Condition monitoring device and monitor main unit for condition monitoring device

• US 8,142,357 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Suyama, Mari, Mizutani, Toshinobu, Nishikawa, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, III, Henry M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JIAN, SHIRLEY XUEYING
• Application Number:
  US11/936,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0443 Modular apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/225 Connectors or couplings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices

Abstract

A condition monitoring device for monitoring conditions related to a user. A monitor main unit includes a connection structure for detachably attachment to a first sensor unit. The first sensor unit includes a first connector mated with the connection structure of the monitor main unit and a second connector detachably attachable to a second sensor unit. Data associated with the monitored condition detected by the first sensor unit is provided to the monitor main unit via the first connector and the connection structure. Data associated with a monitored condition detected by the second sensor unit is provided to the monitor main unit via the second connector, the first sensor unit, the first connector, and the connection structure.

Claims

1. A condition monitoring device for monitoring conditions related to a user, the condition monitoring device comprising:

a first sensor unit, carried by the user, configured to detect a monitored condition;

a monitor main unit including a connection structure detachably attachable to the first sensor unit, the first sensor unit including a first connector mateable with the connection structure of the monitor main unit and a second connector detachably attachable to a second sensor unit carriable by the user, wherein;

data associated with the monitored condition detected by the first sensor unit is provided to the monitor main unit via the first connector and the connection structure and processed by the monitor main unit; and

data associated with a monitored condition detected by the second sensor unit is provided to the monitor main unit via the second connector, the first sensor unit, the first connector, and the connection structure and processed by the monitor main unit; and

a supporting member configured to support the monitor main unit and a plurality of sensor units including the first and second sensor units to put the monitor main unit and the plurality of the sensor units on the user, the supporting member having attachment through holes, wherein the sensor units and the monitor main unit each have a pin configured to be press-fitted to one of the attachment through holes of the supporting member, each pin having a distal end face configured to come into close contact with the user when the user wears the supporting member supporting the sensor units and the monitor main unit, and wherein the pins of the first sensor unit and the monitor main unit are separated from one another by a fixed distance that corresponds to a distance between adjacent two attachment through holes of the supporting member in a state in which the first connector that is integrally formed on a side surface of the first sensor unit is directly mated with the connection structure that is integrally formed on a side surface of the monitor main unit.

2. The condition monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein:

the second sensor unit includes a third connector mateable with the second connector of the first sensor unit and a fourth connector detachably attachable to a third sensor unit carriable by the user;

data associated with a monitored condition is detected by the third sensor unit is provided to the monitor main unit via the third connector, the second sensor unit, the first sensor unit, and the connection structure and processed by the monitor main unit; and

the third connector is mateable with the connection structure arranged in the monitor main unit, and the fourth connector is mateable with the first connector arranged in the first sensor unit.

3. The condition monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein:

the connection structure is a first connection structure arranged in the monitor main unit;

the monitor main unit further includes a second connection structure differing from the first connection structure;

the second connection structure enables detachable attachment to a fourth sensor unit carriable by the user;

data associated with a monitored condition detected by the fourth sensor unit is provided to the monitor main unit via the second connection structure and processed by the monitor main unit;

the fourth sensor unit includes a fifth connector mateable with the second connection structure and a sixth connector detachably attachable to a fifth sensor unit carriable by the user; and

data associated with a monitored condition detected by the fifth sensor unit is provided to the monitor main unit via the sixth connector and the fourth sensor unit and processed by the monitor main unit.

4. The condition monitoring device according to claim 3, wherein:

the fifth sensor unit includes a seventh connector mateable with the sixth connector of the fourth sensor unit and an eighth connector detachably attachable to a sixth sensor unit carriable by the user;

data associated with a monitored condition detected by the sixth sensor unit is provided to the monitor main unit via the eighth connector and the fourth sensor unit and processed by the monitor main unit; and

the seventh connection is mateable with the second connection structure of the monitor main unit; and

the eighth connector is mateable with the fifth connector of the fourth sensor unit.

5. The condition monitoring device according to claim 3, wherein:

the first connection structure and the second connection structure of the monitor main unit have the same structure;

the first connection structure is mateable with the fifth connector of the fourth sensor unit in addition to the first connector of the first sensor unit; and

the second connection structure is mateable with the first connector of the first sensor unit in addition to the fifth connector of the fourth sensor unit.

6. The condition monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein:

the first sensor unit is one of a plurality of sensor units having connection compatibility and selectable by the user in accordance with varying needs of the user;

the first sensor unit, when electrically connected to the monitor main unit by the user, is communicable with the monitor main unit;

the second sensor unit is one of the plurality of sensor units having connection compatibility and selectable by the user in according with varying needs of the user; and

the second sensor unit, electrically connected to the first sensor unit by the user, is communicable with the monitor main unit via the first sensor unit.

7. The condition monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the monitor main unit, the first sensor unit, and the second sensor unit are connectable in series.

8. The condition monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are attachable to and detachable from the supporting member by the user.

9. The condition monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit is an external sensor unit and the monitor main unit does not have any built-in sensors for detecting a condition related to the user.