Activity monitor

• US 20040112151A1
• Filed: 01/26/2004
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Strathclyde
• Original Assignee: University of Strathclyde
• Inventors: Maxwell, Douglas James, Barbenel, Joseph Cyril, Granat, Malcolm Howard
• Granted Patent: US 8,342,045 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/865.4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/22 Ergometry; Measuring muscular strength or the force of a muscular blow exercising apparatus A63B21/00 ; measuring of work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A method of recording data relating to the posture of a subject and assessing the data so as to categorize said data into activities, including sitting, walking and standing. The method comprises sensing the movement of the thigh by use of a single sensor; recording the movement of the thigh; and processing the data so as to classify the data into discrete ones of said activities.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring and recording the activity of a subject, the system comprising a first portable device adapted to be worn by the subject and arranged to record data representative of body position of the subject, and a second device used to assess the data recorded by the first portable device, so as to categorise said recorded data into activities including sitting, standing and walking;

said first device comprising;

a single sensing means, adapted to be maintained in a single location about the thigh;

a recording means for storing data from said sensing means;

and a power source to supply both the sensing means and recording means;

said second device comprising a processing means capable of connection to the first device for analysing and classifying said data into discrete activities.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer in which a signal is generated that reflects inclination of the thigh with respect to gravity.

5. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the recording means is configured such that it continuously monitors the subject'"'"'s body position.

6. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the processing means is programmed to calculate the total accumulative duration periods for each activity.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processing means is programmed such that it can further distinguish the data of the identified walking activity in order to produce information relating to the cadence (rhythm) and total number of steps for said walking activity.

8. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the processing means is programmed such that it can calculate an estimate of the calorific expenditure of the subject for a specified period.

3. A system as claimed in either preceding claim, wherein the processing means has a set of pre-set threshold levels that when applied to the recorded data can be used to distinguish between a seated and an upright posture of the subject.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processing means is arranged to calculate the threshold levels from the recorded data so that the different postures of the subject can be determined.

9. A method of recording data relating to the posture of a subject and assessing the data so as to categorise said data into activities, including sitting, walking and standing, said method comprising:

sensing the movement of the thigh by use of a single sensor;

recording the movement of the thigh; and

processing the data so as to classify the data into discrete ones of said activities.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the processing means has a set of pre-set threshold levels that when applied to the recorded data can be used to distinguish between a seated and an upright posture of the subject and the processing means is arranged to calculate the threshold levels from the recorded data so that the different postures of the subject can be determined.