Heart rate meter and method thereof

• US 9,545,214 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Original Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Inventors: Huang, Yen-Chih, Yu, Chih-Hsiung, Chung, Yung-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Gedeon, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tejani, Ankit D
• Application Number:
  US14/458,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20150359451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/333 Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6844 Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal

Abstract

A heart rate meter and a method thereof are provided. The method is adopted by a sensing circuit of a heart rate meter, wherein the sensing circuit includes a pulse sensor and a proximity sensor. The method includes: determining whether the sensing circuit is close to a neighboring object according to a proximity output signal of the proximity sensor; determining whether the sensing circuit is hung in the air according to a direct current (DC) output signal of the pulse sensor; and when the sensing circuit is close to the neighboring object and is not hung in the air, determining that the measuring circuit can measure an electrocardiographic signal of the neighboring object.

Claims

1. A method, adopted by a sensing circuit of a heart rate meter, wherein the sensing circuit comprises a pulse sensor and a proximity sensor, the method comprising:

when a proximity output signal of the proximity sensor indicates that a predetermined distance is not exceeded, determining the sensing circuit is close to a neighboring object;

when a direct current (DC) output signal of the pulse sensor is less than a predetermined voltage, determining that the sensing circuit is direct contact to the neighboring object;

when the sensing circuit is close to the neighboring object and is in direct contact to the neighboring object, determining that an electrocardiographic signal of the neighboring object measured by the pulse sensor is valid;

when the electrocardiographic signal of the neighboring object measured by the pulse sensor is valid, recording the electrocardiographic signal, displaying the measured electrocardiographic signal, and/or determining whether an emergency has occurred based on the measured electrocardiographic signal

when the sensing circuit is close to the neighboring object but not in direct contact with the neighboring object, the electrocardiographic signal measured by the pulse sensor is invalid; and

when the sensing circuit is beyond the predetermined distance, detecting the neighboring object by the proximity sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pulse sensor and the proximity sensor are disposed alongside one another on a sensing circuit.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an alert sound when the emergency has occurred.

4. A heart rate meter, comprising:

a sensing circuit, comprising;

a proximity sensor, configured to determine a proximity output signal when the sensing circuit is beyond a predetermined distance;

a pulse sensor, configured to determine that the sensing circuit is direct contact to a neighboring object when a direct current (DC) output signal of the pulse sensor is less than a predetermined voltage;

a controller, configured to determine that, when the proximity output signal of the proximity sensor indicates that the predetermined distance is not exceeded, the sensing circuit is close to the neighboring object, and when the sensing circuit is close to the neighboring object but not in direct contact with the neighboring object, determine that the electrocardiographic signal measured by the pulse sensor is invalid, and when the sensing circuit is close to the neighboring object and is in direct contact to the neighboring object, determine that an electrocardiographic signal of the neighboring object measured by the pulse sensor is valid, and when the electrocardiographic signal of the neighboring object measured by the pulse sensor is valid, record the electrocardiographic signal, and determine whether an emergency has occurred based on the measured electrocardiographic signal; and

a display panel, configured to display the measured electrocardiographic signal when the electrocardiographic signal of the neighboring object measured by the pulse sensor is valid.

5. The heart rate meter of claim 4, wherein the pulse sensor and the proximity sensor are disposed alongside one another on a sensing circuit.

6. The heart rate meter of claim 4, wherein an alarm device generates an alert sound when the emergency has occurred.