Home

Eyeglasses with a heart rate monitor

Contents

1. O7 Oo Ec iL i WO a iL 652 N o U S Patent Mar 16 2010 Sheet 6 of 9 US 7 677 723 B2 0 706 2 700 102 708 AN ied 704 Fig 4 U S Patent Mar 16 2010 Sheet 7 of 9 US 7 677 723 B2 iac 722 __ 724 720 Fig 5 U S Patent Mar 16 2010 Sheet 8 of 9 US 7 677 723 B2 iaa 736 Fig 6 U S Patent Mar 16 2010 Sheet 9 of 9 US 7 677 723 B2 760 762 750 764 756 US 7 677 723 B2 1 EYEGLASSES WITH A HEART RATE MONITOR CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is related to U S patent application Ser No 11 183 256 filed Jul 15 2005 and entitled EYE GLASSES WITH ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS which is hereby incorporated herein by reference which in turn is a continuation in part of U S patent application Ser No 10 964 011 filed Oct 12 2004 and entitled TETHERED ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FOR EYEGLASSES which is hereby incorporated herein by reference which in turn claims priority to each of 1 U S Provisional Patent Application No 60 509 631 filed Oct 9 2003 and entitled TETHERED ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FOR EYE GLASSES which is hereby incorporated herein by refer ence ii U S Provisional Patent Application No 60 527 565 filed Dec 6 2003 and entitled ADAPTABLE COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES which is hereby incorporated herein by refer ence iii U S Pro
2. and to be electrically connected with the processing circuitry via electrical connectors when needed In one implementation the clip 510 is a small spring clip the IR transmitter 511 is an IR LED and the IR receiver 512 is a silicon photodiode Inanother embodiment the IR sensor further includes a red light source e g a red LED and a light receiver e g a light photodiode In this embodiment the heart rate sensor moni tors heart rate by a combination of IR and red light The eyeglasses 500 can also include at least one switch 516 and one or more output devices which could be visual indi cators The switch 516 can serve as a start switch In one embodiment visual indicators as shown in FIG 2 can be located on the interior of a lens holder such as the left lens holder 504 In another embodiment visual indicators are located at relatively inconspicuous locations that could be seen by the user without taking the glasses off For example the visual indicators can be located on the interior ofa temple close to its end that connects with the corresponding lens holder In one embodiment the visual indicators are LEDs For example the eyeglasses 500 include a first LED 518 e g green LED and a second LED 520 e g red LED FIGS 3A 3D shows examples of circuits to measure the pulse of a user according to an embodiment The examples serve as illustrations and other types of circuits could be used In general the circuits inc
3. drawings illustrates by way of example the principles of the invention BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG 1 shows a person wearing a pair of glasses with a heart rate sensor according to an embodiment of the invention FIG 2 shows a pair of glasses with LED as outputs accord ing to an embodiment of the invention FIGS 3A D show examples of circuits to measure the heart rate of a user according to different embodiments of the invention FIG 4 shows a heart rate sensor clip being attached to the tip of a temple of a pair of glasses according to an embodi ment of the invention FIG 5 shows a heart rate sensor clip being attached through an adjustable mechanical arm to a temple of a pair of glasses according to an embodiment of the invention FIG 6 shows heart rate sensor clip being attached through a semi rigid arm or cable to a temple of a pair of glasses according to an embodiment of the invention FIG 7 shows a heart rate sensor that is based on measuring reflected signals according to an embodiment of the inven tion Same numerals in FIGS 1 7 are assigned to similar ele ments in all the figures Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to FIGS 1 7 However those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTI
4. 12 United States Patent Howell et al US007677723B2 10 Patent No US 7 677 723 B2 45 Date of Patent Mar 16 2010 54 75 73 E Q1 Q2 65 60 51 52 58 56 EYEGLASSES WITH A HEART RATE MONITOR Inventors Thomas A Howell Palo Alto CA US David Chao Saratoga CA US Douglass Thomas Campbell CA US Robert Grant Day San Francisco CA US Peter P Tong Mountain View CA US Assignee IpVenture Inc Los Altos CA US Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U S C 154 b by 288 days Appl No 11 650 626 Filed Jan 6 2007 Prior Publication Data US 2007 0109491 A1 May 17 2007 Related U S Application Data Provisional application No 60 787 850 filed on Apr 1 2006 provisional application No 60 846 150 filed on Sep 20 2006 provisional application No 60 763 854 filed on Jan 30 2006 Int Cl G02C 1 00 2006 01 UIS CL Lettre eter 351 158 351 41 Field of Classification Search 351 41 351 136 158 607 9 14 18 See application file for complete search history References Cited U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 320 558 A 6 1885 Hull 669 949 A 3 1901 Underwood 1 255 265 A 2 1918 Zachara 1 917 745 A 7 1933 Weiss 2 249 572 A 7 1941 Lieber 2 638 532 A 5 1953 Brady 2 794 085 A 5 1957 De Angells 2 818 511 A 12 1957 Ullery et al 2 830 132 A 4 1958 Borg
5. Continued FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS CN 88203065 11 1988 Continued OTHER PUBLICATIONS 1 5g Dual Axis Micromachined Accelerometer Freescale Semi conductor Inc Motorola Semiconductor Technical Data MMA6260Q 2004 pp 1 7 Continued Primary Examiner Huy K Mai 57 ABSTRACT A pair of glasses with a heart rate monitor according to one embodiment The heart rate monitor is configured to measure the heart rate of the user of the glasses The heart rate monitor can include a sensor with a radiation transmitter and a radia tion receiver The radiation could be infrared radiation In one approach the receiver measures signals transmitted by the transmitter through a body part of the user to measure the user s heart rate The sensor could be incorporated in a clip to clip onto the body part of the user such as the ear lobe of the user In another approach the receiver measures signals trans mitted by the transmitter and reflected by a body part of the user to measure the user s heart rate 26 Claims 9 Drawing Sheets 750 764 760 762 US 7 677 723 B2 Page2 U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 6 061 580 A 5 2000 Altschul et al 6 091 546 A 7 2000 Spitzer 2 904 670 A 9 1959 Calmes 6 091 832 A 7 2000 Shurman et al 3 060 308 A 10 1962 Fortuna 6 115 177 A 9 2000 Vossler 3 597 054 A 8 1971 Winter 6 132 681 A 10 2000 Faran et al 3 710 115 A 1 1973 Jubb 6 154 552 A 11 2000 Koroljow et al 4 165 487 A 8 1979 Corderman
6. Data News Article Sep 2004 p 1 US 7 677 723 B2 Page4 Life Monitor V1 1 Rhusoft Technologies Inc http www rhusoft com lifemonitor Mar 1 2003 pp 1 6 Manes Stephen Xtreme Cam Forbes Magazine Sep 5 2005 p 96 Mio PhyslCal http www gophysical com downloaded Jan 27 2004 5 pages Monitoring Athletes Performance 2002 Winter Olympic News from KSL Jan 23 2002 http 2002 ksl com news 3885i php pp 1 3 Niwa UV Index Information http www niwa cri nz services uvozone uvi info downloaded Jul 15 2004 pp 1 2 P rkk Juha et al A Wireless Wellness Monitor for Personal Weight Management VTT Information Technology Tampere Fin land date unknown p 1 Pedometer Model HJ 112 Omron Instruction Manual Omron Healthcare Inc 2003 pp 1 27 PNY Announces Executive Attach USB 2 0 Flash Drive and Pen Series Press Release PNY Technologies Las Vegas Jan 8 2004 pp 1 2 PNY Technologies Executive Attach http www pny com prod ucts flash execattache asp downloaded Nov 16 2005 Polar WM41 and 42 weight management monitor http www simplysports polar weight management wm4l 42 htm down loaded Jan 28 2004 pp 1 3 Questions Answers Pedometercom http www pedometer com downloaded May 5 2005 RazrWire Motorola 2005 1 page SafeSun Personal UV Meter Scientific Data Optix Tech Inc http www safesun com scientific html downloaded May 1 2003
7. Inyetanother embodiment a pair of glasses as described in this application is replaced by an apparatus that is designed to US 7 677 723 B2 13 be worn by the user in the vicinity of the user s head Examples of an apparatus include a headband or a hat In one embodiment the hat can be a helmet A headband or a hat can include cloth and the heart rate monitor can be attached to the cloth Different embodiments on attaching electronics to garments or cloth have been described in related applications and are incorporated into the present application by reference In one embodiment the apparatus designed to be worn by the user is a swimming cap For example the swimming cap conforms to the head of the user and can cover the ears of the user An IR sensor could be in a clip such as one of the clips described in this application The clip could be in the vicinity ofan ear lobe ofthe user and the clip could be tethered to the inside of the cap Electronics in the clip can be electrically connected to electronics in the cap In operation the user wears the cap and the clip is clipped to the corresponding ear lobe to measure the heart beat of the user Even when the user is moving rigorously with the clip inside the cap and bound by the cap such embodiments could be used to measure the heart beat of the user In one embodiment electronics are also sealed or water proofed This would further enable the wearable apparatus to be used under
8. Nov 2 2005 With Racing Heart Skaloud et al GPS World Oct 1 2001 http www gpsworld com gpsworld content printContentPopup jsp id 1805 pp 1 5 Abrisa Product Information Cold Mirrors Abrisa date unknown p 1 Abrisa Product Information Commercial Hot Mirror Abrisa date unknown p 1 Alps Spectable Air Conduction Glass Bone Conduction Glass htt www alps Inter com spec htm downloaded Dec 10 2003 pp 1 2 Altimeter and Compass Watches http store yahoo com snowshack altimeter watches html downloaded May 3 2004 pp 1 2 Bone Conduction Headgear HG16 Series Voiceducer http www ternco j co jp html English HG16 html downloaded Dec 10 2003 pp 1 3 Carnoy David The Ultimate Player for Athletes Could be CNET Reviews May 14 2004 pp 1 4 Clifford Michelle A Acccelerometers Jump into the Consumer Goods Marker Sensors Online http www sensorsmag com Aug 2004 Cool Last Minute Gift Ideas UltimateFatBurner Reviews and Articles http www ultimatefatburner com gift ideas html down loaded May 10 2005 pp 1 3 Comfees com Adjustable Sports Band Style No 1243 http shop store yahoo com comfees adsporbansty html downloaded Apr 18 2003 pp 1 2 Dixen Brian ear catching Supertesten Mobil date unknown pp 37 41 Global Solar UV Index A Practical Guide World Health Organiza tion 2002 pp 1 28 Grobert Sam Digit Sizing Your Computer
9. being adjacent to the glasses the length of the wire tethering the clip to the temple could be relatively short A short wire is more convenient for the user than a long wire particularly if the user has to move around Also the degree of movement of the clip relative to the ear lobe typically is less if the wire is short which could lead to more accurate measurements In another embodiment instead of a wire the clip could be electrically coupled to the glasses through an adjustable mechanical arm or a semi rigid arm or cable The mechanical arm or semi rigid arm or cable could enhance the stability of the clip relative to the glasses In one embodiment there could be an output device to provide outputs to the user such as regarding her heart rate For example the output device could be based on audio or visual capabilities or both In the embodiment with visual outputs the output device could be located at the inside peripheral position of the glasses such as close to a hinge of the glasses linking a temple to a lens holder In one embodiment there could be a wireless transceiver in the glasses to send signals regarding the monitored heart rate to a portable or handheld device carried by the user for addi tional processing and or display In another embodiment signals regarding the monitored heart rate can be wirelessly received by a non portable device such as a stationary bike or a treadmill The signals could be used to adju
10. by ref erence The electrical connector 508 enables the eyeglasses 500 to easily connect with other electrical devices such as a computing device In addition the eyeglasses can be coupled to a clip 510 having an infrared IR transmitter 511 and an IR receiver 512 on opposite sides of one end of the clip 510 In one embodi ment an IR sensor includes the IR transmitter 511 and the IR receiver 512 In operation the clip 510 is clipped to a body part of the user such as one of the user s ears Different parts of the ears could be clipped such as the ear lobe as illustrated in FIG 1 or the upper portion 509 of the person s ear During measure ment at least a portion of the IR radiation from the transmitter 511 transmits through the body part that is clipped and is received by the IR receiver 512 to be measured For example when an ear lobe is clipped as depicted in FIG 1 the ear lobe is sandwiched between the IR transmitter 511 and the IR receiver 512 The IR sensor is electrically connected to processing cir cuitry In one embodiment the processing circuitry can be at least partially embedded in the eyeglasses e g in at least one of the temples and is electrically connected to the IR sensor through a cable 514 Alternatively the cable 514 could have an electrical connector at one end that can removably couple to the electrical connector 508 at the glasses This would allow the IR sensor to be detachable from the glasses
11. claim 9 wherein said wireless circuitry is configured to wirelessly transmit signals regarding the acquired heart rate data of the user and or the user exercise information to an electronic device that is designed to be stationary 12 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 9 wherein said wireless circuitry is configured to wirelessly transmit signals regarding the acquired heart rate data of the user and the user exercise information to the at least one other electronic device 13 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 1 wherein said audio output device is a speaker and wherein the speaker is configured to output music or an exercise program 14 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 13 wherein the speed of the music depends on an exercise program for the user 15 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 13 wherein the speed of the music depends on the measured heart rate of the user 16 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 13 wherein the speaker plays a song that is selected to train the user physi cally 0 20 40 45 18 17 A pairofglasses as recited in claim 1 wherein the heart rate information is used to calculate calories burnt by the user over a duration of time 18 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 1 wherein said pair of glasses further comprises a temperature sensor configured to acquire temperature data pertaining to the temperature of the user and wherein at least a portion of the temperature se
12. do such as keep the same walking pace Then for the next 5 minutes the glasses play songs for the user The user could select the songs to play based on one or more switches or control mechanisms on the glasses Or there could be a display at or coupled to the glasses and the display has a user interface program to help the user select songs Additional descriptions regarding providing audio entertainment through glasses are in related applications which have been incorporated by reference In one embodiment the speed ofthe song or entertainment depends on the measured heart rate For example if the exer cise program wants the user to run faster the program would instruct the user to run following the beat ofthe music and the song is played at a faster pace In another embodiment the type of songs changes depending on the exercise routine For example a fast song would be played if the user should bike faster and a slow song would be played ifthe user should bike slower In one embodiment the songs could be picked or categorized by the user In other words the user could select songs and categorize them accordingly such as some under the category of fast and some under the category of slow Then when a fast song should be played a fast song desig nated by the user would be selected In one embodiment the user enters her weight into the glasses or into a memory device coupled to the glasses This again can be done by u
13. motion of the arm relative to the clip 720 The heart rate sensor in the clip 720 could be electrically connected to electronics in the glasses through one or more conducting wires embedded inside the arm 724 In another embodiment the clip can be more rigidly or substantially rigidly attached to the user during measurement by a stiff wire 514 such as by making the wire with a thicker cable This can reduce movement of or substantially immo bilize the clip FIG 6 shows an example of a clip 730 being attached through a semi rigid cable 734 to a temple tip 732 of a pair of glasses 736 The cable is semi rigid and is malleable enough to allow the location of the clip 730 to be adjusted relative to an ear 738 In one embodiment the cable could be a number of insulated solid copper wires in the range of 18 to 26 gauge bundled together In another embodiment the cable could be a number of insulated conductor wires each being for example 22AWG solid copper wire The heart rate sensor in the clip 730 could be electrically connected to electronics in the glasses through insulated copper wires bundled to form the cable 734 A number of techniques have been described on stabling the wire or the clip relative to the glasses In one embodiment the glasses couldalso be stabilized by a strap One example of a strap is a sport strap that snugly attaches or secures the glasses to the user s head Such a strap is typically used for sport activities T
14. the heart rate of the user 24 An electronic apparatus as recited in claim 23 wherein the apparatus is selected from a list consisting of a hat a swimming cap and a pair of goggles 25 An electronic apparatus as recited in claim 23 wherein the radiation transmitter and the radiation receiver are embed ded at a part ofthe apparatus that is designed to press against a part of the user s head when the apparatus 15 worn 26 An electronic apparatus that is configured to be worn by a user in the vicinity of the users head comprising at least one speaker configured to provide audible sound to the user a nose pad an electronic device with at least a portion ofthe electronic device being embedded in the apparatus and configured to acquire user exercise data and a monitor that is configured to measure a physical condi tion of the user with at least a portion of the monitor being embedded in the nose pad wherein the monitor is configured to measure the physical condition of the user of the apparatus wherein to measure the physical condition of the user at least a portion of the nose pad is configured to contact with the nose of the user and wherein an audio alert is provided to the user of the appa ratus via the at least one speaker if the physical condition measured or the user exercise data is beyond a corre sponding threshold
15. 17997 Al 2 2002 Felkowitz 5 608 808 A 3 1997 da Silva 2002 0081982 Al 6 2002 Schwartz et al 5 634 201 A 5 1997 Mooring 2002 0084990 A1 7 2002 Peterson 5 673 692 10 1997 Schulze et al 2002 0089639 Al 7 2002 Starner et al 5 686 727 11 1997 Reenstra et al 2002 0090103 7 2002 Calisto Jr 5 715 323 A 2 1998 Walker 2002 0098877 Al 7 2002 Glezerman 5 737 436 A 4 1998 Boyden et al 2002 0109600 Al 8 2002 Mault et al 5 900 720 A 5 1999 Kallman et al 2002 0140899 Al 10 2002 Blum et al 5 941 837 A 8 1999 Amano et al 2002 0197961 Al 12 2002 Warren 5 946 071 A 8 1999 Feldman 2003 0018274 Al 1 2003 Takahashi et al 600 500 5 966 746 10 1999 Reedy et al 2003 0022690 Al 1 2003 Beyda et al 5 980 037 A 11 1999 Conway 2003 0032449 A1 2 2003 Giobbi 5 988 812 A 11 1999 Wingate 2003 0062046 Al 4 2003 Weismann 5 992 996 A 11 1999 Sawyer 2003 0063591 A1 4 2003 Leung et al 5 995 592 11 1999 Shirai et al 2003 0065257 Al 4 2003 Mault et al 6 010 216 A 1 2000 Jesiek 2003 0067585 Al 4 2003 Miller et al 6 013 919 A 1 2000 Schneider et al 2003 0068057 Al 4 2003 Miller et al 6 028 627 A 2 2000 Helmsderfer 2003 0226978 Al 12 2003 Ribi et al 6 046 455 A 4 2000 Ribi et al 2004 0000733 Al 1 2004 Swab etal 6 060 321 A 5 2000 Hovorka 2004 0063378 Al 4 2004 Nelson US 7 677 723 B2 Page3 2004 0096078 Al 2004 0150986 Al 2004 0156012 Al 2004 0157649 Al 2004 0160571 Al 2004 0160572 Al 2004 0160573 Al 2005 0067580 Al 2005 0213026
16. 2 Talking Pedometer Sportline Inc date unknown Top Silicon Pin Photodiode PD93 21C Technical Data Sheet Everlight Electronics Co Ltd 2004 pp 1 9 UV Light Meter UVA and UVB measurement UV 340 Instruction Manual Lutron date unknown pp 1 5 UV Smart UVA B Monitor Model EC 960 PW Instruction Manual Tanlta Corporation of America Inc downloaded Nov 16 2001 Vitaminder Personal Carb Counter with Convenient Key Chain date unknown pp 1 4 Nellcor OxiMax Sensor Selection Guide Tyco Healthcare copy right 2002 Tyco Healthcare Oct 2002 12 pages NELLCOR Oximax Sensors Tyco Healthcare ECE http www tycohealth ece com index php folder 53 amp article 100 downloaded Nov 29 2006 pp 1 5 Principles of Pulse Oximetry Technology copyright 2002 Oximeter org http www oximeter org pulseox principles htm downloaded Jul 18 2006 pp 1 3 cited by examiner U S Patent Mar 16 2010 Sheet 1 of 9 US 7 677 723 B2 504 511 512 Fig 1 U S Patent Mar 16 2010 Sheet 2 of 9 US 7 677 723 B2 500 504 f Fig 2 LEFT EYE RED LED GREEN LED U S Patent 16 2010 Sheet3of9 05 7 677 723 2 Fig 604 V V 608 U S Patent Mar 16 2010 Sheet 4 of 9 US 7 677 723 B2 630 e 8 3 N 636 dL Fig 3B 632 642 Ell 634 U S Patent Mar 16 2010 Sheet 5 of 9 US 7 677 723 B2 1o B 5 e
17. 6 176 576 1 2001 Green et al 4 254 451 A 3 1981 Cochran Jr 6 225 897 5 2001 Doyle et al 4 283 127 A 8 1981 Rosenwinkel et al 6 231 181 5 2001 Swab 4 322 585 A 3 1982 Liautaud 6 236 969 B1 5 2001 Ruppert et al 4 348 664 A 9 1982 Boschetti et al 6 243 578 6 2001 Koike 4 389 217 A 6 1983 Baughman et al 6 259 367 7 2001 Klein 4 526 473 A 7 1985 Zahn III 6 270 466 8 2001 Weinstein et al 4 535 244 A 8 1985 Burnham 6 292 213 9 2001 Jones 4 608 492 A 8 1986 Burnham 6 301 367 10 2001 Boyden et al 4 683 587 A 7 1987 Silverman 6 307 526 B1 10 2001 Mann 4 751 691 A 6 1988 Perera 6 343 858 Bl 2 2002 Zelman 4 757 714 7 1988 Purdy et al 6 349 001 2 2002 Spitzer 4 773 095 9 1988 Zwicker et al 6 349 422 2 2002 Schleger et al 4 806 011 A 2 1989 Bettinger 6 409 338 6 2002 Jewell 4 822 160 A 4 1989 Tsai 6 426 719 7 2002 Nagareda et al 4 822 161 A 4 1989 Jimmy 6 431 705 8 2002 Linden 4 851 686 A 7 1989 Pearson 6 478 736 B1 11 2002 Mault 4 942 629 A 7 1990 Stadimann 6 506 142 B2 1 2003 Itoh et al 4 962 469 10 1990 Ono et al 6 513 532 B2 2 2003 Mault et al 4 985 632 A 1 1991 Bianco et al 6 517 203 2 2003 Blum et al 5 008 548 A 4 1991 Gat 6 539 336 B1 3 2003 Vock et al 5 020 150 A 5 1991 Shannon 6 542 081 B2 4 2003 Torch 340 575 5 036311 A 7 1991 Moran et al 6 546 101 BL 4 2003 Murray et al 5 050 150 A 9 1991 Ikeda 6 554 763 Bl 4 2003 Amano e
18. Al 9 2005 Da Pra 2005 0230596 Al 10 2005 Howell et al 2005 0238194 Al 10 2005 Chornenky 381 381 2005 0248717 Al 11 2005 Howell et al 2005 0248719 Al 11 2005 Howell et al 2005 0264752 Al 12 2005 Howell et al 2006 0001827 Al 1 2006 Howell et al 2006 0003803 Al 1 2006 Thomas et al 2006 0023158 Al 2 2006 Howell et al 2006 0107822 Al 5 2006 Bowen 2007 0030442 Al 2 2007 Howell et al 2007 0046887 Al 3 2007 Howell et al 2007 0098192 Al 5 2007 Sipkema 2007 0186330 Al 8 2007 Howell et al 2007 0208531 Al 9 2007 Darley et al 2007 0270663 Al 11 2007 Ngetal 2007 0271065 Al 11 2007 Gupta et al 2007 0271116 Al 11 2007 Wysocki et al 2007 0271387 Al 11 2007 Lydon et al 2008 0068559 Al 3 2008 Howell et al 2008 0132382 Al 6 2008 Sturzer 2008 0144854 Al 6 2008 Abreu 381 74 2008 0262392 Al 10 2008 Ananny et al 5 2004 Lin 8 2004 Chang 8 2004 Jannard et al 8 2004 Jannard et al 8 2004 Jannard 8 2004 Jannard 8 2004 Jannard et al 3 2005 Fontaine FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS CN 89214222 7 3 1990 CN 90208199 3 11 1990 EP 1134491 A2 9 2001 FR 2530039 Al 1 1984 GB 1467982 3 1977 JP 58 113912 7 1983 JP 58 113914 7 1983 JP 02 181722 7 1990 JP 09 017204 1 1997 JP 10 161072 6 1998 JP 2000 039595 2 2000 JP 2002 341059 A 11 2002 TW 484711 6 2001 WO WO 97 12205 Al 4 1997 WO WO 99 50706 10 1999 WO WO 02 06881 A2 1 2002 WO WO 03 069394 A1 8 2003 WO WO 03 100368 Al 12 2003 WO
19. D 683 such as a red LED blinks at the rate ofthe pulse the LED 683 serves as an output indicator Instead of a LED output in an alternative embodiment the glasses can use audio instead of or in addi tion to visual clues In such cases the glasses may support a speaker orothertypes of output mechanisms such as LCD as discussed in this or related patent applications incorporated by reference In another embodiment the signals S1 could be sent to the input of an analog to digital converter whose outputs are received by a digital signal processor to digitally process the signals Typically when worn a pair of glasses is in a stable posi tion relative to the user s head and ears The stability serves as a good platform for a heart rate sensor Though the glasses serve as a stable platform there can still be noise With the clip applied to the user if the user moves the wire 514 could move with her which in turn could move the clip 510 rela tiveto the user The heart rate signals from the sensor could be small relative to for example noise signals or the DC offset As an illustration a clip that moves during measurement could change the DC offset because the amount of tissue compressed or measured by the clip could change This change in DC offset could produce noise reducing the signal to noise ratio There are different techniques to enhance clip stability when clipped to the user One can increase the pressure ofthe clip H
20. ON In one embodiment a pair of glasses for a user has a heart rate heart beat monitor The heart rate monitor can be par tially or fully embedded in the eyeglasses For example the heart rate monitor can be substantially embedded in a temple of the eyeglasses In another embodiment the heart rate monitor can be coupled either permanently or temporarily to the eyeglasses In one embodiment the heart rate monitor can include an infrared sensor IR sensor and processing circuitry Using measurements from the infrared sensor the processing cir cuitry can determine the user s heart rate The eyeglasses can also include one or more output devices such as a speaker or beeper for audio output and or a display for visual output FIG 1 illustrates a pair of eyeglasses 500 having heart rate monitoring capabilities according to one embodiment The pair of eyeglasses 500 includes left and right temples 502 and left and right lens holders 504 A rearward temple portion 506 e g temple tip region of at least one of the temples 502 includes an electrical connec tor 508 As an example the electrical connector 508 is a US 7 677 723 B2 5 standard connector suchas a3 5 mm mini phone connector or a bus connector e g USB connector In FIG 1 the connec tor is depicted to be at the end of a temple The connector or a different connector could be at other locations as described in related applications which have been incorporated
21. Player with Image http news designtechnica com article4665 html Jul 13 2004 Personal UV monitor OptIcs org http optics org articles news 6 6 7 1 downloaded Dec 20 2003 Jun 9 2000 pp 1 2 SafeSun Personal Ultraviolet Light Meter http healthchecksystems com safesun htm downloaded Jul 12 2004 pp 1 4 SafeSun Personal UV Meter Introduction Optlx Tech Inc http www safesun com downloaded Feb 5 2004 pp 1 2 SafeSun Personal UV Meter features Optix Tech Inc http www safesun com features html downloaded May 1 2004 pp 1 2 Sharper Image The FM Pedometer e Corporate Gifts com http www e corporategifts com sr353 html downloaded Jan 22 2005 pp 1 2 Sun UV Personal UV Monitor APA Optics Inc http www apaoptics com sunuv uvfacts html downloaded Dec 20 2003 pp 1 3 Ultraviolet Light and Sunglasses Oberon s Frequently Asked Questions http www oberoncompany com OBEnglish FAQUV html downloaded Feb 5 2004 pp 1 2 Ultraviolet Light Sensor Barrett amp Associates Engineering http www barrettengineering com project uvs htm downloaded Feb 5 2004 pp 1 3 Ultraviolet Radiation UVR Forum North Ontario Ministry of Labour http www3 mb sympatico ca ericc ULTRAVIOLET 20RADIATION htm downloaded Feb 5 2004 pp 1 6 What Are Gripples Gripping Eyewear Inc http www grip pingeyewear com whatare html downloaded
22. S which is hereby incorporated herein by refer ence BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are various devices to measure heart rates For example one approach depends on wrapping a band across a person s chest Electrodes in the band can sense the person s heart beat and wirelessly transmit the measured signals to a receiver This approach can be quite inconvenient because the person has to wear a band across his chest in order to get the necessary measurements Another approach to measure heart beat is to clip an infra red sensor onto a person s finger The sensor is connected to a machine through a wire This approach 1s unsatisfactory if one intends to remain active or to use one s hands while measurements are taken It should be apparent from the foregoing that there is still a need for an accurate heart rate monitor that is convenient to use for a person who may be in motion SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one embodiment the present invention provides a heart rate sensor attached to integral with or tethered to a pair of glasses When worn the pair of glasses is in a stable position relative to the user The glasses serve as a good platform for heart rate sensing US 7 677 723 B2 8 In one embodiment the sensor can be an infrared transmit ter with an infrared detector on a clip The clip could be tethered to a temple ofthe glasses The user can attach the clip to her ear lobe to measure her heart rate With the ear lobe
23. WO 2004 012477 A2 2 2004 WO WO 2004 025554 A1 3 2004 OTHER PUBLICATIONS APA Announces Shipment of the SunUV Personal UV Monitor Press Release Nov 7 2003 pp 1 3 Camera Specs Take Candid Snaps BBC News Sep 18 2003 pp 1 3 Cardo Wireless Attaching Clips and Wearing Headset Cardo Sys tems Inc http www cardowireless com clips php downloaded Nov 27 2004 pp 1 3 Environmental Health Criteria 14 Ultraviolet Radiation Interna tional Programme on Chemical Safety World Health Organization Geneva 1979 http www ichem org pp 1 102 Eyetop Product Features eyetop eyewear eyetop belt worn http www eyetop net products eyetop features asp downloaded Nov 6 2003 pp 1 2 Exclusive Media Event Marks Debut of Oakley Thump World s First Digital Audio Eyewear Oakley Investor Relations Press Release Nov 15 2004 pp 1 2 Heart Rate Monitors http www healthgoods com downloaded Dec 4 2004 How is the UV Index Calculated SunWise Program U S Envi ronmental Protection Agency http www epa gov sunwise uvcalc html downloaded Oct 14 2004 pp 1 2 Industrial UV Measurements APA Optics Inc http www apaoptics com uv downloaded Jul 12 2004 p 1 Motorola and Oakley Introduce First Bluetooth Sunglasses Cutting Edge RAZRWIre Line Offers Consumers On The Go Connections Motorola Mediacenter Press Release Feb 14 2005 pp 1 2 Oakley Thump Sunglasses Meet MP3
24. ample the length of the wire which could include a number of insulated conductors in one embodiment can be not more than eight 8 inches in another embodiment not more than six 6 inches in another embodi ment not more than four 4 inches in another embodiment not more than three 3 inches in another embodiment not more than two 2 inches and in another embodiment not more than one 1 inch The relatively short wire can reduce potential sources of noise and can render the corresponding heart rate monitor sensor more comfortable for the user Another approach to enhance clip stability is to couple the clip to the glasses by a more rigid element In other words if the heart rate monitor is more rigidly or substantially rigidly attached to the user during measurement the measured results can also be more stable Since the glasses are quite stable when worn if the clip is more rigidly tied to the glasses the clip is also relatively stable In one approach instead of a thin wire an adjustable mechanical arm that is more rigid than a thin wire is used to connect the clip to the glasses Though more rigid the arm is adjustable to accommodate for people with different size ears and or heads FIG 5 shows an example of such an embodiment In this example the sensor clip 720 is connected to the glasses 722 through an adjustable mechanical arm with two sections linked by a hinge The hinge could be made relatively stiff to reduce the
25. by reference iv U S patent application Ser No 11 078 855 filed Mar 11 2005 and entitled EYEWEAR WITH RADIATION DETECTION SYSTEM which is hereby incorporated herein by reference v U S patent application Ser No 11 078 857 filed Mar 11 2005 and entitled RADIATION MONITORING SYSTEM which is hereby incorporated herein by reference vi U S patent application Ser No 11 183 269 filed Jul 15 2005 and entitled EYEWEAR SUPPORTING AFTER MARKET ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS which is hereby incorpo rated herein by reference vii U S patent application Ser No 11 183 283 filed Jul 15 2005 and entitled EVENT EYEGLASSES which is hereby incorporated herein by ref erence viii U S patent application Ser No 11 183 262 filed Jul 15 2005 and entitled EYEGLASSES WITH HEARING ENHANCED AND OTHER AUDIO SIGNAL GENERATING CAPABILITIES which is hereby incorpo rated herein by reference ix U S patent application Ser No 11 183 263 filed Jul 15 2005 and entitled EYEGLASSES WITH A CLOCK OR OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPO NENT which is hereby incorporated herein by reference x U S patent application Ser No 11 183 276 filed Jul 15 2005 and entitled EYEGLASSES WITH ACTIVITY MONITORING which is hereby incorporated herein by reference and xi U S Provisional Patent Application No 11 580 222 filed Oct 11 2006 and entitled EYEGLASSES SUPPORTING AFTER MARKET ELECTRICAL COM PONENT
26. can include a memory device so that one or more workout programs and or songs can be stored The memory device could be for example attached to or integral with the glasses With workout pro grams as examples a switch could be used to select a workout program There are many different workout programs avail able In one embodiment workout programs can be down loaded from a website to the glasses e g wirelessly or using the connector 508 By downloading a new program the user can make the selection In one embodiment the glasses can be connected to a port of a computer via a connector e g the connector 508 for downloading In one embodiment the operations of a workout program depend on the measured heart rate ofthe user As an example before the user starts her workout the heart rate of the user is measured and kept track of Then the user starts the workout program The workout program could be for jogging The program tracks the user s heart rate as a function of time As US 7 677 723 B2 11 the heart rate increases the program could provide indication to the user as to whether the user should run faster i e increase heart rate or run slower or maintain speed In another embodiment the glasses could play songs which could be stored in a memory device inside the glasses or attached to the glasses such as based on a digital audio format e g MP3 format For example an exercise program would tell the user what to
27. e position of the arm where the sensor is can press onto the temple of the user for heart rate measurement In another example the sensor can be incor porated in an elastic band that can be wrapped around the user s neck with the sensor positioned over the carotid artery of the user A number of embodiments have been described regarding a temple arrangement such as a temple tip that can be acquired after the purchase of the glasses In one embodi ment different nose pads with different electrical compo nents also can be acquired after market or after the purchase of the glasses These nose pads can replace the existing nose pads of a pair of glasses The various embodiments implementations and features of the invention noted above can be combined in various ways or used separately Those skilled in the art will understand from the description that the invention can be equally applied to or used in other various different settings with respect to various combinations embodiments implementations or fea tures provided in the description herein A number of embodiments in the invention can be imple mented in software hardware or a combination of hardware and software A number of embodiments of the invention can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium The computer readable medium is any data storage device that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computer system Examples of the computer
28. ed herein by reference and iv U S Pro visional Patent Application No 60 647 826 filed Jan 31 2005 and entitled EYEWEAR WITH ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS which is hereby incorporated herein by reference The application also claims priority to each of 1 U S Provisional Patent Application No 60 787 850 filed Apr 1 2006 and entitled EYEGLASSES WITH A HEART RATE MONITOR which is hereby incorporated herein by refer ence ii U S Provisional Patent Application No 60 846 150 filed Sep 20 2006 and entitled EYEGLASSES WITH ACTIVITY MONITORING which is hereby incorporated herein by reference and iii U S Provisional Patent Appli cation No 60 763 854 filed Jan 30 2006 and entitled HAT WITH A RADIATION SENSOR which is hereby incorpo rated herein by reference 20 25 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 In addition this application is related to each of 1 U S patent application Ser No 10 822 218 filed Apr 12 2004 and entitled EYEGLASSES FOR WIRELESS COMMUNI CATIONS which is hereby incorporated herein by refer ence ii U S patent application Ser No 10 964 011 filed Oct 12 2004 and entitled TETHERED ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FOR EYEGLASSES which is hereby incorporated herein by reference 11 U S patent application Ser No 11 006 343 filed Dec 7 2004 and entitled ADAPTABLE COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES which is hereby incorporated herein
29. ed to the positive input of the opamp 636 The negative input and the feedback loop of the opamp 636 have another low pass filter also with a cut off frequency of 16 Hz This low pass filter includes two resistors and a capacitor One resistor 642 such as 1 MQ is connected from the negative input of the opamp 636 to ground Another resistor 638 such as 1 MQ in parallel with the capacitor 640 such as 0 01 uf is connected between the negative input and the output of the opamp 636 The signals at the output of the opamp 636 are designated as S2 FIG 3C illustrates an example of a bandpass filter 650 which at least serves to remove constant or DC signals from the pulse signals Through a high pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 0 36 Hz the signals S2 are received by the positive input of an opamp 656 such as a LM324 The high pass filter has a capacitor 652 such as 0 22 uf connected to a resistor 654 such as 2 MQ and then to ground The junction of the capacitor 652 and the resistor 654 is connected to the positive input of the opamp 656 The negative input and the feedback loop ofthe opamp 656 have a low pass filter with a cut off frequency of 16 Hz This low pass filter includes two resistors and a capacitor One resistor 662 such as 10 KQ is connected from the negative input of the opamp 656 to ground Another resistor 658 such as 1 MQ in parallel with the capacitor 660 such as 0 01 uf is connected between the negative input a
30. erein the heart rate monitor includes a sensor with a radiation transmitter and a radiation receiver to acquire the heart rate data wherein to acquire the heart rate data at least a portion of the radiation from the transmitter is reflected by at least a part of the body of the user and then received by the radiation receiver wherein the frame includes at least one nose pad and wherein the sensor is embedded in the nose pad 8 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 7 wherein the frame includes electronic circuitry to process outputs from the sensor wherein at least a portion of the electronic circuitry con figured to process sensor outputs is not at the nose pad and wherein the electronic circuitry configured to process sen sor outputs is electrically coupled to the sensor via at least one electrical conductor embedded in the frame 9 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 1 wherein said pair of classes further comprises wireless circuitry embedded in the frame and configured to allow wireless transmission of information regarding the acquired heart rate data and or the user exercise information to at least one other electronic device 10 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 9 wherein said wireless circuitry is configured to wirelessly transmit signals regarding the acquired heart rate data of the user and or the user exercise information to a portable or handheld electronic device 11 A pair of glasses as recited in
31. he heart beat sensor measures an elevated heartbeat and the pedometer indicates that the user is exercising a call may not be triggered However without exercise the same elevated heartbeat could be considered a dangerous situation and a call would be initiated Also this predetermined elevated heartbeat can be person alizedto the user because different user might have a different threshold In one embodiment this elevated heartbeat can be user defined and or entered by the user into the glasses controller such as a microcontroller in the glasses could analyze signals from the heart rate sensor and the pedometer together and initiate certain actions forthe benefit ofthe user US 7 677 723 B2 15 In another example calories burnt by the user could be more accurately determined based on outputs from a heart rate monitor and a pedometer In one embodiment a heart rate sensor is at a nose pad and a pedometer is at a hinge region between a hinge and its corresponding lens holder of the glasses Additional descrip tions on pedometer in glasses could be found in related appli cations which have been incorporated by reference Another example of an additional electronic device is a temperature sensor The temperature sensor could keep track of the user s temperature In one embodiment a temperature sensor can be in a nose pad and a heart rate sensor can be in the other nose pad of a pair of glasses As an example of an applica
32. he two ends ofthe strap could be coupled to the temples of the glasses and can be located close to their corresponding lens holders The coupling can be based on mechanical connectors e g snaps clips part of which may be integral with the temples of the glasses and the other part integral with the straps In another embodiment the strap could be a lanyard One reason to reduce the mobility ofthe wire 514 the clip 510 and or the glasses is that this may increase the stability of the signals from the heart rate sensor or to increase the signal to noise ratio In one embodiment the signal to noise ratio could be enhanced through signal processing tech niques such as digital signal processing techniques For example a digital signal processor could average the IR sen US 7 677 723 B2 9 sor outputs such as the signals S1 of the embodiment shown in FIG 3A In another embodiment an output signal from the sensor is ignored if the signal differs from its immediate prior signal measured at a predetermined interval earlier by more than a preset The rationale is that a person s heart rate cannot change too drastically If the output changes beyond a certain predefined threshold from its prior value the likeli hood is high that the output is erroneous In yet another embodiment an output is accepted only if itis within a certain predetermined threshold of the average of a number of its prior readings For example the output is acce
33. ilter is connected to a voltage source V such as 4 5 volts The cathode terminal of the photodiode is con nected through a resistor 612 such as 1 MQ to the negative input of an operational amplifier opamp 610 such as a LM324 The positive input of the opamp 610 is connected to ground The negative input of the opamp 610 is also con nected to its output through another low pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 3 4 Hz This low pass filter has a resistor 616 such as 10 MQ in parallel with a capacitor 614 such as 0 005 uf The output of the opamp 610 is connected to the positive terminal of the infrared LED 602 whose negative terminal is connected to ground through a resistor 618 such as 180Q The output of the opamp 610 is designated as S1 In one embodiment the opamp 610 changes or modulates the output from the LED 602 so as to keep the signals from the photodiode 604 to be about the center of its operating range In one example the signals S1 are about 0 2 volts 0 01 volt The pulse signals substantially vary between the 0 01 volt FIG 3B illustrates an example of a two pole low pass filter 630 Through a first low pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 16 Hz the signals S1 are received by the positive input of an opamp 636 such as LM3724 The low pass filter has a resistor 632 such as 1 MQ connected to a capacitor 634 such as 0 01 uf andthen to ground The junction ofthe resistor 632 and the capacitor 634 is connect
34. lasses For example a temple of a pair of glasses holds one portion of an electrical circuit That portion can include generic parts such as a battery that are applicable to different applications The battery can be rechargeable In one embodiment a pair of glasses includes a connector to allow a rechargeable battery inside the glasses to be charged Another portion of the elec trical circuit includes more application specific parts and that portion is in a temple arrangement As an example this application specific portion can be for monitoring heart rate The temple arrangement can be an after market product that auser can separately acquire after getting a pair of glasses In another embodiment all the electronics both the generic parts and the application specific parts are in a temple arrangement In yet another embodiment all the electronics are in a temple or a portion of a temple which could be acquired after market Different embodiments regarding temple arrangements have been described in related applica tions which are incorporated into this application As described above one way to stabilize a pair of glasses to a user s head is to use a strap or a lanyard to hold the glasses to the user s head In one embodiment the IR sensor is not at the glasses but is attached to integral with or tethered to the strap or lanyard based on different techniques as described above or in related applications incorporated by reference
35. lasses or information regarding the user s heart rate are wirelessly coupled to and used by an electronic stationary device The device or machine is designed to be non portable or non handheld such as a stationary bike treadmill or stair stepper machine In one embodiment the operations of the stationary device are modified based on the received signals For example the device is a treadmill which includes a number of workout programs In one embodiment a workout program in the treadmill depends on the measured heart rate of the user For example in a normal sequence the program will increase the speed of the treadmill However in view of the tracked heart rate of the user the program maintains the speed of the treadmill The eyeglasses as described in this application can be used to measure the user s heart rate on demand by the user or passively or automatically once every predetermined amount of time Also the user s heart rate can be measured over a duration of time such as during an exercise routine or pro gram A representative example of using the eyeglasses 500 dur ing an exercise routine is explained as follows The user can be skiing biking or jogging and the eyeglasses can be a pair ofskiing goggles an eyeglass frame designed for exercise or a pair of sunglasses Back to the exercise routine first the user puts on the glasses 500 and clips the clip 510 to her earlobe Next the start switch 516 is activated e g p
36. lude an infrared LED and a photodiode The LED and the photodiode could be on oppo site sides of a clip which is clipped onto a part of the user such as her ear lobe during measurement The output of the photodiode is a function of the amount of flesh or tissue between the photodiode and the LED Ifthe distance between the photodiode and the LED changes the output could change The output is also a function of the blood pulsing through the tissues The amount of output due to the tissue could be manifested as a DC offset which is combined with the pulsing signals due to the blood going through the tissue 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 6 In one embodiment the circuits measure the pulse of the user by stabilizing the outputs from the IR sensor such as with a feedback loop filtering out the DC offset and amplifying the outputs to extract the pulse signals FIG 3A illustrates an example of an input circuit 600 The input circuit 600 uses a feedback loop to stabilize the outputs from an infrared LED 602 which radiates infrared to be received by a photodiode 604 The negative terminal of the photodiode 604 is connected to a voltage source V such as 4 5 volts The positive terminal of the photodiode 604 is con nected to a low pass filter with a resistor 606 such as 100 and a capacitor 608 such as 0 22 in parallel The low pass filter has a cut off frequency of 7 Hz The other end of the low pass f
37. nd the output ofthe opamp 656 The signals at the output of the opamp 656 are designated as S3 The signals S3 are received by another bandpass filter similar to the one depicted in FIG 3C to produce signals S4 Through a high pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 0 36 Hz US 7 677 723 B2 7 the signals S3 are received by the positive input of another opamp such as a LM324 The high pass filter has a capacitor such as 0 22 uf connected to a resistor such as 2 MQ and then to ground The junction of the capacitor and the resistor is connected to the positive input of the another opamp The negative input and the feedback loop of the another opamp have a low pass filter with a cut off frequency of 16 Hz This low pass filter includes two resistors and a capacitor One resistor such as 3 3 is connected from the negative input of the another opamp to ground Another resistor such as 1 MQ in parallel with the capacitor such as 0 01 uf is con nected between the negative input and the output of the another opamp The signals at the output of the another opamp are the signals designated as S4 The signals S4 are then received by the base of a transistor 677 through a resistor 679 such as 100 as shown in FIG 3D The collector of the transistor 677 is connected to a resistor 681 such as 1 which is then connected to a LED 683 and then to V The emitter of the transistor 677 is connected to V In this example the LE
38. nsor is embedded in the frame 19 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 1 wherein a signal is generated if the user s heart best is beyond a predetermined threshold to provide an alert 20 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 1 wherein the heart rate monitor includes a radiation transmitter and a radiation receiver to acquire the heart rate data 21 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 1 wherein said audio output system is configured to output audio signals comprising heart rate information and exercise information 22 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 1 wherein said audio output system comprises a speaker 23 electronic apparatus that is configured to be worn by a user In the vicinity of the user s head comprising a heart rate monitor with at least a portion ofthe heart rate monitor being embedded in the apparatus the heart rate monitor being configured to measure heart rate data pertaining to the heart rate of the user an electronic device with at least a portion ofthe electronic device being embedded In the apparatus and configured to acquire user exercise data and wireless circuitry embedded in the apparatus and config ured to allow wireless transmission of signals pertaining to the measured heart rate data and the user exercise data to at least one other electronic device and wherein the heart rate monitor includes a radiation trans mitter and a radiation receiver to measure the heart beat data pertaining to
39. other embodi ments Further the order of blocks in process flowcharts or diagrams representing one or more embodiments of the invention do not inherently indicate any particular order nor imply any limitations in the invention Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of this specifica tion or practice of the invention disclosed herein It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only with the true scope and spirit ofthe invention being indicated by the following claims What is claimed is 1 A pair of glasses for a user comprising a frame for the glasses a heart rate monitor with at least a portion ofthe electronics of the heart rate monitor being embedded in the frame wherein the heart rate monitor is configured to acquire heart rate data pertaining to the heart rate of the user an electronic device at least partially embedded in the frame and configured to acquire user exercise data and an audio output system configured to output audio signals containing heart rate information and or exercise infor mation the heart rate information being dependent on the acquired heart rate data and the exercise information being dependent on the acquired user exercise data 2 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 1 wherein the heart rate monitor includes a sensor with a radiation transmitter and a radiation receiver to acquire the heart rate da
40. owever the pressure from the clip should not be too strong because this could be uncomfortable to the user Another approach to enhance clip stability is to reduce the length of the wire 514 FIG 4 shows a sensor clip 704 being attached to the 702 ofa temple 700 ofa pair of glasses 706 Ifthe wire moves a shorter wire 708 would reduce its pulling on the clip because the wire has a smaller inertia In one embodiment at least a portion of the heart rate processing circuitry is ina portable device not in the glasses The portable device is carried by the user and a wire attaches the portable device to a heart rate sensor in a clip The wire 514 at the glasses is typically shorter than the wire from the portable device carried on most other parts ofthe user because the glasses are just adjacent to the clip shorter wire makes its pulling force on the clip smaller As a side note in the example shown in FIG 4 the wire 708 is directly attached to the temple tip region 702 of the glasses without requiring a connector In another embodiment there could be an electri cal connector at the end of the wire 708 and the connector could attach to a connector at the glasses 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 8 In one embodiment given that a heart rate sensor is attached to or held against the user s head the wire connect ing the sensor to a pair of glasses worn by the user is relatively short in length For ex
41. pp 1 3 SafeSun Sensor User s Manual Optix Tech Inc date unknown SafeSun Personal UV Meter Technical Specifications Optix Tech Inc http www safesun com technical html downloaded Jul 12 2004 pp 1 2 SafeSun Personal UV Meter Experiments Optix Tech Inc http www safesun com experiments html downloaded Feb 5 2004 pp 1 2 Shades of Fun Blinking Light Glasses http www shadesoffun com Nov Novpgs 14 html downloaded Jul 9 2005 pp 1 4 SportLine Fitness Pedometer Model 360 UltimateFatBurner Superstore http www ultimatefatburner store com ac 004 html downloaded May 10 2005 pp 1 2 Steele Bonnie G et al Bodies in motion Monitoring daily activity and exercise with motion sensors in people with chronic pulmonary disease VA Research amp Development Journal of Rehabilitation Research amp Development vol 40 No 5 Sep Oct 2003 Supple ment 2 pp 45 58 Stevens Kathy Should I Use a Pedometer When I Walk Healtheon WebMD Apr 14 2000 Sundgot Jorgen 2nd gen Motorola Bluetooth headset InfoSync World Mar 1 2003 http www infosync no news 2002 n 2841 html pp 1 2 SunSensors Segan Industries Inc http www segan ind com sunsensor htm downloaded Feb 5 2004 pp 1 3 SunUV Personal UV Monitor APA Optics Inc http www apaoptics com sunuv models html downloaded Dec 20 2003 SunUV Personal UV Monitor User s Guide APA Optics Inc 2003 pp 1 5
42. predetermined thresholds could be based on the number of extra heartbeats per minutes the number of runs of such irregular heart beat within a predetermined duration of time and or the heart beat being more than a certain number per minute without exercise or fever In another embodiment the electronics in the glasses include wireless communication e g cellular phone capa bilities Such capabilities have been described in related applications which are incorporated into this application by reference If the irregular heart beat condition is beyond one or more of the predetermined thresholds the phone or wire less transmitter would automatically initiate a call or trans mits a wireless signal to a medical facility to ask for help for the user Or the call or signal could be sent to a previously defined designated number or location which could be to a relative ofthe user In another embodiment short range wire less communication is established with a portable device carried by the user The portable device then initiates the call Yet another embodiment includes a temple arrangement such as a temple tip that is detachable from the glasses and can be acquired after the purchase of the glasses There is at least one electrical component in the temple arrangement The electrical component in the temple arrangement could interact with another electrical component in the frame ofthe glasses or in a device tethered or coupled to the g
43. pted if it is within 3096 of three of its prior readings which could be readings or sensor outputs taken at an interval of every 2 seconds A number of embodiments have been described where the processing circuits are in the glasses In one embodiment the IR sensor output or the signal after some processing such as amplification of the sensor output is transmitted through a cable connected from the connector 508 at the glasses to a portable device The portable device could be carried by the user and the portable device could further process the received signals In other words some processing of the sig nals can be performed at another computing device connected to the glasses Instead of through wired connection in another embodiment the electrical connection is performed wire lessly In this wireless embodiment the glasses include wire less circuits to transmit the sensor outputs or after some processing ofthe sensor outputs or signals regarding the heart rate ofthe user ofthe glasses to another computing device to be for example displayed The another computing device could be a portable or handheld electronics device the user carries Different wireless transceiving transmitting and receiving capabilities in the glasses have been described in related applications which have been incorporated by refer ence Instead of wirelessly coupled to a portable or handheld device in another embodiment signals from electronics in g
44. rate sensor In yet another embodi ment the glasses and or other wearable apparatus further includes one or more additional electronic devices such as an activity sensor One example ofan activity sensor is a pedom eter Another example of an activity sensor is a positioning sensing device which can be based on a global positioning system GPS A pair of glasses for heart rate monitoring with function ality of a pedometer has a number of advantages For example the user has the health problem of irregular heart beat It might not be accurate to determine whether the user has been exercising just based on her heart beat However the pedometer should be able to better indicate the amount of exercise the user has gone through Another application is that if the user constantly experiences irregular heart beat the pedometer would be able to better indicate the physical con ditions ofthe user at the onset of the irregular heart beat such as whether the user has been at rest or in motion Yet another application of a pair of glasses for heart rate monitoring with functionalities of a pedometer is on the con dition ofthe irregular heart beat triggering a call for medical help If the call is based on the heart rate exceeding a certain number per minute that certain number can be a function of how rigorous the user has been exercising In other words the base line for triggering the call could depend on the output of the pedometer Thus if t
45. readable medium include read only memory random access memory CD ROMs magnetic tape optical data storage devices and 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 16 carrier waves The computer readable medium can also be distributed over network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a dis tributed fashion Numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention However it will become obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details The description and representation herein are the common mean ings used by those experienced or skilled in the art to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art In other instances well known methods procedures components and circuitry have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present invention Also in this specification reference to one embodiment or an embodiment means that a particular feature structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodi ment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention The appearances of the phrase in one embodi ment in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of
46. ressed Assume that the user is resting and does not have an elevated heart rate when the start switch 516 is activated Next green red signals from green red LEDs 518 and 520 continue to blink till the sensor has finished measuring the user s resting 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 10 heart rate One way the sensor stops blinking is when the measured heart rate does not change more than a predefined threshold for a few measurements Note that instead of green red blinking signals there could be other type of output mechanisms pertaining to any of a variety of visual and or audio indicators For example the visual output mechanism can be a LCD display or can be one or more LEDs After a preset amount of time such as 15 seconds the initial measurement is complete and only the green LED blinks thereby indicating that the user can begin her workout During the workout the LEDs can have the following meanings Blinking red too fast slow down Blinking green too slow speed up Solid green just perfect maintain your pace Red Green the program is about to change to a new sequence In one embodiment such as with blinking green signals the user is further notified that her pace is too slow to burn calories and she should speed up The notification could be through different mechanisms such as through audio signals or other visual signals or both After the workout is over the display show
47. rmal and treatment depends on the type and seriousness of the arrhythmia Sometimes one does not need treatment However in other situations one might need medi cation to make lifestyle changes or to even go through sur gery In one embodiment the glasses keep track of the user s heart rate If the heart rate is irregular e g suddenly goes very fast instead of gradually increasing the glasses would pro vide an indication to the user to relax The glasses could 5 20 25 30 35 40 50 55 60 65 12 include program to guide the user through a relaxation routine such as a breathing exercise In another embodiment the glasses keep a record of the user s heart rate such as a when irregular heart beat occurs b the duration ofthe irregular heart beat and the heart rate at the time of the irregular heart beat c whether the irregular heart beat is slow or fast and or d whether the irregular heart beat begins or ends suddenly Such recorded information can be stored in a memory within or attached to the glasses and can be downloaded to other devices such as for a doctor to help treat the user The downloaded heart beat information could be displayed visually in different formats such as in a graphical format as a function of time In one embodiment if the condition of the irregular heart beat is beyond a predetermined threshold the user will be alerted to call for medical help For example
48. s solid Red and solid Green for a preset amount of time such as 15 seconds and then goes off If the user wants to extend the workout the user could activate the switch 516 again e g press the switch button once for about 1 second and then the glasses will add another 10 minutes to the workout In one embodiment the recommended pace of exercise depends on age and sex of the user For example the user s age and sex are entered into the glasses Based on such infor mation the glasses automatically determine the range of appropriate heart beats per minute for optimum exercise Based on the heart rate measured the glasses would recom mend the user to go faster or slower so as to fall within the range In another embodiment the glasses include a speaker which instructs the user regarding a workout program For example the glasses could instruct the user to continue at the same pace of exercise e g to maintain the same heart rate for the next 5 minutes At the end of the 5 minutes the glasses would instruct the user to for example stop running and start walking e g to reduce the heart rate Hence the heart rate monitoring provided with the glasses is convenient and useful for those desirous of an effective workout The glasses can help the user maintain the user s heart rate within the proper window for optimum fitness which could be entertaining to some people during their workout In another embodiment the glasses
49. sed on such an embodiment typically the distance between the sensor and the location of measurement on the nose are substantially constant or stable even when the user is per forming relatively rigorous exercise This could help to improve signal to noise ratio In one embodiment one or more outputs from the sensor 750 can be processed by electronic circuits located at differ ent parts ofthe glasses For example the sensor 750 can be in one nose pad and the electronic circuits for outputs from the sensor 750 can be in the other nose pad The circuits can be connected or coupled to the sensor 750 via conducting wires cables in the bridge of the glasses In another example the circuits are in other parts of the frame of the glasses such as inside a lens holder in a hinge region between a lens holder and the corresponding hinge ofthe lens holder or in a temple ofthe glasses In yet another example the circuits can be in a shield of the glasses such as a shield that extends from a portion of a lens holder towards the face of the wearer of the glasses These circuits can be coupled to the sensor 750 via 0 jai 5 20 40 45 50 65 14 conducting wires cables embedded in the glasses For example the sensor 750 can be coupled to circuits in a hinge region via conducting wires embedded inside a lens holder such as inside one of the lens holders of the glasses In yet another embodiment the coupling between the circui
50. sing for example one or more switches at the glasses orthe memory device or downloaded to the glasses or the memory device through the connector 508 or downloaded wirelessly Based on the weight and the monitored heart rate as a function of time processing cir cuitry could more accurately estimate the calories burnt by the user as the user exercises or after the user has exercised for a duration of time A number of embodiments have been described regarding pressing or activating a switch at the glasses For example the activation can be for turning on monitoring electronics in a pair of glasses In one embodiment turning on the monitoring electronics in the glasses is done remotely The pair of glasses includes a wireless receiver that constantly listens to activa tion signals When such a signal is received the monitoring electronics in the glasses are automatically activated such as activating a heart rate sensor to start measuring heart rates With such an embodiment a user does not have to physically interact with the glasses to turn on the monitoring electronics or to enter information into the glasses In yet another embodiment heart rate is measured to moni tor a health problem orissue ofthe user For example the user constantly suffers from irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia There could be skipped heart beats fluttering or flip flops or uncontrolled rapid heart beat The heart s rhythm may be normal or abno
51. st the operations of the device such as changing the speed of the treadmill based on the monitored heart rate In another embodiment the glasses further include a memory device storing for example exercise programs or songs The memory device could be integral with or attached to the glasses The user could be following a stored workout program which could give the user commands such as Keep running at the same pace for the next 3 minutes or Keep running at the same pace until I tell you to stop At the end of the workout program the user could be notified of the number of calories burned distance traveled etc In another embodiment the heart rate monitor is for moni toring the user s certain health conditions such as to help the user with irregular heart beat For example the glasses keep track of the user s heart rate which could be subsequently downloaded to another device to be displayed for a doctor In another example if the monitored heart rate exceeds certain predetermined threshold an alert signal would be automati cally sent to a health care provider for the user In yet another embodiment the heart rate sensor or monitor could be designed as an aftermarket product such as designed in or designed to be attachable to a replaceable temple or replaceable temple tip This allows the user to acquire the sensor or monitor subsequent to getting a pair of glasses In one embodiment the glasses further include at leas
52. t a portion of other electronic devices such as a pedometer or a temperature sensor The outputs from the different devices could be combined to help the user For example if the user constantly experiences irregular heart beat the pedometer with the heart rate monitor would be able to better indicate 1f the user has been active or at rest at the onset of an irregular heart beat In one embodiment the heart rate sensor is based on mea suring reflected radiation The sensor can be configured to maintain substantially a constant distance to the position on the skin that the sensor is measuring Such a sensor could include an infrared transceiver In one example such a sensor is at a nose pad of a pair of glasses 40 45 65 4 In different embodiments the glasses could be sunglasses prescription glasses reading glasses or swimming or skiing goggles In one embodiment there could be a strap cord or lanyard attached to the glasses In another embodiment a heart rate monitor or sensor is attached or tethered to or integral with the strap cord or lanyard In one embodiment a heart rate monitor or sensor is attached or tethered to or integral with an apparatus wearable to the head of the user Examples of such an apparatus include hats headbands and helmets Other aspects and advantages ofthe present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description which when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
53. t al 5 093 576 A 3 1992 Edmond et al 6 619 799 9 2003 Blum et al 5 148 023 9 1992 Hayashi et al 6 629 076 9 2003 Haken 5 151 600 A 9 1992 Black 6 721 962 4 2004 Polaire 5 161 250 11 1992 Tanna et al 6 729 726 B2 5 2004 Miller et al 5 172 256 A 12 1992 Sethofer et al 6 736 759 5 2004 Stubbs et al 5 306 917 A 4 1994 Black et al 6 764 194 7 2004 Cooper 5 353 378 A 10 1994 Hoffman et al 6 792 401 BI 9 2004 Nigro et al 5 359 370 10 1994 Mugnier 6 912 386 6 2005 Himberg et al 5 367 345 A 11 1994 da Silva 6 929 365 B2 8 2005 Swab et al 5 379 464 A 1 1995 Schleger et al 6 947 219 9 2005 Ou 5 382 986 A 1 1995 Black et al 7 013 009 B2 3 2006 Warren 5 394 005 A 2 1995 Brown et al 7 031 667 B2 4 2006 Horiguchi 5 452 480 A 9 1995 Ryden 7 059 717 B2 6 2006 Bloch 5 455 640 A 10 1995 Gertsikov 7 073 905 B2 7 2006 Da Pra 5 457 751 A 10 1995 Such 7 192 136 B2 3 2007 Howell et al 5 500 532 A 3 1996 Kozicki 7 255 437 B2 8 2007 Howell et al D369 167 S 4 1996 Hanson et al 7 265 358 B2 9 2007 Fontaine 5 510 981 A 4 1996 Berger et al 7 274 292 2 9 2007 Velhal et al 5 513 384 A 4 1996 Brennan et al 7 312 609 B2 12 2007 Chornenky 5 533 130 A 7 1996 Staton 7 331 666 B2 2 2008 Swab etal 5 581 090 A 12 1996 Goudjil 7 429 985 B2 9 2008 Kimura et al 5 585 871 A 12 1996 Linden 7 376 238 5 2009 Rivas et al 5 589 398 A 12 1996 Krause et al 2001 0005230 Al 6 2001 Ishikawa 5 590 417 12 1996 Rydbeck 2002 00
54. ta wherein the sensor is external to the frame wherein the heart rate monitor includes at least one elec trical conductor electrically coupling the sensor to the electronics of the heart rate monitor embedded in the frame wherein the sensor is incorporated in a clip connected to one end of the electrical connector wherein to acquire the heart rate data the clip clips onto a part of the body of the user and at least a portion of the radiation from the transmitter transmits through at least a portion of the body part to be received by the receiver and wherein the radiation includes infrared radiation 3 A pairofglasses as recited in claim 2 wherein the part of the body is a part of an ear of the user US 7 677 723 B2 17 4 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 2 wherein the electrical conductor is inside an adjustable mechanical arm 5 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 2 wherein the electrical conductor is inside a malleable semi rigid cable 6 A pair of glasses as recited in claim 1 wherein the heart rate monitor includes a sensor with a radiation transmitter and a radiation receiver to acquire the heart rate data wherein to measure the heart rate at least a portion of the radiation from the transmitter is reflected by at least a part of the body of the user to be received by the radia tion receiver and wherein the radiation includes infrared radiation 7 pair of glasses as recited in claim 1 wh
55. tion the user is running a marathon It would be advantageous to monitor both the user s heart rate and tem perature In another embodiment electronics in a pair of glasses can include a heart rate sensor a temperature sensor a transceiver and a speaker In addition to capturing informa tion regarding the user s heart rate and temperature the glasses can play music to the user In another embodiment a pair of glasses does not have a heart rate sensor However one of the nose pads has a tem perature sensor Additional descriptions on temperature sen sors in glasses could be found in related applications which have been incorporated by reference A number of embodiments have been described where the heart rate monitor includes a sensor with a radiation trans mitter and a radiation receiver to measure the heart rate In one embodiment the sensor includes a pressure sensor such as a piezo electric sensor To measure heart rate the sensor touches a part of the skin that has an artery below it As the heart pumps blood flows through the artery the artery expands and contracts The sensor can sense the pulsation based on the change in pressure exerted on the sensor For example the sensor is positioned on top ofthe carotid artery As another example the sensor presses onto the temple region ofa user s head In one embodiment the sensor is at an extension from an arm of a pair of glasses The extension is close to a temple ofthe user Th
56. ts and the sensor can be achieved wirelessly and there can be a power source such as a battery in one of the nose pads Different types of electronic circuits are applicable to pro cess the one or more outputs from the sensor 750 For example circuits similar to those shown in FIGS 3A D can be used In another embodiment signals can be digitized and then digitally processed via a controller In yet another embodiment the glasses are a pair of goggles Electronics or processing circuitry at the strap lens holder s the bridge and or other part of the goggles interact with a heart rate sensor In one approach the heart rate sensor is based on measuring reflected signals and is at a nose pad of the goggles When worn the goggles could be tightly fitted to the user even when the user is moving rigorously The sensor could interact with electronics in the goggles as in different examples described in this application In another approach the goggles have soft rubber pads and the heart rate sensor could be mounted or embedded in the goggles soft rubber pad at a location that presses against the user s face when worn In one embodiment the sensor is configured to be embedded in the goggle s soft rubber pad in a fashion similar to the sensor embedded to a nose pad of the glasses shown in FIG 7 A number of embodiments have been described about a pair of glasses and or other wearable apparatus having a heart rate monitor and or a heart
57. visional Patent Application No 60 562 798 filed Apr 15 2004 entitled EYEWEAR WITH ULTRAVIOLET DETECTION SYSTEM and which is hereby incorporated herein by reference iv U S Provi sional Patent Application No 60 583 169 filed Jun 26 2004 entitled ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FOR USE WITH EYEWEAR AND METHODS THEREFOR and which is hereby incorporated herein by reference v U S Provisional Patent Application No 60 592 045 filed Jul 28 2004 entitled EYEGLASSES WITH A CLOCK OR OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENT and which is hereby incor porated herein by reference and vi U S Provisional Patent Application No 60 605 191 filed Aug 28 2004 entitled ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FOR USE WITH EYE WEAR AND METHODS THEREFOR and which is hereby Incorporated herein by reference U S patent application Ser No 11 183 256 also claims priority to each of 1 U S Provisional Patent Application No 60 618 107 filed Oct 12 2004 and entitled TETHERED ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FOR EYEGLASSES which is hereby incorporated herein by reference 1 U S Provisional Patent Application No 60 620 238 filed Oct 18 2004 entitled EYEGLASSES WITH HEARING ENHANCED AND OTHER AUDIO SIGNAL GENERAT ING CAPABILITIES and which is hereby incorporated herein by reference 111 U S Provisional Patent Application No 60 647 836 filed Jan 31 2005 and entitled EYE GLASSES WITH HEART RATE MONITOR which is hereby incorporat
58. water A number of embodiments have been described where an IR sensor is configured into a clip where infrared signals are transmitted through a human body part such as an ear lobe and then measured In yet another embodiment instead of measuring or just measuring the transmitted signals a radia tion sensor such as an IR sensor measures reflected signals During operation such a sensor can be structurally config ured to substantially maintain a constant distance to the skin or body location the sensor is measuring FIG 7 shows one embodiment of a heart rate sensor 750 based on measuring reflected signals The sensor 750 could be at least partially embedded in a nose pad 752 of a pair of glasses 754 to measure the heart rate of the user With the sensor 750 located at the nose pad 752 typically the distance between the sensor 750 and the position of measurement 756 is substantially maintained as a function of time and or use when the glasses are worn Also with the sensor 750 at the nose pad 752 the sensor can be substantially or more rigidly attached to the user during measurement In one embodiment the sensor 750 includes an IR emitter or transmitter 760 and an IR receiver or detector 762 In operation IR radiation is emitted from the emitter 760 through a window 764 such as an infrared window and then is reflected at the position of measurement 756 of the nose 770 The reflected signals are detected by the IR detector 762 Ba

Download Pdf Manuals

Related Search

Related Contents

InLine Cat6 S/FTP 1.5m  User Manual - I  Trust Vibration Feedback Steering Wheel GM-3400 & Test Drive Unlimited  HOTEL3: Hoteles  martha`s vineyard regional high school oak bluffs  ZyXEL ADSL2+ User's Manual  H9968 Owners manual copy  RCA HD50LPW164 User's Manual  取扱説明書 - 浅野金属工業  

Copyright © All rights reserved. Failed to retrieve file