Fitting system for physiological sensors

• US 10,219,069 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2018
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valencell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Valencell, Inc.
• Inventors: Urup, Kathrine Steen, Hansen, Lars Bohn
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US15/984,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20180270566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence

Abstract

A headphone system comprising a physiological sensor and a method of fitting a headphone system comprising a physiological sensor to a user is provided. The headphone system comprises a headphone having a speaker, a physiological sensor configured to be positioned for measuring physiological data, and a processor connected to the physiological sensor to receive the measured physiological data and process the measured physiological data to output physiological information and a fitting parameter. An application program is associated with the headphone, and is configured to receive the physiological information and the fitting parameter. The application program may evaluate at least the fitting parameter to indicate to a user whether the headphone is properly positioned, and issue a first notification in dependence on the evaluation of the fitting parameter.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a physiological sensor configured to be positioned for measuring physiological data from a user;

a processor connected to the physiological sensor to receive the measured physiological data and process the measured physiological data to output physiological information and a fitting parameter, wherein the fitting parameter is a measure of quality of the measured physiological data; and

an application program configured to;

receive the physiological information and the fitting parameter from the processor,

evaluate the fitting parameter to determine whether the physiological sensor is properly positioned, and

issue a notification to the user in dependence on the evaluation of the fitting parameter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification is affirmative or negative in dependence on the fitting parameter.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the application program upon issuing a negative notification, re-evaluates the fitting parameter and issues a further notification in dependence of the fitting parameter.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the application program re-evaluates the fitting parameter within a predetermined period of time after issuing a previous notification.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the application program upon issuing a negative notification, re-evaluates the fitting parameter until an acceptable level of sensor data is obtained.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the application program is run on a device having a user interface, and wherein the notification is issued via the user interface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the user interface comprises one or more of the following:

an audio interface, a graphical interface, a multimedia interface, a tactile interface, a display.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the application program is run on a device having a user interface, the user interface comprising a visual user interface configured to graphically display how the physiological sensor could be re-arranged to increase the quality of the measured physiological data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological sensor comprises a transducer or electrode.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological sensor is a touch-free sensor capable of touch-free measuring of physiological data.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological sensor comprises an optical sensor, a pressure sensitive sensor, an accelerometer, a position sensor, or a capacitive sensor.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological information output by the processor comprises one or more of the following:

heart rate, distance travelled, metabolic rate, calories burned, VO₂ max.

13. A system, comprising:

a physiological sensor configured to be positioned for measuring physiological data from a user;

a processor connected to the physiological sensor to receive the measured physiological data and process the measured physiological data to output physiological information and a fitting parameter, wherein the fitting parameter is a measure of quality of the measured physiological data; and

an application program configured to;

receive the physiological information and the fitting parameter from the processor,

evaluate the fitting parameter to determine whether the physiological sensor is properly positioned, and

issue a notification to the user in dependence on the evaluation of the fitting parameter, wherein the notification is affirmative or negative in dependence on the fitting parameter.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the application program upon issuing a negative notification, re-evaluates the fitting parameter and issues a further notification in dependence of the fitting parameter.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the application program re-evaluates the fitting parameter within a predetermined period of time after issuing a previous notification.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the application program upon issuing a negative notification, re-evaluates the fitting parameter until an acceptable level of sensor data is obtained.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the application program is run on a device having a user interface, and wherein the notification is issued via the user interface.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the application program is run on a device having a user interface, the user interface comprising a visual user interface configured to graphically display how the physiological sensor could be re-arranged to increase the quality of the measured physiological data.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the physiological sensor comprises a transducer or electrode.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the physiological sensor is a touch-free sensor capable of touch-free measuring of physiological data.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the physiological sensor comprises an optical sensor, a pressure sensitive sensor, an accelerometer, a position sensor, or a capacitive sensor.