Non-invasive measuring device with different operating modes

• US 6,361,502 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1999
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Niemelä, Urpo, Rytky, Pekka, Puolakanaho, Pertti, Loponen, Erkki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bockelman, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/424,282
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/301, 600/386, 600/390, 600/481, 600/483, 600/484, 600/500-503, 600/508
• US Class Current: 600/508
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/025 for measuring physiological data

Abstract

The invention relates to a measuring device (102) carried by a user during exercise for measuring non-invasively at least one signal from the body, e.g. a wireless heart rate monitor, and to a method of controlling same. The measuring device comprises a user interface (120). The user interface comprises selection means (114), e.g. push buttons (114), and display means (116, 122), e.g. a liquid crystal display. The user interface (116) displays different operating modes, e.g. a watch mode (300), a set mode (306) and an operating mode (302) for measuring a signal from the body. The operating modes are arranged as a main loop sequence (300-302-304-306). The operating modes have different sub-operating modes for displaying parameters associated with exercising. The sub-operating modes are arranged as sub-loop sequences (400-404-406-410) under each operating mode. In accordance with the invention, the user is able to configure the sub-loop sequence (400-404-406-410) by the selection means (114).

Claims

1. A measuring device (102) carried by a user during exercise for measuring non-invasively at least one signal from the body, the measuring device (102) comprising:

a control unit (112A) for controlling and monitoring the operation of the measuring device (102);

a measuring unit (104) communicating with the control unit (112A) for measuring at least one signal from the body;

a user interface (120) communicating with the control unit (112A) comprising;

selection means (114) for making selections, and

various operating modes comprising at least a watch mode (300), set mode (306), and at least one operating mode (302) for measuring a signal from the body, the operating modes being arranged as a main loop sequence (300-302-304-306), and

the operating modes comprising various sub-operating modes for displaying parameters associated with exercising, the sub-operating modes being arranged as sub-loop sequences (400-404-406-410) under each operating mode, and

display means (116, 122) for displaying data, and the sub-loop sequence (400-404-406-410) is displayed to the user by the display means (116, 122),

characterized by the control unit (112A) being adapted to configure at least one sub-loop sequence (400-404-406-410) in accordance with selection the user makes by the selection means (114), in which configuration at least one sub-operation mode (410) is connected to be part of the sub-loop sequence (400-404-406-410) or sub-operation mode (410) is disconnected from the sub-loop sequence (400-404-406).

2. A measuring device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (112A) is adapted to operate in such a way that a sub-operating mode (502) excludes another sub-operating mode (504).

3. A measuring device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (112A) is adapted to add a new operating mode (308) to the main loop sequence (300-302-304-306).

4. A measuring device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (112A) is adapted to add a new sub-operating mode (410) to the sub-loop sequence (400-404-406).

5. A measuring device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (112A) is adapted to configure the main loop sequence (300-302-304-306-308) in accordance with the selections made by the user by the selection means (114) and to display by the display means (116) the main loop sequence (300-302-304-306-308) according to the user'"'"'s selection.

6. A measuring device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (112A) is adapted to perform the configuration in the set mode (306).

7. A measuring device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (112A) is adapted to perform an ON/OFF type of configuration for each sub-operating mode.

8. A measuring device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the measuring device comprises short-cut means for fast selection of a sub-operating mode.

9. A measuring device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the measuring device comprises home selection means for fast selection of the basic mode.

10. A measuring device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the selection means (114) are push buttons (114A, 114B, 114C).

11. A measuring device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the display means (116) are a liquid crystal display.

12. A measuring device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sub-operating modes of the watch mode (300) comprise:

setting of alarm time, setting of time of day, setting of date.

13. A measuring device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the signal to be measured is user heart rate, the operating mode (302) measuring the signal from the body is heart rate measurement mode, and the measuring device is a heart rate monitor.

14. A measuring device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the measuring unit (104) comprises a wireless transmitter (100) to be attached to the chest and a wireless heart rate receiver (110) to be attached to the wrist.

15. A measuring device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the sub-operating modes of the set mode (306) comprise manually set heart rate limits (504) and automatic determination of heart rate limits (502), the sub-operating modes being mutually exclusive sub-operating modes.

16. A measuring device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the sub-operating modes of the set mode (306) comprise:

calculation of the energy consumed by the user (506).

17. A measuring device as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the energy is expressed in kilocalories.

18. A measuring device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the sub-operating modes of the set mode (306) comprise:

user settings (500).

19. A measuring device as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the user settings (500) include at least one of the following:

age, weight, sex of the user.

20. A measuring device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the sub-operating modes of the heart rate measurement mode (302) include at least one of the following:

time taken up by the exercise and heart rate (400), real exercise time and heart rate (404), effective exercise time and heart rate (406), energy consumed by the user in the exercise and heart rate (410).

21. A measuring device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the operating modes comprise a file mode (304).

22. A measuring device as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the control unit (112A) is so adapted that the loop sequence configured by the user affects the parameters to be stored by storage means (112C) in the heart rate measurement mode (302).

23. A measuring device as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the sub-operating modes of the file mode (304) comprise at least one of the following:

total exercise time, time between heart rate limits, energy consumed by the user in the exercise, cumulative energy consumed by the user.

24. A method of controlling a measuring device carried by a user during exercise for measuring non-invasively at least one signal from the body, the measuring device (102) comprising:

a control unit (112A) for controlling and monitoring the operation of the measuring device (102);

a measuring unit (104) communicating with the control unit (112A) for measuring at least one signal from the body;

a user interface (120) communicating with the control unit (112A) comprising;

selection means (114) for making selections, and

various operating modes comprising at least a watch mode (300), a set mode (306), and at least one operating mode (302) for measuring a signal from the body, the operating modes being arranged as a main loop sequence (300-302-304-306), and

the operating modes comprising various sub-operating modes for displaying parameters associated with exercising, the sub-operating modes being arranged as sub-loop sequences (400-404-406-410) under each operating mode, and

display means (116, 122) for displaying data, and the sub-loop sequence (400-404-406-410) is displayed to the user by the display means (116, 122),

characterized in that the user configures at least one sub-loop sequence (400-404-406-410), in which configuration at least one sub-operation mode (410) is by selection means (114) connected to be part of the sub-loop sequence (400-404-406-410) or sub-operation mode (410) is disconnected from the sub-loop sequence (400-404-406).

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that a sub-operating mode (502) excludes another sub-operating mode (504).

26. A method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that a new operating mode (308) is added to the main loop sequence (300-302-304-306).

27. A method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that a new sub-operating mode (410) is added to the sub-loop sequence (400-404-406).

28. A method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that the user utilizes the user interface (120) to configure the main loop sequence (300-302-304-306-308).

29. A method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that the configuration is performed in the set mode (306).

30. A method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that an ON/OFF type of configuration is performed for each sub-operating mode.

31. A method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that the measuring device comprises short-cut means for fast selection of a sub-operating mode.

32. A method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that the measuring device comprises home selection means for fast selection of the basic mode.

33. A method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that the selection means (114) are push buttons (114A, 114B, 114C).

34. A method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that the display means (116) are a liquid crystal display.

35. A method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that the sub-operating modes of the watch mode (300) comprise:

setting of alarm time, setting of time of day, setting of date.

36. A method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that the signal to be measured is user heart rate, the operating mode measuring the signal from the body is heart rate measurement mode, and the measuring device is a heart rate monitor.

37. A method as claimed in claim 36, characterized in that the measuring unit (104) comprises a wireless transmitter (100) to be attached to the chest and a wireless heart rate receiver (110) to be attached to the wrist.

38. A method as claimed in claim 36, characterized in that the sub-operating modes of the set mode (306) comprise manually set heart rate limits (504) and automatic determination of heart rate limits (502), the sub-operating modes being mutually exclusive sub-operating modes.

39. A method as claimed in claim 36, characterized in that the sub-operating modes of the set mode (306) comprise:

calculation of the energy consumed by the user (506).

40. A method as claimed in claim 39, characterized in that the energy is expressed in kilocalories.

41. A method as claimed in claim 36, characterized in that the sub-operating modes of the set mode (306) comprise:

user settings (500).

42. A method as claimed in claim 41, characterized in that the user settings (500) include at least one of the following age, weight, sex of the user.

43. A method as claimed in claim 36, characterized in that the sub-operating modes of the heart rate measurement mode (302) include at least one of the following:

time taken up by the exercise and heart rate (400), real exercise time and heart rate (404), effective exercise time and heart rate (406), energy consumed by the user in the exercise and heart rate (410).

44. A method as claimed in claim 36, characterized in that the operating modes comprise a file mode (306).

45. A method as claimed in claim 44, characterized in that the loop sequence configured by the user affects the parameters to be stored by storage means in the heart rate measurement mode (302).

46. A method as claimed in claim 45, characterized in that the sub-operating modes of the file mode (304) comprise at least one of the following:

total exercise time, time between heart rate limits, energy consumed by the user in the exercise, cumulative energy consumed by the user.