Performance monitor, transmission method and computer program product

• US 8,054,176 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2008
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Karjalainen, Markku
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout; Brent
• Application Number:
  US12/133,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20090009342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 34053911-53912, 340/870.3, 340/323.R, 340/573.1, 600300-306, 600509-514, 600374-384, 128/201.27, 128901-904, 482 8- 9, 702/19, 702/160, 706/54, 726/28, 379/201.05, 455/66.1, 455/100, 434/238
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• 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 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/03 the user being in water
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/73 Altitude
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/75 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/20 Swimming
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

A data transmission method for use in the transmission of a performance transmitter of a portable user-specific performance monitor by using wireless data transmission that is based on radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation, and the method comprises measuring with the performance monitor the movement and/or organ system state of a user. In the solution, the availability of wireless data transmission in the performance transmitter is determined. If wireless data transmission is not available, measuring data is stored into a memory of the performance transmitter, otherwise the measuring data is transmitted using wireless data transmission.

Claims

1. A data transmission method for use in the transmission of a performance transmitter of a portable user-specific performance monitor by using wireless data transmission that is based on radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation, the method comprising:

measuring, by the performance monitor, at least one of a movement and organ system state of the user;

detecting whether wireless data transmission capability is available in the performance transmitter by detecting that wireless data transmission capability of the performance transmitter is not available

if

an inhibiting command is received from a user interface of the performance transmitter when the user prevents the use of wireless data transmission

or if

a command that inhibits wireless data transmission is received from a predefined communication device to the performance transmitter,

and by detecting that wireless data transmission of the performance transmitter is available

if

a permit command is received from the user interface when the user permits wireless data transmission capability from the performance transmitter

or if

a command that permits wireless data transmission is received from the predefined communication device to the performance transmitter, when wireless data transmission capability from the performance transmitter to the predefined communication device is available; and

storing measuring data into the memory of the performance transmitter and not transmitting measuring data, if wireless data transmission capability is not available, otherwise transmitting the measuring data by using wireless data transmission.

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

detecting in the performance transmitter that wireless data transmission capability is not available in the performance transmitter, in which case measuring data is stored into the memory of the performance transmitter; and

transmitting the measuring data stored into the memory of the performance transmitter through wireless data transmission after the performance transmitter has detected that wireless data transmission capability is again available.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when transmitting measuring data through wireless data transmission from the performance transmitter, the storage of measuring data into the memory is initiated, if wireless data transmission capability from the performance transmitter becomes unavailable.

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

detecting with one or more environment sensors whether the performance transmitter is in a watery environment, and, if the performance transmitter is detected to be in a watery environment, defining that wireless data transmission capability from the performance transmitter is not available; and

detecting with each environment sensor whether the performance transmitter is in air and, if the performance transmitter is detected to be in air, defining that wireless data transmission capability from the performance transmitter is available.

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

transmitting a signal to be acknowledged from the performance transmitter to a predefined communication device; and

detecting that wireless data transmission capability is available, if an acknowledgement signal is received within a predefined delay from the transmission of the signal to be acknowledged; and

detecting that wireless data transmission capability is not available, if no acknowledgement signal is received within a predefined delay from the transmission of the signal to be acknowledged.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising compressing measuring data to be stored into the memory of the performance transmitter, when the degree of fullness of the memory exceeds a predefined threshold value.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, the method further comprising compressing measuring data to be stored into the memory of the performance transmitter and the measuring data already in the memory.

8. A portable user-specific performance monitor comprising:

a performance transmitter, the performance transmitter being configured to measure at least one of a movement and organ system state of the user, the performance transmitter being configured to transmit measuring data wirelessly using radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation, the performance transmitter comprising a memory, the performance transmitter being configured to detect the availability of wireless transmission capability, wherein the performance transmitter is configured to receive from a user interface or predefined communication device an inhibiting command or a permit command, and on the basis of the inhibiting command it is detected that wireless data transmission capability is not available in the performance transmitter and on the basis of the permit command it is detected that wireless data transmission capability is available in the performance transmitter, the performance transmitter being configured to store into the memory of the performance transmitter measuring data and not transmitting measuring data, when the performance transmitter detects that wireless data transmission capability is not available in the performance transmitter, the performance transmitter being configured to transmit the measuring data stored into the memory of the performance transmitter, after the performance monitor detects that wireless data transmission capability is available.

9. A performance monitor as claimed in claim 8, wherein the performance transmitter is adapted to begin storing measuring data into the memory if wireless data transmission capability from the performance transmitter becomes unavailable.

10. A performance monitor as claimed in claim 8, wherein the performance monitor comprises one or more environment sensors for measuring whether the performance transmitter is in a watery environment, and the performance monitor is configured to detect that wireless data transmission capability is not available, if the performance transmitter is measured to be in a watery environment, the performance monitor being configured to detect that wireless data transmission capability is available, if the performance transmitter is measured to be in air.

11. A performance monitor as claimed in claim 8, wherein the performance transmitter is configured to transmit to a predefined communication device a signal to be acknowledged, the performance transmitter is configured to wait for an acknowledgement signal from the predefined communication device within a predefined delay from the transmission of the signal to be acknowledged and to detect that wireless data transmission capability is available, when the acknowledgement signal arrives within the predefined delay from the transmission of the signal to be acknowledged and to detect that wireless data transmission capability is not available, when the acknowledgement signal does not arrive within the predefined delay from the transmission of the signal to be acknowledged.

12. A performance monitor as claimed in claim 8, wherein the performance transmitter is configured to compress measuring data to be stored into the memory of the performance transmitter, when the degree of fullness of the memory exceeds a predefined threshold value.

13. A performance monitor as claimed in claim 12, wherein the performance transmitter is configured to compress measuring data to be stored into the memory of the performance transmitter and the measuring data already in the memory.

14. A computer program product that contains encoded instructions that when loaded into a portable user-specific performance monitor form a computer process that controls the transmission operation of a performance transmitter of a performance monitor when the performance monitor is intended to measure at least one of a movement and organ system state of the user and when the performance transmitter is intended to transmit measuring data wirelessly using radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation, the computer process comprising:

detecting the availability of wireless data transmission capability in the performance transmitter by detecting that wireless data transmission capability of the performance transmitter is not available

if

an inhibiting command is received from a user interface of the performance transmitter when the user prevents the use of wireless data transmission

or if

a command that inhibits wireless data transmission is received from a predefined communication device to the performance transmitter,

and by detecting that wireless data transmission of the performance transmitter is available

if

a permit command is received from the user interface when the user permits wireless data transmission capability from the performance transmitter

or if

a command that permits wireless data transmission is received from the predefined communication device to the performance transmitter, when wireless data transmission capability from the performance transmitter to the predefined communication device is available; and

storing measuring data into the memory of the performance transmitter, if wireless data transmission capability is not available, otherwise controlling the performance transmitter to transmit the measuring data by using wireless data transmission.