KR100956791B1 - Apparatus for monitoring health, wellness and fitness - Google Patents

Abstract

The detection, monitoring and reporting device comprises at least two sensors to facilitate the generation of data indicative of the physiological parameters of the individual and / or data indicative of the contextual parameters of the individual. The processor is coupled to the sensor and is derived from at least some of data derived from at least a portion of the data representing physiological parameters and from at least one of data representing physiological parameters, data representing contextual parameters, derived data, and analysis state data. Generate at least one of the analysis state data of < RTI ID = 0.0 > The memory is provided with one of a variety of ways to store data retrievably and to transmit data.

Physiological Data, Contextual Data, Processors, Memory, Radio Transceivers, Analysis State Data

Description

Apparatus for monitoring health, wellness and health {APPARATUS FOR MONITORING HEALTH, WELLNESS AND FITNESS}

The present invention relates to a system for monitoring health, health care and wellness, and in particular, using sensor devices to collect data about the physiological state, lifestyle, and various contextual parameters of an individual at a remote location. A system for storing and making such data and analysis information based on such data, preferably available to an individual on an electronic network. The invention also relates to a device for monitoring health, health care and health conditions, in particular collecting and storing data relating to the physiological state of the individual and various contextual parameters, and analyzing such data and based on such data. A device comprising one or more sensors for making information available to an individual.

Research has shown that the best health problems in social life are caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, in whole or in part. Increasingly, our society often leads to poor eating habits, high stress levels, lack of exercise, poor sleep habits, and a fast and fulfilling lifestyle that results in a lack of time to concentrate and relax. In recognition of this fact, people are increasingly interested in a healthier lifestyle.

Conventional treatments, implemented in HMO form or similar configurations, do not have the time, training or reimbursement mechanisms to meet the needs of individuals interested in a healthier lifestyle. Attempts have been made to meet individual needs, including fitness programs and exercise equipment, dieting methods, self-training booklets, alternative therapies, and health information recently distributed on websites on the Internet. These attempts focused on enabling individuals to be responsible and attain health. However, these attempts ignore the majority of the real barriers faced by most individuals when they only care about the needs of individuals seeking a healthier lifestyle and want to embrace a healthier lifestyle. These barriers allow individuals to find motivation, to plan for a healthier lifestyle, to monitor progress, and to improvise if problems arise; The fact that existing programs relate only to certain types of healthier lifestyles and are not available as complete packages; And recommendations often include the fact that they are not aimed at the individual's life environment or personal characteristics.

A system for detecting, monitoring and reporting human physiological information is disclosed. The system includes a sensor device that, when positioned near at least a portion of the human body, generates at least one of data representing one or more physiological parameters and data derived from at least a portion of the data representing one or more physiological parameters. The system also includes a central monitoring unit located remotely from the sensor device. The central monitoring unit generates analysis state data from data indicative of one or more physiological parameters, derived data, and analysis state data previously generated. The central monitoring unit also includes a data storage device for retrievably storing the data that the central monitoring unit receives and generates. The disclosed system also includes means for enabling electronic communication between the sensor device and the central monitoring unit. Examples may include various well-known long-range wireless transmission devices, or physical or short-range wireless devices, which are connected to a computer and, in turn, allow for electronic communication with a central monitoring unit over an electronic network such as the Internet. Also included in the system are means for transmitting data indicative of one or more physiological parameters, derived data, and / or analysis status data to a recipient, such as an individual or an authorized third party from that individual.

Also disclosed are methods of detecting, monitoring and reporting human physiological information. The method includes generating data derived from at least some of the data indicative of one or more physiological parameters and one or more physiological parameters of an individual using a sensor device positioned to be located near at least a portion of the human body. do. At least one of the data indicative of the one or more physiological parameters and the derived data is transmitted from the sensor device to a central monitoring unit remote and stored for retrieval in a storage device. Analysis state data is generated from at least a portion of at least one of data indicative of one or more physiological parameters, derived data and analysis state data, such that at least one of the one or more physiological parameters, derived data and analysis state data is sent to the recipient. Is sent.

The sensor device includes one or more sensors for generating a signal in response to the physiological characteristics of the individual. The sensor device also includes a processor for generating data indicative of one or more physiological parameters from a signal generated by the one or more sensors. The processor also generates derived data. Alternatively, the derived data may be generated by a central monitoring unit.

The central monitoring unit may generate one or more webpages including data indicative of one or more physiological parameters, derived data, and / or analysis status data. The web page generated by the central monitoring unit can be accessed by the recipient on an electronic network, such as the internet. Alternatively, data indicative of one or more physiological parameters, derived data, and / or analysis status data may be sent to the recipient in physical form, such as by mail or facsimile.

The system and method may also use such daily activity data to obtain individual activity data and generate analysis status data. The sensor device may generate data indicative of one or more contextual parameters for the individual. The system and method may then use data indicative of one or more contextual parameters to generate analysis state data.

Also disclosed is a system for monitoring the degree to which an individual has followed a predetermined procedure. The system includes a sensor device that generates at least one of data and derived data indicative of one or more physiological parameters of an individual when the sensor device is located near at least a portion of the human body. Also included are means for transmitting data generated by the sensor device to a central monitoring unit remote from the sensor device and means for providing individual daily activity data to the central monitoring unit. The central monitoring unit generates and provides feedback to the recipient regarding the degree to which the individual has followed the prescribed procedure. This feedback is generated from at least some of at least one of data indicative of one or more physiological parameters, derived data, and daily activity data.

Also disclosed are methods for monitoring the degree to which an individual has followed a given procedure. The method comprises at least some of the derived data based on at least some of the data indicative of one or more physiological parameters of the individual and at least some of the data indicative of one or more physiological parameters generated by the sensor device when located in the vicinity of at least a portion of the human body. Receiving at the central monitoring unit. Personal daily activity data is also received at the central monitoring unit. The method also generates feedback to the central monitoring unit regarding the degree to which the individual has followed a given procedure, generated from at least one of data indicative of one or more physiological parameters of the individual, derived data, and daily activity data. And providing the feedback to the recipient.

Certain procedures may include a plurality of categories, where feedback is generated and provided for each of those categories. Examples of such categories include nutrition, activity levels, mental focus, sleep, and daily activities. Feedback may be provided in graphical or textual form and may be included in one or more web pages generated by the central monitoring unit. Alternatively, the feedback can be sent to the receiver in physical form.

Alternative systems for detecting, monitoring and reporting human physiological information are also disclosed. The system includes a sensor device that is placed in contact with the upper arm of the individual. The sensor device includes at least one of an accelerometer, a GSR sensor, and a heat flow sensor and generates data indicative of at least one of an activity of an individual wearing the sensor device, a skin response to an electrical stimulus, and heat flow. The sensor device may also be adapted to generate data derived from at least a portion of the data indicating at least one of activity, skin response to electrical stimulation, and heat flow. The sensor device may include a flexible wing body having a computer housing and first and second wings that wrap around a portion of an individual's arm. The sensor device may also allow the wearer to provide auditory, visual or tactile feedback.

The system also includes a central monitoring unit located remotely from the sensor device. The central monitoring unit generates analysis state data from at least one of data indicative of at least one of activity, skin response to electrical stimulation, and heat flow, derived data and previously generated analysis state data. The central monitoring unit can also generate data derived from data indicative of at least one of activity, skin response by electrical stimulation and heat flow. The central monitoring unit also includes a data storage device for retrievably storing the data that the central monitoring unit receives and generates. The disclosed system also includes means for enabling electronic communication between the sensor device and the central monitoring unit. And means for transmitting data indicative of at least one of activity, skin response to electrical stimulation, and heat flow, derived data, and / or analysis status data to a recipient, such as an individual or an authorized third party from that individual. This is included in this system.

The central monitoring unit may be configured to generate one or more webpages including data indicative of at least one of activity, skin response to electrical stimulation and heat flow, derived data and / or analysis status data. The web page generated by the central monitoring unit can be accessed by the receiver via an electronic network such as the internet. Alternatively, data indicative of at least one of activity, skin response to electrical stimulation and heat flow, derived data and / or analysis status data may be delivered to the recipient in physical form, such as by mail or facsimile.

The system may also use this daily activity data to obtain an individual's daily activity data and generate analysis state data. Moreover, the sensor device can generate data indicative of one or more contextual parameters of the individual. The system can then use the data representing one or more contextual parameters to generate analysis state data.

Alternative systems are also disclosed for monitoring the extent to which an individual has followed the proposed procedure. The system includes a sensor device as described above. Also included are means for transmitting data generated by the sensor device to a central monitoring unit remote from the sensor device and means for providing personal central activity data to the central monitoring unit. The central monitoring unit generates feedback on the extent to which the individual has followed the proposed procedure and provides it to the recipient. The feedback is generated from at least a portion of at least one of data representing at least one of activity, skin response by electrical stimulation and heat flow, derived data, and daily activity data.

The proposed procedure includes a plurality of categories, and the feedback is generated and provided for each of the categories. Examples of categories include nutrition, activity levels, mental focus, sleep and daily activities. The feedback is provided in graphical form and included in one or more web pages generated by the central monitoring unit. Alternatively, the feedback can be delivered to the recipient in physical form.

In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention, at least two selected from the group consisting of a physiological sensor and a context sensor, for detecting, monitoring and reporting at least one of physiological information and contextual information of a human An apparatus is disclosed that includes a sensor. Physiological sensors facilitate the generation of data indicative of one or more physiological parameters of an individual, and contextual sensors facilitate the generation of data indicative of one or more contextual parameters of an individual. The processor is coupled to the sensor and is analyzed from at least a portion of the data derived from at least a portion of the data representing the physiological parameters and the data representing the physiological parameters, the data representing the contextual parameters, the derived data and the analysis state data. Generate at least one of the state data. A memory is provided for retrievably storing at least one of data representing physiological parameters, data representing contextual parameters, derived data, and analysis state data. At least one of data representing physiological parameters, data representing contextual parameters, derived data, and analysis state data, including a visual output device, a tactile output device, an audio output device, and a computing device coupled to the apparatus Various options are available for sending one to an individual. The apparatus may also receive information from at least one of a component that enables manual entry of information, and a wireless device worn by the individual, a wireless device implanted in the individual's body, and a wireless device located adjacent to the individual. And / or a wireless device capable of outputting information to at least one of a wireless device worn by an individual, a wireless device implanted in an individual's body, and a wireless device located adjacent to the individual.

According to another alternative embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a sensor device and a computing device connected to the sensor device for detecting, monitoring and reporting at least one of physiological information and contextual information of a person. An apparatus is disclosed. The sensor device includes at least two sensors selected from the group consisting of physiological sensors and contextual sensors. Physiological sensors facilitate the generation of data indicative of one or more physiological parameters of an individual, and contextual sensors facilitate the generation of data indicative of one or more contextual parameters of an individual. The sensor device also includes a memory for retrievable storage of at least one of data representing physiological parameters and data representing contextual parameters. The computing device may comprise data derived from at least a portion of the data representing physiological parameters and analysis state data from at least one of at least one of data representing physiological parameters, data representing contextual parameters, derived data, and analysis state data. Generates at least one of. Transmitting to the individual at least one of data representing physiological parameters, data representing contextual parameters, derived data and analysis state data, including visual output devices, tactile output devices, auditory output devices, and computing devices Various options are available for this purpose. The apparatus may also receive information from at least one of a component that enables manual entry of information, and a wireless device worn by the individual, a wireless device implanted in the individual's body, and a wireless device located adjacent to the individual. And / or a wireless device capable of outputting information to at least one of a wireless device worn by an individual, a wireless device implanted in an individual's body, and a wireless device located adjacent to the individual. In the alternative, the apparatus may include a processor for generating data derived from at least a portion of the data representing the physiological parameter.

According to another alternative embodiment of the invention, at least one selected from the group consisting of a physiological sensor and a context sensor, for monitoring and reporting at least one of physiological information and contextual information and nutritional information of a human An apparatus comprising two sensors is disclosed. Physiological sensors facilitate the generation of data indicative of one or more physiological parameters of an individual, and contextual sensors facilitate the generation of data indicative of one or more contextual parameters of the individual. The apparatus also includes means for entering food consumption information into the apparatus. There is also provided a memory for storing conversion information for converting food consumption information into nutritional information. The device may also include data derived from at least some of the data representing physiological parameters and data from the at least one of data representing physiological parameters, data representing contextual parameters, derived data, nutritional information, and analysis state data. A processor for generating at least one of the analysis state data, and means for transmitting at least one of data representing physiological parameters, data representing contextual parameters, derived data, and analysis state data.

1 is a diagram of one embodiment of a system for monitoring physiological data and lifestyle on an electronic network in accordance with the present invention;

2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the sensor device shown in FIG. 1;

3 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the central monitoring unit shown in FIG. 1, FIG.

4 is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the central monitoring unit shown in FIG. 1, FIG.

5 is a diagram of a preferred embodiment of a health manager web page in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

6 is a diagram of a preferred embodiment of a nutritional web page in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

7 is a diagram of a preferred embodiment of an activity level web page in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

8 is a diagram of a preferred embodiment of a mental concentration web page in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

9 is a diagram of a preferred embodiment of a sleep web page in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

10 is a diagram of a preferred embodiment of a daily activities web page in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

11 is a diagram of a preferred embodiment of a health index web page in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

12 is a front view of a particular embodiment of the sensor device shown in FIG. 1, FIG.

FIG. 13 is a rear view of a particular embodiment of the sensor device shown in FIG. 1, FIG.

14 is a side view of a particular embodiment of the sensor device shown in FIG. 1, FIG.

15 is a bottom view of a particular embodiment of the sensor device shown in FIG. 1, FIG.

16 and 17 are front perspective views of a particular embodiment of the sensor device shown in FIG. 1, FIG.

18 is an exploded side perspective view of a particular embodiment of the sensor device shown in FIG. 1, FIG.

19 is a side view of the sensor device shown in FIGS. 12-18, inserted in a battery charging unit;

20 is a block diagram showing all components connected to or mounted to a printed circuit board forming part of the sensor device shown in FIGS. 12 to 18, and

21 shows a block diagram of an apparatus for monitoring health, health care and wellness in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, in conjunction with the following drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts.

In general, in accordance with the present invention, data relating to an individual's physiological state, lifestyle and certain contextual parameters are collected and transmitted sequentially or in real time from a person to a site remote from the individual, which data can then be processed. Is stored and presented to the recipient via an electronic network such as the Internet. As used herein, contextual parameters refer to parameters relating to an individual's environment, ambient conditions and location, including but not limited to air cleanliness, sound level, air temperature and location measurements. Referring to FIG. 1, a sensor device 10 located in proximity to at least a portion of the human body is located at a user location 5. The sensor device 10 is worn by an individual user, for example, as part of a garment, such as a foam type sheet, or as part of an arm band. Sensor device 10 includes one or more sensors and microprocessors that generate signals in response to an individual's physiological parameters. The term proximity in this specification means that the sensor of the sensor device 10 is separated from the body of the individual by a certain material or the like so that the performance of the sensor is not disturbed.

The sensor device 10 may include personal heart rate, pulse rate, heart rate variability, EKG or ECG, respiratory rate, skin temperature, human core temperature, human radiant heat, skin spasm response or GSR, EMG, EEG, EOG, blood pressure, body fat, Generate data indicating various physiological parameters for the individual, such as hydration level, activity level, oxygen consumption, glucose or blood glucose level, body posture, pressure on muscle or bone, and UV radiation absorption. In some cases, data indicative of various physiological parameters is a signal or a signal generated by one or more sensors and in some cases the data is calculated by the microprocessor based on the signal generated by one or more sensors. Methods for generating data indicating various physiological parameters and sensors to be used are known. Table 1 provides several examples of known methods and shows the corresponding parameters, the methods used, the sensor devices used and the signals generated. Table 1 also provides an indication as to whether further processing based on the generated data needed to generate the data is needed.

parameter Way sensor signal Further processing  Heart rate  EKG  2 electrodes  DC voltage  Yes  Pulse rate  BVP  LED emitters and optical sensors  Resistance change  Yes  Heart rate variability  Heart rate  2 electrodes  DC voltage  Yes  EKG  Skin surface potential  3-10 electrodes  DC voltage  no  Respiratory rate  Chest size change                                           Strain gauge  DC voltage  Yes  Skin temperature  Surface temperature navigation  Thermistor  DC voltage  Yes  Core temperature  Esophagus or rectum navigation  Thermistor  DC voltage  Yes  Heat flow  Heat flux  Thermopile  DC voltage  Yes  Skin Response to Electrical Stimulation  Skin conductance  2 electrodes  Resistance change  no  EMG  Skin surface potential  3 electrodes  DC voltage  no  EEG  Skin surface potential  A plurality of electrodes  DC voltage  Yes  EOG  Pupil movement  Thin Film Piezoelectric Sensors  DC voltage  Yes  Blood pressure  Non-Invasive Korotkup Sound  Electronic spigroromameter  Resistance change  Yes  Body fat  Body impedance  2 active electrodes Impedance change  Yes  Activity per interpreted G shock per minute  Body movement  Accelerometer  DC voltage, capacitance change  Yes  Oxygen consumption  Oxygen suction  Electro-chemical  DC voltage change  Yes  Glucose levels  Non-invasive  Electro-chemical  DC voltage change  Yes Body posture (e.g. lying down, upright, not)  N / A  Mercury switch array  DC voltage change  Yes  Muscle pressure  N / A  Thin film piezoelectric resistance  DC voltage change  Yes UV radiation absorption  N / A  UV photosensitive cell  DC voltage change  Yes

The type of data included in Table 1 represents an example of the type of data that may be generated by the sensor device 10. It should be understood that other types of data related to other parameters may be generated by the sensor device 10 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The microprocessor of the sensor device 10 can be programmed to summarize and analyze the data. For example, the microprocessor may be programmed to calculate the average, minimum or maximum heart rate or respiratory rate for a predetermined time, such as 10 minutes. The sensor device 10 may derive information about the physiological state of the individual based on data indicating one or more physiological parameters. The microprocessor of the sensor device 10 may be programmed to derive such information using known methods based on data indicative of one or more physiological parameters. Table 2 provides some types of information that can be derived and shows some types of data that can be used for this.

Derived information Data used  ovulation  Skin temperature, core temperature, oxygen consumption  Sleep Start / Wake Up  Heart rate variability, heart rate, pulse rate, respiratory rate, skin temperature, core temperature, heat flow, skin response to global stimulation, EMG, EEG, EOG, blood pressure, oxygen consumption  Burned calories  Heart rate, pulse rate, respiratory rate, heat flow, activity, oxygen consumption  Basal metabolic rate  Heart rate, pulse rate, respiratory rate, heat flow, activity, oxygen consumption  Base temperature  Skin temperature, core temperature  Activity level  Heart rate, pulse rate, respiratory rate, heat flow, activity, oxygen consumption  Stress level  EKG, heart rate variability, heart rate, pulse rate, respiratory rate, skin temperature, heat flow, skin response to global stimulation, EMG, EEG, EOG, blood pressure, activity, oxygen consumption  Relaxation level  EKG, heart rate variability, heart rate, pulse rate, respiratory rate, skin temperature, heat flow, skin response to global stimulation, EMG, EEG, EOG, blood pressure, activity, oxygen consumption  Oxygen consumption rate  EKG, heart rate, pulse rate, respiration rate, heat flow, blood pressure, activity, oxygen consumption  The time or climb time from ascent to the 85% maximum target  Heart rate, pulse rate, respiration rate, heat flow, oxygen consumption  The time when your heart rate was at least 85% of your maximum target or during that interval  Heart rate, pulse rate, respiration rate, heat flow, oxygen consumption  The time or return time it took for the heart rate to return to rest after the heart rate was more than 85% of the maximum target.  Heart rate, pulse rate, respiration rate, heat flow, oxygen consumption

In addition, sensor device 10 may generate data indicative of various contextual parameters relating to an individual's surroundings. For example, the sensor device 10 may generate data indicating air cleanliness, sound level / quality, optical characteristics or ambient temperature near the individual, or location measurement of the individual. Sensor device 10 includes one or more sensors for generating a signal in response to a contextual characteristic relating to an individual's surroundings, which signal is ultimately used to generate the type of data as described above. . Such sensors are known as well as methods for generating contextual parameter data, such as air cleanliness, sound level / quality, optical properties or ambient temperature near an individual, or individual location.

2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a sensor device 10. The sensor device 10 includes at least one sensor 12 and a microprocessor 20. Depending on the nature of the signal generated by the sensor 12, the signal is passed through one or more amplifiers 14, regulating circuits 16, analog-to-digital converters 18 before being sent to the microprocessor 20. Can be sent. By way of example, sensor 12 requires an amplification and filtering and generates an analog signal that can be sent to amplifier 16 and then sent to regulating circuit 16, which can be a band pass filter. The amplified and modulated analog signal can be sent to an analog-to-digital converter 18, where the signal is converted into a digital signal. The digital signal is then sent to the microprocessor 20. Alternatively, if sensor 12 generates a digital signal, this signal may be sent directly to microprocessor 20.

Digital signals representing certain physiological and / or contextual characteristics of an individual user may be used by the microprocessor 20 to calculate or generate data indicative of certain physiological and / or contextual parameters of the individual user. Can be. The microprocessor 20 may be programmed to derive information regarding at least one example of the physiological state of the individual. It should be appreciated that the microprocessor 20 may include other types of processors or processing devices, such as microcontrollers, or any other device that may be programmed to perform the functions described herein.

According to one embodiment of the invention, data indicative of physiological and / or contextual parameters is stored in a memory 22, such as a flash memory, in which data is stored until uploaded in a manner as described below. Can be stored. Although memory 22 is shown in FIG. 2 as a separate component, it should be understood that it may be part of microprocessor 20. Sensor device 10 includes input / output circuitry 24, adapted to output and receive as data signals are input in a manner as described below. Thus, the memory 22 of the sensor device 10 stores and enriches data regarding the body and / or environment of the individual user. This data is periodically uploaded from the sensor device 10 and sent to a remote central monitoring unit 30 as shown in FIG. 1, and the data is provided to subsequent processing and users, via a local or wide area electronic communication network such as the Internet. To be stored in the database. Such uploading of data may be an automatic process initiated by the sensor device 10 periodically, or upon generation of an event such as detection by the sensor device 10, such as when the heart rate is below a certain level, or an individual user or It may be initiated by a third party authorized by an individual user according to a regular periodic schedule, such as 10 pm daily. Alternatively, rather than storing data in memory 22, sensor device 10 uploads the data in real time continuously.

Uploading data from the sensor device 10 to the central monitoring unit 30 for storage can be accomplished in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, the data collected by the sensor device 10 is first transmitted by the physical connection 40, which may be a serial connection such as an RS232 or USB port, to the personal computer 35 shown in FIG. Thereby uploading. This physical connection may be accomplished with the use of an unshown cradle electronically coupled to a computer into which the sensor device 10 may be inserted, as is common with many commercially available personal handheld terminal devices. Uploading of data may be initiated by pressing a button on the cradle or may be initiated automatically upon insertion of the sensor device 10. The data collected by the sensor device 10 is uploaded by transmitting the data to the personal computer 35 in a short range wireless transmission, such as infrared or wireless transmission, as indicated by reference numeral 45.

Once the data is received by the personal computer 35, the data is optionally compressed and encrypted in a variety of known ways and then transmitted to the central monitoring unit 30 via a local or wide area electronic network, preferably the Internet. The personal computer 35 is operated by Palm VII, Research in Motion, Inc., sold by Palm, Inc., which is any computing device capable of accessing, transmitting and receiving data over an electronic network. It should be noted that it can be replaced with a personal handheld device such as the Blackberry two-way pager sold.

Alternatively, the data collected by the sensor device 10, collected and optionally compressed by the microprocessor 20, may be sent to a local telco site using email or wireless protocols such as ASCII or binary data. It may be sent to a wireless device 50, such as a two-way pager or a cellular phone for long range wireless transmission. The local telco site 55 includes a computer 65 connected to the tower 60 and a tower 60 that receives wireless transmissions from the wireless device 50. According to a preferred embodiment, the computer 65 can access an associated electronic network, such as the Internet, and is used to transmit data received in the form of a wireless transmission to the central monitoring unit 30 via the Internet. Although the wireless device 50 is shown in FIG. 1 as a separate device connected to the sensor device 10, this device or a device having the same or similar function may be embedded as part of the sensor device 10.

The sensor device 10 is equipped with a button used for time stamp events to keep certain time events such as time to sleep, time to wake up or time to eat. These time stamps are stored in the sensor device 10 and uploaded to the central monitoring unit 30 along with the rest of the data described above. The time stamp includes a digitally recorded voice message that is uploaded to the central monitoring unit 30 and then converted to text or some other information format that can be used by the central monitoring unit 30 using voice recognition technology.

In addition to using the sensor device 10 to automatically collect physiological data about an individual user, the kiosk may, for example, lift the weight of the individual and place the sensor device 10 on which the individual places a portion of his or her hand or other body. The data can be collected by providing a sensing device similar to the < RTI ID = 0.0 >) or by examining the individual's body using laser technology or iStat blood analyzers. The kiosk is equipped with the processing functions as described and can have access to the relevant electronic network, thus transmitting the collected data to the central monitoring unit 30 via the electronic network. Also provided is a desktop sensing device similar to sensor device 10 in which an individual places a portion of his hand or other body. As an example such a desktop sensing device can be a blood pressure monitor on which an individual places his or her arm. The individual can also wear a ring with a sensor device 10 integrated therein. An unshown base is provided that can be coupled to the ring. The desktop sensing device or base may be connected to a computer such as a personal computer 35 by physical or short-range wireless connection such that the collected data can be uploaded to the central monitoring unit 30 via the electronic network in the manner described above. . Mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants, may also be equipped with a sensor device 10 integrated therein. Such sensor device 10 collects data when a mobile device is placed in close proximity to an individual's body by holding the device in the palm of his or her hand and uploads the collected data to the central monitoring unit 30 in any manner described above. can do.

Moreover, in addition to collecting data by automatically sensing the data in any of the ways described above, an individual may manually provide data regarding various daily activities that are ultimately transmitted and stored to the central monitoring unit 30. An individual user can access a website maintained by the central monitoring unit 30, respond to questions posted on the website, or click through a dialog provided by the website to freely enter text to enter daily activities. You can enter the information directly. The central monitoring unit 30 periodically sends an e-mail message containing a question designed to extract information about daily activities to the personal computer 35 or sends an e-mail such as a personal digital assistant, pager or cellular phone. Send to other devices that can receive it. The individual may provide data regarding the daily activities to the central monitoring unit 30 by responding to the appropriate e-mail message with the relevant data. The central monitoring unit 30 may also make a phone call to an individual user whose schedule questions may be posted to the individual user. The individual user can answer the question by voice or by entering information using the telephone keypad, in which case conventional speech recognition techniques are used by the central monitoring unit 30 to receive and process the response. The telephone call may be initiated by the user, in which case the user may speak directly to the other party or enter information using keypad or voice / voice recognition technology. The central monitoring unit 30 has access to a source of information controlled by the user, such as a user's electronic calendar with an Outlook product sold by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington, where information can be automatically collected. can do. Data related to daily activities may relate to an individual's food intake, sleep, exercise, mind centering or rest, and / or daily habits, patterns, and / or activities. So, the sample question is, what did you have for lunch today? What time did you go to bed last night? What time did you get up this morning? How many hours did you run on the treadmill today?

The feedback is provided directly to the user through the sensor device 10 in visual form via an LED or LCD, or in the form of a touch feedback such as an acoustic signal or vibration by at least partially fabricating the sensor device 10 from a thermochromic plastic. It can be provided directly to the user. Such feedback may be a reminder or warning signal in eating food, taking drugs such as vitamins, participating in activities such as exercise or meditation, or when dehydration is detected. In addition, a dunning or warning signal may be generated when certain physiological parameters, such as ovulation, are detected, when a certain level for calories burned is reached, or when a high heart rate or respiratory rate is encountered.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, it is possible to "download" data from the central monitoring unit 30 to the sensor device 10. The flow of data in this download process is almost the opposite of that described above for uploading data from the sensor device 10. Thus, the firmware of the microprocessor 20 of the sensor device 10 may be remotely updated or alerted, i.e., from the central monitoring unit 30 for parameters such as the timing and sampling rate of the sensor device 10. By downloading new firmware at 10, the microprocessor can be reprogrammed. In addition, the attention / warning signal provided by the sensor device 10 may be set by the user and subsequently downloaded to the sensor device 10 using a website maintained by the central monitoring unit 30.

Referring to FIG. 3, a block diagram of an embodiment of a central monitoring unit 30 is shown. The central monitoring unit 30 takes a traffic or data request whose main function is input and output and sends this traffic or data request for processing or review on a web site maintained by the central monitoring unit 30. 75) connected to the CSU / DSU 70. The firewall 80 is connected to the router 75. The primary purpose of the firewall 80 is to protect the rest of the central monitoring unit 30 from unauthorized or malicious intrusion. The switch 85 connected to the firewall 80 is used to allow data flow to be sent between the middleware servers 95a to 95c and the data server 110. The load balancer 90 is provided to distribute the burden of incoming requests for the middleware servers 95a to 95c which are configured identically. A suitable example of load balancer 90 is the F5 ServerIron product sold by Foundry Networks, Inc. of San Jose, CA, and the availability of middleware servers 95a through 95c and middleware to properly distribute tasks among them. The amount of system resources used for each of the servers 95a through 95c is analyzed.

The central monitoring unit 30 includes a network storage device 100, such as a SAN or network storage area, that serves as a central repository for data. In particular, network storage device 100 includes a database that stores all the data collected for each individual user in the manner described above. An example of a suitable network storage device 100 is a Symmetrix product sold by EMC Corporation of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Although only one network storage device 100 is shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of network storage devices of various capacities may be used according to the data storage needs of the central monitoring unit 30. The central monitoring unit 30 also includes a database server 110 connected to the network storage device 100. Database server 110 is a high-capacity multiprocessor server and enterprise type software that is an 8 / 8i component sold by Oracle Corporation, Redwood City, CA, or 506 7 component sold by Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington. It consists of two main components, which are servers. The primary function of the database server 110 is to provide on-demand access to data stored in the network storage device 100 and to store new data in the network storage device 100. The controller 115 connected to the network storage device 100 typically includes a desktop computer to manage data stored on the network storage device 100.

Middleware servers 95a to 95c, such as the 22OR Dual Processor sold by Sun Microsystems, Pilo Alto, Calif., May each be a corporate or home web page or web page of a website maintained by the central monitoring unit 30. Software for creating and maintaining them. As is known in the art, a web page refers to a block of data available on the world-wide web that includes a file written in HTML, and a web site is generally any web on the Internet running in a world-wide web server process. It's a computer. A corporate or home web page or web page is a starting or landing page that can be accessed by everyone who visits the site using the appropriate URL. As is known in the art, URLs provide a standard way of describing the location of objects, which are in the form of addresses used on the world-wide web and are typically web pages on the Internet. The middleware servers 95a to 95c each include software for creating and maintaining web pages of the web site of the central monitoring unit 30 that can only be accessed by an individual registered and a member of the central monitoring unit 30. . The member users are those who want to get the data stored in the central monitoring unit 30. Access by such member users is controlled by the use of passwords for security purposes. Preferred examples of such web pages are described below and are generated using the collected data stored in network storage device 100.

Middleware servers 95a through 95c also include software for requesting data from or writing data to network storage device 100 via database server 110. The individual user initiates a session with the central monitoring unit 30 to enter data into the database of the network storage device 100, to review the personal user data stored in the database of the network storage device 100, or for both. If desired, the user visits the web page of the central monitoring unit 30 using a browser program such as Internet Explorer distributed by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington. The load balancer 90 assigns one of the middleware servers 95a to 95c, identified as the selected middleware server. The user is preferably assigned a selected middleware server for each full session. The selected middleware server authenticates the user using one of a number of known methods so that only a true user can be allowed to access the information in the database. Member users can also authorize third parties, such as health care providers or personal trainers, to access their data. Each authorized third party is assigned a separate password and can review member user data using a conventional browser. Thus, users and third parties can be recipients of data.

Once the user is authenticated, the selected middleware server requests data of the individual user of the network storage device 100 through the database server 110 for a predetermined time. The predetermined time is preferably 30 days. The requested data received from the network storage device 100 is temporarily stored in the cache memory by the selected middleware server. The data temporarily stored in the cache memory is used by the selected middleware server as a basis for presenting the information back to the user through the user's browser in the form of a web page. Each of the middleware servers 95a through 95c has software for manipulating and performing calculations that use the data to present the data to the user in an appropriate form, and appropriate software for generating web pages. When the user finishes his session, the data is discarded from the cache. When a user starts a new session, the process for acquiring and storing data for the user as described above is stored in the cache. This caching system requires only one call to be made to the network storage device 100 per session, reducing the traffic that the database server 110 must handle. If a request from a user during a particular session requires data other than data that has been cached for a certain time already retrieved, a separate call to network storage device 100 may be performed by the selected middleware server. However, the predetermined time must be chosen so that additional calls are minimized. Cached data can also be stored in cache memory so that it can be reused when a user starts a new session, thus eliminating the need to initiate a new call to network storage device 100.

As described in conjunction with Table 2, the microprocessor of the sensor device 10 may be programmed to derive information about the physiological state of the individual based on data indicative of one or more one or more physiological parameters. The central monitoring unit 30, and the middleware servers 95a-95c may likewise be programmed to derive such information based on data indicative of one or more one or more physiological parameters.

The user may also be considered entering additional information during the session, such as, for example, information about the user's eating or sleeping habits. This additional data is stored by the selected middleware server in the cache for the duration of the user's session. When the user ends the session, the additional data stored in the cache is sent to the database server 110 by the selected middleware server to be entered into the network storage device 100. Alternatively, in addition to being stored in the cache for potential use during the session, the input data can be directly entered into the network storage device 100 for input to the network storage device 100, such as in a known write-through cache system. ) May be sent.

Data collected by the sensor device 10 shown in FIG. 1 may be uploaded periodically to the central monitoring unit 30. By long-range wireless transmission or personal computer, the connection to the central monitoring unit 30 is achieved by an electronic network such as the Internet. In particular, the connection to the load balancer 90 is made through the CSU / DSU 70, the router 75, the firewall 80, and the switch 85. The load balancer 90 then selects one of the middleware servers 95a through 95c to process the upload of data, referred to as the middleware server selected below. The selected middleware server authenticates the user using any known method. If the authentication is correct, the data is uploaded to the selected middleware server described above and ultimately sent to the database server 110 for input to the network storage device 100.

Referring to FIG. 4, another embodiment of a central monitoring unit 30 is shown. In addition to the components shown and described in connection with FIG. 3, the central monitoring unit 30 shown in FIG. 4 includes a mirror network storage device 120 that is a redundant backup device of the network storage device 100. The controller 122 is connected to the mirror network storage device 100. Data from network storage device 100 is periodically copied to mirror network storage device 120 for data redundancy.

A third party, such as an insurance company or research institution, is given access to certain information stored in mirror network storage device 120, which may be paid. Preferably, in order to maintain the confidentiality of the individual user providing the data to the central monitoring unit 30, the third party is not given access to the individual user, but only mirrored storage in aggregated form. Access to data stored in device 120 may be granted. The third party can access information stored in the mirror network storage device 120 via the Internet using a conventional browser program. Requests from third parties may come through the CSU / DSU 70, the router 75, the firewall 80, and the switch 85. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a separate load balancer 130 is provided for distributing tasks relating to accessing and presenting data from the mirror drive array 120 among identically configured middleware servers 135a to 135c. do. The middleware servers 135a to 135c each include software for allowing third parties to express in a form using a browser a query about information from the mirror network storage device 120 via a separate database server 125. do. The middleware servers 135a-135c also include software for presenting information obtained from the mirror network storage device 120 to a third party in the form of a web page via the Internet. In addition, third parties may select from a series of written reports with information packaged by subject, such as various population categories. D

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, instead of granting a third party access to backup data stored on the mirror network storage device 120, the third party has access to data stored on the network storage device 10. Can be given. Instead of providing load balancer 130 and middleware servers 135a through 135c, the same functionality may be provided by load balancer 130 and middleware servers 135a through 135c even if a certain level of performance is sacrificed.

If an individual user becomes a registered user or member, that user completes a detailed investigation. The purpose of this survey is to identify unique characteristics / environments for each user that need to be processed to maximize the likelihood that each user will implement and maintain the health lifestyle proposed by the central monitoring unit 30. and; Obtain reference data to be used to initialize individual users and facilitate the calculation and display of constant graphical data output, such as a Health Index piston; Identify unique user characteristics and environments that assist the central monitoring unit 30 to tailor the type of content presented to the user at the daily dose of Health Manager; It also aims to identify the unique user characteristics and circumstances that a health manager can guide the user to address possible barriers to the health lifestyle through the health manager's problem solving capabilities.

Specific information to be investigated includes key individual substrate characteristics including activity level, meal regularity, sleep, bowel habits, and early half of the situation, including acceptability, patience, threshold of reaction, reaction intensity, and mood level; Independent functional level of the user, such as self-organization and management, social activity, memory, and sexual achievements; User's ability to concentrate and maintain attention, including arousal level, cognitive tempo, distraction coping ability, insomnia and self-discipline; The user's current, including current body weight, height and blood pressure, recent medical visits, gynecological care, and other applicable medical / health center visits, current medications and supplements, allergy and current symptoms and / or health-related behaviors nick; Social stress events such as illness / surgery, past medical history of the user, such as family history, and unemployment or divorce requiring adaptation by the individual; Contributing to users' beliefs, values and opinions about health priorities, their ability to change their behavior, and how to relieve stress in their lives and their stresses; The user's current routine to complete self-awareness, empathy and empowerment and self-esteem, and activities of eating, sleeping, exercising, resting and daily living; And user perceptions of the temperamental characteristics of two key people in their lives, such as their spouses, friends or colleagues, and their relationships with them that may contribute to stress or interfere with healthy lifestyles. Includes whether or not to do so.

Each member user can access a series of web pages customized for the user, referred to as a health manager, through the home web page of the central monitoring unit 30. A start health manager web page 150 is shown in FIG. The Health Manager Web page is the main workspace for member users. The health manager web page may include data indicating various physiological parameters generated by the sensor device 10; Data derived from data indicating various physiological parameters; Data indicative of various contextual data generated by the sensor device 10; And a utility that enables the central monitoring unit 30 to provide the user with various types and types of data, referred to as analysis status data, generated from the data, which collect and generate one or more of the data entered by the user. It includes. The analysis state data may include data indicating various physiological parameters generated by the sensor device 10, data derived from data indicating various physiological parameters; Data indicative of various contextual data generated by the sensor device 10; And the application of certain utilities or algorithms to convert one or more of the data entered into the health, healthcare and lifestyle indicators calculated by the user. For example, it may be calculated based on data entered by the user, such as calories and amounts of food, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and certain vitamins the user eats. As another example, skin temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, heat flow, and / or GSR can provide an indicator of the user's level of stress over time. As another example, skin temperature, heat flow heart rate variability, heart rate, pulse rate, respiratory rate, visceral temperature, electrical skin half are detected by devices such as EMG, EEG, EGO, blood pressure, oxygen consumption, atmospheric noise and accelerators. Body movements and movements can be used to provide an indicator of a user's sleep pattern over a period of time.

The health index 155 is located on the start health manager web page 150. Health index 155 is a utility used to measure and provide feedback on the performance of member users and the extent to which member users are used to measure and provide success in reaching a healthy routine suggested by central monitoring unit 30. to be. Health index 155 provides instructions for member users to track their progress. Health index 155 includes the six categories of health and lifestyle of the user, such as nutritional intake, activity level, mental concentration, sleep, daily activities and mood levels. The nutrition category is about what, when and how you ate and drank. The activity level category is about how much you have moved. The mental focus category relates to the amount and quality of time spent in engaging in some activities that allow the body to achieve a great relaxation state with high concentration and attention to the mind. Sleep categories relate to the amount and quality of sleep. Everyday activity categories relate to the responsibilities and health risks of everyday life. Feeling good category refers to how good you feel on a particular day. Each category has a piston or associated level indicator that indicates the extent to which the user performs for the category, ranging from poor to very good.

When each member user completes the initial examination described above, a profile is created that provides the user with a summary of his or her associated characteristics and life environment. Plans and / or goals are provided in the form of suggested health routines. Suggested health routines may include appropriate nutrition, exercise, mental concentration, sleep and selected activities related to daily life in the user's life. A typical schedule can be provided as guiding how the proposed activities can be integrated into the user's life. The user re-examines the survey, and based on the results, the above items are readjusted.

The nutritional intake category is calculated from the data entered by the user and the data sensed by the sensor device 10. Data entered by the user includes time and time taken for breakfast, lunch and dinner, snacks and foods eaten, supplements such as vitamins ingested, water consumed for a given time and other fluids. Based on these data and the data stored about the late-night characteristics of the various foods, the central monitoring unit 30 calculates known nutritious food values such as calories and amounts of consumed protein, fat, carbohydrates and certain vitamins.                 

Nutritional Health Index piston, eat at least three meals; 6-11 bowls of bread, pasta, cereals and rice, 2-4 bowls of fruit, 3-5 bowls of vegetables, 2-4 bowls of fish, meat, poultry, dry beans, eggs, and nuts, milk, yogurt and Eat a variety of diets, 2-3 bowls of cheese; Drinking water of 8 or 8 ounces or more is determined in relation to the proposed health routine. This routine is adjusted based on information about the user's gender, age, height and / or weight. The constant nutrition goal may be set by the user or set for the user for daily calories, protein, fiber, fat, carbohydrates, and / or water consumption and percentage of total consumption. The parameters used to calculate the relevant piston level include the number of daily meals entered by the user and the number of cups of water drank.

The nutrition intake information is presented to the user through the nutrition intake web page 160 as shown in FIG. 6. The nutrition intake web page 160 includes nutrition intake facts charts 165 and 170, each illustrating actual and target nutrition intake facts, such as a pie chart, and a total actual nutrition intake and target nutrition intake, respectively, such as a pie chart. And nutritional intake charts 175 and 180 that illustrate. Nutrient Intake Charts (165 and 170) show percent breakdown of protein, fat, carbohydrates and items, and Nutrient Intake Charts (175 and 180) show destruction of components such as total and target proteins, fiber, fat, carbohydrates and vitamins. Show the percentage. Web page 160 includes a food and water consumption tracker 185 with time entries, a hyperlink 190 for direct access to nutrition-related new items and articles, and a view with variable and selectable time periods. A calendar 190 for selection. The item shown at 190 can be selected and customized based on its performance measured by the health index and based on information learned about the individual in the survey.

The activity level of the health index 150 is designed to assist the user in monitoring how and when the user has moved throughout the day and to utilize all data input by the user and sensed by the sensor device 10. The data entered by the user includes details about everyday activities, such as the fact that the user worked from 8 am to 5 pm and aerobics from 6 pm to 7 pm. Relevant data sensed by the sensor device 10 is guided by the sensor device 60 or the central monitoring unit 30 and includes heat flow, respiratory rate, burned calories, GSR and Sign language level, heart rate, and movement. Burned calories are the product of the type of exercise entered by the user and the duration of exercise entered by the user; Detected motion multiplied by workout time multiplied by filter constant; Or the sensed heat flux multiplied by the motion time multiplied by the filter constant.

Activity Level Health Index The piston level may be used for aerobic exercise during a predetermined period of time, preferably 20 minutes, or for engaging in intense lifestyle activities, preferably for an hour period of one hour, and aerobic and lifestyle activities. Is preferably determined in connection with the proposed healthy routine, including burning the minimum target calorie, which is preferably 205 calories. The minimum target calorie is set according to information about the user's gender, age, height and / or weight. The parameters used in the calculation of the relevant piston level are the time spent participating in aerobic exercise or participating in the intense lifestyle activities detected by the user and / or sensed by the sensor device 10 and the pre-calculated energy expenditure parameters. It includes calories burned. Information about an individual user's workout is presented to the user via an activity level web page 200 as shown in FIG. 7, which provides the individual user with one of three categories of high, medium, and low intensity for a preselected time unit. For monitoring, it may include an activity graph 205 in the form of a bar graph. An activity percentage chart 210 in the form of a pie chart is provided to show the percentage of preselected time periods, such as a day spent by the user in each category. Activity level web page 200 also includes a calorie section 215 for displaying items such as burned total calories, burned daily target calories, intake total calories, and aerobic activity duration. Finally, activity level web page 200 includes at least one hyperlink 220 that allows a user to directly access related new items and articles, suggestions for organizing and improving the routine for activity levels, and network Affiliate with ads on the web. Activity level web page 200 may be viewed in a variety of formats and may include user-selectable graphs and charts, such as bar graphs or pie charts, or both, selectable by activity level check box 225. . Activity level calendar 230 may be selected and customized based on their performance measured by health index and based on information learned about the individual in the survey.                 

The mental concentration category 155 of the health index is designed to help the user monitor parameters related to the time spent participating in certain activities that allow the body to achieve a deep rest state while the mind is concentrated. And based on data input by the user and / or sensed by the sensor device 10. In particular, the user may enter the start and end times of a relaxation activity such as yoga or meditation. The quality of these activities, determined by the depth of mental concentration events, can be measured by monitoring parameters including skin temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and heat flow sensed by the sensor device 10. Percent change in GSR as induced by sensor device 10 or central monitoring unit 30 may also be used.

Psychocentive health index The piston level is calculated for a proposed healthy routine that involves participating in activities every day that allows the body to achieve deep relaxation while maintaining a very high concentration of the mind for at least 15 minutes. The parameters used in the calculation of the associated piston level may be compared to the amount of time spent on mental concentration activity, and the skin temperature, heart rate, Percent change in respiratory rate, heat flow, or GSR. Information regarding the time spent on self-reflection and relaxation is presented to the user through the mental concentration web page 250 shown in FIG. For each mental concentration activity called a session, the preferred mental concentration web page 250 includes a comparison unit 265 representing the time 255 spent during the session, the target time 260, the mental concentration or focus target, and the actual depth. And histogram 270 representing the level of overall stress derived from skin temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, heat flow or GSR, and the like. In the comparator 265, the body appearance representing the target focus is solid, and the body appearance representing the actual focus is in the range from fuzzy to solid, depending on the focus level. Preferred mental web page 250 includes the total time spent 275 during mental activity, hyperlinks 280 that enable users to directly access relevant new items and articles, and routines for mental concentration and ad subscriptions. And a calendar 285 for selecting from among views with variable and selectable habit cycles. Item 280 may be selected and customized based on the user's performance as measured by information learned about the individual in the survey and health index.

The sleep index 155 of the health index is designed to help the user monitor the user's sleep pattern and the quality of the user's sleep. This design is intended to help users learn about the importance of sleep in their healthy lifestyles and the relationship between sleep and rhythm, a normal daily change in body function. The sleep category is based on data sensed by the sensor device 10 and data input by the user. The data entered by the user during each relevant time period includes a rating of the time and quality of sleep the user wakes up in time to bed. As shown in Table 2, data from the relevant sensor device 10 includes skin temperature, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, pulse rate, core temperature, skin response to electrical stimulation, EMG, EEG, EOG, blood pressure and oxygen. Includes consumption. Also relevant are ambient noise and body movements and movements detected by devices such as accelerometers. This data is used to calculate or derive the time of sleep and wake up, sleep disturbance and depth and quality of sleep.

Sleep health index piston levels are determined in relation to healthy work including obtaining a minimum time of sleep, preferably 8 hours each night, and having an expected bed time and wake up time. Certain parameters that determine the piston level calculation may include sleep time sensed by the sensor device 10 or input by the user, bedtime and wake time, and quality of sleep derived or graded by the user from other data, and the like. It includes. Information about sleep is presented to the user via the sleep web page 290 shown in FIG. The sleep web page 290 includes a sleep duration indicator 295 and a user sleep time indicator 300 and a time indicator 305 that occurred based on data sensed by the sensor device 10 or input by a user. . The quality of sleep grade 310 entered by the user may also be used and displayed. If more than one daily time interval is displayed on the sleep web page 290, the sleep I duration indicator 295 is calculated and displayed as a cumulative value, and the sleep time indicator 300 and the time indicator 305 that occurred have been averaged. Calculated and displayed. The sleep web page 290 also includes a user-selectable sleep graph 315 that calculates and displays one sleep related parameter at preselected time intervals. For illustrative purposes, FIG. 9 illustrates a day's heat flow, which tends to descend during sleep and rise while awake. From this information, human biorhythms can be derived. The sleep graph 315 includes a graphical representation of the data from the accelerometer integrated in the sensor device 10 for monitoring the movement of the body. The sleep web page 290 is a hyperlink 320 that allows a user to directly access sleep-related items and articles, suggestions to further refine and refine the routine regarding sleep and affiliate advertising available on the network, and appropriate times. Sleep calendar 325 for finding intervals. Item 320 may be selected and customized based on the user's achievement as measured by the health index and the information learned about the individual in the survey.

The health activity's daily activity category 155 is designed to help the user monitor health, safety related activities and risks and is based entirely on data entered by the user. The daily activity category may include a personal hygiene category that allows a user to monitor activities such as combing, brushing teeth, and showering; A health maintenance category that allows the user to track whether a user has taken a prescribed drug or supplement, and allows the user to monitor tobacco and alcohol consumption and car safety concerns such as seat belts; Personal time categories that allow users to monitor time spent with family and friends, leisure and concentration; And subcategories such as responsibility categories that allow users to monitor certain labor and financial activities such as billing and household chores.

The daily activity health index piston level is preferably determined in relation to the health routine as described below. For the personal hygiene category, the health routine requires the user to shower or bathe daily, brush their teeth every day and maintain their regular bowel habits. For the wellness category, the health routine requires users to take medication vitamins and / or supplements, wear seat belts, refrain from smoking and drink moderately, and monitor their health daily with a health manager. For individual time categories, health routines limit the amount of time a user spends at least one hour a day with family and / or friends, working hours up to nine hours a day, spending several hours a day for leisure or fun play, Requires to use For the Responsibility category, the health routine requires the user to do household chores, pay bills, keep working hours and keep appointments. The health index piston level is calculated based on the degree to which the user completes the list of daily activities as determined by the information entered by the user.

Information relating to these activities is presented to the user through the daily activity web page 330 shown in FIG. In the daily activity web page 330, an activity chart 335 that can be selected for one or more subcategories shows whether the user has done what is required by the routine. Colored or shaded boxes indicate the activity the user needs, while empty or uncolored boxes indicate that the user has not performed the activity. Activity chart 335 can be generated and viewed at selectable time intervals. For illustrative purposes, FIG. 10 shows personal hygiene and personal time subcategories for a particular week. In addition, the daily activities web page 330 may include daily activities hyperlinks 340 that enable users to directly access relevant new items and articles, suggestions for improving the routine for daily activities and affiliate advertising, and appropriate Activity calendar 345 for selecting a time interval may be included. Item 340 may be selected and customized based on the user's performance as measured by the health index and the information learned about the individual in the survey.

The mood category 155 of the health index is designed to allow the user to monitor perception of how the user is feeling on a particular day, based on information inherent in the subjective rating entered directly by the user. The user has mental sensitivity, emotional and physiological satisfaction; Energy level; Coping with life stress; look; Physical satisfaction; Self-ablation; Motivation; And grades on a scale of 1 to 5 for subject areas, including other related perceptions, and the like.

Referring to FIG. 11, a health index web page 350 is shown. Health index web page 350 allows the user to view the achievement of the user health index over a time interval the user can select, including any continuous or discontinuous days. Using the health index selector button 360, the user can choose to view health index piston levels for one category or to see a side-by-side comparison of health index piston levels for two or more categories. By way of example, a user may simply want to turn on the sleep button to see if they have improved their overall sleep rating over the previous month or to see the achievements for their favorite stock as well. Alternatively, sleep and activity levels may be displayed simultaneously to compare and evaluate the sleep activity level and the corresponding activity level grade to determine whether any daily correlation exists. The nutritional intake rating may be displayed to indicate how the user feels during that interval to determine whether there is any correlation between the daily food intake habit and the period of time that the user feels during the selected time interval. For illustrative purposes, FIG. 11 illustrates a comparison between sleep and activity piston levels for a week of June 10 to June 16. The health index web page 350 shows the total number of days the user has used and logged in to the health manager, the percentage of the total number of days the user has used the health manager since becoming a subscriber, and the percentage of the user using the sensor device 10 to obtain data. It may also include a tracking calendar 365 that displays statistics and access information, such as.

5, the startup health manager web page 150 may include a plurality of user selectable category summaries 156a through 156f, each corresponding to each of the health index 155 categories. Each of the category summaries 156a-156f presents a preselected and filtered subset of data associated with the corresponding category. The nutrition intake category summary 156a displays the daily goal and actual calorie intake. The activity level category summarizer 156b displays the daily goal and the actual calories burned. Concentration category summary 156c displays the daily goal and the actual depth of focus or focus. The sleep category summary unit 156d displays grades for target sleep, actual sleep, and sleep quality. The daily activity category summary 156e displays actual scores and targets based on the percentage completed for the proposed daily activity. The mood category summary section 156f shows the goal and actual grade for the day.

Startup Health Manager web page 150 also includes, but is not limited to, descriptions or warnings, new items and, based on trends such as poor nutritional habits determined in the initial survey, based on daily time intervals, including: It may also include a daily dose section 157 that provides a hyperlink to the article. The description for the daily dose section 157, e.g. 8 cups of water intake per day for 32% of colon cancer, according to the suggestion that one cup of water when working in front of the computer or the cup should be filled in front of the desk and frequently while working. It can be a practical sentence that can be reduced. Startup health manager web page 150 may also include a problem solver section 158 that actively evaluates the user's performance for each of the categories of health index 155 to suggest suggestions for improvement. For example, if the system detects that the user's sleep level is low, which suggests that the user has trouble sleeping, the problem solver 158 may provide suggestions for improving sleep. . The problem solver 158 may also include user query performance regarding achievement improvement. Startup health manager web page 150 may include a daily data section 159 that opens an input dialog. The input dialog box may facilitate the user's input to various data required by the health manager. As is known, the data item may be in a form selected from a predetermined list or in a general form independent of text input. Finally, the startup health manager web page 150 includes a body statistics section 161 that provides information about the user's height, weight, body mass index or BMI, and vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure or any physiological parameter. It may include.

12 to 17, a specific embodiment of the sensor device 10 is shown in the form of an arm band to be covered over the upper arm between the shoulder and elbow. Specific embodiments of the sensor device 10 shown in FIGS. 12-17 will be referred to as arm band sensor device 400 for convenience. Arm band sensor device 400 includes a computer housing 405, a flexible wing body 410, and an elastic strap 415, as shown in FIG. 17. Computer housing 405 and flexible wing body 410 are preferably made of an elastomer, such as a rubber or rubber silicone mixture, by urethane or molding. The flexible wing body 410 includes a first and second wing 418, each having a through-hole 420 located near the end 425. The first and second wings 418 are adapted to surround the upper portion of the wearer's arm.

Elastic strap 415 is removably attached to arm band sensor device 400 over an individual's arm. As shown in FIG. 17, the bottom surface 426 of the elastic strap 415 is provided with a velcro loop 416 that wraps around that portion. Each end 427 of the elastic strap 415 is provided with a velcro hook patch 428 on the bottom surface 426 and a pull tab 429 on the top surface 430. The portion of each pull tab 429 extends beyond the edge of each end 427.

To mount the arm band sensor device 400, the user inserts each end 427 of the elastic strap 415 into each through-hole 420 of the flexible wing body 410. The user then positions the arm through a loop made of elastic strap 415, flexible wing body 410, and computer housing 405. By pulling each pull tab 429 and engaging the velcro hook patch 428 with the velcro loop 416 to the desired position along the bottom surface 426 of the elastic strap 415, the user is comfortable The elastic strap 415 can be adjusted to fit. Since the velcro hook patch 428 can abut the velcro loop 416 at almost any position along the bottom surface 426, the arm band sensor device 400 can be adjusted to fit arms of various sizes. In addition, the elastic strap 415 may be provided in various lengths to fit a wider range of arm sizes. Other means of sizing and adjusting the elastic strap, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, may be used including, but not limited to, snaps, buttons, or buckles. It is also possible to use two elastic straps tightened by one of several conventional means including velcro, snaps, buttons, buckles, or the like, or to use only one elastic strap attached to the wing 418.

Alternatively, instead of providing a through-hole 420 in the wing 418, a loop having the letter D shape may be attached to the end 425 of the wing 418 by one of several conventional means. For example, although not shown, a pin may be inserted through the end 425, which engages each end of each loop. In this configuration, the D-shaped loop serves as a connection point for the elastic strap 415, effectively creating a through-hole between each end 425 of each wing 418 and each loop.

As shown in FIG. 18, which is an exploded view of arm band sensor device 400, computer housing 405 includes a top 435 and a bottom 440. Within the computer housing 405 is a printed circuit board or PCB 445, a rechargeable battery 450 that is preferably a lithium ion battery, and a vibration motor 455 for giving tactile feedback to the wearer as used in the beeper. Model 12342 and Model 12343 sold by UK MG Motors Ltd. are examples.

The top 435 and bottom 440 of the computer housing 405 are sealed along the grooves 436 in which the O-rings 437 fit, and screw holes 438 of the bottom 440 are not shown. ) And screws passing through the suture receiving stiffener 451 of the upper portion 435 through the holes in the stiffener 438b and the PCB 445. Alternatively, top 435 and bottom 440 may be engaged together or secured to each other with an adhesive. Preferably, the assembled computer housing 405 is sufficiently waterproof to allow the armband sensor device 400 to be worn without disturbing swimming.

As shown in FIG. 13, the bottom portion 440 includes a platform 430 raised on its bottom surface. The raised platform 430 is equipped with a heat flow or heat flux sensor 460, a suitable example of which is an ultra-thin heat flux sensor sold by RdF Corporation, Hudderson, New Hampshire. The heat flux sensor 460 functions as a self-generating thermocouple converter and preferably comprises a carrier made of a polyamide film. The bottom portion 440 includes a heat sink made of a suitable metal, such as aluminum, although not shown on its top surface, which is opposite to the surface on which the heat flux sensor 460 is fixed. In addition, the GSR sensor 465 including an electrode made of conductive carbon rubber, gold or stainless steel is preferably fixed to the raised platform 430. Although two GSR sensors 465 are shown in FIG. 13, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the number of GSR sensors 465 and their placement on the raised platform 430 may be characterized by the respective GSR sensors 465, i. It will be understood that they can be changed as long as they are polarized together. By being secured to the raised platform 430, the heat flux sensor 460 and the GSR sensor 465 are in contact with the wearer's skin when the armband sensor device 400 is worn. Surfaces not including raised platform 430 and threaded holes 438a of bottom 440 of computer housing 405 are also provided with soft foam cloth pads that are not shown but are removable and replaceable. The soft foam cloth makes contact with the wearer's skin to make the arm band sensor device 400 more comfortable to wear.

The electrical connection between the heat flux sensor 460, the GSR sensor 465, and the PCB 445 can be made by one of a variety of known methods. For example, although not shown, appropriate wiring can be molded at the bottom 440 of the computer housing 405 and suitable input locations on the PCB 445 and soldered to the heat flux sensor 460 and the GSR sensor 465. Thereby it can be electrically connected. Alternatively, rather than molding the wiring to the bottom 440, a through-hole may be provided in the bottom 440 through which suitable wiring may pass. Preferably, the through-hole is provided with a waterproof seal for maintaining the engagement of the computer housing 405.

Rather than being secured to the raised platform 430 as shown in FIG. 13, one or a pair of heat flux sensors 460 and a GSR sensor 465 may be connected to the skin of the wearer when the armband sensor device 400 is worn. To be in contact, it may be secured to the interior 466 of either or both wings 418 of flexible wing body 410. In such a configuration, the electrical connection between the heat flux sensor 460 and the GSR sensor 465 and the PCB 445, in any case, though not shown, passes through one or more through-holes in the computer housing 405 to allow the PCB ( 445 may be a suitable wire molded to a flexible wing body 410 that is electrically connected, such as soldering, to a suitable input location on 445. Again, the through-holes are preferably provided with a waterproof seal to maintain engagement of the computer housing 405. Alternatively, rather than providing a through-hole through which wiring passes in the computer housing 405, the wiring is trapped in the computer housing 405 during the overmolding process described below and ultimately at an appropriate input location on the PCB 445. Can be soldered.

As shown in FIGS. 12, 16, 17, and 18, the computer housing 405 includes a button 470 connected to activate a momentary switch 585 on the PCB 445. The button 470 can be used to activate the armband sensor device 400 for use, to mark the time when an event was generated, or to request system state information such as battery level and memory performance. When button 470 is pressed, momentary switch 585 closes the circuit and a signal is sent to processing unit 490 on PCB 445. The computer housing 405 also includes an LED 475 that can be used to indicate battery level or memory performance or to provide visual feedback to the wearer. Rather than the LEDs 475, the computer housing 405 may also include a liquid crystal display (LCD) to provide the wearer with battery level, memory performance or visual feedback information. Battery level, memory performance or feedback information may also be provided to the user tactilely or acoustically.

The armband sense device 400 collects data when it detects a particular situation in which either the GSR sensor 465 or the heat flux sensor 460 indicates that the armband sensor device 400 has been placed in contact with the user's skin. Can be maneuvered for use. The armband sensor device 400 may also be alone or in combination with one or more heat flux sensors 460, GSR sensors 465, accelerometers 495 or 550, or any other device in communication with the armband sensor device 400. Armband sensor device 400 may be activated for use when detecting a particular situation or situations indicating that the armband sensor device 400 has been placed in contact with the user's skin for use. At other times, the armband sensor device 400 is deactivated to conserve battery power.

The computer housing 405 is connected to the battery charging unit 480 shown in FIG. 19 for charging the rechargeable battery 450. Computer housing 405 includes a charger contact point 485, shown in FIGS. 12, 15, 16, and 17, connected to rechargeable battery 450. The charger contact point 485 may be made of a metal material such as brass, gold or stainless steel and is not shown but engaged with an electrical contact point provided to the battery charging unit 480 when the armband sensor device 400 is located therein. Make electrical connections. The electrical contact point provided to the battery charging unit 480 may be connected to a charging circuit 481 provided inside the battery charging unit 480. In this configuration, the charging circuit 481 may be attached to the battery charging unit 480 or It is connected to a wall outlet, such as by a wiring method including a suitable plug that can be attached, Optionally, electrical contact points 480 are alternately connected to a charging circuit 481b external to the battery charging unit 480. It may be connected to a wire that can be attached or attached to the battery charging unit 480.                 

In addition, the battery charging unit 480 is provided with an RF transmitter 483 for receiving a signal from the RF transmitter 565 provided in the computer housing 405 or transmitting a signal to the RF transmitter 565. The illustrated RF transceiver 483 is, for example, a suitable cable such that it is connected to a serial port such as a USB port or an RS232 port of a device such as the personal computer 35 shown in FIG. Although RF transceivers 483 and 565 are shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, it will be appreciated that other types of wireless transceivers, such as infrared transceivers, may be used. Optionally, the computer housing 405 is provided with an additional electrical contact that is electrically connected in engagement with an additional electrical contact that is provided to the battery charging unit 480 when the armband sensor device 400 is mounted, although not shown. Additional electrical contacts in the computer housing 405 are connected to the processing unit 490 and the additional electrical contacts provided to the battery charging unit 480 are alternately connected to a serial port such as RS232 or a USB port of a device such as a personal computer 35. Is connected to the appropriate cable to be connected. This configuration thus provides an alternative method for downloading and uploading data to and from the armband sensor device 400 using a physical connection.

20 is a schematic diagram showing the armband sensor device 400 system structure, in particular each component being on or coupled to the PCB 445.

As shown in FIG. 17, PCB 445 includes a processing unit 490, which may be a microprocessor, microcontroller, or any other processing device, which may be capable of implementing the functions described herein. The processing unit 490 is adapted to provide all the functionality described in connection with the microprocessor 20 shown in FIG. A suitable example of processing unit 490 is Dragon Ball EZ, sold by Motorola, Schaumburg, Illinois. PCB 445 also includes a biaxial accelerometer 495, a suitable example of an accelerometer being the model ADXL210 accelerometer sold by Analog Devices Incorporated, Norwood, Massachusetts. The biaxial accelerometer is preferably used at an angle such that when the armband sensor device 400 is worn, the sensing axis is offset at an angle substantially equal to 45 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the PCB 445, ie, the longitudinal axis of the wearer's arm. 445). The longitudinal axis of the wearer's arm refers to an axis defined by a straight line from the wearer's shoulder to the elbow. The output signal of the biaxial accelerometer 495 is input to an analog-to-digital converter 505 which, in turn, passes through the buffer 500 and is connected to the processing unit 490 in turn. The GSR sensor 465 is connected to the amplifier 510 on the PCB 445. The amplifier 510 functions as an amplifier and a low pass filter. A suitable example is a model AD8544 amplifier sold by Analog Devices, Inc., Norwood, Massachusetts. The output signal amplified and filtered by the amplifier 510 is input to the amplifier / offset 515 and to the filter / conditioning circuit 520 in order to provide better gain and to remove any bias voltage, each in turn an analogue. A digital converter 505. The heat flux sensor 460 is connected to a differential input amplifier 525, such as a Model INA amplifier sold by Burr-Brown Corporation, Tucson, Arizona, and the resulting amplified signal is coupled to the analog-to-digital converter 505. Pass through filter circuit 530, buffer 535 and amplifier 540 before being input. The amplifier 540 is configured to provide better gain and low pass characteristics, and a suitable example of such an amplifier is a model AD8544 amplifier sold by Analog Devices, Inc., Norwood, Massachusetts. PCB 445 also includes a battery monitor 545 that monitors the residual power level of rechargeable battery 450. Battery monitor 545 preferably includes a voltage divider having a low pass filter to provide an average battery voltage. When the user presses the button 470 in the manner employed to request the battery level, the processing unit 490 checks the output of the battery monitor 545, preferably through the LED 475, or via a vibration motor ( 455 or ringer 575 to display to the user.

PCB 445 can include a three-axis accelerometer in place of or in addition to the two-axis accelerometer. The three axis accelerometer outputs the signal to the processing unit 490. A suitable example of a three-axis accelerometer is I.M., Scottsdale, Arizona. It is a uPAM product sold by Systems. The three axis accelerometer is preferably tilted in the manner described with respect to the two axis accelerometer 495.

PCB 445 also includes an RF receiver 555 that is coupled to processing unit 490. The RF receiver 555 is configured to receive signals output by another device having a wireless transmission function, such as the wireless device 558, which is located in or near the person wearing the armband sensor device 400, shown in FIG. Can be used. For example, the wireless device 558 may be a heart rate monitor mounted on a chest, such as a tempo product sold by Polar Electro of Oulu, Finland. Using such a heart rate monitor, data indicative of the wearer's heart rate may be collected by the armband sensor device 400. Antenna 560 and RF transceiver 565 are coupled to processing unit 490 and are provided for the purpose of uploading data to central monitoring unit 30 and receiving data downloaded from central monitoring unit 30. The RF transmitter 565 and the RF receiver 555 can employ Bluetooth technology, for example, as a wireless transmission protocol. In addition, other forms of wireless transmission, such as infrared transmission, may also be used.

The fact that the RF transceiver 565 is used to wirelessly upload data to and from the armband sensor device 400 wirelessly download the data to the armband sensor device 400. This is advantageous because it eliminates the need for a connection. For example, if the armband sensor device 400 is worn inside a user's clothing, the user may be inconvenienced if the armband sensor device 400 must be removed before uploading and / or downloading data. In addition, the wearing of the armband sensor device 400 can affect the skin of the user and the blood vessels under it, and in turn can affect any measurements made with respect to the skin and blood vessels. The period of time during which the armband sensor device 400 is worn by the user may need to elapse before it can be fixed and constant and accurate measurements can be made. By providing a wireless communication function to the armband sensor device 400, data can be uploaded and downloaded without breaking the established fixed state balance state. For example, programming data for the processing unit 490 that controls the sampling characteristic of the armband sensor device 400 can be downloaded to the armband sensor device 400 without breaking the fixed state balance state.                 

In addition, the antenna 560 and the RF transceiver 565 allow the armband sensor device 400 to communicate wirelessly with other devices capable of wireless communication, that is, to transmit information to or receive information from such a device. . For example, the device may be a person using an armband sensor device 400, such as an implantable heart rate control device or an implantable insulin dispensing device such as, for example, a MiniMed® 2007 implantable insulin pump sold by MiniMed Inc., Northridge, CA. Any device, such as a device implanted into the body of a person, a device worn on the body of a person using the armband sensor device 400, or an electronic scale, blood pressure meter, blood glucose meter, cholesterol meter or another armband sensor device 400. It may include a device located near a person using the armband sensor device 400 at a particular time. With these two approaches as a wireless communication function, the armband sensor device 400 can send information to activate or deactivate such a device for use or to program such device to operate in a particular manner. For example, armband sensor device 400 may cause a portion of an exercise device, such as a treadmill, to be activated and to program a portion of the exercise device to operate with any parameter indicated, desired or optimized for the user of armband sensor device 400. It can be done. As in another example, armband sensor device 400 adjusts a computer controlled thermostat based on the detected skin temperature of the wearer or when it is determined that the wearer has entered the sleep computer controlled light source system, television or stereo Can be turned off.

The vibration motor 455 is connected to the processing unit 490 via a vibration driver 570 and provides tactile feedback to the wearer. Model SMT916A available from Daiton Project Unlimited Incorporated, Ringer (575) is a Ringer driver (580)-A suitable example of a Ringer driver is the model MMBTA14 CTI Darlington Transistor Driver sold by Motorola, Schaumburg, Illinois. Is coupled to the processing unit 490 via-providing acoustic feedback to the wearer. For example, feedback may include messages that lead to celebrations, warnings, and other initiation or events, such as when the wearer reaches one level of calories burned while working.

A momentary switch 585 is also provided on the PCB 445 and connected to the processing unit 490. Momentary switch 585 is also coupled to button 470 for activating momentary switch 585. The LED 475, which is used to provide the wearer with various types of feedback information, is connected to the processing unit 490 via an LED latch / driver 590.

Oscillator 595 is provided to PCB 445 to provide system clock to processing unit 490. A reset circuit 600, to which the computer housing 405 can be connected and triggered through the side pinholes, is coupled to the processing unit 490 to cause the processing unit 490 to reset to its standard initial settings.

Charger 450, the main power source of armband sensor device 400, is connected to processing unit 490 through voltage adjuster 605. Finally, the memory function for the armband sensor device 400 includes an SRAM 610 that stores data relating to the wearer of the armband sensor device 400 and a program and configuration data on the PCB 445. Provided by the flash memory 615. SRAM 610 and flash memory 615 are coupled to processing unit 490 and preferably include at least 512K memory each.

In manufacturing and assembling the armband sensor device 400, the top 435 of the computer housing 405 is first formed and then the flexible wing body 410, preferably by conventional molding processes. Is overmolded on the upper surface of the upper portion 435. That is, the top 435 is positioned in a mold of a suitable shape, having an extra cavity formed according to the desired shape of the flexible wing body 410 when the top 435 is positioned and flexible. The castle wing body 410 is molded on the upper surface of the upper portion 435. As a result, the flexible wing body 410 and the top 435 are joined or glued together to form a single unit. Optionally, the top 435 of the computer housing 405 and the flexible wing body 410 may be formed together, such as by molding in a single mold, to form a single unit. However, the single unit formed can then be flipped so that the bottom of the top 435 is facing up, the contents of the computer housing 405 can be located within the top 435, and the top 435 and bottom 440 May be attached to each other. As another alternative, the flexible wing body 410 may be formed separately, such as by conventional molding processors, and the computer housing 405, in particular the top 435 of the computer housing 405, may be adhesive, It can be attached to the flexible wing body 410 in one of several well known ways, such as by snap-fitting, or by screwing two pieces together. The remainder of the computer housing 405 may then be assembled as described above. Rather than assembling the rest of the computer housing 405 after the top 435 is attached to the flexible wing body 410, the computer housing 405 may be assembled first and then attached to the flexible wing body 410. Will be understood.

Referring to Figure 21, a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown. This alternative embodiment may collect and / or generate various types of data described herein in connection with sensor device 10 and sensor device 400 and located remotely, such as central monitoring unit 30. And a standalone sensor device 700 that acts as a standalone device, meaning that it can provide analysis status data to a user without interaction with the device. The standalone sensor device 700 is configured to generate data representing programming and / or user's various physiological and / or contextual parameters, data derived therefrom, and analysis state data from data input by the user. It includes a processor that contains the necessary utilities and algorithms. The stand-alone device 700 includes the armband sensor device 400 or microprocessor 20 and memory 22 shown in FIGS. 12-17 that include a processing unit 490 and an SRAM 610. And the sensor device 10 shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 21, data may be input to the standalone sensor device 700 in a variety of ways. The standalone sensor device 700 can include one or more physiological sensors 705 to facilitate the collection of data indicative of various physiological parameters of a user as described herein. The standalone sensor device 700 may also include one or more contextual sensors 710 to facilitate the collection of data indicative of the various contextual parameters of the user as described herein. As indicated by the reference numeral 715, the stand alone sensor device 700 may be enabled for manual entry of data by a user. For example, stand-alone sensor device 700 may be a stand-alone sensor device 700, such as setting up a reminder or alert as described herein or information related to various daily activities of a user as described herein. And a data input button, such as button 470, of armband sensor device 400, in which the user may manually enter information such as information related to the operation and / or control of the. In this example, the button 470 can be activated to simply record or stamp the time at which an event such as a meal occurred, but the wearer then needs to give meaning to time stamping through the input of data. Alternatively, the buttons 470 can be pre-set to have different specific meanings by activating the buttons 470 in a specific sequence, such as one start, two consecutive starts, three consecutive starts, and the like. The wearer needs to observe this preset activation sequence menu or guidance for entry of relevant data. Alternatively, standalone sensor device 700 may include many highly sophisticated means for manual entry of information, such as a keypad, touch screen, microphone, or remote control device such as a remote control device attached to a wrist watch, for example. . In the case of a microphone, the processor of the standalone sensor device 700 is provided with well-known speech recognition software or the like for converting the input voice into usable data.

As indicated by reference numerals 720 and 725, information including various physiological and / or contextual parameters and data derived therefrom may interact with other devices to provide stand-alone sensor device 700. Can be entered. In addition, information such as handshake data or data indicative of various physiological and / or contextual parameters and data derived therefrom may be output from the standalone sensor device 700 to such other devices. According to one embodiment, the interaction is performed by a wireless transceiver provided within the standalone sensor device 700, such as the wireless transceiver 565 shown and described in conjunction with the standalone sensor device 700 and FIG. 20. Possible forms of wireless communication with another device. As shown at 720, the device-to-device interaction is evident, meaning that the user of the standalone sensor device 700 knows to initiate the interaction. For example, the user may activate the button at any scale to upload data to the standalone sensor device 700. Device to device interaction may also be hidden, as shown by reference numeral 725, which means that the user of the standalone sensor device 700 has initiated the interaction without knowing. For example, the gym may include a sensor that wirelessly transmits a signal to the sensing device 700 for timestamping the time when the user starts and ends the exercise as the user enters and exits the gym.

As shown schematically in FIG. 21, information may be output or transmitted from the standalone sensor device 700 in a variety of ways. Such information may include data indicative of various physiological parameters and / or contextual parameters, data derived therefrom, data manually entered by a user, analysis state data, or any combination thereof. As shown by reference numerals 730, 735, and 740, in audible manner, such as a series of sounds or beats, or voices recorded by a device such as a speaker, in a visual manner, such as one or more LEDs, or in a vibrating manner. It may be output or transmitted in a tactile manner. For example, standalone sensor device 700 may be used as a reminder for an event, such as a reminder for eating or exercising at a particular time, or when a goal, such as a target amount of calories burned during exercise, has been reached, or as ovulation. When a situation is detected, it can output a single sound or sounds, light up an LED or LEDs, or cause it to vibrate. Alternatively, the standalone sensor device 700 may be provided with more sophisticated visual output means such as an LCD similar to that found in commercial cell phones, pagers and PDAs. When provided with an LCD or similar device and an extended visual output function, the standalone sensor device 700 may output or transmit some or all of the information described in connection with FIGS. 5-11 in the same or similar form. . For example, the standalone sensor device 700 can provide the analysis status data to the user in the form of a health index. As another alternative, standalone sensor device 700 may be a personal computer, cellular phone, PDA, another standalone sensor device 700 or any other device having a processor by wired connection 755 or wireless connection 760. Can be connected to. For example, the battery charging unit 480 shown in FIG. 19 can be used to provide a wired connection 755 or a wireless connection 760. In such a configuration, a display of the computing device can be used to visually output information from the standalone sensor device 700. Since computing device 750 includes sophisticated output means such as an LCD, outputting or transmitting to the user some or all of the information described in connection with FIGS. 5-11, such as health index, in the same or similar form. It will be clear that it can be used.

In addition, the computing device 750 may be based on data output by the standalone sensor device 700, such as the fact that the wearer went to sleep or that the skin temperature of the wearer reached a certain level. It can be used to control other devices, such as thermostats. That is, the standalone sensor device 700, and in particular its processor, may cause the computing device 750 to trigger an event upon detection of one or more physiological and / or contextual conditions by the standalone sensor device 700. have. Alternatively, standalone sensor device 700 may cause computing device 750 to trigger an event based on information received from another computing device 750.

The standalone sensor device 700 interacts with and affects interactive electronic media devices such as video games, or non-interactive electronic media such as display devices such as DVDs or digital video discs that play digitally recorded movies on such as displays. Can give For example, the standalone sensor device 700 may transmit information related to the physiological state of the wearer to the video game and, in turn, adjust the characteristics of the game, such as the difficulty level. As another example, the standalone sensor device 700 may transmit information related to the physiological state of the wearer to a device displaying a digitally recorded movie and then to adjust characteristics, such as the result of the movie.

Moreover, standalone sensor device 700 enables computing device 750 to detect the geographic location of standalone sensor device 700, such as the location of standalone sensor device 700, within a confined space, such as a building. To do so, it may include a location sensing device 765, such as an ultrasonic or radiofrequency identification tag. In one embodiment, the position indication is in accordance with the indicated position by the computing device 750 based on detection by the standalone sensor device 700 of one or more physiological conditions of the wearer, such as skin temperature. Trigger an event, such as lowering the room temperature. In another embodiment, the position indication is at the indicated position if the computing device 750 detects one or more physiological conditions, such that the standalone sensor device 700 is above a certain level of the wearer's skin temperature. Trigger an event, such as lowering the room temperature accordingly. In addition, input means of a computing device, such as a mouse and keyboard of a personal computer, a keypad of a mobile phone or pager, or a touch screen of a PDA, may be used to manually enter information into the standalone sensor device 700.

Different output modes can be used in combination to provide users with different types and different levels of information. For example, an individual may wear the standalone sensor device 700 when exercising and the LED or sound may be used to signal that a certain amount of burned calories has been reached. The user may then wirelessly transmit additional data from the standalone sensor device 700 to a computing device 750, such as a mobile phone, to review data such as heart rate and / or respiration rate over time after exercise.

As another alternative embodiment of the present invention, rather than including the utilities and algorithms required to generate the data and generate the analysis state data, the processor provided in the standalone sensor device 700 is programmed and / or otherwise derived. Computing device 750 may be so programmed. In this embodiment, the standalone sensor device 700 is manually operated by the user, data representing various physiological and / or contextual parameters of the user, all of which are stored in a memory provided to the standalone sensor device 700. Collect and / or generate input data and / or input data as a result of device-to-device interactions, shown by reference numerals 720 and 725. This data is then periodically uploaded to computing device 750 to generate derived data and / or analysis state data. In the alternative, the processor of standalone sensor device 700 may be programmed and / or otherwise present one or more physiological and / or contextual parameters, data derived therefrom, data manually entered by a user, and / or Or a utility and algorithm required to generate analysis state data based on data entered as a result of device-to-device interactions shown in reference numbers 720 and 725 uploaded from stand-alone sensor device 700 ( It may be programmed to generate data derived by 750. As another alternative, standalone sensor device 700 is programmed by computing device 750 programmed to generate derived data and / or otherwise includes one or more physiological and / or contextual parameters. To the data entered as a result of the device-to-device shown by the representative data, the data derived therefrom, the data manually entered by the user, and / or part numbers 720 and 725 uploaded from the standalone sensor device 700. Utilities and algorithms needed to generate based analysis status data. Then, in either alternative, the device is shown with data representing the physiological and / or contextual parameters of the user, data derived therefrom, data manually entered by the user, and reference numbers 720 and 725. Any or all of the input data and analysis state data as a result of the device interaction is reviewed by the user using the output means of the programmed computing device 750 or another computing device 750 from which the data is downloaded. Can be. In the latter alternative, all of the data except the analysis state data may also be output by the standalone sensor device 700 as described herein.

In alternative embodiments, computing device 750 may be connected to an electronic network, such as the Internet, to be able to communicate with central monitoring unit 30 and the like. Programming of the computing device 750, which enables the computing device 750 to generate derived data and / or analysis state data, by such a configuration, downloads relevant data to the computing device 750 over an electronic network. Can be modified or replaced.

As another alternative embodiment, computing device 750 may be provided with a custom recordable plug-in that provides data display functionality through the use of known browser programs. In this embodiment, standalone sensor device 700 is configured with data representing various physiological and / or contextual parameters of the user, derived data, data entered by the user, shown in reference numerals 720 and 725. Collect and / or generate data entered as a result of device to device interaction, and / or analysis state data based thereon, and upload this data to computing device 750. The plug-in provided to computing device 750 then generates an appropriate display page based on the data that can be reviewed by the user using a browser provided to computing device 750. The plug-in may be modified / updated from a source such as central monitoring unit 30 on an electronic network such as the Internet.

The terms and expressions employed herein are for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is recognized that various modifications may be made within the scope of the claimed subject matter, which is hereby excluded from the phrases or portions of the features shown and described herein. And the use of the expression is not restricted. Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described in the foregoing detailed description, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments and that numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions are possible.

Claims (151)

A device for monitoring and reporting an individual's body calorie consumption state parameter, the device comprising: a. A wireless communication device comprising a data processing unit; b. Generate an electronic data signal indicative of a first physiological parameter of the individual when in electronic communication with the data processing unit and at least one physiological sensor is in proximity to the individual and transmit the electronic data signal to the data processing unit The at least one physiological sensor capable of transmitting; c. In an electronic communication state with the data processing unit, generating an additional electronic data signal indicative of (i) a second physiological parameter or (ii) the contextual parameter of the individual and converting the additional electronic data signal into the data processing. At least one additional sensor capable of transmitting to the unit; And d. Output means in electronic communication with the data processing unit; The data processing unit derives the body calorie consumption state parameter using the electronic data signal representing the first physiological parameter of the individual and the additional electronic data signal, and includes the body calorie consumption state parameter Device for monitoring and reporting an individual's body calorie consumption state parameter, wherein said output signal is transmitted to a receiver by generating a signal and displaying said output signal to said output means. delete delete 2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the physiological sensor and the additional sensor is located on or in the wireless communication device. device. The device of claim 1, wherein the physiological sensor and the additional sensor are located on or in the wireless communication device. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the physiological sensor and the additional sensor may be worn by the individual. The device of claim 1, wherein the physiological sensor and the additional sensor may be worn by the individual. 7. The device of claim 6, further comprising an arm band comprising the at least one of the physiological sensor and the additional sensor. 2. The individual of claim 1, further comprising a central monitoring unit in electronic communication with the data processing unit, the central monitoring unit transmitting a data signal to the data processing unit for output to the recipient. Device for monitoring and reporting the body calorie consumption status parameter of the patient. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is a cellular phone. The data signal of claim 1, wherein the data signal representing the physiological parameter of the individual comprises at least one of a heart-related parameter of the individual, a motion-related parameter of the individual, a skin temperature-related parameter of the individual, data related to impedance of the individual's skin, and Device for monitoring and reporting an individual's body calorie consumption status parameter, selected from the group consisting of data related to an individual's blood composition, said individual's blood pressure related parameter, and said individual's body heat of fever. 2. The body calorie consumption state parameter of claim 1, wherein said body calorie consumption state parameter comprises a personal state parameter that cannot be detected directly by either of said physiological sensor or said additional sensor. Device for monitoring and reporting. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a wireless transceiver for receiving electronic signal information from the data processing unit and transmitting electronic signal information to the data processing unit. Device for monitoring and reporting. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to receive and transmit information about at least one of a wearable device worn by the individual, a wireless device implanted in the human body of the individual, and a wireless device located in the vicinity of the individual. Device for monitoring and reporting a body calorie consumption state parameter of an individual. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the wireless communication device is electronically transmitted to control the operation of at least one of a wearable device worn by the individual, a wireless device implanted in the human body of the individual, and a wireless device located near the individual. A device for monitoring and reporting a body calorie consumption status parameter of an individual, characterized in generating a signal. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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