Method of performing operating settings in heart rate measurement arrangement, and heart rate measurement arrangement

• US 6,714,812 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2000
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Loponen, Erkki, Karjalainen, Markku
• Primary Examiner(s): Krishnamurthy, Ramesh
• Application Number:
  US09/716,630
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/509, 600/513, 600/523, 128/903, 607/30, 607/32
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of performing operating settings in a heart rate measurement arrangement, and a heart rate measurement arrangement. Audio frequency information is transmitted to the heart rate measurement arrangement by wireless transmission. The audio frequency information contains setting value information intended to be used in the operation of the heart rate measurement arrangement. In the heart rate measurement arrangement, decoding is performed to decode the received audio frequency information so that the setting value information can be used to control the operation thereof.

Claims

1. A method of providing operational settings to a heart rate measurement arrangement, said heart rate measurement arrangement including a receiver element comprising a piezo element capable of receiving or generating an audible sound signal, comprising:

wirelessly transmitting an audible sound signal including audio frequency information containing setting value information from a terminal to said receiver element, said setting value information being usable in the operation of said heart rate measurement arrangement;

decoding said audio frequency information in said heart rate measurement arrangement; and

storing said setting value information for use during operation of said heart rate measurement arrangement.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the audio frequency information contains one or more of the following setting value information sections:

upper limit of the heart rate alarm, lower limit of the heart rate alarm, sex of the user, age of the user, weight of the user, duration of the exercise interval, number of exercise intervals to be repeated, height of the user, time, date, wake-up setting.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the heart rate measurement arrangement receives the audio frequency information by means of an element also used for giving a sound signal in the heart rate measurement arrangement as soon as the heart rate limit is achieved during the exercise.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein a computer provided with an audio frequency generator is used as the terminal in transmitting the audio frequency information to the heart rate measurement arrangement.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein desired setting information is selected using the terminal, and the terminal encodes the selected setting information to transmit it as audio frequency information to the heart rate measurement arrangement.

6. A method according to claim 1, including selecting setting value information from a memory which is connected to the terminal or at least temporarily connectable thereto.

7. A method according to claim 1, including selecting setting value information by charging the setting value information by means of the terminal from the Internet information network.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein before the terminal transmits audio frequency information containing setting value information to the heart rate measurement arrangement, the terminal gives an audio frequency signal to inform the user.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein when the setting value information has been transmitted to the heart rate measurement arrangement, checking of the transmitted setting value information is performed automatically or beginning with a command by the user, in which checking a display of the heart rate measurement arrangement shows the transmitted setting value information to the user.

10. A heart rate measurement arrangement comprising:

a sensor structure for measuring a heart rate signal from the body of a person;

a signal-processing means for processing a signal received from the sensor structure;

a calculation unit connected to the signal-processing means;

means connected to the calculation unit for showing and/or storing heart rate information;

an audio frequency receiver comprising a piezo element for generating an audible sound signal and for wirelessly receiving an audible sound signal including audio frequency information containing setting value information from a terminal; and

a decoder in connection with the audio frequency receiver for decoding the received audio frequency information containing said setting value information.

11. A heart rate measurement arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the audio frequency information to be received to the heart rate measurement arrangement contains one or more of the following setting value information sections:

upper limit of the heart rate alarm, lower limit of the heart rate alarm, sex of the user, age of the user, weight of the user, duration of the exercise interval, number of the exercise intervals to be repeated, height of the user, time, date, wake-up setting.

12. A heart rate measurement arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the audio frequency receiver comprises an element also used for giving a sound signal as soon as the heart rate limit is achieved during the exercise.

13. A heart rate measurement arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said audio frequency receiver is incorporated as part of a wristband adapted to be worn by a user, against his/her body.

14. A heart rate measurement arrangement according to claim 10, further comprising a wristband part which comprises at least a part of the signal-processing means, calculation means, a display and/or a memory, an audio frequency receiver and a decoder.

15. A heart rate measurement arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the heart rate measurement arrangement has at least principally one part in such a way that the sensor structure is in the same structural unit as the signal-processing means, the heart rate calculation means and the display intended for showing and/or storing heart rate information and/or the memory, and the audio frequency receiver and the decoder.

16. A heart rate measurement arrangement according to claim 15, wherein said same structural unit is a wristband unit.

17. A heart rate measurement arrangement according to claims 10, wherein the heart rate measurement arrangement comprises two separate structural units connected wirelessly to each other in such a way that the first structural unit is provided with said sensor structure, a part of the signal-processing means and a transmitter structure in connection therewith for performing wireless data transmission;

and the second structural part is provided with a receiver structure using wireless data transmission for receiving heart rate measurement information from the receiver structure, a second part of the signal-processing means connected to the receiver structure, said calculation unit, a display and/or a memory, and said audio frequency receiver and said decoder.

18. A heart rate measurement arrangement according to claim 17, wherein said second structural unit is a wristband unit.

19. A heart rate measurement arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the transmitter structure in the first structural unit comprises a resonance circuit for inductive transmission.

20. A heart rate measurement arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the receiver structure in the second structural unit comprises a resonance circuit for inductive receipt.

21. A heart rate measurement arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the heart rate measurement arrangement comprise a memory for storing the decoded setting value information in the heart rate measurement arrangement.

22. A heart rate measurement arrangement according to claim 10, wherein in the audio frequency signal to be received to the heart rate measurement arrangement, the setting value information is encoded to the amplitude of the audio frequency signal.

23. A heart rate measurement arrangement according to claim 10, wherein in the audio frequency signal to be received to the heart rate measurement arrangement, the setting value information is encoded to the frequency of the audio frequency signal.

24. A method of providing operational settings to a heart rate measurement arrangement, said heart rate measurement arrangement including a receiver element comprising a piezo element capable of receiving or generating an audible sound signal, comprising:

wirelessly transmitting an audible sound signal including audio frequency information containing setting value information from a terminal to said receiver element, wherein said receiver element is a piezo element, said setting value information being usable in the operation of said heart rate measurement arrangement such that said piezo element produces an audible sound signal as soon as a heart rate limit is achieved during exercise;

decoding said audio frequency information in said heart rate measurement arrangement; and

storing said setting value information for use during operation of said heart rate measurement arrangement.

25. A heart rate measurement arrangement comprising:

a sensor structure for measuring a heart rate signal from the body of a person;

a signal processor for processing a signal received from the sensor structure;

a calculation unit connected to the signal processor;

means connected to the calculation unit for showing and/or storing heart rate information;

an audio frequency receiver comprising a piezo element for generating an audible sound signal and for wirelessly receiving an audible sound signal containing audio frequency information containing setting value information from a terminal;

a decoder in connection with the audio frequency receiver for decoding the received audio frequency information containing said setting value information; and

an element for producing an audible sound signal as soon as a heart rate limit is achieved during exercise.