US3661147A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pulse rate counter and display and method of operation
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-11-10
•
Granted: 1972-05-09
•
Expires: 1989-11-10
Abstract
Abstract A pulse rate counter and display applicable for indicating pulse rate of the human body. A counter is advanced at a preset clock rate to measure the time duration between two consecutive pulse beats. Appropriate circuitry determines within which of a group of pulse rate ranges this measured time duration falls. The minimum time per pulse for the determined group is set into the counter and the counter decremented to zero at the preset clock rate. The maximum pulse rate of the group then is preset into the counter and the counter decremented at a selected rate corresponding to the approximate slope of the curve of pulse rate versus time per pulse for the determined group. Decrementing terminates upon occurrence of the third consecutive pulse beat, the contents of the counter then indicating the measured pulse rate.
Inventors
- 👤 William L Mason
- 👤 Donald J Lantz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:39
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/02; A61B5/024; G; G01; G01R; G01R23/00; G01R23/02; G01R23/10; G04; G04F; G04F10/00; G04F10/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
177 words
A pulse rate determination system comprising: means for detecting the occurrence of pulse beats, means responsive to said detecting means for measuring the time between occurrence of first and second consecutive pulse beats, a counter, means responsive to said measuring means for presetting the contents of said counter so that after some time interval starting with the occurrence of said second consecutive pulse beat, said counter contains a value indicative of the pulse rate corresponding to a time spacing between consecutive pulse beats equal to said time interval, said pulse rate also corresponding to the maximum pulse rate of a range of pulse rates including the rate corresponding to said measured time between said first and second consecutive pulse beats, and means operative upon the termination of said time interval for decrementing said counter at a rate equal to a linear approximation of the relationship between pulse rate and time spacing for said range of pulse rates whereby the contents of said counter upon occurrence of a third consecutive pulse beat is indicative of said pulse rate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
177 words
A pulse rate determination system comprising: means for detecting the occurrence of pulse beats, means responsive to said detecting means for measuring the time between occurrence of first and second consecutive pulse beats, a counter, means responsive to said measuring means for presetting the contents of said counter so that after some time interval starting with the occurrence of said second consecutive pulse beat, said counter contains a value indicative of the pulse rate corresponding to a time spacing between consecutive pulse beats equal to said time interval, said pulse rate also corresponding to the maximum pulse rate of a range of pulse rates including the rate corresponding to said measured time between said first and second consecutive pulse beats, and means operative upon the termination of said time interval for decrementing said counter at a rate equal to a linear approximation of the relationship between pulse rate and time spacing for said range of pulse rates whereby the contents of said counter upon occurrence of a third consecutive pulse beat is indicative of said pulse rate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
63 words
A system as defined in claim 1, further comprising: means for measuring a period of time beginning upon occurrence of said second consecutive pulse beat and equal in duration to the minimum time spacing between consecutive pulse beats for said maximum pulse rate of said range of pulse rates, said decrementing of said counter beginning at the end of said period of time.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
183 words
Apparatus for measuring pulse rate, said apparatus comprising: pulse detection means for detecting occurrence of pulse beats, a counter, means responsive to said pulse detection means for incrementing said counter at a first clock rate between occurrence of first and second consecutive pulse beats, the contents of said counter upon occurrence of said second pulse beat being within one of a group of time per pulse ranges, means, operative upon occurrence of said second pulse beat, for setting said counter to the minimum time per pulse value of said one group, first means for decrementing said counter at said first clock rate, said decrementing beginning upon occurrence of said second pulse beat and terminating when the contents of said counter reach zero, means, operative when said counter is decremented to zero, for presetting said counter to the pulse rate value associated with said maximum pulse rate of said one group, and second means for decrementing said counter at a second clock rate associated with said one group, beginning when said counter is preset and terminating upon occurrence of the third consecutive pulse beat.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
183 words
Apparatus for measuring pulse rate, said apparatus comprising: pulse detection means for detecting occurrence of pulse beats, a counter, means responsive to said pulse detection means for incrementing said counter at a first clock rate between occurrence of first and second consecutive pulse beats, the contents of said counter upon occurrence of said second pulse beat being within one of a group of time per pulse ranges, means, operative upon occurrence of said second pulse beat, for setting said counter to the minimum time per pulse value of said one group, first means for decrementing said counter at said first clock rate, said decrementing beginning upon occurrence of said second pulse beat and terminating when the contents of said counter reach zero, means, operative when said counter is decremented to zero, for presetting said counter to the pulse rate value associated with said maximum pulse rate of said one group, and second means for decrementing said counter at a second clock rate associated with said one group, beginning when said counter is preset and terminating upon occurrence of the third consecutive pulse beat.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3 further comprising: means for displaying the contents of said counter subsequeNt to occurrence of said third consecutive pulse beat.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
70 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for incrementing comprises: a first clock producing a first train of pulses at said first clock rate, and first gate means operatively connected to said pulse detection means for gating said first train of pulse to said counter beginning when said pulse detection means detects said first pulse beat and terminating when said pulse detection means detects said second pulse beat.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said pulse detection means comprises: a pressure sensor adapted to be positioned adjacent a portion of a human body, said pressure sensor providing an input to said first gate means in response to occurrence of a heart beat of said human.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said first means for decrementing comprises: second gate means operatively connected to said pulse detection means for gating said first train of pulses to said counter beginning when said pulse detection means detects said second pulse beat.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 7 further comprising: means, cooperating with said counter, for producing a ''''count zero'''' signal when the contents of said counter is zero, and means for terminating operation of said second gate means upon occurrence of said ''''count zero'''' signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
115 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said second means for decrementing comprises: a second clock operative to produce a second train of pulses at a selectable one of a set of clock rates, means, cooperating with said second clock, for selecting one of said sets of clock rates in accordance with the contents of said counter at the time of occurrence of said second pulse beat, said selected one corresponding to said second clock rate, and third gate means operatively connected to said pulse detection means for gating said second train of pulses to said counter beginning when said counter is preset and terminating when said pulse detection means detects said third pulse beat.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
141 words
Apparatus for determining the rate of a train of periodically occurring stimuli comprising: means for detecting the occurrence of individual ones of said stimuli; a counter; means responsive to said detecting means for presetting the contents of said counter so that after some time interval starting with the occurrence of one of said stimuli, said counter contains a value indicative of the rate corresponding to a time spacing between consecutive stimuli equal to said time interval, said rate also corresponding to the maximum rate of a range of rates; and means operative upon the termination of said time interval for decrementing said counter at a rate equal to a linear approximation of the relationship between rate and time spacing for said range of rates whereby the contents of said counter indicates the rate of said stimuli within said range of rates.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
141 words
Apparatus for determining the rate of a train of periodically occurring stimuli comprising: means for detecting the occurrence of individual ones of said stimuli; a counter; means responsive to said detecting means for presetting the contents of said counter so that after some time interval starting with the occurrence of one of said stimuli, said counter contains a value indicative of the rate corresponding to a time spacing between consecutive stimuli equal to said time interval, said rate also corresponding to the maximum rate of a range of rates; and means operative upon the termination of said time interval for decrementing said counter at a rate equal to a linear approximation of the relationship between rate and time spacing for said range of rates whereby the contents of said counter indicates the rate of said stimuli within said range of rates.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising: means responsive to said detecting means for terminating said decrementing of said counter upon the occurrence of the next consecutive one of said stimuli.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising: means for terminating said decrementing of said counter at said linear approximation rate when said counter reaches a value corresponding to the minimum rate of said range of rates.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
86 words
Apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising: means, operative when said counter reaches a value corresponding to the minimum rate of said range of rates, said minimum rate also corresponding to the maximum rate of a second, lower range of rates, for decrementing said counter at a rate equal to a linear approximation of the relationship between rate and time spacing for said second range of rates whereby the contents of said counter indicates the rate of said stimuli within a plurality of ranges of rates.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said tRain of periodically occurring stimuli comprises a train of heart pulse beats and wherein said detecting means comprises: means for detecting the occurrence of individual pulse beats.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
136 words
A method for determining the instantaneous rate of a train of periodically occurring stimuli comprising the steps of: dividing the non-linear relationship between rate and time spacing between consecutive stimuli into a series of linear segments; presetting the contents of a counter to a rate value which, upon termination of a certain time interval starting with the occurrence of one of said stimuli, corresponds to a time spacing between consecutive stimuli equal to said time interval, said rate value also corresponding to the maximum rate value of one of said linear segments; and decrementing said counter, upon termination of said time interval, at a rate equal to the slope of said one of said linear segments whereby the contents of said counter indicates the instantaneous rate of said stimuli within said one of said linear segments.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
136 words
A method for determining the instantaneous rate of a train of periodically occurring stimuli comprising the steps of: dividing the non-linear relationship between rate and time spacing between consecutive stimuli into a series of linear segments; presetting the contents of a counter to a rate value which, upon termination of a certain time interval starting with the occurrence of one of said stimuli, corresponds to a time spacing between consecutive stimuli equal to said time interval, said rate value also corresponding to the maximum rate value of one of said linear segments; and decrementing said counter, upon termination of said time interval, at a rate equal to the slope of said one of said linear segments whereby the contents of said counter indicates the instantaneous rate of said stimuli within said one of said linear segments.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 15 further comprising the step of: terminating said decrementing of said counter upon the occurrence of the next consecutive one of said stimuli.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 16 further comprising the step of: changing the rate at which said counter is decremented as the count therein passes from one linear segment to the next linear segment, the rate for each segment being equal to the slope thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3149628A
Cited
US2492617A
Cited
US2815748A
Cited
US3432687A
Cited
US3290611A
Cited
US3384075A
Cited
US3518983A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-05-09 | 1975-11-08 | 1976-05-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-05-09 | 1979-11-08 | 1980-05-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-05-09 | 1983-11-08 | 1984-05-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |