Patent ID: 8854060

Claim:
A physiological measurement instrument capable of detecting and measuring values of one or more physiological measurement parameters associated with a body of a human or animal subject, the measurement instrument comprising: a. a detector, implemented as one or more sensors, for use in detecting values of the measurement parameters, the values indicating an operating position of the measurement instrument wherein the operating position is relative to the body, or to a certain location of the measurement instrument; b. an operating-position-determination unit that receives and analyzes output signals from the detector, to determine the operating position of the measurement instrument wherein the operating position is relative to the body, or to a certain location of the measurement instrument, wherein: (1) the operating-position-determination unit comprises a comparator that compares the detected values against a standard to determine the operating position of the measurement instrument, wherein the standard is a predetermined threshold value or a comparative parameter, and (2) the operating-position-determining unit produces a multi-valued output signal for differentiation of a first operating position at the body, a second operating position in a charging station, and a third operating position located away from both the first and second operating positions; and c. a multi-part fastener for attaching to the body of the subject, in which the fastener has contact areas that make contact with one another when the fastener is in a closed state but do not make contact with one another when the fastener is in an open state, and in which the detector determines the contact state of the fastener.