predetermined threshold period following each accepted upper limb movement are rejected from the accepted upper limb movements, for forming the number of filtered upper limb movements during the determination period from the number of accepted upper limb movements, for determining the physical activity level on the basis of the number of filtered upper limb movements during the determination period, and for recognizing filtered upper limb movements as a rhythmic activity if a number of intervals between subsequent filtered movements according to a predetermined number threshold value are equal with the accuracy of a predetermined variation threshold value and using the recognized rhythmic activity in determining the physical activity level, wherein the processing means is further configured to filter the filtered upper limb movements following one another more frequently than an extended threshold period if the processing means did not recognize the filtered upper limb movements as a rhythmic activity and to use the doubly filtered upper limb movements in forming the number of movements and in determining the physical activity level.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable distribution medium comprising computer program instructions stored thereon configured to cause a data processing device to determine the physical activity level of a human being by:

receiving measured upper limb movements of the human being;

filtering the upper limb movements during a determination period such that the upper limb movements measured during a predetermined threshold period following each accepted upper limb movement are rejected from the accepted upper limb movements;

forming the number of filtered upper limb movements during the determination period from the number of accepted upper limb movements during the determination period;

determining the physical activity level on the basis of the number of filtered upper limb movements during the determination period;

recognizing filtered upper limb movements as a rhythmic activity if a number of intervals between subsequent filtered movements according to a predetermined number threshold value are equal with the accuracy of a predetermined variation threshold value;

using the rhythmic activity in determining the physical activity level;

filtering the filtered upper limb movements following one another more frequently than an extended threshold period if the filtered upper limb movements were not recognized as a rhythmic activity; and

using the doubly filtered upper limb movements in forming the number of movements and in determining the physical activity level.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable distribution medium according to claim 24, wherein the medium comprises at least one of a medium readable by the data processing device, a program storage medium, a storage medium, a memory readable by the data processing device, a software distribution package readable by the data processing device, information readable by the data processing device, and a compressed software package readable by the data processing device.