Device for measuring calorie expenditure and device for measuring body temperature

• US 6,287,262 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2000
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Amano, Kazuhiko, Ishiyama, Hitoshi, Uebaba, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Natnithithadha, Navin
• Application Number:
  US09/491,045
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/301, 600/500, 600/501, 600/502, 600/503, 600/549
• US Class Current: 600/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0406 specially shaped apparatus housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• 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 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/726 : using Wavelet transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/744 : Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 : Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals

Abstract

In order to obtain calorie expenditure with good accuracy, the device is provided with a basal metabolic state specifying element (142) which specifies the subject'"'"'s basal metabolic state from his body temperature; a correlation storing element (151) which stores respective regression formulas showing the correlation between the pulse rate and the calorie expenditure when the subject is at rest or active; a correlation correcting element (152) which correcting the stored regression formulas using the basal metabolic state; a body motion determining element (104) which determines whether or not the subject is at rest; and a regression formula selecting element (153) which selects the regression formula which should be used in accordance with the results of this determination. The subject'"'"'s pulse rate is applied in the selected regression formula, and the calorie expenditure corresponding to this pulse rate is calculated by calorie expenditure calculator (162).

Claims

1. A calorie expenditure measuring device, comprising:

a basal metabolic state specifying means for specifying a subject'"'"'s basal metabolic state;

a correlation storing means for storing a correlation between a subject'"'"'s pulse rate and calorie expenditure;

a correlation correcting means for correcting the correlation stored in the correlation storing means by using the basal metabolic state specified by the basal metabolic state specifying means; and

a calorie expenditure calculating means for applying the subject'"'"'s pulse rate to the correlation stored in the correlation storing means, to calculate the calorie expenditure corresponding to the pulse rate.

2. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pulse wave detecting means for detecting over a specific area the pulse pressure around a site at which the subject'"'"'s pulse is present;

a temperature detecting means for detecting temperature, which is provided near the pulse wave detecting means; and

a body temperature specifying means for specifying the temperature which was detected at the site where the largest pulse pressure was detected from among the pulse pressures which were detected over the specific area, as the body temperature;

wherein the basal metabolic state specifying means specifies the subject'"'"'s basal metabolic state from the body temperature specified by the body temperature specifying means.

3. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein:

the correlation storing means stores regression formulas for at least resting and active times, respectively;

the calorie expenditure measuring device is further provided with a body motion determining means for determining whether or not the subject is in a resting state, and a regression formula selecting means for selecting the regression formula which should be used in accordance with the result of the determination by the body motion determining means; and

the calorie calculating means calculates the calorie expenditure using the regression formula selected by the regression formula selecting means.

4. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a body temperature determining means for determining whether or not the subject'"'"'s body temperature is above a specific value;

wherein the regression formula selecting means selects not the resting regression formula, but the active regression formula in the case where the body motion determining means determines that the subject is in a state of rest and the body temperature determining means determines that the subject'"'"'s body temperature is above a specific value.

5. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a pulse rate measuring means for measuring the subject'"'"'s pulse rate; and

a body motion detecting means for detecting the subject'"'"'s body motion;

wherein the body motion determining means determines whether or not the subject is at rest based on the body motion detected by the body motion detecting means, and the calorie calculating means applies the pulse rate measured by the pulse rate measuring means in the selected regression formula.

6. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a measured result storing means for storing the pulse rate measured by the pulse rate measuring means and the body motion detected by the body motion detecting means in respective time series;

wherein the regression formula selecting means selects the regression formula which is to be used by employing the body motion stored in the measured result storing means, and the calorie calculating means calculates the calorie expenditure by applying the pulse rate stored in the measured result storing means to the regression formula selected by the regression formula selecting means.

7. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 5, further comprising a first notifying means that notifies the subject of the calorie expenditure calculated by the calorie calculating means.

8. A calorie expenditure measuring device, comprising:

a correlation storing means for storing the correlation between the pulse rate and calorie expenditure;

a calorie calculating means which applies the subject'"'"'s pulse rate to the correlation stored in the correlation storing means, and calculates the calorie expenditure corresponding to this pulse rate;

a first target value storing means which stores in advance target values for calorie expenditure during a specific time interval;

a subtraction means which sequentially subtracts at fixed time intervals the calorie expenditure calculated by the calorie calculating means from the target value stored in the first target value storing means; and

a second notifying means for notifying the subject of the result of the subtraction operation by the subtracting means.

9. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a first comparing means for comparing the target value from the first target value storing means and the subtracted result for the specific time interval by the subtracting means; and

a third notifying means for notifying the subject of the results of the comparison by the first comparing means.

10. A calorie expenditure measuring device, comprising:

a correlation storing means for storing the correlation between the pulse rate and the calorie expenditure;

a calorie calculating means for applying the subject'"'"'s pulse rate to the correlation stored in the correlation storing means and calculating the calorie expenditure corresponding to this pulse rate; and

a first storing means for sequentially storing at fixed time intervals the calorie expenditure calculated by the calorie calculating means.

11. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 10 further comprising:

an adding means for adding the calorie expenditure stored in the first storing means by fixed time intervals; and

a fourth notifying means for notifying the subject of the result of the addition operation by the adding means.

12. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a second storing means for storing at fixed time intervals the calorie expenditure added by the adding means; and

a fifth notifying means for notifying the subject of the change over time in the summed calorie expenditure based on the stored results of the second storing means.

13. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a first target value storing means for storing in advance the target value of the calorie expenditure during a specific time interval;

a second comparing means for comparing the target value according to the first target value storing means and the result of addition by the adding means; and

a sixth notifying means for notifying the subject of the results of the comparison by the second comparing means.

14. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 8 or claim 13, further comprising:

a receiving means for receiving information set in an external device; and

a target value setting means for setting the information received by the receiving means as the target value for calorie expenditure.

15. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a rate of change calculating means for reading out the calorie expenditure calculated earlier in the previous time interval from the first storing means, and determining the rate of change showing how the calorie expenditure calculated currently has changed from the read out calorie expenditure; and

a seventh notifying means for notifying the subject based on the rate of change determined by the rate of change calculating means.

16. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a third storing means for storing the rate of change obtained by the rate of the change calculating means at fixed time intervals; and

an eighth notifying means for notifying the subject of the change over time in the rate of change, based on the stored results of the third storing means.

17. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a second target value storing means for storing in advance the rate of change in calorie expenditure as a target value;

a third comparing means for comparing the rate of change from the second target value storing means and the rate of change from the rate of change calculating means; and

a ninth notifying means for notifying the subject of the result of the comparison by the third comparing means.

18. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 17, further comprising:

a receiving means for receiving information set in an external device;

a second target value setting means for setting the information received by the receiving means as the rate of change in calorie expenditure which is to be the target value in the second target value storing means.

19. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a transmitting means for transmitting information with an external device, which transmits to the external device at least one from among the calorie expenditure in a fixed interval of time stored in first storing means, the calorie expenditure summed by the summing means, or the rate of change in the calorie expenditure stored in the third storing means.

20. A calorie expenditure measuring device according to claim 19, further comprising:

a fourth storing means for storing in a time series at least one from among the body temperature detected by the body temperature detecting means, the pulse rate measured by the pulse rate measuring means, or the body motion detected by the body motion detection means; and

a transmission means for sending the stored results of the fourth storing means to an external device.