Patents by Inventor Kazuhiko Amano

Kazuhiko Amano has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6081742
    Abstract: Devices are known for measuring a subject's respiratory rate based on the subject's pulse wave or level of electrocardiogram. When the subject is exercising or carrying out daily activities, however, an electromyogram becomes imposed on the cardiogram waveform, so that a body motion component is superimposed on the pulse wave. This leads to an incorrect measured result. To overcome this drawback, a portable portion in the form of a wristwatch worn by the subject and a personal computer comprising device main body 330 are provided. A photoelectric pulse wave sensor is attached to the base of the subject's finger, and the pulse waveform is measured. An acceleration sensor is provided to the portable portion, and employed to detect the subject's body motion spectrum. Device main body 330 performs a window function on the pulse wave, and removes the acceleration component, so that the body motion spectrum is removed from the frequency spectrum of the pulse wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Amano, Kazuo Uebaba, Hitoshi Ishiyama
  • Patent number: 6042549
    Abstract: An exercise intensity and exercise quantity measuring device is disclosed, which is capable of measuring the exercise intensity, irrespective of the type, of exercise, and measuring the exercise quantity only when the user is carrying out exercise of suitable intensity. The user first estimates his Vo.sub.2max in advance by the conventional direct method, and inputs this value into the device. The device determines upper and lower limit values of pulse rate corresponding to this Vo.sub.2max. During the time of exercise when pulse rate is between the upper and lower limit values, CPU 308 increments the accumulated time stored in RAM 309, at intervals based on a clock pulse supplied by oscillation circuit 311 and frequency dividing circuit 312. At the same time, CPU 308 compares the pulse waveform during exercise and the pulse waveform at rest, and estimates the exercise intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Amano, Kazuo Uebaba, Hitoshi Ishiyama
  • Patent number: 6030342
    Abstract: In order to obtain calorie expenditure with good accuracy, the device is provided with a basal metabolic state specifying element (142) which specifies the subject's basal metabolic state from his body temperature; a correlation storing element (151) which stores respective regression formulas showing the correlation between the pulse rate and the calorie expenditure when the subject is at rest or active; a correlation correcting element (152) which correcting the stored regression formulas using the basal metabolic state; a body motion determining element (104) which determines whether or not the subject is at rest; and a regression formula selecting element (153) which selects the regression formula which should be used in accordance with the results of this determination. The subject's pulse rate is applied in the selected regression formula, and the calorie expenditure corresponding to this pulse rate is calculated by calorie expenditure calculator (162).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Amano, Kazuo Uebaba, Hitoshi Ishiyama
  • Patent number: 6022321
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting pulse waves and motion intensity of a living body in motion is disclosed. The apparatus has photosensors of the photo-coupler type for wavelengths of 660 nm and 940 nm, respectively. The sensors are attached to a person under examination, and provide output signals which include a blood pulse signal as well as body motion components superimposed on the blood pulse signal. These signals are subjected to the Fourier transformation in a fast Fourier transformation circuit, and then applied to a comparator which in turn compares amplitudes of major frequency components (components associated with pulse waves and body motion) to one another. According to the comparison result, a decision circuitdiscriminates the pulse wave from the body motion. A display unit displays the pulse rate corresponding to the fundamental frequency of the detected pulse wave. The display unit also displays the change in motion intensity detected by the decision circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Amano, Motomu Hayakawa, Koji Kitazawa
  • Patent number: 5941837
    Abstract: A health management device is provided, which enables the user himself to make a determination of the quality of his state of health, without the presence of a physician or nurse specialist. However, this device may of course be employed to receive measurement directives from, or provide notification to, a third party. Pulse sensor 4 measures the user's fingertip pulse wave. Acceleration sensor calculates an acceleration value from the user's body. These outputs are converted to digital signals at sensor interface 6. CPU1 determines whether or not the user is exercising based on the acceleration value read out from sensor interface 6. Based on this result, CPU1 takes up the user's pulse waves before and after exercise, and determines the acceleration pulse wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Amano, Kazuo Uebaba, Hitoshi Ishiyama
  • Patent number: 5755229
    Abstract: A pulse wave analysis device for analyzing the condition of a human body is disclosed. A cuff band is wrapped around the tip of the second finger of a subject's hand. When the operator depresses the beginning-of-measurement key, the finger tip is pressed at various pressures by means of an air pump and a pressure sensor. Pulse wave signals at different pressure values are automatically measured by an optical fingertip plethysmogram sensor. The signals are transmitted to a CPU through a BPF, an amplifier, and an ADC. The CPU performs FFT analyses on the signals and determines to which pattern from among the patterns stored in a ROM the pattern level of the pulse wave spectrum for a given pressure value is closest, and displays the result on a display unit as a test result indicating the viscoelasticity of the subject's peripheral circulation tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Amano, Hiromitsu Ishii, Kazuo Kodama
  • Patent number: 5735799
    Abstract: A device includes a pulse wave detection device that detects pulse waves; a pressure detection device that detects a pressure; a pulse wave processing device; and a display of displaying pulse wave processing data and pressures. It is provided with a pulse wave detectability test device that determines the pulse wave detectability from a pressure; a pulse wave detection state notification device that notifies the operator of the pulse wave detectability status; a pulse wave/pressure storage device that temporarily stores pulse wave and pressure data; and a pulse wave/pressure comparison device that compares pulse wave and pressure data by comparing temporarily stored past data and the current data. These devices enable the operator to easily determine the pressure to be applied when measuring pulse waves, and provide improvements in the efficiency of pulse wave measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Norimitsu Baba, Kazuhiko Amano
  • Patent number: 5730137
    Abstract: A microcomputer performs a frequency analysis of pulse waves which are taken at regular time intervals from a patient through a pulse wave detection section. Then, if the amplitudes and phases of the spectra of the pulse waves fulfill some set conditions, either .alpha.-blocker or .beta.-blocker is given to the patient, and the patient's circulatory activity is maintained in a stable condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Amano, Kazuo Kodama, Hitoshi Ishiyama
  • Patent number: 5704363
    Abstract: The present invention has as its objective the presentation of a compact and simple pressure sensor having the ability to measure pulses, the pressure sensor 10 being composed of pressure sensing elements S.sub.1 -S.sub.4 and elastic rubber body 1. The measurement positions Q.sub.1 -Q.sub.4 of the pressure sensing elements S.sub.1 -S.sub.4 are on the bottom surface L of the convex-shaped elastic rubber body 1, at the same distance a from the origin of the x and y axes. If the elastic rubber body 1 is pressed in the vicinity of an artery, blood current changes in said artery, that is, vibrations from the artery occur on the exposed surface of the elastic rubber body 1, these vibrations propagate through the elastic rubber body 1 as elastic waves, and are measured as pressure waves by the pressure sensing elements S.sub.1 -S.sub.4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Amano
  • Patent number: 5691747
    Abstract: A compact, miniaturized pointing device for use with an electronic apparatus, such as a computer, personal data assistant (PDA), or digital watch display screen, is provided to indicate the position of a cursor mark on the display screen. The pointing device includes an elastic member which has a body portion that extends above the surface of the electronic apparatus with a section below the surface including pressure sensitive elements and corresponding position indicators. When a finger is placed on the elastic member, vibrational pressures are generated and pressure signals are propagated through the elastic member reaching the pressure sensing elements housed in the submerged section. The intensity of the propagating signal attenuates with a square of the distance traveled and, therefore, from a determination of the ratio of the magnitude the output voltage signals from the pressure sensing elements, the position of the pressed point on the elastic member can be computed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Amano
  • Patent number: 5659521
    Abstract: An electronic watch with a multiple function display which is able to display biorhythms or the like in a format appealing to the sense of sight is presented. This electronic watch moves a plurality of hands by means of a plurality of step motors, and displays the biorhythms with the respective hands. Since the respective hands go through a single rotation when the corresponding step motor performs a set number of steps, in order to ensure that these single rotations are accurately timed with the periods of the biorhythms, movement control of the step motors is conducted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1997
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Amano
  • Patent number: 5638341
    Abstract: From various traditional medical teachings, it is known that humans have a life rhythm which depends upon the time. As one example, there are the traditional Indian medical teachings of the "Ayurveda". In the present invention, in order to display which time period of the Ayurveda corresponds to the present time, a character panel of a watch has been separated according to color into three wedge-shaped regions. The respective color-separated regions correspond to the Vata (V), the Kapha (K), and the Pitta (P) of the Ayurveda. The Ayurveda time is indicated by an hour hand which points to one of these regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Amano
  • Patent number: 5623933
    Abstract: A pulse wave analysis device for analyzing the condition of a human body is disclosed. A cuff band is wrapped around the tip of the second finger of a subject's hand. When the operator depresses the beginning-of-measurement key, the finger tip is pressed at various pressures by means of an air pump and a pressure sensor. Pulse wave signals at different pressure values are automatically measured by an optical fingertip plethysmogram sensor. The signals are transmitted to a CPU through a BPF, an amplifier, and an ADC. The CPU performs FFT analyses on the signals and determines to which pattern from among the patterns stored in a ROM the pattern level of the pulse wave spectrum for a given pressure value is closest, and displays the result on a display unit as a test result indicating the viscoelasticity of the subject's peripheral circulation tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Amano, Hiromitsu Ishii, Kazuo Kodama