Monitoring device, method and system

• US 8,708,918 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2011
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Impact Sports Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Impact Sports Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Lui, Steve, Rulkov, Nikolai, Hunt, Mark, Brady, Donald, Elhag, Sammy
• Primary Examiner(s): Kahelin, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALTER, MITCHELL E
• Application Number:
  US13/026,266
• Time in Patent Office: 1,171 Days
• Field of Search: 600485-515
• US Class Current: 600/481
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• 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 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/221 Ergometry, e.g. by using bicycle type apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices

Abstract

A monitoring device (20) and method (200) for monitoring the health of a user is disclosed herein. The monitoring device (20) is preferably an article (25), an optical sensor (30), a circuitry assembly (35) a display member (40) and a control component (43). The monitoring device (20) preferably displays the following information about the user: pulse rate; calories expended by the user of a pre-set time period; target zones of activity; time; and distance traveled.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a user'"'"'s vital signs, the method comprising:

generating a digital signal corresponding to the flow of blood through an artery of the user, the digital signal generated from an optical sensor in proximity to the artery of the user;

processing the digital signal to obtain an average pulse value of a first set of time periods;

processing the digital signal to obtain an average pulse value of a second set of time periods, the second set of time periods less than the first set of time periods;

subtracting the average pulse value of the second set of time periods from the average pulse value of the first set of time periods to generate a first filtered pulse data value;

processing the first filtered pulse data value to obtain a first heart rate value;

using the first heart rate value to filter the subsequent average pulse values generated from the digital signal to obtain a real-time heart rate value of the user;

processing the real-time heart rate data of the user for analysis of calories expended by the user and for real-time display of a plurality of the user'"'"'s vital signs; and

displaying the plurality of user'"'"'s vital signs on a display member disposed on an exterior surface of an article, the display of the plurality of user'"'"'s vital signs controlled by the user using a control component extending from the article.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising measuring the distance traveled by the user during a time period using an accelerometer disposed on the article, and displaying the distance traveled by the user on the display member.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the optical sensor is selected from the group consisting of a light-to-voltage photodetector capable of transmitting a digital signal, and at least one light emitting diode capable of radiating light ranging from 550 nanometers to 1100 nanometers, and a light-to-frequency photodetector capable of transmitting a digital signal, and at least one light emitting diode capable of radiating light ranging from 600 nanometers to 1100 nanometers.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the display member comprises a light emitting diode array having a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, each of the plurality of columns capable of separate illumination to provide the appearance of a moving display.