Method, performance monitor and computer program for determining performance

• US 20070082789A1
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Kinnunen, Hannu, Niva, Arto, Jaatinen, Jukka, Nissila, Juuso
• Granted Patent: US 8,512,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, a user-specific performance monitor and a computer program for determining the user'"'"'s performance. In the method, the performance power of a physical exercise is determined by means of user movement data registered by the user-specific performance monitor. Further, the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise is determined by means of physiological information measured from the user, the physiological information being registered by the user-specific performance monitor; and the user'"'"'s performance is estimated by means of the performance power of the physical exercise and the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise.

Claims

1. A method for determining the performance of the user of a user-specific performance monitor on the basis of a physical exercise by the user, comprising:

determining the performance power of the physical exercise by means of user movement data registered by the user-specific performance monitor;

determining the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise by means of physiological information measured from the user, the physiological information being registered by the user-specific performance monitor; and

estimating the user'"'"'s performance by means of the performance power of the physical exercise and the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising taking into account the effect of the exertion history on the physiological information measured.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising taking into account the effect of the exertion history on the physiological information measured from the user by selecting the performance power data characterizing the performance power of the physical exercise and the exertion data characterizing the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise, used in estimating performance, on the basis of the exertion history.

4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising taking into account the effect of the exertion history on the physiological information measured from the user by transforming the exertion data characterizing the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise to a constant exertion history point.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising estimating the user'"'"'s performance by using at least one of the following pieces of physical information:

the user'"'"'s maximum pulse rate, the user'"'"'s rest pulse rate.

6. A user-specific performance monitor comprising:

performance power determination unit for determining the performance power of a physical exercise by the user by means of user movement data;

exertion level determination unit for determining the exertion level corresponding to the user'"'"'s physical exercise by means of physiological information measured from the user; and

performance estimation unit for estimating the user'"'"'s performance by means of the performance power of the physical exercise and the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise.

7. A user-specific performance monitor according to claim 6, wherein the performance estimation unit is configured to take into account the effect of the exertion history on the physiological information measured from the user.

8. A user-specific performance monitor according to claim 7, wherein the performance estimation unit is configured to take into account the effect of the exertion history on the physiological information measured from the user by selecting the performance power data characterizing the performance power of the physical exercise and the exertion data characterizing the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise, used in the estimation, on the basis of the exertion history.

9. A user-specific performance monitor according to claim 7, wherein the performance power estimation unit is configured to take into account the effect of the exertion history on the physiological information measured from the user by transforming the exertion data characterizing the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise to a constant exertion history point.

10. A user-specific performance monitor according to claim 6, wherein the performance estimation unit is further configured to estimate the user'"'"'s performance by using at least one of the following pieces of physiological information:

the user'"'"'s maximum pulse rate, the user'"'"'s rest pulse rate.

11. A user-specific performance monitor comprising:

performance power determination means for determining the performance power of a physical exercise by the user by means of user movement data;

exertion level determination means for determining the exertion level corresponding to the user'"'"'s physical exercise by means of physiological information measured from the user; and

performance estimation means for estimating the user'"'"'s performance by means of the performance power of the physical exercise and the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise.

12. A user-specific performance monitor according to claim 11, wherein the performance estimation means are configured to take into account the effect of the exertion history on the physiological information measured from the user.

13. A user-specific performance monitor according to claim 12, wherein the performance estimation means are configured to take into account the effect of the exertion history on the physiological information measured from the user by selecting the performance power data characterizing the performance power of the physical exercise and the exertion data characterizing the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise, used in the estimation, on the basis of the exertion history.

14. A user-specific performance monitor according to claim 12, wherein the performance power estimation means are configured to take into account the effect of the exertion history on the physiological information measured from the user by transforming the exertion data characterizing the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise to a constant exertion history point.

15. A user-specific performance monitor according to claim 11, wherein the performance estimation means are further configured to estimate the user'"'"'s performance by using at least one of the following pieces of physiological information:

the user'"'"'s maximum pulse rate, the user'"'"'s rest pulse rate.

16. A computer program for determining the performance of the user of a user-specific performance monitor, which computer program comprises coded instructions for executing a computer process in a digital processor, the computer process comprising:

determining the performance power of the physical exercise by the user by means of user movement data registered by the user-specific performance monitor;

determining the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise by the user by means of physiological information measured from the user, the physiological information being registered by the user-specific performance monitor; and

estimating the user'"'"'s performance by means of the performance power of the physical exercise and the exertion level corresponding to the performance power of the physical exercise.

17. A computer program according to claim 16, further comprising:

taking into account the effect of the exertion history on the physiological information measured from the user.

18. A computer program according to claim 16, further comprising:

receiving the user'"'"'s movement data from the user-specific performance monitor; and

receiving physiological information measured from the user from the user-specific performance monitor.

19. A computer software product according to claim 16, comprising the computer program.

20. A distribution medium according to claim 16, comprising the computer program.