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Patent Abstract
Jewelry, such as finger rings and earrings, which flash in synchronism
with the wearer's heartbeat. A pulsed IR signal is directed into
the wearer's tissue and a reflected or transmitted signal is monitored
to determine when the wearer's heart beats at which time one or
more light emitting sources in the jewelry flashes. The monitored
signal is utilized to determine the wearer's heart rate. At least
two light emitting sources are provided one of which flashes with
each heart beat and the other flashes when the heart rate reaches
or exceeds a predetermined range or increases faster than a predetermined
rate. Preferred embodiments include three visible LED's (red, green
and blue) and a micro-processor which calculates pulse rate and
causes the red LED to blink on each pulse, the green LED to blink
on each pulse when the wearer's pulse rate is greater a first threshold
and the blue LED to blink on each pulse when the wearer's pulse
rate is greater than a second threshold corresponding to extreme
excitement. These threshold values may correspond to increased heart
rates of typical persons engaged in exercise and love-making. The
monitor may also be self calibrating to adjust the thresholds based
on measurements of the wearer's heart rate over extended periods
which would include periods of rest as well as periods of exertion
or excitement. Other preferred embodiments vary the brightness of
the LED's depending on the estimated blood pressure that also increases
by about the same degree as pulse rate.
Patent Claims
We claim:
1. Flashing jewelry comprising: A) an infrared emitter positioned
to emit infrared light into tissue of a wearer, B) an infrared detector
positioned to detect infrared light emanating from said tissue,
C) a power source for said emitter and said detector, D) an electrical
circuit for analyzing electrical signals from said detector to detect
each beat of a wearers heart, E) at least two visible light emitters,
F) a first trigger circuit for initiating electrical pulses to cause
one of said visible light emitters to flash once for each heart
beat, G) a pulse rate calculation means for calculating the wearer's
pulse rate, and H) a second trigger circuit for initiating pulses
to cause a second of said visible light emitters to flash once for
each heart beat when said pulse rate exceeds a first predetermined
rate.
2. Jewelry as in claim 1 and further comprising a third trigger
circuit for initiating pulses to cause a third of said at least
two visible light emitters to flash once for each heart beat when
said pulse rate exceeds a second predetermined rate.
3. Jewelry as in claim 2 wherein said at least two visible light
emitters are three visible light emitters emitting respectively
red, green and blue light.
4. Jewelry as in claim 1 wherein said jewelry is an earring.
5. Jewelry as in claim 1 wherein said jewelry is a finger ring.
6. Jewelry as in claim 1 wherein said jewelry is attached to skin
of said wearer by a patch.
7. Jewelry as in claim 1 wherein said jewelry is a patch in the
shape of a heart.
8. Jewelry as in claim 1 wherein said at least one visible light
emitter is three visible light emitters.
9. Jewelry as in claim 8 wherein said three visible light emitters
are red green and blue emitters and said jewelry further comprises
a means to determine heart rates of said wearer.
10. Jewelry as in claim 9 wherein said red emitter is programmed
to flash with each heart beat, said green emitter is programmed
to flash with each heart beat when the heart rate of the wearer
is in excess of a first threshold in excess of the wearer's rest
heart rate and said blue emitter is programmed to flash with each
heart beat when the heart rate of said wearer is in excess of a
second threshold in excess of said first threshold.
11. Jewelry as in claim 10 wherein said first threshold is at least
115% of the wearer's resting heart rate and said second threshold
is at least 130% of wearer's resting heart rate.
12. Jewelry as in claim 1 wherein said electric circuit comprises
and ASIC circuit.
13. Jewelry as in claim 1 wherein said electric circuit comprises
surface mounted circuit.
14. Jewelry as in claim 3 and further comprising a transmitter
for transmitting a signal to an audio device to initiate a sound
when one of said thresholds are exceeded.
15. Jewelry as in claim 14 wherein said sound is church bells.
16. Jewelry as in claim 1 wherein said power source is a battery
unit positioned on the inside of an earlobe and connected through
an earlobe to a circuit board comprising said infrared emitter,
said infrared detector and said at least two visible light sources
Patent Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional Applications
Ser. No. 60/516,101 filed Nov. 3, 2003 and Ser. No. 60/451,009 filed
Feb. 28, 2003. The present invention relates to jewelry and heartbeat
monitors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,079 issued to the present inventors
discloses a flashing earring heartbeat monitor. The '079 patent
is incorporated herein by reference. In the background section of
that patent is disclosed a well-known technique for monitoring heartbeat.
Infrared light is transmitted into tissue and the reflected light
is monitored to determine heart beat. This works because changing
quantities of blood in the tissue with each heartbeat will affect
the amount of light reflected from the tissue. In that patent Applicants
described an earring (see FIGS. 1 and 2, which were FIGS. 2 and
3 in the '079 patent) which used that basic technique to make an
earring which would flash with each heartbeat. Applicants summarized
the invention as follows:
[0003] "The . . . invention provides an earring that flashes
in synchronism with the wearer's heartbeat. A pulsed IR LED/photocell
combination is built into an earring along with a comparator and
a visible light-emitting source. The comparator determines when
the heart has beat from the variation in the signal from the photocell
and transmits a signal to a solid state switch to turn on the visible
light-emitting source. Thus, the light emitting source flashes once
for each heart beat. In a preferred use of the ... invention a lover
is able to determine when his or her partner is excited by observing
the rate at which the partner's earring flashes. The invention may
also be used for medical monitoring of patients."
[0004] Heart rates are known to vary substantially with age and
activity. Resting heart rates are typically in the range of about
50 to 70 beats per minute. A rule of thumb is: Maximum Heart Rate=220-Age.
The range of variation gets smaller with age. The maximum heart
rate ranges from about 100 to 200 for 20 year old people and from
about 75 to about 150 for 70 year old people. Heart rates increase
toward the maximum rates during strenuous exercise and during periods
of excitement including sexual excitement. FIGS. 4A and 4B are graphs
extracted from page 596 of Sexual Behavior in the Human Female by
the Staff of the Institute for Sex Research, Indiana University,
Alfred C. Kinsey et al Research Associates, Published by W. B. Sanders,
Philadelphia. The subjects were a married couple. The graphs show
heart rate ranges for the female from about 90 during the period
preceding love making to 140 during lovemaking down to about 75
during sleep. For the male the corresponding ranges were about 90,
140 and 72. The female experienced four periods of extreme excitement.
The male experienced only one.
[0005] Applicants have been informed that the potential market
for these flashing earring heartbeat monitors may be in the many
millions and that other jewelry monitoring heartbeat my also be
very popular. What is needed are an improved versions of the earring
described in the '079 patent and other jewelry applications of improved
versions of that invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides jewelry, such as finger rings
and earrings, which flash in synchronism with the wearer's heartbeat.
A pulsed IR signal is directed into the wearer's tissue and a reflected
or transmitted signal is monitored to determine when the wearer's
heart beats at which time one or more light emitting sources in
the jewelry flashes. The monitored signal is utilized to determine
the wearer's heart rate. At least two light emitting sources are
provided one of which flashes with each heart beat and the other
flashes when the heart rate reaches or exceeds a predetermined range
or increases faster than a predetermined rate. Preferred embodiments
utilize inexpensive off-the-shelf reflection sensors developed for
card readers each of which includes both an IR emitter and a phototransistor
IR detector. Preferred embodiments include a power-up-on-skin-contact
feature to preserve battery power. Embodiments include a variety
of color LED's and a variety of types of jewelry are proposed as
heartbeat monitors. Disclosed are detailed instructions describing
working prototype earrings built by Applicants and their licensees
and descriptions for low cost fabrication of embodiments of the
present invention using application specific integrated circuit
(ASIC) technology and surface mount technology. Preferred embodiments
include three visible LED's (red, green and blue) and a micro-processor
which calculates pulse rate and causes the red LED to blink on each
pulse, the green LED to blink on each pulse when the wearer's pulse
rate is greater a first threshold and the blue LED to blink on each
pulse when the wearer's pulse rate is greater than a second threshold
corresponding to extreme excitement. These threshold values may
correspond to increased heart rates of typical persons engaged in
exercise and love making. The monitor may also be self calibrating
to adjust the thresholds based on measurements of the wearer's heart
rate over extended periods which would include periods of rest as
well as periods of exertion or excitement. Other preferred embodiments
vary the brightness of the LED's depending on the estimated blood
pressure that also increases by about the same degree as pulse rate.
Also described is a special technique for providing power to the
heartbeat monitor that consists of a small diameter pin for providing
an electrical connection between a battery and a circuit board comprising
an IR transmitter and an IR receiver and one or more LED's. The
battery unit is preferably on the inside of the earlobe and the
circuit board is preferably on the outside of the earlobe. Also
disclosed is a technique for charging the battery unit.
BRIEF DESCRIIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIGS. 1 and 2 are drawings from the '079 patent referred
to above showing feature disclosed in that prior art patent.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing features of a working
prototype of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 3A is a version of FIG. 3 showing sections of the circuits
shown enlarged in FIGS. 3A(1) through 3A(7)
[0010] FIGS. 3A(1) through 3A(7) each show a portion of the FIG.
3 circuit.
[0011] FIGS. 4A and 4B are prior art graphs that show heart rates
of a female and male human engaged in love making.
[0012] FIGS. 5A and 5B show block diagrams of control circuits
and logic for controlling a three-light embodiment of the present
invention.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a drawing of an inexpensive IR transmitter and
detector.
[0014] FIGS. 7A and 7B discloses a battery unit for providing power
for the IR transmitter and the IR receiver and for one or more LED's.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] Prototype Embodiments
[0016] Applicants and their licensee have built and tested prototype-flashing
earring that has demonstrated excellent performance of features
of the present invention. A prototype earring was fabricated by
modifying an earring having a magnetic clasp purchased from a Target
department store and using inexpensive reflection IR emitter-sensors
developed for card readers. Two magnets attract each other on both
sides of a wearer's ear lobe. An IR transmitter, and IR receiver
of the emitter-sensor and an on/off skin contact switch was mounted
along with one of two magnets on one side of the ear lobe. The electronic
parts for the earring are mounted on two small circuit boards contained
in a heart shaped box hanging from the attaching magnetic clasps.
The box has dimensions of about 1 inch.times.1 inch.times.3/4 inch.
The earring is fitted with a red Valentine shaped heart cover in
which a visible light (red) emitting diode is mounted. Three hearing
aid batteries also contained in the heart shaped box power this
prototype earring. Only only a single battery powers other embodiments.
[0017] Circuit Diagram
[0018] An electric circuit diagram of the prototype embodiment
of the present invention actually built and tested by Applicants
is shown in FIG. 3. This circuit diagram is also broken into seven
parts as shown in FIG. 3A and FIGS. 3A(1) through 3A(7).
[0019] As shown in FIG. 3A(1) timer integrated circuit U1 with
its associated components shown at 20 produces a pulse train of
500 microseconds pulse width pulses at a 200 Hz rate. These pulses
activate the switch in IC U2 (a dual analog switch) 22 which permits
current to flow in IR LED 24.
[0020] As shown in FIG. 3A(2), the emitted IR pulses enter the
earlobe tissue and the light scattered back into the phototransistor
26 and is detected production a pulse amplitude modulated signal
across R3 28. The network of D1, D2, C2 and R4 form a "track
and hold" amplitude insulator 30.
[0021] As shown in FIG. 3A(3), integrated circuit U3 is a quad,
OP Amp 32. The first amplifier is used as a voltage follower with
high input impedance and a low output impedance which isolates the
track and hold circuit from the following amplifier. R5 and C3 form
a low pass filter 34 to reduce the high frequency noise from the
pulse signal.
[0022] In FIG. 3A(4) R6 and C4 form a high pass filter 36 and OP
amp 38 provides a gain of about 500 at the frequency range centered
at about 2.5 Hz which is the frequency of interest. C5 along with
the feedback resistor R7 forms another low pass filter 40. All the
filters together form a narrow pass band filter centered at 2.5
Hz. The pass band is wide enough to detect heart rates between 40
pulses per minute and about 250 pulses per minute. The signal at
pin 8 of OP amp is now the recovered heartbeat waveform.
[0023] In FIG. 3A(5) the recovered heartbeat waveform is AC coupled
into the last OP Amp 42 which acts as a threshold detector. The
network 44 of R10, R11 and R12 sets a threshold of about 0.2V. A
signal above this amplitude causes the output (pin 14) 46 to go
from 5 V to 0 V.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 3A(6) the second switch in U2 48 is closed
upon detection of a beat, which causes current to flow in the visible
LED 50. The decoupling network 52 comprising R14, C9 and R 16, C12
isolates the LED current transmits from the 08 Am PS.
[0025] In FIG. 3A(7) U4 is a DC-DC converter 54. A 1.4 V battery
56 is converted to a regulated 5V as shown at 60 to power the circuitry.
It has a shutdown feature used to automatically turn on power upon
skin contact as shown at 58.
[0026] Components of Prototype Are Off-the-Shelf
[0027] All of the electronic components of the above described
prototype are off-the-shelf components available from vendors such
as Radio Shack and Target with many locations, Allied Electronics
with offices in Fort Worth Tex. and Digi-Key with offices in Thief
River Falls, Minn. The IR transmitter and detector in the above
embodiment is a very inexpensive device used for card reading an
sells for $1.37 in quantities of 100. The unit operates at a wavelength
of 940 nm which scatters well in and easily penetrates tissue as
thick as the earlobe. Applicants have adopted it for their monitor
with excellent results. A drawing of the IR transmitter and detector
is shown in FIG. 6. Other parts are also very inexpensive so that
Applicants expect to be able to produce their monitor for about
$20 or less in large quantities. Therefore, Applicants expect enormous
markets for the products of the present invention for medical, exercise,
sports of all types and many other uses. As suggested above Applicants
expect that their biggest market will be lovers.
[0028] Testing
[0029] The prototype earring has been thoroughly tested by Applicants
and its excellent performance has been confirmed. One of the Applicants
has tested the earring at a wide range of heart rates comparing
the blinking of the LED with his own pulse with perfect match throughout
the range.
[0030] Types of Jewelry Other than Earrings
[0031] Experimentation by Applicants have proven that the principals
of the invention claimed in the '079 patent can be extended to other
types of jewelry. Applicants have determined that heartbeat rings
worn at other locations of the body perform just as well or better
as compared to the earlobe. Other potential locations include the
fingers, belly button, nose, toes, breast, and parts of the breast.
Applicants have also determined that the flashing heartbeat monitor
can be attached to skin as a patch with excellent performance. For
example a heart shaped patch containing the electronic components
described above can be applied on a skin region corresponding to
the region of a person's heart.
[0032] Miniaturization
[0033] Although the prototype version of the invention actually
built by Applicants is small enough to make a practical earring
having substantial appeal, Applicants expect that much smaller earrings
will have much greater appeal. Therefore, Applicants expect to have
the electronics described converted to an application specific integrated
circuit chip (an ASIC chip). These chips can be produced in volume
production for less than $2 so that the cost of the heart monitoring
jewelry could be as low a few dollars. Many ASIC manufacturers/designers
are available which could convert the circuit shown in FIG. 3 into
an ASIC chip mass producible for less than $2. These include Intrinsix
Corp with offices in Westboro, Mass.; System to ASIC with offices
in Bothell Wash. ASIC Northwest with offices in Portland, Oreg.
and Arizona Microtek, Inc with offices in Mesa, Ariz. Another technique
to miniaturize the jewelry of the present invention is by utilizing
so called "surface mounting" techniques. These components
are typically only about one-tenth to one fifth the size of conventional
components. Thus, the prototype earring built and tested by applicants
using off-the-shelf components, which is somewhat smaller than 1
inch cube, could be reduced in size to about one tenth or one fifth
this volume using these surface mount techniques. Greater reductions
are possible using the ASIC techniques but the surface mount approach
generally requires a smaller front-end investment. Therefore, earrings
of the present invention will be in sizes that are typical for earrings
currently worn.
[0034] Three-Light Model
[0035] A preferred embodiment of the present includes an earring
with three visible LED's, (red, green and blue) and a micro-processor
which calculates pulse rate and causes the red LED to blink on each
pulse, the green LED to blink on each pulse when the wearer's pulse
rate is greater than a first threshold rate ( such as 115% of normal)
and the blue LED to blink on each pulse when the wearer's pulse
rate reaches a second threshold corresponding to extreme excitement
(such as 130% of normal). These ranges would correspond to increased
heart rates of typical persons engaged in exercise and love-making.
In preferred embodiments the example percentages may be adjusted
to span a wider range for persons such as younger persons and athletes
who have a much greater range of heart rate. The monitor may also
be self calibrating based on measurements of the wearer's heart
rate over extended periods which would include periods of rest as
well as periods of extreme exertion or excitement. FIG. 5A is a
block diagram showing additional circuitry for the green and blue
lights at 50, and FIG. 5B shows a simplified block diagram of the
logic 52 for turning on the green and blue lights. In another preferred
embodiment the earring is programmed to turn on the blue light when
the heart rate increases by at least 15 percent within a period
of 3 minutes or less. The reason for this approach will be obvious
to the reader from a review of FIGS. 4A and 4B.
[0036] Blood Pressure Estimation and Indication
[0037] Blood pressure in humans varies in about the same degree
as heart rate. Other preferred embodiments vary the brightness of
the LED's (or other visible light) depending on the estimated blood
pressure which also increases by about the same degree as pulse
rate. In order to do this the detector monitors the intensity of
measured light transmitted through tissue or reflected out of the
tissue. The light transmitted or reflected is dependent on the amount
of blood in the tissue which is in turn dependent on the blood pressure.
In these preferred embodiment the LED will therefore not only blink
with each heart beat but the intensity of the light will be roughly
proportional to the blood pressure.
[0038] Battery Unit
[0039] FIGS. 7A and 7B describe a technique for providing power
to an earring heartbeat monitor. A circuit board 60 comprises an
IR transmitter Tx and an IR receiver Rx and one or more LED light
sources 61 as described above. The board 60 includes cylindrical
pin 62 comprised of cylindrical conductor 64 having a diameter small
enough to fit through the pierced ear of typical persons with pierced
ears. Conductor 64 is treated as ground. The pin includes central
conductor 66 that is connected to the positive terminal 68 of battery
unit 70 as shown in FIG. 7A. Preferably, the board unit 60 is positioned
on the outside of the earlobe and the battery unit 70 is positioned
on the inside of the earlobe (i.e., between the user's earlobe and
her neck). The reader should note that an advantage of this design
is that power is drawn from the battery unit only when the earring
is being worn. When the earring is not being worn (assuming that
the battery is a rechargeable battery) the battery unit may be recharged
as shown in FIG. 7B. The reader should note that the pin element
could be a part of the battery unit instead of the board unit. The
pin 62 could be held in place by a pressure fit or threads could
be provided so that the battery unit 70 is threaded on to pin 62.
Battery 69 could be a re-chargeable battery in which case a battery
charge unit could be provided with a fitting similar to pin 62 for
charging battery 69 with wall power as shown in FIG. 7B. Also, techniques
could be added to accommodate various thicknesses of earlobes.
[0040] Although the present invention has been described in terms
of particular embodiments, persons skilled in the art will recognize
that many other embodiments using the principals of the invention
are possible. Such variations include IR transmitters and receivers
operating at different wavelengths which penetrate tissue and are
absorbed in blood to a lesser or greater extent than the 940 nm
light. Visible light components other than LED's could be used so
long as they are small and efficient. The earring could include
a tiny transmitter to transmit a signal to a nearby receiver. In
a preferred embodiment the signal energizing the blue light could
be transmitted to a nearby receiver that would then activate an
audio receiver that would produce sounds such as church bells. Applicants
have learned through testing of prototype earrings that bright sunlight
adversely affects performance of the heartbeat earrings. Placing
an infrared absorber between the earlobe and the clamp on the inside
of the earlobe minimizes these adverse effects. Another solution
to the sunlight problem is to design the earring so that the optical
components of the earring are shielded from direct or reflected
rays from the sun. Therefore, the scope of the invention should
be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
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