Measuring process and system

Measurement method and system

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a measuring method which is particularly suitable for a non-invasive system for measuring the function of at least one organ of a user, comprising a transmitter unit attached to the user's body and a receiver unit from which the transmitter unit transmits its measurement data measuring the function of the organs other than those of the user when the user is using the exercise equipment.

The invention also relates to a measuring system, in particular a system for non-invasively measuring the function of at least one organ of a user, comprising a transmitter unit attached to the user's body and a receiver unit, the transmitter unit being adapted to transmit its measurement data related to at least one organ to the receiver unit, and wherein the measuring system comprises at least one sensor adapted to measure the operation of non-user organs while the user is using the exercise device.

Background of the invention

The telemetric measurement method has been used, for example, to measure a person's heart rate. The device solutions are most often such that the heart rate20 data measurement and transmitter unit is around the person's chest as a transmitter belt, from which the measurement data is transmitted telemetrically by inductive coupling to a receiver unit, often implemented as a receiver wristband on a human wrist. In cycling mode, the receiver unit can be attached to a wheel handlebar, for example.

For example, transmitters from heart rate monitors transmit a burst of about 5 kHz each time an ECG signal is detected. The transmitter circuit of the transmitter unit consists of a resonant circuit of a coil and a capacitor, which is activated controlled by a heart rate. The receiver unit calculates the heart rate based on the time difference of successive transmitted signals, i.e. the time difference of the bursts, so that the information to be transmitted, i.e. the heart rate, is included in the transmission encoded in the time between pulses.

Today, there is also a need to telemetrically transmit measurement data from several different sensors to the same receiver, such as heart rate, cadence, and cadence. According to the prior art, the sensors transmit 35 measurement signals as a group of pulses. In a group of pulses, three time slots are formed with three pulses, which differ from the time slots of other large groups of pulses. Such three-pulse coding is called triple-pulse transmission. The receiver unit identifies each measured quantity based on the time intervals of the pulse group.

However, the triple pulse transmission does not achieve as high a data rate as many applications need. In addition, the receiver unit does not distinguish very many sensors from each other due to the coding used in the triple pulse transmitter, and thus cannot distinguish the measurement data of many different sensors.

Brief description of the invention

The object of the invention is thus to implement the method and the apparatus implementing the method in such a way that the above-mentioned problems can be solved. This is achieved by a method of the type described in the introduction, characterized in that the measuring system comprises a holder comprising a data acquisition unit and to which a receiver unit is attached, and at least two sensors transfer their measurement data to the holder data acquisition unit; and the data acquisition unit of the holder combines the measurement data of the at least two sensors into measured data and the data acquisition unit transmits its data to the receiver unit by inductive interaction

The system according to the invention is characterized in that the measuring system comprises a holder which further comprises a data acquisition unit, and the receiver unit is adapted to be attached to the holder, and at least two outputs.^: is adapted to transmit its measurement data to the communication unit of the holder; and the data acquisition unit of the holder is adapted to combine the measurement data of the at least two sensors into measuring quantity data, and the data acquisition unit is adapted to transfer its data to the receiver unit by inductive interaction.

Several advantages are achieved with the method and system according to the invention. The data transfer rate to the receiver unit can be increased, aa ·

The transmission power required for data transmission can be reduced, and the measuring system according to the invention has a higher data processing capacity than the prior art.

Brief description of the figures

The invention will now be described in more detail in connection with preferred embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a measuring arrangement according to the prior art, and

Figure 2 shows a measuring arrangement according to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

The solution according to the invention can be applied in the case of at least two different measured variables, but in particular it can be applied to cycling use, where the measured variables are the cyclist's heart rate, the bicycle speed, the cadence frequency and / or other user or environmental characteristics.

Figure 1 shows three transmitter units and one receiver unit used in a prior art method in a cycling environment. The application is, for example, a bicycle 100 which is pedaled by the user 102 10. For example, the apparatus comprises three measuring and transmitter units 11 to 116, one receiver unit 120 to which each measuring and transmitter unit telemetrically transmits measurement data in groups of pulses, and a receiver holder 122.

In Figure 1, the first measuring and transmitter unit 110, i.e. the heart rate transmitter, is intended for measuring and transmitting the heart rate. Said first measuring and transmitter unit 110 comprises an ECG sensor, (ECG amplifier), a control block and a heart rate controlled oscillating resonant circuit comprising a coil connected in parallel and a capacitor (not shown in the figure). Thus, the heart rate information is transmitted to the receiver 120 by inductive interaction, since the receiver 120 also comprises an oscillation circuit 20 formed by a coil and a capacitor.

In Figure 1, the second measuring and transmitter unit 112, i.e. the speed transmitter, is intended for measuring and transmitting the speed of the sports means. Said second measuring and transmitting unit 112 comprises a vibrating resonant circuit controlled by a speed sensor, a control block and a speed signal, comprising 25 coils and a capacitance (not shown in the figure) connected in parallel. The speed sensor may be implemented, for example, with a magnetic clutch sensor such that the magnet 114 is attached to the ring 104 of the wheel 100 and the sensor clutch part is in place on the wheel front fork 106, for example. In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the speed sensor 112 comprises, for example, a 1/4 divider, by means of which the sensor is made to give a pulse only after the magnet has rotated past the switch part four times, way, i.e. using the divider, high speeds can be measured, while when the divider is not connected, slower speeds can be measured.

In Fig. 1, a third measuring and transmitter unit 116, i.e. a cadence transmitter, i.e. a transmitter indicating the cadence frequency, is thus intended for measuring the cadence frequency of the user 102 of the exercise means, i.e. the pedaler. Said third measuring and transmitter unit 116 comprises a cadence sensor, a control unit, an amplifier, and an oscillating resonant circuit controlled by a cadence signal, comprising a coil connected in parallel and a capacitance (not shown in the figure). The cadence sensor 5 can be implemented, for example, with a magnetic switch sensor so that the magnet

118 is attached to the pedal or calipers crank 108 of the wheel 100 and the sensor coupling part and the actual transmitter unit is fixed to the body tube of the wheel 100, for example, the cadence measurement being based on detecting the movement of the magnet past the sensor coupling part. Thus, in such a prior art solution, the receiver 120 acts directly as the receiver of the measurement signals transmitted by the sensors 112, 116, and the holder 122 is merely a mechanical means of attaching the receiver unit 120 to the exercise device.

Figure 2 shows a measuring system according to the inventive solution, which on the upper sides looks similar to the solution according to the prior art, but which is substantially more efficient than the prior art known in terms of its functional possibilities. The system comprises a holder 206 attached to the exercise device, which comprises a data acquisition unit 204. The holder

206 with its data acquisition units 204 forms a substantial difference from the known ankle and enables considerably more efficient data transmission, and

treatment on. The holder 206 according to Fig. 2 is thus attached to the bicycle in the same way as the holder according to Fig. 1, but the difference is the functional activity of the holder 206 enabled by the data acquisition unit 204. Sensors 208, 210, 212, 214 send their measurement data to the data acquisition unit 204. , 214 and the data acquisition unit 204 may be over a wire. In Figure 2, this is illustrated by a line 209 connecting the sensor 208 and the data acquisition unit 204. The data transmission can also take place wirelessly. Thus, for example, the data transmission of the sensor 210 takes place by means of an inductive interaction to the data acquisition unit 204. What is essential in the inventive solution is not actually the method of data transmission, but the fact that the data acquisition unit 204 collects the measurement data sent by the sensors 208, 210, 212, 214. The data acquisition unit 204 may also change the coding of the measurement data received and transmit the measurement data to the receiver unit 202 at a substantially higher data rate than the sensor or sensors and the data acquisition unit.

204 data transfer rate between. The data acquisition unit 204 preferably processes the measurement data it receives. This means that the data collection unit

204 for example, may calculate the speed of the sports means from the pulses received from the speed sensor, and instead of forwarding the pulses of the sensor to the receiver unit 202, the data acquisition unit 202 transmits the calculated speed information. After all, the signal of the sensor can only be, for example, the pulses of the triple pulse transmitter, which are generated, as mentioned in the description of Fig. 1, from the fact that the magnet bypasses the switching part. In the inventive solution, together with the measurement data of each sensor 208, 210-214, information is sent as to which or from which sensor the measurement data comes. In this way, the measurement data of the sensors 208, 210-214 can be distinguished from each other. Also in the data transmission between the data acquisition unit 204 and the receiver unit 102, care is taken that the measurement data of the different sensors 208, 210-214 are not confused.

In the inventive solution, the heart rate transmitted by the transmitter 200 can also be received directly by the data acquisition unit 204. The data acquisition unit 204 transmits the heart rate data to the receiver 202 by inductive interaction.

In the solution according to the invention, the transmitter unit 200 can send its measurement data to the data acquisition unit 204, but in a preferred embodiment of the invention the transmitter unit 200 transmits its measurement data directly to the receiver unit 202 by inductive interaction using different modulation and / or coding than in the data acquisition unit 204 The data acquisition unit 204 transmits the measurement data to the receiver unit 202 using a data transfer rate higher than the wireless data transfer rate between the sensors 210-214 and the data acquisition unit 204. This allows the measurement data produced by the sensors 208, 210 to 214 to be transferred to the receiver unit 202 quickly enough. The data transmission is preferably performed in series. Serial communication is preferably similar to prior art solutions in which the receiver unit 202 communicates with the communication unit. The data acquisition unit 204 detects the attachment of the receiver unit 202 to the holder 206. The identification 30 takes place, for example, by means of some kind of switch. Based on the identification, the data acquisition unit 204 sends a handshake signal to the receiver unit 202. The handshake signal may comprise, for example, a plurality of pulses. Upon receiving the handshake signal, the receiver unit 202 sets its mode of operation to suit the interval use. In the use of sports equipment, the receiver unit 202 receives 35 the data measured by the sensors 208, 210-214 by means of the data acquisition unit 204.

The sensor or sensors 208, 210 -214 transmit their measurement data to the data acquisition unit 204 at least partially wirelessly !. The sensor 208, 210-214 then transmits its measurement data to the data acquisition unit 204, preferably by means of inductive interaction. In the measuring system according to the invention, the coil (not shown in the figure) participating in the inductive interaction of the sensor 208, 5 210-214 can be easily directed to the data collection unit 204 for data transmission. In this way, the transmission power of the sensor 208, 210-214 can be kept low. At least one sensor 208, 210-214, depending on the number of sensors, measures one or more characteristics, which may be the speed of the movement device, the ambient temperature and the pressure. In addition, when the exercise performance is such that a certain movement is repeated, the frequency of the repetitive movement can be measured. The exercise means is preferably a bicycle, with at least two sensors 208, 210-214 and the sensors measuring the speed and pedaling frequency of the bicycle.

The receiver unit comprises at least two modes. The first mode 15 is a mode in which the user operates without a mobility means and the receiver unit 202 interacts inductively with, for example, the transmitter unit 200 but does not interact in any way with the data acquisition unit 204. Such a mode of operation allows the receiver unit 200 to be used according to the prior art, for example when the user 20 is running. The second mode is again a mode in which the user interacts with the mobility device and the receiver unit 202 interacts inductively with at least the data acquisition unit 204.

The invention can also be applied to sports equipment other than a bicycle. Such are, for example, watercraft, in which case the measurement variables 25 are, for example, the heart rate of a person, the speed of the watercraft and the working frequency such as kayaking or rowing frequency. In addition, the invention can be applied to an application in which a significant part of the measured quantities is or even all of the measured quantities are measurements on the human body such as two or more of the following: heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, blood glucose, blood oxygen. In the inventive solution, the condition of the sports equipment can also be measured with the help of various sensors. In a bicycle, sensors can measure, for example, brakes (brake wear or braking force), gears (shifting and wear), wheel vibration, chain tension or power consumption, etc.

Although the invention has been described above with reference to the example according to the accompanying drawings 35, it is clear that the invention is not limited thereto, but can be modified in many ways within the scope of the inventive idea set forth in the appended claims.