Communication between portable apparatus and counterpart apparatus

• US 8,437,694 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Granqvist, Niclas, Kemppainen, Juhani
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DINH THANH
• Application Number:
  US12/401,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20090280745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.3, 455/456.1, 455/121, 455/73, 600/509, 600/519
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• 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 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A portable apparatus, a counterpart apparatus and communication method are disclosed. The communication method comprises: communicating wirelessly an identifier from a portable apparatus to a counterpart apparatus by an induction-based magnetic field; executing a pairing protocol utilizing the identifier between the radio transceiver of the portable apparatus and a radio transceiver of the counterpart apparatus by electric radiation; and communicating information between the radio transceiver of the portable apparatus and the radio transceiver of the counterpart apparatus by electric radiation.

Claims

1. A portable apparatus comprising a heart rate monitor, the portable apparatus comprising:

an induction-based transmitter configured to wirelessly communicate an identifier to a counterpart apparatus using induction-based technology in which a magnetic field is predominantly used to communicate the identifier, the induction-based transmitter being configured to wirelessly communicate heart activity data from the heart rate monitor to the counterpart apparatus using the induction-based technology in which the magnetic field is predominantly used to communicate the heart activity data; and

a radio transceiver coupled to the induction-based transmitter and configured to execute a pairing protocol between the radio transceiver and the counterpart apparatus using radio-based technology in which electric radiation is predominantly used to execute the pairing protocol, the radio transceiver executing the pairing protocol using the identifier, the radio transceiver being configured to communicate information with the counterpart apparatus based on execution of the pairing protocol using the radio-based technology in which electric radiation is predominately used to communicate the information.

2. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the induction-based transmitter comprises a kilohertz-range transmitter, a passive radio-frequency identification tag, or a near field communication transmitter.

3. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio transceiver comprises a proprietary transceiver, or a Bluetooth transceiver.

4. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises an identifier associated with the radio transceiver, an identifier associated with the portable apparatus, an identifier of the induction-based transmitter, an identifier defining a transmission channel of the induction-based transmitter, a medium access control address of the radio transceiver, or a part of a medium access control address of the radio transceiver.

5. The portable apparatus of claim 4, wherein the induction-based transmitter is configured to wirelessly provide a predetermined number of the least significant bits of the medium access control address of the radio transceiver.

6. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information comprises information specific to a user of the portable apparatus, information specific to the portable apparatus, or information specific to the counterpart apparatus.

7. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable apparatus comprises an electronic circuit, a heart rate monitor, a heart rate transmitter wearable on the chest of a user, a personal measurement device, a wrist-worn measurement device, or a subscriber terminal of a radio system.

8. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the induction-based transmitter is configured to wirelessly communicate the identifier as stand-alone information to the counterpart apparatus using the induction-based technology in which the magnetic field is predominantly used to communicate the identifier.

9. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the induction-based transmitter is configured to wirelessly communicate the identifier encoded within a stream of the heart activity data from the heart rate monitor to the counterpart apparatus using the induction-based technology in which the magnetic field is predominantly used to communicate the identifier and the heart activity data.

10. A portable apparatus comprising a heart rate monitor, the portable apparatus comprising:

an induction-based transmitter configured to wirelessly communicate an identifier to a counterpart apparatus using induction-based technology in which a magnetic field is predominantly used to communicate the identifier, the induction-based transmitter being configured to wirelessly communicate the identifier encoded within a stream of heart activity data from the heart rate monitor to the counterpart apparatus using the induction-based technology in which the magnetic field is predominantly used to communicate the identifier and the heart activity data, the counterpart apparatus configured to process, store or analyze the heart activity data from a plurality of heart rate monitors; and

a radio transceiver coupled to the induction-based transmitter and configured to execute a pairing protocol between the radio transceiver and the counterpart apparatus using radio-based technology in which electric radiation is predominantly used to execute the pairing protocol, the radio transceiver executing the pairing protocol using the identifier, the radio transceiver being configured to communicate information with the counterpart apparatus based on execution of the pairing protocol using the radio-based technology in which electric radiation is predominately used to communicate the information.

11. A portable apparatus comprising a heart rate monitor, the portable apparatus comprising:

an induction-based transmitter configured to wirelessly communicate an identifier to a counterpart apparatus using induction-based technology in which a magnetic field is predominantly used to communicate the identifier, the induction-based transmitter being configured to wirelessly communicate heart activity data from the heart rate monitor to the counterpart apparatus using the induction-based technology in which the magnetic field is predominantly used to communicate the heart activity data, the counterpart apparatus configured to process, store or analyze the heart activity data from a plurality of heart rate monitors; and

a radio transceiver coupled to the induction-based transmitter and configured to execute a pairing protocol between the radio transceiver and the counterpart apparatus using radio-based technology in which electric radiation is predominantly used to execute the pairing protocol, the radio transceiver executing the pairing protocol using the identifier, the radio transceiver being configured to communicate information with the counterpart apparatus based on execution of the pairing protocol using the radio-based technology in which electric radiation is predominately used to communicate the information, the portable apparatus comprising at least one of a heart rate monitor, a heart rate transmitter wearable on the chest of a user, a personal measurement device, and a wrist-worn measurement device.