Pulsimeter capable of properly evaluating amount of exercise at arbitrary time

Pulses detected by an earlobe sensor are inputted in a microcomputer, so that the number of pulses is stored every lapse of a prescribed time. The as-stored numbers of the pulses are so cumulated that an average pulse rate is calculated from the cumulative result. On the other hand, a pulse rate is calculated from the as-stored numbers of pulses, to calculate a consumed calorie. A display part indicates the cumulative result of the pulse rates, the consumed calorie and the like with a lapse time.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a pulsimeter, and more particularly, it 
relates to a pulsimeter which is employed for managing exercise such as 
jogging. 
2. Description of the Background Art 
In a conventional pulsimeter, upper and lower limit values of a pulse rate 
to be counted are so set that warning is given to the user by an alarm 
when the pulse rate is in excess or below the upper or lower limit value, 
thereby maintaining the strength of the exercise at a proper level. 
Another conventional pulsimeter is adapted to store pulse rate data during 
exercise. Namely, this pulsimeter stores a pulse rate which is detected 
every constant period of 5 seconds, 15 seconds or 1 minute, and displays 
data showing relations between such pulse rates and times after completion 
of the exercise. 
Another conventional pulsimeter cumulates respective times of those 
elapsing with pulse rates exceeding an upper limit value, between upper 
and lower limits and below the lower limit, to display the respective 
cumulated times after completion of the exercise. 
In such a conventional pulsimeter, however, it is impossible to grasp the 
amount of exercise in real time, although the logged pulse rates and 
changes thereof can be recognized after completion of the exercise. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to enable proper evaluation of the 
amount of exercise in a pulsimeter. 
Another object of the present invention is to enable proper evaluation of 
the amount of exercise from the start of counting at the time of counting 
in a pulsimeter. 
Still another object of the present invention is to enable proper 
evaluation of the amount of exercise after counting in a pulsimeter. 
In order to attain the aforementioned objects, a pulsimeter according to 
the present invention comprises a pulse sensor for detecting pulses of a 
human body, a pulse counter for counting the number of pulses detected in 
a counting time, and a display for indicating the number of the counted 
pulses with elapsed time. 
In the pulsimeter having the aforementioned structure, the number of pulses 
detected in counting time is so counted that the count value is displayed 
with elapsed time. Thus, it is possible to properly evaluate the amount of 
exercise from the start of counting at the time of counting. 
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the 
present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed 
description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the 
accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 is a system block diagram showing the structure of a pulsimeter 10 
according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
Referring to FIG. 1, the pulsimeter is formed by an earlobe sensor 8 which 
is attached to an earlobe of a human body for detecting pulses from 
changes in light transmittance by the amount of pulsation of blood in the 
blood capillaries of the earlobe, an amplifier 7 which amplifies and 
binarizes an analog signal received from the earlobe sensor 8 and outputs 
the same as a pulse signal, a microcomputer 1 which receives the pulse 
signal from the amplifier 7, a crystal oscillation circuit 3 which 
generates clocks for counting a prescribed time, a buzzer circuit 4 for 
giving warning by an alarm when a prescribed pulse state is reached, a 
power supply circuit 5 which provides a power supply for operations of the 
microcomputer i, a push button group 6 including various buttons for 
commanding the operations of the microcomputer 1, and a liquid crystal 
display 2 for indicating calculation results of the microcomputer 1 and 
the like. The earlobe sensor 8 is generally connected with the body 10 of 
the pulsimeter by a cord. 
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view showing the appearance of the body 10 of 
the pulsimeter shown in FIG. 1. 
Referring to FIG. 2, the body 10 of the pulsimeter is provided with the 
liquid crystal display 2 on its central portion and various push buttons 
including a MEMO button 6a, a RESET button 6b, a MODE button 6c and an ADV 
button 6d which are arranged under the liquid crystal display 2. 
FIG. 3A-3D illustrates various indication states of the liquid display 2. 
With reference to FIG. 3, basic operations of the pulsimeter 10 according 
to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. 
Upon insertion of a battery, the pulsimeter automatically enters an initial 
state to light up all indications on the liquid crystal display 2 for 2 
seconds, as shown in FIG. 3A. After a lapse of the 2 seconds, the liquid 
crystal display 2 indicates a setting timer TM (0 in this case), a pulse 
rate (86) and a consumed calorie (0 kcal in this case), as shown in FIG. 
3B. Namely, when the earlobe sensor 8 is set on the human body and power 
is supplied to the body 10 of the pulsimeter, counting of the pulse rate 
(number of pulses per minute) is immediately started to indicate the count 
value while the setting timer TM and the consumed calorie remain in zero 
indication states. 
Then, the ADV button 6d is pushed to start counting, whereby a person 
indicator is blinked on the liquid crystal display 2. The consumed calorie 
(kcal) and a number of cumulated pulses (.times.1000 PL) (hereinafter 
referred to as "cumulative pulse rate") are counted up in response to the 
counted pulse rate. It is possible to switch the consumed calorie 
indication mode shown in FIG. 3B to a cumulative pulse rate indication 
mode by pushing the MODE button 6c. The liquid crystal display 2 is 
initially in the consumed calorie indication mode upon power supply. 
When the RESET button 6b is pushed for about 2 seconds during the 
indication of the pulse rate, the indications of the timer TM, the 
consumed calorie/the cumulative pulse rate and as-set MEMO data are reset. 
Further, the current indication contents are fixed when the ADV button 6d 
is pushed, while the power is turned off to cancel the indications on the 
liquid display 2 when the ADV button 6d is again pushed. If no signal is 
received from the earlobe sensor 8 or the like for about 1 hour, on the 
other hand, the pulsimeter is automatically turned off in order to avoid 
consumption of the power supply. When the ADV button 6d is pushed in a 
power-off state, the liquid crystal display 2 enters the state shown in 
FIG. 3B, i.e., a power-on state. 
When the MEMO button 6a is pushed for 2 seconds in the state shown in FIG. 
3B, the liquid crystal display 2 indicates a set value of the timer TM and 
upper and lower limit pulse rates UL and LL while blinking "hour" and 
"minute" display portions in timer setting, as shown in FIG. 3C. These 
numerical values are increased when the MODE button 6c is pushed in this 
state, while the same are decreased when the RESET button 6b is pushed in 
this state. The set values of the timer TM can be changed in this way. 
When the MEMO button 6a is again pushed, the numerical value portion of 
the upper limit pulse rate UL is so blinked that the same can be 
arbitrarily changed in the aforementioned manner. When the MEMO button 6a 
is further pushed, the numerical value portion of the lower limit pulse 
rate LL is so blinked that the same can also be arbitrarily changed in the 
aforementioned manner. When these values are completely set, the ADV 
button 6d is set so that the liquid crystal display 2 returns to the state 
shown in FIG. 3B. These set values are stored until the battery for the 
pulsimeter 10 is exchanged, unless the set contents are again changed. 
When a measured pulse rate is in excess of the upper limit pulse rate UL or 
below the lower limit pulse rate LL, an alarm buzzer is activated. The 
initial values of the upper and lower limit pulse rates UL and LL are 160 
pulses/min. and 40 pulses/min. respectively. The alarm buzzer is made 
inoperative when the pulse rate is zero, i.e., when the earlobe sensor 8 
is unset. 
The timer TM can be set at an arbitrary value within a range of 1 minute to 
9 hours 59 minutes. When the target time is set at 10 minutes, a buzzer is 
sounded every 10 minutes to store the current timer value as well as the 
cumulative pulse rate and the consumed calorie in this period, and a MEMO 
display value is incremented by 1. 
Thus, the buzzer is sounded every target time to store the lapse time and 
the current consumed calorie/the current cumulative pulse rate. Such data 
at that time are similarly stored also when the MEMO button 6a is pushed. 
In order to access the stored contents, the MODE button 6c is pushed for 
about 2 seconds so that the liquid crystal display 2 enters a MEMO 
indication mode to indicate first MEMO data as shown FIG. 3D. The set 
value of the timer TM, a current average pulse rate AVP and the current 
consumed calorie are indicated in this example. The MODE button 6c is 
again pushed in this state, to switch the indication of the current 
consumed calorie to that of the current cumulative pulse rate. 
When the MEMO button 6a is further pushed, a memory number provided on a 
right upper corner of the screen is incremented by 1 to invoke next 
storage contents on the screen. In a similar manner, the stored MEMO data 
are successively indicated on the screen. Finally the ADV button 6d is 
pushed or the MODE button 6c is pushed for about 2 seconds, so that the 
screen returns to the state shown in FIG. 3B. 
FIG. 4 illustrates relations between pulse rates up to 99 and consumed 
calories, and FIG. 5 illustrates relations between pulse rates exceeding 
99 and consumed calories. 
The consumed calorie is basically calculated every 2 seconds, as shown in 
FIGS. 4 and 5. Assuming that HR represents a pulse rate exceeding 99, a 
calorie K consumed every 2 seconds is calculated as follows (refer to "New 
Edition of Exercise Prescription" by Haruo Ikegami, First Edition, Asakura 
Shoten, May 10, 1990): 
EQU K=0.00250.times.HR-0.1166 
FIGS. 6 to 13 illustrate a flow chart showing a process for implementing 
basic operations of the pulsimeter 10 controlled by the microcomputer 1. 
The contents of the operations are now briefly described. 
First, all segments of the liquid crystal display 2 are lit up and 
maintained in these states for 2 seconds, and then contents of a RAM 
provided in the microcomputer 1 are cleared so that a program counter PCNT 
is initialized at 1 (steps S1, S2 and S3). 
At a step S4, a determination is made as to whether or not the program 
counter PCNT corresponds to any one of 1, 2 and 3. Since the program 
counter PCNT is initialized at 1 upon power supply, the process advances 
to a step S5 to determine whether or not a flag O is 1. Since this flag O 
is initialized at 0, the process advances to a step S7 to indicate the 
pulse rate, the setting timer TM, the consumed calorie, the number of 
memos and the like, and then advances to a step S16. 
At the step S16, a determination is made as to whether or not the program 
counter PCNT is 2 or 10, and the process skips a step S17 to advance to a 
step S18 since the program counter PCNT is set at 1. If the value of the 
timer TM is set at a target time TGTM or the pulse rate HR is in excess of 
the upper limit pulse rate ULPLS or below the lower limit pulse rate 
LLPLS, a buzzer is sounded at a step S19. Otherwise the process advances 
to a step S22 while keeping the buzzer silent. 
At the step S22, a determination is made as to whether or not the pulse 
signal outputted from the earlobe sensor 8 is changed. Since the pulse 
signal is regularly changed in general, the process advances to a step 
S24, and if the ADV button 6d is pushed while the MODE, RESET and MEMO 
buttons 6c, 6b and 6a are kept untouched, the process advances to a step 
S31. Since the program counter PCNT is held at 1, the process advances to 
a step S36 through a step S33, and the program counter PCNT is incremented 
by 1 at a step S37 in response to the result of determination at the step 
S36, and the process returns to the step S4. 
Since the program counter PCNT is incremented to 2, the process advances to 
the determination step S16 through the steps S5 to S7. The timer TM is 
counted up every second at the step S17 since the program counter PCNT is 
at 2, and the process advances to the step S22 through the steps S18 to 
S21. When only the ADV button 6d is pushed similarly to the above, the 
process advances to the step S37 through the step S36, so that the program 
counter PCNT is incremented to 3. In this state, the process skips the 
step S17, not to count up the timer. When the ADV button 6d is further 
pushed, the process advances to the step S33 from the step S30, to cancel 
the indications on the liquid crystal display 2 at the step S34. When the 
ADV button 6d is again pushed, the process advances to the step S3 to 
clear the RAM and initialize the program counter PCNT at 1, thereby 
repeating processing similar to the above. Contents of processing with the 
remaining buttons are shown in the flow chart, and hence redundant 
description is omitted. 
According to the present invention, as hereinabove described, the number of 
counted pulses is indicated with elapsed time, whereby it is possible to 
easily obtain estimation of the amount of exercise up to the pulse 
detecting time (refer to "Evaluation of Amount of Body Activity for One 
Day by Scoring the Number of Pulse Rate" by Takashi Kitaura and Tetsuo 
Numa, 40th Proceedings of the Physical Society of Japan, Oct. 12 to 14, 
1989). 
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in 
detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration 
and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit 
and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of the 
appended claims.