Portable measurement apparatus

• US 6,449,583 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2000
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Sakumoto, Kazumi, Odagiri, Hiroshi, Nagatsuma, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilten, John S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pretlow, Demetrius R.
• Application Number:
  US09/634,242
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 702/179, 702/176, 702/177, 702/178, 368/19, 368/10, 368/13, 73/14.3, 734/88, 482/8
• US Class Current: 702/179
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 10/00 Apparatus for measuring unknown time intervals by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04

Abstract

A measurement section for measuring a time and a period of time and outputting the measured data; a storing section for storing the measured data to be outputted from the measurement means and statistical data that is a statistical value or values obtained by sequentially processing and calculating the measured data; and a control section for setting a determination regarding whether or not the measured data to be outputted from the measurement section is stored in the storing section, and controlling the data storing operation so that the measured data is allowed to be stored in the storing section only when it has been determined to store the measured data, and calculating new statistical data to update the statistical data by employing the measured data and the statistical data stored in the storing section each time when the measured data is outputted from the measurement section.

Claims

1. A portable measurement apparatus, comprising:

measurement means for measuring a performance-related variable and outputting measured data based on the measurement result;

measured data storing means for storing the measured data;

statistical data storing means for storing statistical data comprising a statistical value obtained by performing at least one statistical process on the measured data;

setting means for allowing a user to determine whether the measured data is to be stored and, if so, whether the data is to be stored in the measured data storing means so that measured data can be stored for statistical analysis at any desired time or in the statistical data storing means so that the at least one statistical process is performed at predefined times;

a control section for performing the at least one statistical process;

data storing control means for controlling data storing operations so that the measured data is stored in the statistical data storing means to undergo the at least one statistical process and is stored in the measured data storing means only when the user has set the setting means to store the measured data; and

update means for calculating new statistical data by employing newly obtained measured data and statistical data stored in the statistical data storing means when measured data is output by the measurement means, and updating the statistical data in the statistical data storing means by employing the calculated new statistical data.

2. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein the statistical data includes a plurality of statistical values calculated at predetermined times, and the update means updates the corresponding statistical data at the predetermined times.

3. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 2;

further comprising time period setting means for setting one of a time and a time interval for calculation of the statistical data.

4. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein the setting means includes means for providing a plurality of user-selectable calculation schemes to calculate the statistical data, and the update means calculates the statistical data by employing selected calculation schemes to update the statistical data in the statistical data storing means.

5. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 2;

wherein the setting means includes means for providing a plurality of user-selectable calculation schemes to calculate the statistical data, and the update means calculates the statistical data by employing selected calculation schemes to update the statistical data in the statistical data storing means.

6. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 3;

wherein the setting means includes means for providing a plurality of user-selectable calculation schemes to calculate the statistical data, and the update means calculates the statistical data by employing selected calculation schemes to update the statistical data in the statistical data storing means.

7. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein the setting means comprises a switch.

8. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 1;

further comprising a display device controlled by the control section to provide a display of newly obtained measured data, stored measured data and statistical data and to prompt the user to decide by operation of the setting means whether the measured data is to be stored in addition to being used by the update means to calculate the new statistical data.

9. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 8;

wherein the control section controls the display device to provide a list of individually-selectable statistical processes that may be performed on the measured data to calculate the statistical data.

10. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 8;

wherein the control section determines whether adequate storage space exists in the measured data storage means and the statistical data storage means for storing the measured data and the statistical data, and controls the display device to provide an indication of memory space availability.

11. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 10;

wherein the control section controls the display device to provide an indication of memory contents that may be erased to accommodate newly obtained measured data and new statistical data.

12. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 8;

wherein the control section performs statistical operations on a measured data obtained over an ongoing period of time.

13. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein the control section provides a selection of individually-selectable statistical processes that may be performed on the measured data.

14. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein the statistical data includes a plurality of statistical values calculated at predetermined times.

15. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein the measurement means comprises a GPS system for measuring at least one of a speed and a distance and outputting the measurement result as the measured data.

16. A portable measurement apparatus, comprising:

a measuring device for measuring a performance-related variable and outputting the measured variable as performance data;

a control section for performing one or more statistical operations on sequentially obtained performance data and producing statistical data;

a memory for storing the performance data and the statistical data;

an input device for allowing a user to control whether obtained performance data is to be used to update the statistical data and, if so, whether the obtained performance data is to be stored in the memory as well as being used to update the statistical data, controlling the control section to store the performance data in the memory when the user has indicated that the performance data is to be stored, and controlling the control section to calculate updated statistical data using the obtained performance data when the user has indicated that the performance data is to be used to update the statistical data.

17. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 16;

wherein the performance-related variable comprises a time.

18. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 16;

further comprising a display device controlled by the control section to provide a display of newly obtained performance data, stored performance data and statistical data, and to prompt the user to decide by operation of a switch whether the performance data is to be stored in addition to being used to update the statistical data.

19. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 18;

wherein the control section controls the display device to provide a list of individually-selectable statistical processes that may be performed on the performance data to calculate the statistical data.

20. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 18;

wherein the control section determines whether adequate storage space exists in the memory for storing the obtained performance data and updated statistical data, and controls the display device to provide an indication of memory space availability.

21. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 18;

wherein the control section controls the display device to provide an indication of memory contents that may be erased to accommodate the obtained performance data and updated statistical data.

22. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 18;

wherein the control section performs statistical operations on the performance data over an ongoing period of time.

23. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 16;

wherein the control section provides a selection of individually-selectable statistical processes that may be performed on the performance data.

24. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 16;

wherein the statistical data includes a plurality of statistical values calculated at predetermined times.

25. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 16;

wherein the measuring device comprises a GPS system for measuring at least one of a speed and a distance and outputting the measurement result as the measured data.

26. A portable measurement apparatus, comprising:

measurement means for measuring at least one of a speed and a distance using a GPS system and outputting measured data based on the measurement result;

measured data storing means for storing the measured data;

statistical data storing means for storing statistical data comprising one or more statistical values obtained by performing at least one statistical process on the measured data;

setting means for setting a determination regarding whether or not the measured data output by the measurement means is to be stored and, if so, whether the measured data is to be stored in the measured data storing means or the statistical data storing means;

data storing control means for controlling data storing operations so that at least one statistical process is performed on the measured data and the measured data is stored in the measured data storing means so that statistical analysis may be performed thereon at any desired time only when it has been determined by the setting means to store the measured data in the measured data storing means, and so that the measured data is stored only in the statistical data storing mean when it has been determined by the setting means to store the measured data in the statistical data storing means; and

update means for calculating new statistical data by employing the measured data and the statistical data stored in the statistical data storing means and updating the statistical data in the statistical data storing means by employing the calculated new statistical data.

27. A portable measurement apparatus, comprising:

measurement means for measuring at least one of a pulse rate or a blood pressure, and outputting measured data based on the measurement result;

measured data storing means for storing the measured data output;

statistical data storing means for storing statistical data comprising a statistical value obtained by performing at least one statistical process on the measured data;

setting means for allowing a user to determine whether the measured data is to be stored in the measured data storing means so that measured data can be stored for statistical analysis at any desired time;

a control section for performing the at least one statistical process;

data storing control means for controlling data storing operations so that the measured data is stored in the measured data storing means only when the user has set the setting means to store the measured data; and

update means for calculating new statistical data by employing newly obtained measured data and statistical data stored in the statistical data storing means when measured data is output by the measurement means, and updating the statistical data in the statistical data storing means by employing the calculated new statistical data.

28. A portable measurement apparatus, comprising:

measurement means for measuring a performance-related variable and outputting measured data based on the measurement result;

measured data storing means for storing the measured data;

statistical data storing means for storing statistical data comprising a plurality of statistical values obtained by performing statistical processes on the measured data at predetermined times;

setting means for allowing a user to determine whether the measured data is to be stored in the measured data storing means so that measured data can be stored for statistical analysis at any desired time;

a control section for performing the statistical processes at the predetermined times;

data storing control means for controlling data storing operations so that the measured data is stored in the measured data storing means only when the user has set the setting means to store the measured data; and

update means for calculating new statistical data by employing newly obtained measured data and statistical data stored in the statistical data storing means when measured data is output by the measurement means, and updating the statistical data in the statistical data storing means at the predetermined times by employing the calculated new statistical data.

29. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 28;

further comprising time period setting means for setting the predetermined times for calculation of the statistical data.

30. A portable measurement apparatus according to claim 28;

wherein the setting means includes means for controlling the control section to provide a plurality of user-selectable calculation schemes to calculate the statistical data, and the update means calculates the statistical data by employing selected calculation schemes to update the statistical data in the statistical data storing means.