Monitoring device with a pedometer

• US 9,591,973 B1
• Filed: 04/16/2016
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Impact Sports Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Impact Sports Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Brady, Donald, Hunt, Mark, Rulkov, Nikolai
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US15/130,961
• Time in Patent Office: 332 Days
• Field of Search: 600/301, 600/485, 600/500, 600/503, 600/502, 600/324, 702/160, 702/182, 345/156
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0017 transmitting optical signals transmission by light H04B10/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0082 adapted for particular medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02433 for infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• 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 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 : Pedometers

Abstract

A monitoring device with a pedometer is disclosed herein. The monitoring device preferably comprises an article, an optical sensor, an accelerometer and processor. The optical sensor preferably comprises a photodetector and a plurality of light emitting diodes. A sensor signal from the optical sensor is processed with a filtered accelerometer output signal from the accelerometer to generate a pedometer function.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a distance traveled by a user using an arm-based pedometer, the method comprising:

generating from an arm-based pedometer a plurality of signals corresponding to the movement of the user, the base-based pedometer comprising an optical sensor for generating a signal corresponding to a real-time heart rate of the user, an accelerometer for generating the plurality of signals, and a processor configured to perform a pedometer function using an adaptive threshold correction (W_i) computed from a filtered accelerometer signal (S_i) from the accelerometer to generate a distance traveled by the user;

processing the plurality of signals at the processor to generate a distance traveled by the user; and

displaying the distance traveled by the user on a display screen of the arm-based pedometer;

wherein the optical sensor is selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor comprising 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, an optical sensor comprising 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, an optical sensor comprising a plurality of light-to-voltage photodetectors capable of transmitting a digital signal, and at least one light emitting diode capable of radiating light ranging from 550 nanometers to 1100 nanometers, an optical sensor comprising a plurality of light-to-frequency photodetectors 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 an optical sensor comprising a light-to-voltage photodetector capable of transmitting a digital signal, and at least one light emitting diode capable of radiating light from 500 nanometers to 570 nanometers.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising transmitting the distance traveled by the user to a receiving device using a short range wireless transceiver of the arm-based pedometer.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the receiving device is a smartphone.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the arm-based pedometer is integrated into clothing for physical activity or for interactive gaming.

5. An arm-based pedometer comprising:

an optical sensor for generating a signal corresponding to a real-time heart rate of a user,

an accelerometer;

a processor configured to perform a pedometer function using a plurality of signals from the accelerometer to generate a distance traveled by the user; and

wherein the optical sensor is selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor comprising 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, an optical sensor comprising 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, an optical sensor comprising a plurality of light-to-voltage photodetectors capable of transmitting a digital signal, and at least one light emitting diode capable of radiating light ranging from 550 nanometers to 1100 nanometers, an optical sensor comprising a plurality of light-to-frequency photodetectors 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 an optical sensor comprising a light-to-voltage photodetector capable of transmitting a digital signal, and at least one light emitting diode capable of radiating light from 500 nanometers to 570 nanometers.

6. The arm-based pedometer according to claim 5 further comprising a short range wireless transceiver for transmitting data from the arm-based pedometer.

7. The arm-based pedometer according to claim 5 wherein the accelerometer is a 3-axis accelerometer.

8. The arm-based pedometer according to claim 6 wherein the short range wireless transceiver operates on a communication protocol selected from the group consisting of BLUETOOTH, PART 15, WiFi, Infrared, and ultrasound.

9. The arm-based pedometer according to claim 5 further comprising a display on the arm-based pedometer to display pedometer data for the user.

10. The arm-based pedometer according to claim 5 wherein the arm-based pedometer is integrated into clothing for physical activity or for interactive gaming.