Detection and Compensation Method for Monitoring the Place of Activity on the Body

• US 20080281234A1
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips North America LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bodlaender, Maarten Peter, Goris, Annelies
• Granted Patent: US 9,314,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0223 of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7253 characterised by using transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7267 involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor

Abstract

A measuring system (1) comprises a sensor (6) arranged to be attached to a subject for obtaining a measured value representing a physical or a physiological quantity of the subject. The measuring system further comprises means for deriving a subject-related value from the measured value. The sensor is arranged to be attached at one of a plurality of positions on the subject. The measuring system further comprises means for establishing the position of the sensor on the subject. The means for deriving the subject-related value is arranged for deriving the subject-related value also in dependence on the position of the sensor on the subject.

Claims

1. A measuring system (1) comprising

a sensor (6) arranged to be attached at one of a plurality of positions on a subject for obtaining a measured value representing a physical or a physiological quantity of the subject, and

means for establishing the position of the sensor on the subject, and

means for deriving a subject-related value from the measured value also in dependence on the position of the sensor on the subject.

2. The measuring system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of positions includes at least two of the following:

a wrist, a lower arm, an upper arm, a lower leg, an upper leg, a waist, a chest, a neck, a head.

3. The measuring system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the derived value comprises an activity parameter of the subject.

4. The measuring system (1) according to claim 3, wherein the activity parameter comprises energy expenditure.

5. The measuring system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the activity parameter represents a degree of activity of the body part the sensor is attached to.

6. The measuring system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the measured value comprises at least one of temperature, ECG, or acceleration, in particular tri-axial acceleration.

7. The measuring system (1) according to claim 1, further comprising means for selecting a subset of a predefined set of further physical and/or physiological quantities of the subject in dependence on the position of the sensor on the subject, and the sensor is arranged for generating a further measured value for each quantity in the selected subset.

8. The measuring system (1) according to claim 1, further comprising

means for converting the measured value into an estimated measured value related to a reference position on the subject, and

means for deriving the subject-related value from the estimated measured value.

9. The measuring system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the means for determining the position of the sensor on the subject is arranged for performing the determining in dependence on the measured value.

10. The measuring system (1) according to claim 9, further comprising means for obtaining from the sensor (6) a plurality of measured values measured during a time interval, and wherein the means for determining the position of the sensor on the subject is arranged for performing the determining in dependence on the measured values measured during the time interval.

11. The measuring system (1) according to claim 9, wherein the means for determining the position of the sensor (6) on the subject is arranged for performing the determining on the basis of a predefined set of rules related to the measured value or measured values measured during the time interval, respectively.

12. The measuring system (1) according to claim 10, wherein the means for determining the position of the sensor (6) on the subject comprises means for performing a pattern recognition of a signal derived from the measured values measured during the time interval.

13. The measuring system (1) according to claim 9, further comprising means for determining that the user is performing a standardized activity, and wherein the means for determining the position of the sensor on the subject is arranged for using at least one measured value obtained from the sensor (6), the measured value relating to a time the user is performing the standardized activity.

14. The measuring system (1) according to claim 13, wherein the means for determining that the user is performing a standardized activity is arranged for performing the determining in dependence on at least one measured value.

15. The measuring system (1) according to claim 13, further comprising a user interface for receiving input from a user to indicate when the subject is performing the standardized activity.

16. The measuring system (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface for receiving input from a user related to the position of the sensor on the subject.

17. The measuring system (1) according to claim 1, further comprising

means for establishing that the subject is performing a predetermined activity,

storage means for storing at least one pattern related to performing the predetermined activity in a predetermined manner,

means for determining a similarity measure relating to a signal representing the derived value and the stored pattern, and

means for providing feedback in dependence on the similarity measure.

18. The measuring system (1) according to claim 17, wherein the means for establishing that the subject is performing the predetermined activity is arranged for establishing that the subject is performing at least one of a predetermined number of predetermined activities.

19. A measuring system (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a further sensor arranged to be attached to the subject for obtaining a further measured value representing a further physical or physiological quantity of the subject, and wherein the means for deriving the subject-related value is arranged for deriving the measured value also in dependence on the further measured value.

20. A system for determining the calorie balance of a subject, the system comprising the measuring system (1) according to claim 4, means for monitoring food consumption, and means for deriving the calorie balance using the derived energy expenditure.

21. A method of estimating a derived value relating to a subject, the method comprising

obtaining at least one measured value from a sensor (6) attached to the subject, the measured value representing a physical or a physiological quantity of the subject, and

establishing the position of the sensor on the subject, and

deriving the subject-related value from the measured value also in dependence on the position of the sensor on the subject.