Communication between portable apparatus and counterpart apparatus

• US 8,489,021 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2010
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Granqvist, Niclas, Kemppainen, Juhani, Jaatinen, Jukka, Puolakanaho, Pertti
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US12/710,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20100203829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/556.1, 455/575.5, 455/100, 360/99.07, 360/99.08, 310/90, 310/268, 340/384.1
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• 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 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

An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a communication interface unit configured to receive reference biosignal data, and a wireless interface unit configured to receive a plurality of candidate biosignal transmissions from candidate biosignal transmitters. A comparison unit of the apparatus is configured to compare the reference biosignal data with the candidate biosignal transmissions, thus resulting in comparison data. The wireless interface unit is configured to execute a pairing protocol with a candidate biosignal transmitter of a candidate biosignal transmission by utilizing the comparison data.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface unit configured to receive reference biosignal data;

a wireless interface unit configured to receive a plurality of candidate biosignal transmissions from candidate biosignal transmitters; and

a comparison unit configured to compare the reference biosignal data associated with a first person with the candidate biosignal transmissions comprising biosignal data associated with a plurality of second persons different from the first person, thus resulting in comparison data,

the wireless interface unit being configured to execute a pairing protocol with a candidate biosignal transmitter associated with one of the candidate biosignal transmissions by utilizing the comparison data, the pairing protocol enabling the first person and the plurality of second persons to be recognized by using the comparison data to identify the first person and the plurality of second persons.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication interface unit applies an induction-based receiver comprising at least one of a kilohertz-range receiver, a radio-frequency identification tag reader, a near field communication receiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface unit comprises a proprietary transceiver, or a Bluetooth-based transceiver, or an ANT transceiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a biosignal detection circuitry configured to detect a biosignal from the person'"'"'s skin and generate the reference biosignal data from the biosignal, and

the communication interface unit is electrically coupled to the biosignal detection circuitry.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference biosignal data comprises at least one of the following:

at least a portion of an electrocardiogram, at least a part of an electromyogram, heart rate, heart beat interval, heart activity data, heart rate average over a time period, change pattern of heart rate.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one candidate biosignal data comprises at least one of the following:

at least a portion of an electrocardiogram, at least a part of an electromyogram, heart rate, heart beat interval, heart activity data, heart rate average over a time period, change pattern of heart rate.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the candidate biosignal transmission includes an identifier associated with a candidate biosignal transmitter, and

the comparison unit is further configured to input an identifier as comparison data to the wireless interface unit, which identifier is associated with the candidate biosignal corresponding to the reference biosignal data.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a matched filter generator configured to generate a matched filter from the reference biosignal data, and

the comparison unit is further configured to apply the matched filter to the candidate biosignal transmissions and use the output of the matched filter as the comparison data in the pairing protocol to identify the first person and the plurality of second persons.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication interface unit is configured to receive reference biosignal data from a plurality of reference biosignal transmitters, and

the communication interface unit comprises a wireless proximity detection unit configured to determine proximity information characterizing the proximity of the reference biosignal transmitters to the apparatus,

the comparison unit is further configured to select the reference biosignal data on the basis of the proximity information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface unit comprises a signal strength estimator configured to estimate the signal strength of the candidate biosignal transmissions, and

the comparison unit is further configured to compare the reference biosignal data with the candidate biosignal transmissions in order determined by the signal strength.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises an electronic circuit, a computer, an exercise apparatus, a health club apparatus, a wrist apparatus.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface unit configured to receive reference biosignal data;

a wireless interface unit configured to receive a plurality of candidate biosignal transmissions from candidate biosignal transmitters;

a comparison unit configured to compare the reference biosignal data associated with a first person with the candidate biosignal transmissions comprising biosignal data associated with a plurality of second persons different from the first person, thus resulting in comparison data,

the wireless interface unit being configured to execute a pairing protocol with a candidate biosignal transmitter associated with one of the candidate biosignal transmissions by utilizing the comparison data, the pairing protocol enabling the first person and the plurality of second persons to be recognized by using the comparison data to identify the first person and the plurality of second persons; and

a matched filter generator configured to generate a matched filter from the reference biosignal data,

the comparison unit being configured to apply the matched filter to the candidate biosignal transmissions and use an output of the matched filter as the comparison data used in the pairing protocol to identify the first person and the plurality of second persons.