COMPUTING USER'S PHYSIOLOGICAL STATE RELATED TO PHYSICAL EXERCISES

• US 20160235363A9
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Karavirta, Laura
• Granted Patent: US 10,709,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/04 Arrangements of multiple sensors of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 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 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program for estimating user'"'"'s physiological state from gait measurements carried out during a physical exercise are disclosed. The physiological state is computed from at least one of step interval variability and stride interval variability acquired from the gait measurements.

Claims

1. A method for determining a physiological state of a user by an apparatus, the method comprising:

acquiring, in the apparatus, gait measurement data representing measured gait of the user during a physical exercise;

computing, in the apparatus, at least one of step interval variability and stride interval variability from the gait measurement data; and

determining, in the apparatus, the user'"'"'s physiological state from said at least one of step interval variability and stride interval variability.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological state is determined to be inversely proportional to the step interval variability and stride interval variability such that a higher step interval variability and a higher stride interval variability is associated with a poorer physiological state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the user'"'"'s physiological state comprises determining user'"'"'s fatigue in training on the basis of the at least one of step interval variability and stride interval variability.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the user'"'"'s physiological state comprises making a determination on user'"'"'s overtraining syndrome on the basis of the at least one of step interval variability and stride interval variability.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the user'"'"'s physiological state comprises determining a running performance capability of the user.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising representing the running performance capability as a numeric value in connection with another, determined reference value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the user'"'"'s physiological state by comparing said at least one of step interval variability and stride interval variability with at least one predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining standard conditions for testing the physiological state; and

using in the determination of the physiological state exclusively gait measurement data measured under the determined standard conditions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining the standard conditions comprises instructing the user to provide for the determined standard conditions.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining the standard conditions comprises detecting the presence of the standard conditions during the physical exercise and acquiring the gait measurement data within a time interval during which the standard conditions are met.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising testing the physiological state as a background process, wherein the testing is started in the apparatus without reception of a user input.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining the standard conditions comprises:

detecting, after the physical exercise, the presence of the standard conditions from measurement data acquired during the physical exercise;

extracting from the gait measurement data acquired during the physical exercise measurement data measured when the standard conditions are met; and

determining the physiological state from the extracted measurement data as a post-processing after the physical exercise.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising using heart activity data measured during the physical exercise as a reference for determining the presence of the standard conditions.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising using at least one of step interval variability and stride interval variability measured during the physical exercise as a reference for determining the presence of the standard conditions.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a difference between the standard conditions and conditions prevailing during the exercise;

determining a scaling factor for the gait measurement data; and

scaling the gait measurement data with the scaling factor to provide the standard conditions.

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17. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising;

acquiring gait measurement data representing measured gait of a user during a physical exercise;

computing at least one of step interval variability and stride interval variability from the gait measurement data; and

determining user'"'"'s physiological state from said at least one of step interval variability and stride interval variability.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising determining the physiological state to be inversely proportional to the step interval variability and stride interval variability such that a higher step interval variability and a higher stride interval variability is associated with a poorer physiological state.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising determining the user'"'"'s physiological state by comparing said at least one of step interval variability and stride interval variability with at least one predetermined threshold.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:

determining standard conditions for testing the physiological state; and

using in the determination of the physiological state exclusively gait measurement data measured under the determined standard conditions.

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34. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory distribution medium readable by a computer and comprising program instructions which, when executed by the computer, performs a process comprising:

acquiring gait measurement data representing measured gait of the user during a physical exercise;

computing at least one of step interval variability and stride interval variability from the gait measurement data; and

determining the user'"'"'s physiological state from said at least one of step interval variability and stride interval variability.