.
`United States Patent
`
`[19]
`
`Usoos394879A
`[11] Patent Number:
`
`5,394,879
`
`Gorman
`
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`Mar. 7, 1995
`
`[54] BIOMEDICAL RESPONSE
`MONITOR-EXERCISE EQUIPMENT AND
`TECHNIQUE USING ERROR CORRECTION
`
`[76]
`
`Inventor:
`
`Peter G. German, Lakeview Dr.,
`Mahopac, NY. 10541
`
`[21] APPI- N05 55,564
`[22] Filed:
`May 21, 1993
`
`_
`_
`Related U‘S' Application Data
`Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 33,826, Mar. 19, 1993.
`
`[63]
`
`128 93,;313333:
`{Tins- €le
`[3;]
`[58] F: 121 fSearh128/696 /706, 707 903
`[
`1
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`56
`Ref
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`[
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`erences C1ted
`
`us PATENT DOCUMENTS
`3,724,455 4/1973 Unger .................................. 128/903
`3,845,756 11/1974 Olsson
`..... 128/707
`
`3,972,320 3/1976 Kalmfim --
`- 128/706
`
`43483241
`2/1981 T3001 ------
`' 128/903
`
`4,436,097
`3/1984 Cunningham ........... 128/707
`5,070,535 12/1991 Hochmeir et al.
`.................. 128/903
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A mon1tor-exercrse equipment apparatus for measuring
`a biomedical response such as heartbeat rate, and for
`using the measured response to control exercise equip-
`menti. The monitor includes a transmitting unit and a
`receiving unit located in the exercise equipment. An
`encoded digital signal represents the heart rate and has
`a first identification part identifying the transmitting
`unit and a second data part representing the person’s
`heart rate. This signal is wirelessly sent to the receiving
`unit which determines if it is from the transmitting unit.
`Only if that is so is the data part read. If there are too
`many errors in the data part, a new frequency of wire-
`less transmission is used. If the errors are within a rea-
`sonable bound, the data part is sent to a memory and/or
`display. The receiving unit provides a signal to a param-
`eter control means in the exercise equipment which
`automatically regulates the resistance offered to the
`user in accordance with the measured heart rate of the
`user to provide a proper workout. Memory provides
`exercise preflles unique to the user. An identification
`unit allows each user to identify himself/herself to the
`equipment to access the proper stored exercise profile
`for that person
`
`Primary Examiner—William E. Kamm
`
`25 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
`
`TRANSMITTER UNIT
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`37
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` 16 ENCDDER
`
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`
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`
`43
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`EVALUATED]?
`
`REFERENCE
`
`|PR2018-00294
`
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`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 7, 1995
`
`Sheet 1 of 6
`
`5,394,879
`
`FIGJ
`
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`
`FIG. 3A
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`. |PR2018-00294
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`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 7, 1995
`
`Sheet 2 of 6
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`5,394,879
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`

`US. Patent
`
`- Mar. 7, 1995
`
`Sheet 3 of 6
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`5,394,879
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`MEMDRY
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`
`|PR2018-00294
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`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 7, 1995
`
`Sheet 5 of 6
`
`5,394,879 I
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`|PR2018—00294
`
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`US. Patent
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`Appmlnc.EX10fi3Page7
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`IPR2018-00294
`Apple Inc. EX1013 Page 7
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`
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`
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`

`

`1
`
`5,394,879
`
`BIOMEDICAL RESPONSE MONITOR-EXERCISE
`EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUE USING ERROR
`CORRECTION
`
`CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATION
`
`This is a continuation—in-part of copending patent
`application Ser. No. 8/033,826, filed Mar. 19, 1993.
`DESCRIPTION
`
`Field of the Invention
`
`This invention relates to controlled exercise using an
`apparatus for monitoring a physical condition or body
`response, such as heart rate, and more particularly to
`controlled exercise equipment in which errors due to
`interfering sources are minimized or eliminated and in
`which improved accuracy results due to error detection
`and correction in the pattern representing the body
`reSponse.
`
`Background Art
`
`For many applications, it is necessary to measure and
`display a person’s body response, such as his or her
`heartbeat. In particular, in exercise and fitness training,
`it is often the situation that a person wishes to measure
`his or her heartbeat in order to achieve the maximum
`
`benefits of the exercise without the danger of increasing
`the heartbeat to a rate where adverse effects could
`occur. Of course, such measurements are also useful for
`many health applications such as biofeedback and exer-
`cise programs where the participants only mildy exer-
`cise and do not approach greatly elevated heart rates.
`Over the years, various types of equipment have been
`marketed for the measurement of heart rate, such instru-
`ments being popular in a wide variety of applications
`extending from all forms of exercise to biofeedback.
`Continuous accurate heart measurement is an important
`part of all aerobic exercise and rehabilitation programs
`and for this reason many types of apparatus have been
`commercially available for personal use by individuals
`and in fitness clubs, etc. Some of this equipment in-
`cludes heart rate monitors that are used to control the
`intensity of the workout based on the user’s measured
`heart rate. As will be discussed later, the problem of
`providing a good monitor necessarily affects the quality
`of an exercise program that is responsive to a measured
`heart rate.
`
`Some of the most popular heartbeat monitor designs
`use wireless data transmission from a sensor-transmitter
`unit to a display unit. This type of design allows optimal
`and flexible positioning of both units while not limiting
`a person’s freedom of movement. Unfortunately, the
`increasing popularity of heart measurement, and there-
`fore the use of these heart monitors, has demonstrated
`the limitations of currently available designs. An exam-
`ple is the recurring interference effects brought about
`when a person wearing a heart monitor is in close prox-
`imity to another person wearing another heart monitor.
`These people run the risk that their individual monitor
`readings are influenced by the monitor worn by the
`other person. Further, it is equally frustrating for a
`person wearing a heart monitor to find that electromag-
`netic equipment of all types, such as exercise equipment,
`power lines etc. will create electromagnetic fields that
`interfere with the successful transmission of his or her
`heartbeat, thereby causing an erratic display which is
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`uncollectable without moving away from the interfer-
`ing exercise equipment, power lines, etc.
`Various types of wireless measuring methods have
`been proposed. Some of these are based on radio waves
`while others use a magnetic proximity field. Most of
`these prior techniques transmit an analog ECG signal of
`a person. However, as noted, these prior techniques and
`apparatus are not simultaneously usable by several per-
`sons in close proximity to one another or by persons
`who are using such apparatus in close proximity to
`electrical or electronic equipment. In such cases, the
`reliability of transmission of heartbeat is significantly
`reduced with the result that a continuous and accurate
`
`monitoring of the heartbeat is no longer possible. As is
`readily appreciated, this lack of reliability is a problem
`for anyone using the monitor and is especially discon-
`certing to a person who is exercising to a level where
`his or her heartbeat is close to the maximum desired for
`that person.
`Examples of some prior art monitors include U.S.
`Pat. No. 4,625,733; U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,921; U.S. Pat.
`No. 3,212,496; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,388. The first of
`these describes a heartbeat monitor using a magnetic
`proximity field as a basis for analog wireless transmis-
`sion, where a particular arrangement of magnetic coils
`is used in the transmitter and the receiver units.
`
`U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,921 describes a portable heartbeat
`monitor which can be used to check either pulse rate or
`heart rate using separate sensors for detecting heartbeat
`and pulse beat. The apparatus shares a common indica-
`tor for displaying the heartbeat rate or pulse beat rate
`depending upon a switch means for connecting either of
`the sensors to a microcomputer. Analog signals are used
`in this monitor, which does not use wireless transmis-
`sion between a transmitter and receiver.
`U.S. Pat. No. 3,212,496 describes an apparatus for
`simultaneously measuring ECG, respiration rate, and
`respiration volume. A pair of electrodes on or in a per-
`son’s body have current passed therebetween and sense
`an impedance change and a heartbeat voltage. A fre-
`quency modulated signal can then be telemetered to a
`receiving and display unit.
`U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,388 describes a portable apparatus
`that can be used for analog biomedical telemetry, and is
`particularly adapted for use in a hospital where each
`sensor-transmitter unit is used on a single patient and
`will not normally be used on another patient. The trans~
`mitter is designed to produce a very narrow frequency
`spectrum where a steady pulse rate accurately repre-
`sents the measured temperature of the patient. In order
`to avoid interference from adjacent units, the receiver
`unit is located within only a few feet of the transmitting
`unit. Further, a very low power continuously sending
`transmitting unit is used so that only the closest receiver
`will detect the analog signal. This avoids the possibility
`that the receiver will pick up signals from another trans-
`mitter. Thus, the selectivity of the receiver is based on
`its close proximity to the associated transmitter unit, not
`on any circuitry which would prevent interference by a
`transmitter broadcasting a high power signal, even
`though such interfering transmitter may be far away.
`Further, the frequency range intended for operation is
`selected to be very narrow. As noted in this patent,
`frequency sweeping can occur due to saturation of a
`transistor in the oscillator circuit. In order to prevent
`this undesirable frequency sweeping, an isolating impe-
`dance is used in the circuit design to prevent feedback
`
`|PR2018-00294
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`5,394,879
`
`3
`current of the type which causes the transistor satura—
`tion.
`
`US. Pat. No. 5,157,604 describes a hospital monitor-
`ing system in which many patient transmitter units are
`coupled to a central station. Wireless transmission of a
`signal including an identifier and heartbeat data occurs
`from each patient unit to the central station. Each pa-
`tient unit transmits on its own frequency so there will be
`no interference between the patient units. The responses
`of the patient units are time multiplexed, since these
`units respond to the central station only in response to
`the receipt off a timing signal from the central station.
`Error detection and correction of an incorrect heartbeat
`due to faulty transmission is not mentioned.
`In the prior art monitors for measuring and displaying
`heartbeat, it is usually not possible to provide a tech-
`nique and apparatus for determining if the received
`signal in the display unit is from the properly associated
`transmitter unit or is instead from another transmitter
`unit. Further, if there are errors occurring in the data
`representing the heartbeat, such as missing portions of
`the signal due to interference from outside sources, the
`display in these prior monitors will either indicate a
`wrong value, not indicate heartbeat, or maintain the
`previous reading without making the user aware of the
`problem. In these prior art monitors, there is no way to
`account for transient errors in heartbeat which are mo-
`mentarily caused but which do not necessarily render
`inaccurate the later readings of heartbeat. If these prior
`art monitors are used to control exercise equipment,
`there is a problem due to interference from the motors
`in the equipment and also from other monitors on equip-
`ment that is closely located to the user’s exercise equip-
`ment.
`
`It is therefore a primary object of the present inven-
`tion to provide an improved technique and apparatus
`for monitoring and displaying a biomedical function
`(body response) such as heart beat, wherein the above-
`described problems are addressed and corrected and to
`provide exercise equipment using this improved appara-
`tus.
`
`It is another object of the present invention to pro-
`vide exercise equipment using an improved personal use
`heartbeat monitor which automatically rejects interfer-
`ing signals from sensor-transmitter units other than the
`one with which the display unit is properly associated.
`It is another object of the present invention to pro-
`vide a heartbeat monitor in which the presence of tran-
`sient errors in the signal representing the heartbeat does
`not render inaccurate the heartbeat displayed to the
`person wearing the monitor, where this monitor is used
`to control exercise equipment in accordance with the
`person’s instantaneous heart rate.
`It is another object of this invention to provide a
`wireless heartbeat monitor which can be easily worn by
`a person engaged in all forms of physical exercise, and
`which will nonetheless provide accurate measurement
`of the person’s heartbeat even in the presence of other
`heartbeat monitors and/or electrical or electronic
`equipment in which components of the monitor are
`located.
`It is another object of the present invention to pro-
`vide exercise equipment in which a part of a person’s
`EGG signal is digitally encoded for wireless transmis-
`sion to a receiver-display unit located in the exercise
`equipment, where the coding allows a receiver-display
`unit to identify the encoded digital signal as having been
`sent from a particular sensor-transmitter unit.
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`It is another object of the present invention to pro-
`vide exercise equipment using a heartbeat monitor
`which will automatically change the frequency range
`over which signals representing the heartbeat are wire-
`lessly sent from a sensor-transmitter unit to a receiver—
`display unit, the transmission frequency being changed
`in response to the occurrence of errors in the received
`signal.
`It is a further object of this invention to provide a
`technique and apparatus for monitoring heartbeat
`where the monitor is used in exercise equipment with-
`out adversely affecting the accuracy of the data dis-
`played to the person using the monitor.
`It is another object of this invention to provide im-
`proved exercise equipment for isolating monitor signals
`relating to a biological function, such as heartbeat,
`wherein the monitored signals are digitally encoded to
`provide user identifiers that are wirelessly transmitted.
`It is a still further object of this invention to provide
`automatic transmission error detection and correction
`
`in a wireless biological response monitoring system
`used to control exercise equipment in accordance with
`a user’s biological response.
`
`Brief Summary of the Invention
`
`This invention broadly relates to exercise equipment
`that uses an improved technique and monitor for mea-
`suring and displaying, preferably on a continuous basis,
`a physical condition or biomedical response, such as a
`heartbeat rate. The monitor includes a transmitter unit
`for producing an encoded digital signal representing the
`biomedical response and for wirelessly transmitting the
`encoded digital signal to a receiver unit for display of
`the measured biomedical response. The monitor also
`includes a detection means for detecting errors in the
`received encoded digital signal, and correction means
`for automatically changing the transmitter unit and the
`receiver unit to provide accurate wireless transmission
`therebetween of the measured biomedical response. In a
`preferred embodiment
`this monitor includes unique
`identification between a transmitter and an associated
`receiver.
`
`This monitor is particularly suitable for personal use
`such as would occur in a home or office or even in a
`gym or fitness center where it can be a part of exercise
`equipment. In one embodiment, the transmitter unit is
`adapted to be worn and would be battery operated
`while the receiver unit can be part of exercise equip-
`ment and can be useful to control a workout in response
`to a measured biological response. As long as the re-
`ceiver is within the transmission distance from the trans-
`mitter, it will receive the wirelessly transmitted signal.
`In one aspect of this invention the monitor measures a
`person’s heartbeat and displays an indication of the
`monitored heartbeat. In this embodiment, the apparatus
`is comprised of a sensor-transmitter unit (chest unit)
`adapted to be worn in contact with a person’s chest and
`having electrodes which receive the person’s ECG
`signal. This signal is amplified and digitally encoded to
`contain an identification portion and a data portion.
`This encoded signal is transmitted in a wireless manner
`to a receiver-display unit (wrist unit), where the receiv-
`er-display unit contains a display for displaying the
`person’s heartbeat. While the receiver-display portion
`of the monitor can be adapted to be worn, for exp. on a
`person’s wrist, this unit need not be worn and could be
`located elsewhere, for example on exercise equipment.
`In the invention of this continuation-impart application
`
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`5,394,879
`
`5
`the receiver-display unit is used to control the exercise
`equipment in response to a continuous monitoring of the
`exercising person’s biological response (heart rate, etc.).
`Further, while chest electrodes generally provide the
`best ECG signals, the transmitter unit could be placed
`elsewhere, such as on a person’s wrist.
`Because the person’s ECG signal is digitized and
`encoded, two purposes can be achieved. The first is that
`an identification is provided which is different for each
`heart monitor. That is, after the receiver-display unit
`receives the transmitted encoded signal, it checks this
`signal to see if it contains the proper identification code.
`If this comparison fails, the incoming signal to this unit
`is not accepted because it is not from the proper chest
`unit. However, if the identification compares with the
`reference identification in the receiver unit, the incom-
`ing signal will be accepted. This prevents two heart
`monitors working in close proximity to each other and
`transmitting on the same frequency from recording and
`displaying signals from the wrong person.
`The second purpose of the digital encoding is to pro-
`vide transmission error detection and correction of the
`
`heartbeat data. In practice, it is possible that a valid
`signal may be rejected by the receiver-display unit due
`to an outside noise source. The data portion of the trans-
`mitted signal is therefore encoded into a particular bit
`sequence. When the incoming data bit sequence is
`checked against a reference data bit sequence in the
`receiver-display unit, errors in the received signal can
`be detected. The receiver unit can be set so that infre-
`quently occurring errors (such as transient errors) will
`be corrected but not result in a change of the transmit-
`ting and receiving units. On the other hand, if too many
`errors are present, the receiver unit will notice it and
`provide a frequency change signal to change the trans-
`mission frequency in the chest unit and also to change
`the receiving frequency in the receiving unit. In a pre-
`ferred embodiment the power of the frequency change
`signal is also increased to ensure that the frequency
`change is made. While the receiving unit will automati-
`cally cause a change in frequency if persistent errors
`occur, the user can also change the transmission and
`reception frequency if it is anticipated that a problem
`may occur. This feature of a change in transmission and
`receiving frequency also allows the rise of multiple
`units in close proximity to one another without recipro-
`cal disturbances.
`The chest unit generally contains an input sensor
`means for receiving the ECG signal, amplifying means,
`comparator means for producing a digital pulse train
`corresponding to the analog EGG pulses, encoder
`means for encoding the digital pulse train into coded
`signals having bits corresponding to an identification
`portion and further bits corresponding to a data portion
`of said encoded signal, and means to receive a fre-
`quency change signal from the wrist (receiving) unit for
`changing the transmitting frequency of the chest unit.
`This latter means includes a receiver for receiving via
`wireless transmission the frequency change signal from
`the receiving unit when the transmission frequency is to
`be changed and a signal evaluator for reading the identi-
`fication code in the frequency change signal to deter-
`mine that it is from the associated receiving unit and for
`providing a signal to the transmitter means for changing
`the transmission frequency for the outgoing signals
`from the chest unit. Part of the identification signal may
`serve for synchronization of a clock signal in the receiv-
`ing and transmitting units.
`
`6
`The receiving unit broadly includes a receiver for
`receiving output signals from the chest unit and a signal
`evaluator for separating the identification portion and
`the data portion of the incoming encoded signal and for
`determining if the incoming signal is from the associated
`chest unit. The signal evaluator also checks the data
`portion of the incoming signal to determine if it has the
`proper data pattern for the associated chest unit. The
`signal evaluator provides an output to a memory means
`for storing heartbeat data and also provides an output
`that is sent to a display, for displaying the heartbeat rate.
`The signal evaluator further provides an output that is
`sent to a transmitter meanslocated in the receiving unit
`if the signal evaluator determines that the frequency of
`errors in the data portion of the incoming signal is be-
`yond a given bound, that is, if the bit patterns indicate
`that the errors are not merely transient but are suffi-
`ciently repetitive as to provide potentially inaccurate
`monitoring of person’s heartbeat. The output of the
`transmitter means in the receiving unit is sent in a wire-
`less manner to the receiver in the chest unit. At the same
`time, the signal evaluator also provides a signal to the
`receiver in the receiving unit to change its reception
`frequency to match the new transmission frequency in
`the chest unit. The receiving unit also contains an input
`terminal by which the user can directly initiate a change
`in transmitter/receiver frequency, or can block an auto-
`matic change of frequency in the chest and receiving
`units. For example, the user may sense that the external
`condition which is causing an error in the received
`encoded signal will soon cease so that it is not necessary
`to change frequency. Another situation where a user
`may want to prevent a frequency change is where there
`are multiple users in close proximity. Rather than have
`everyone’s monitor change frequency, some monitors
`can be held at fixed frequencies while other monitors
`change frequency.
`This design will overcome most of the limitations of
`the currently available wireless heart monitors. Addi-
`tionally, it will compensate for minor errors and enable
`the user to avoid certain error sources by purposely
`changing the transmission frequency. Of course, the
`user can allow the monitor to automatically change
`frequencies. Since the range of the human heart rate is
`fairly restricted,
`this design allows the detection of
`uncorrectable errors by taking into account the elapsed
`time between two successful data transmissions. Since it
`is highly improbable that the wrist unit will receive the
`correct identification pattern from a source other than
`the associated chest unit, the user can have a very high
`level of confidence in the accuracy of the displayed
`heart rate. This is accomplished even though the chest
`and receiving units are separate from one another and
`communication therebetween is via wireless transmis-
`sion.
`The invention uses the improved monitor to control
`exercise equipment in response to a measured biomedi-
`cal function such as heart rate. The receiving unit is
`located on the exercise equipment and provides a con-
`trol signal to change (increase or decrease) or maintain
`the resistance offered to the user by the exercise equip—
`ment. This resistance is changed in accordance with the
`measured heart rate (for exp.) in a continuous manner to
`provide an exercise workout including warm-up, cool-
`down and sustained aerobic exercise. Memory means
`and a microprocessor are used to maintain an up—to-date
`profile of the exercising person and to continuously
`regulate the resistance of the equipment in accordance
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`with the user’s instantaneous heart rate. Identification
`means allows the user to identify himself or herself to
`the exercise equipment in order to have the equipment
`access the proper exercise profile from memory. Addi-
`tional memory is provided to allow the user to enter a
`different exercise profile if it is not desired to use the
`exercise profile already stored in memory. An input
`control to the microprocessor allows the user to over-
`ride any profile control that the microprocessor would
`usually select.
`The invention is most useful in the case of personal
`use equipment which allows the user to have complete
`mobility while undergoing heartbeat monitoring. The
`various components of the chest and wrist units are
`easily provided by known microelectronic integrated
`circuit chips that can be packaged together in small
`volume and battery operated. The major use of this
`monitor will be for continuous display during personal
`activities by an individual, including exercise, biofeed-
`back, and general health monitoring. In these activities
`wireless transmission will be over a relatively short
`range, particularly if both the transmitter and receiver
`units are worn or if the receiving unit is located in the
`exercise equipment.
`These and other objects, features, and advantages
`will be apparent from the following more particular
`description of the preferred embodiments.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the heart rate
`monitor of the present invention, showing the chest unit
`(transmitting unit) and the wrist unit (display) which
`receives the signal from the chest unit via a wireless
`transmission and displays the heartbeat of the person
`being monitored.
`FIG. 2 shows a typical ECG signal and the train of
`digital pulses representing each of the analog pulses in
`the ECG signal.
`FIG. 3A shows a typical format of the encoded digi-
`tal signal wirelessly transmitted from the chest unit to
`the wrist unit, this digital signal consisting of a synchro-
`nization part, an identification part unique to this partic-
`ular chest monitor and a data part unique to the person’s
`heartbeat.
`
`FIG. 3B represents a sequence of bits corresponding
`to the data part of the outgoing digital signal from the
`chest unit (FIG. 1) where each data part is represented
`as a two-bit binary code in this example.
`FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the chest unit in
`more detail, showing the various components of this
`unit.
`FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the wrist unit in
`
`more detail, showing the components comprising this
`unit.
`FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a modified chest
`unit, where the encoded digital signal represents the full
`heartbeat rate.
`FIG. 7 schematically illustrates the use of this inven-
`tive monitor to control exercise equipment in accor-
`dance with a user’s heart rate.
`
`FIG. 8 shows the various components of the receiv-
`er-controller unit in the exercise equipment depicted in
`FIG. 7.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
`
`The practice of this invention will be represented by
`the example of a heartbeat monitor, where it is desired
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`to accurately measure heartbeat and to provide a tech-
`nique which eliminates many of the errors found in the
`use of presently available wireless heartbeat monitors,
`particularly those of the portable type adapted to be
`used by people undergoing exercise, biofeedback etc.
`Such problems generally relate to interference effects
`that can occur if two wireless heartbeat monitors are
`operating in close proximity to one another, noise at-
`tributable to sources other than another heart monitor,
`confusion between received signals wherein the heart-
`beat being displayed may not be that of the person being
`monitored and situations where the user would be un-
`
`aware that the displayed heartbeat is inaccurate.
`FIG. 1 schematically represents the heartbeat moni-
`tor 10, which is comprised of a chest unit 12 (transmit-
`ting unit) and a complementary wrist unit 14 (receiving
`or display unit). Wireless transmission over a plurality
`of frequency ranges can occur from chest unit 12 to
`wrist unit 14, as represented by the arrows 16. Wireless
`transmission from the wrist unit 14 to the chest unit 12
`is used to correct transmission errors but usually over
`only a single frequency as represented by the single
`arrow 17. As will be described later, wireless transmis-
`sion from the display unit 14 to the chest unit 12 will
`occur when it is desired to change the transmission
`frequency from the chest unit. This can be done either
`automatically or on command by the user. In practice,
`the transmitter of the chest unit is frequency matched to
`the receiver in the wrist unit so that an encoded digital
`signal wirelessly transmitted from the chest unit 12 will
`be correctly received by the wrist unit 14.
`FIG. 2 illustrates a typical ECG signal 18 from a
`person being monitored, and the digital pulse train 20
`corresponding to the ECG signal. Each digital pulse
`corresponds to the onset of a positive slope portion 22
`of the analog pulses forming the ECG signal train 18.
`As an alternative, each digital pulse can correspond to
`another portion of the analog pulses, such as the peak of
`each pulse. In the present invention, the ECG signal is
`digitized prior to wireless transmission from the chest
`unit 12 to the wrist unit 14. The purpose of this appara-
`tus is to monitor heartbeat and therefore it is sufficient
`
`to transform the EGG signal into a digital pulse train.
`The particular characteristics relating to a person’s
`ECG signal are not of importance in the present inven-
`tion.
`
`Prior to the transmission of a digital signal from chest
`unit 12 to wrist unit 14, the digital signal is given a
`specific binary identification sequence. Further,
`the
`individual digital pulses in the pulse train 20 are each
`encoded into m bits. A sequence of digital pulses will
`therefore result in a sequence of these m bit signals. This
`sequence is predetermined and is known to the wrist
`unit 14. A certain bit sequence can precede the identifi-
`cation portion with the encoded digital signal to facili-
`tate synchronization of the transmitter and receiver.
`FIG. 3A shows a typical format of the encoded digital
`signal transmitted from the chest unit 12 to the wrist
`unit 14 where the signal is comprised of a 3 bit synchro-
`nization part, an 8 bit identification part and a two bit
`data part. FIG. 3B shows a sequence of four digital
`pulses represented by a code having two bits per pulse,
`i.e., m=2. In this sequence, the first encoded group 00
`represents the first digital pulse, the second encoded
`group 01 represents the second digital pulse, the third
`encoded group 11 represents the third digital pulse, and
`the next encoded group 10 represents the fourth digital
`pulse. This pattern, and its order, will be used each time
`
`|PR2018-00294
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`9
`the ECG signal is sampled and encoded. The pattern
`and its order will be changed if m is changed.
`In operation, it is possible that a transmission error
`can occur. Sometimes these errors are only transient, in
`which case the last display reading will be maintained.
`It can also be the situation that the errors co