Apparatus, method, and medium controlling electrical stimulation and/or health training/monitoring

• US 20050283205A1
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Whang, Jin-sang, Shin, Kun-soo, Yeo, Hyung-sok, Han, Wan-taek, Lee, Jeong-hwan
• Application Number:
  US11/148,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20050283205A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• 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 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36031 using physiological parameters for adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2213/004 with electrotherapy
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and medium for generating electrical stimulation, including an electromyogram detector detecting an electromyographic signal of a body, a fatigue index calculator calculating a fatigue index indicating a degree of muscle fatigue by converting the electromyographic signal detected by the electromyogram detector during a predetermined time unit into a frequency-domain electromyographic signal, and an electrical stimulation signal generator adjusting an electrical stimulation signal according to the calculated fatigue index and generating the electrical stimulation signal. Accordingly, a health training/monitoring apparatus can include an electrical stimulation generator adjusting an electrical stimulation signal according to a degree of fatigue and generating the electrical stimulation signal, a physical activity monitor monitoring a physical activity using at least one of a heart rate measurer and an accelerometer, and a mode selector selectively driving the electrical stimulation generator or the physical activity monitor according to an amount of the physical activity.

Claims

1. An electrical stimulation apparatus using an electromyographic measurement, comprising:

an electromyogram detector detecting an electromyographic signal from a body;

a fatigue index calculator calculating a fatigue index indicating a degree of muscle fatigue, for at least a muscle of the body, by converting the detected electromyographic signal, detected during a predetermined time unit, into a frequency-domain electromyographic signal; and

an electrical stimulation signal generator adjusting an electrical stimulation signal, for application to the body, based on the calculated fatigue index and generating the electrical stimulation signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromyogram detector comprises an electromyogram detection electrode.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fatigue index calculator comprises:

an initial median frequency output unit to measure an electromyogram at an initial point, of the predetermined time unit, to convert the measured initial point electromyogram into an initial frequency-domain electromyogram, and to output an initial median frequency;

a final median frequency output unit to measure an electromyogram at a final point, of the predetermined time unit, to convert the measured final point electromyogram into a final frequency-domain electromyogram, and to output a final median frequency; and

a fatigue index output unit to determine the fatigue index based on a ratio of the initial median frequency to a difference between the initial median frequency and the final median frequency.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical stimulation signal generator adjusts the electrical stimulation signal by changing a size, a cycle, and/or a pattern of the electrical stimulation signal.

5. A method of generating electrical stimulation using an electromyographic signal, comprising:

detecting an electromyographic signal from a body using a predetermined medium for detecting an electromyogram;

calculating a fatigue index indicating a degree of muscle fatigue, for a muscle of the body, by converting the detected electromyographic signal, detected during a predetermined time unit, into a frequency-domain electromyographic signal; and

adjusting an electrical stimulation signal according to the calculated fatigue index and generating the adjusted electrical stimulation signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the calculating of the fatigue index comprises:

measuring an initial electromyogram signal at an initial point, of the predetermined time unit, converting the measured initial point electromyogram signal into an initial frequency-domain electromyogram signal, and outputting an initial median frequency;

measuring a final electromyogram signal at a final point, of the predetermined time unit, converting the measured final point electromyogram signal into a final frequency-domain electromyogram signal, and outputting a final median frequency; and

determining the fatigue index based on a ratio of the initial median frequency to a difference between the initial median frequency and the final median frequency.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, in the adjusting and generating of the electrical stimulation signal, the electrical stimulation signal is adjusted by changing a size, a cycle, and/or a pattern of the electrical stimulation signal.

20. A medium comprising computer readable code implementing the method of claim 5.

8. A health training/monitoring apparatus, comprising:

an electrical stimulation generator to adjust an electrical stimulation signal based on a degree of fatigue, of a muscle of a body, and generating the adjusted electrical stimulation signal;

a physical activity monitor to monitor a physical activity of a user using at least one of a heart rate measurer and an accelerometer for the body; and

a mode selector selectively driving the electrical stimulation generator or the physical activity monitor based on an amount of the monitored physical activity.

9. The health training/monitoring apparatus of claim 8, wherein the electrical stimulation generator comprises:

an electromyogram detector to detect an electromyographic signal of the body;

a fatigue index calculator to calculate a fatigue index indicating the degree of fatigue by converting the detected electromyographic signal, detected during a predetermined time unit, into a frequency-domain electromyographic signal; and

an electrical stimulation signal generator to adjust the electrical stimulation signal based on the calculated fatigue index and to generate the adjusted electrical stimulation signal.

10. The health training/monitoring apparatus of claim 8, wherein the physical activity monitor comprises:

the heart rate measurer to measure a heart rate using a predetermined electrode attached to the body;

the accelerometer to measure an acceleration of physical movement of the body; and

an activity output unit to output at least one of a physical activity pattern and calories expended based on the measured heart rate and/or the measured acceleration

11. The health training/monitoring apparatus of claim 10, wherein the accelerometer measures the acceleration of the physical movement in any one of a one-axis direction, two-axis direction, or three-axis direction.

12. The health training/monitoring apparatus of claim 8, wherein the mode selector drives the physical activity monitor when an output waveform of the accelerometer is greater than a predetermined threshold value and drives the electrical stimulation generator when the output waveform of the accelerometer is not greater than the predetermined threshold value.

13. The health training/monitoring apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is a waist belt or a patch.

14. The health training/monitoring apparatus of claim 13, wherein the waist belt or the patch comprises:

a first layer comprising a plurality of electrodes for measuring the heart rate, a plurality of electrodes for the electrical stimulation, and a plurality of electrodes for the measuring of the electromyographic signal; and

a second layer comprising the accelerometer measuring the acceleration of the physical movement and a predetermined controller.

15. The health training/monitoring apparatus of claim 14, wherein an airbag layer inflatable and deflatable by air is interposed between the first layer and the second layer.

16. A health training/monitoring method, comprising:

determining whether a physical activity is dynamic or static;

monitoring the physical activity using at least one of a heart rate measurer and an accelerometer when the physical activity is dynamic; and

adjusting an electrical stimulation signal based on a degree of muscle fatigue, of at least a muscle of a body, and generating the adjusted electrical stimulation signal when the physical activity is static.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein in the determining of whether the physical activity is dynamic or static, the physical activity is determined to be dynamic when a value of the physical activity is greater than a predetermined threshold value for a predetermined period of time, and the physical activity is determined as static when a value of the physical activity is not greater than the predetermined threshold value for the predetermined period of time.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the monitoring of the physical activity comprises:

measuring the heart rate using a predetermined electrode attached to the body when the physical activity is dynamic;

measuring acceleration of physical movement of the body using an accelerometer; and

outputting at least one of a physical activity pattern and calories expended using the measured heart rate and the measured acceleration.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the adjusting and generating of the electrical stimulation signal comprises:

detecting an electromyographic signal of the body;

calculating a fatigue index indicating the degree of muscle fatigue by converting the detected electromyographic signal, detected during a predetermined time unit, into a frequency-domain electromyographic signal; and

adjusting the electrical stimulation signal based on the calculated fatigue index and generating the adjusted electrical stimulation signal.

21. A medium comprising computer readable code implementing the method of claim 16.

22. An electrical stimulation apparatus, comprising:

an electromyogram detector detecting electromyographic signals from a body;

a fatigue index calculator calculating a fatigue index indicating a degree of muscle fatigue, for at least a muscle in a body, by converting at least two detected electromyographic signals into respective frequency-domain electromyographic signals, with the calculated fatigue index being based on a ratio with the at least two frequency-domain electromyographic signals; and

an electrical stimulation signal generator generating an electrical stimulation signal, for application to the body, based on the calculated fatigue index.

23. The electrical stimulation apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

a heart rate measurer to measure a heart rate using a predetermined electrode attached to the body; and

an activity output unit to output at least one of a physical activity pattern and calories expended based on the measured heart rate.

24. The electrical stimulation apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

an accelerometer to measure an acceleration of physical movement of the body; and

an activity output unit to output at least one of a physical activity pattern and calories expended based on the measured acceleration.

25. The electrical stimulation apparatus of claim 24, wherein when the measured acceleration is greater than a predetermined threshold value the electrical stimulation signal generator does not generate the electrical stimulation signal.

26. The electrical stimulation apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least two detected electromyographic signals are detected at least at an initial point in a predetermined period and a final point in the predetermined period, respectively.

27. The electrical stimulation apparatus of claim 26, wherein the initial point occurs when the electrical stimulation apparatus is applied to operate on the body.

28. The electrical stimulation apparatus of claim 26, wherein the final point occurs when the electrical stimulation apparatus is removed from operating on the body.