Patent ID: 8694081

Claim:
A fetal heart rate monitoring system comprising: an abdominal electrocardiography sensor and a phonocardiography sensor configured in an abdominal electrocardiography/phonocardiography (AECG/PCG) sensor, wherein the AECG/PCG sensor is configured to generate an AECG/PCG signal in response to a monitored fetal heart, wherein the AECG/PCG signal includes an AECG signal or a PCG signal; an ultrasound (US) transducer configured to generate an US signal in response to the monitored fetal heart; a computer configured to: assess a quality of the AECG/PCG signal; compare the assessed quality of the AECG/PCG signal with a selectable threshold value; operationally disable the US transducer to stop generating the US signal and process the AECG/PCG signal to provide a fetal heart rate estimate as long as the assessed quality of the AECG/PCG signal exceeds the selectable threshold value; and enable the US transducer and process the US signal to provide a fetal heart rate estimate only if the assessed quality of the AECG/PCG signal is equal to or less than the selectable threshold value; and a battery configured to power the AECG/PCG sensor and the US transducer, wherein the operational disablement of the US transducer reduces a usage of the US transducer and increases a charge time of the battery.