Diet and activity monitoring device

• US 20030065257A1
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: HealtheTech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: HealtheTech, Inc.
• Inventors: Pearce, Edwin, Grimmer, Neil, Ragan, Jeanne, Gilmore, David, Mault, James R., Skoskiewicz, Andrzej, Givechi, Roshi
• Application Number:
  US10/292,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20030065257A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0204 of power management
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0295 adapted for recording user messages or annotations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0462 Apparatus with built-in sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0017 transmitting optical signals transmission by light H04B10/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• 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 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6813 Specially adapted to be attached to a specific body part A61B5/6802 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 : Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/00 : Measuring physiological parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 : of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 : relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/921 : Diet management

Abstract

A diet and activity-monitoring device includes a housing configured to be mounted on the subject and a display integral with the housing for displaying information to the subject. The device also includes a body activity monitor operatively disposed within the housing for monitoring the body activity of the subject, a consumption notation control operable by the subject to indicate food consumption, and a timer operable to output a time indicative signal. The device further includes a processor operable to receive and process the body activity signal, time indicative signal and the food consumption signal, for use in determining a food consumption indicator or a body activity indicator, that is stored in a memory portion of the processor for recall by the subject on the display screen.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring the diet and body activity of a subject comprising:

a housing configured to be mounted on the subject;

a display integral with said housing for displaying information to the subject;

a body activity monitor operatively disposed within said housing for monitoring the body activity of the subject and outputting a body activity signal;

a consumption notation control operable by the subject to indicate food consumption by the subject and to output a food consumption signal;

a timer operable to output a time indicative signal; and

a processor operable to receive and process said body activity signal, said time indicative signal and said food consumption signal for use in determining a food consumption indicator or a body activity indicator that is stored in a memory portion of said processor for recall by the subject on said display screen.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said body activity monitor further includes a locating device operable to determine the location of the subject.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said locating device is a global positioning system based locating device.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein said processor uses said locating device signal and said time indicative signal to determine the rate of change in the location of the subject.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said body activity monitor is a heart rate monitor.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said body activity monitor is a body motion sensor.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said body activity monitor is a respiration sensor operable to sense respiration of the subject.

8. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a communication transceiver disposed within said housing for communicating with a computing device.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said computing device is further operable to create a consumption log and to determine caloric consumption of the subject.

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein said computing device is further operable to create an activity log and to determine an activity level of the subject.

11. A device for monitoring the diet and body activity of a subject comprising:

a processor having a memory and a communications transceiver;

a timer operable to transmit a time indicative signal to said processor;

a body activity monitor for monitoring the body activity of the subject, wherein said body activity monitor is operable to transmit a signal to said processor indicative of the body activity of the subject;

a consumption notation control operable by the subject to indicate the subject is consuming food and is operable to transmit a food consumption signal to said processor indicative of food consumption by the subject;

an activity calculator within said processor that receives the body activity signal and time indicative signal to determine and store in the memory a body activity level for the subject, for recall by the subject; and

a consumption calculator within said processor that receives the consumption notation control signal and the time indicative signal, and uses the consumption notation control signal and time indicative signal to determine and store in the memory a duration of time the subject consumes food, for recall by the subject.

12. The monitoring device according to claim 11 wherein said body activity monitor is a heart rate monitor supported on the body of the subject and operable to determine a heart rate of the subject, and transmit a signal representative of the heart rate of the subject to said activity calculator within said processor.

13. The monitoring device according to claim 11, wherein said body activity monitor is a motion sensor operable to sense a motion of the subject and transmit a signal representative of the sensed motion to said activity calculator within said processor.

14. The monitoring device according to claim 11, further comprising a Global Positioning System based locating tracking device operable to determine a position of the subject and transmit a signal representative of the position of the subject to said processor.

15. The monitoring device according to claim 11, wherein said body activity monitor is a respiration sensor operable to sense a respiration of the subject and transmit a signal representative of the sensed respiration to said activity calculator within said processor, wherein said activity calculator uses the sensed respiration of the subject over a period of time in determining the body activity level of the subject.

16. The monitoring device according to claim 11 wherein said consumption notation control is an audio recorder operable to receive audio input from the subject and transmit a signal representative of the audio input to said processor.

17. The monitoring device according to claim 11, wherein said consumption notation control is a digital video recorder operable to receive video input from the subject and transmit a signal representative of the video input to said processor.

18. The monitoring device according to claim 11 wherein said communication transceiver transmits the duration of time the subject consumes food or engages in an activity to a remote computing device.

19. The monitoring device according to claim 11 wherein the activation of said consumption notation control sets a food flag in the memory of said processor as a reminder of the amount and type of food consumed at that time by the subject.

20. The monitoring device according to claim 11 further comprising a mode control in communication with said processor for setting an operating mode of the monitoring device.

21. The monitoring device according to claim 11 further comprising a display operatively in communication with said processor for displaying monitored information.

22. The monitoring device according to claim 11 wherein activation of said body activity monitor sets an activity flag in the memory of said processor as a reminder of the amount and type of activity the subject participated in at that time.

23. The monitoring device according to claim 11 wherein said activity calculator is operatively in communication with a remotely located discriminator which transmits an input signal representative of a known activity for use by the activity calculator in determining the activity level of the subject.

24. The monitoring device according to claim 11 wherein said remote computing device calculates a caloric balance for the subject from the subject'"'"'s calorie intake and activity level, and the caloric balance is displayed on the display screen.

25. A body supported device for monitoring activity of a subject comprising:

a case operatively supported on a portion of the subject'"'"'s body;

a processor disposed within said case, wherein said processor includes a memory having a database;

a communications transceiver disposed within said case;

a notation control mechanism operable by the subject for transmitting a signal for controlling a function of the device from the subject to said processor;

an integral body activity monitor for sensing a predetermined body activity of the subject, wherein said body activity monitor is operable to transmit a signal to said processor indicative of the body activity of the subject; and

a timer operable to transmit a time indicative signal to said processor, wherein said processor receives said time indicative signal, said notation control signal and said activity monitor signals, and uses said signals to determine and store in the memory an indicator representing a time of occurrence and duration of time of an activity.

26. A device according to claim 25, further comprising an activity calculator within said processor that calculates a body activity level for the subject using said body activity signal and a body activity database within the memory, and stores the body activity level in the memory of said processor for recall by the subject on an integral display screen.

27. The monitoring device according to claim 25, wherein said body activity monitor is a heart rate monitor supported on the body of the subject and operable to determine a heart rate of the subject, and transmit a signal representative of the heart rate of the subject to said processor.

28. The monitoring device according to claim 25, wherein said body activity monitor is a motion sensor operable to sense a motion of the subject and transmit a signal representative of the sensed motion to said processor.

29. The monitoring device according to claim 25, further comprising a Global Positioning System based tracking device operable to determine a position of the subject and transmit a signal representative of the position of the subject to said processor for determining a change in the subject'"'"'s position over a period of time.

30. The monitoring device according to claim 25, wherein said body activity monitor is a respiration sensor operable to sense a respiration of the subject and transmit a signal representative of the sensed respiration to said processor, wherein said processor uses the sensed respiration of the subject over a period of time in determining the body activity level of the subject.

31. The monitoring device according to claim 25, wherein said notation control mechanism is an audio recorder operable to receive an audio input from the subject and transmit a signal representative of the audio input to said processor.

32. The monitoring device according to claim 25, wherein said notation control mechanism is a digital video recorder operable to receive a video input from the subject and transmit a signal representative of the video input to said processor.

33. The monitoring device of claim 25 wherein said communication transceiver is in communication with a remote computing device.

34. The monitoring device according to claim 25 wherein activation of said notation control mechanism sets an activity flag in the memory of said processor indicating an amount and type of activity performed at that time by the subject.

35. The monitoring device according to claim 25 further comprising a mode control in communication with said processor for setting an operating mode of the monitoring device.

36. The monitoring device according to claim 25 further comprising a display operatively in communication with said processor for displaying monitored information to the subject.

37. The monitoring device according to claim 25 wherein said communications transceiver is operatively in communication with a remotely located discriminator, which transmits an input signal representative of a known activity for use by the processor in determining the activity level of the subject.

38. The monitoring device according to claim 25 wherein said communications transceiver is operatively in communication with a remote computing device that calculates a caloric balance for the subject from the subject'"'"'s calorie intake and activity level.

39. A device for monitoring food related activity of a subject comprising:

a case;

a processor disposed within said case, wherein said processor includes a memory having a database;

a timer operable to transmit a time indicative signal to said processor;

a food consumption notation control operable by the subject for transmitting a food consumption signal to said processor indicating the subject is consuming food; and

a consumption calculator within said processor that receives the consumption notation control signal and the time indicative signal, and uses the consumption notation control signal and time indicative signal to determine and store in the memory an occurrence and duration of time the subject consumed food, that is accessible to the subject.

40. The monitoring device according to claim 39, further comprising a Global Positioning System based tracking device operable to determine a position of the subject and transmit a signal representative of the position of the subject to said processor for determining a change in the subject'"'"'s position over a period of time.

41. The monitoring device according to claim 39, wherein said notation control is an audio recorder operable to receive an audio input from the subject and transmit a signal representative of the audio input to said processor.

42. The monitoring device according to claim 39, wherein said notation control is a digital video recorder operable to receive a video input from the subject and transmit a signal representative of the video input to said processor.

43. The monitoring device according to claim 39 wherein said communication transceiver is in communication with a remote computing device.

44. The monitoring device according to claim 39 wherein activation of said consumption notation control sets a food flag in the memory of said processor indicating an amount and type of food consumed at that time by the subject.

45. The monitoring device according to claim 39 further comprising a mode control in communication with said processor for setting an operating mode of the monitoring device.

46. The monitoring device according to claim 39 further comprising a display operatively in communication with said processor for displaying monitored information to the subject.

47. The monitoring device according to claim 39 wherein said communications transceiver is in communication with a remote computing device that calculates a caloric balance for the subject from the subject'"'"'s calorie intake and activity level.