Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system – Weight
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-12
2004-08-24
Nghiem, Michael (Department: 2863)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system
Weight
Reexamination Certificate
active
06782340
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for measuring body composition of a human body based on bioelectrical impedance measurement, and more particularly, to setting of a personal body information in a measuring apparatus for measuring the living body information for a person under test based on bioelectrical impedance measurement. The living body information includes, among others, a body fat percentage representing a rate of fat relative to the total weight of the person and a fat mass representing the weight of the fat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is already known to estimate body composition of a human body from the measurement of living body impedance. For instance, it has been found in an article “Assessment of fat-free mass using bioelectrical impedance measurement of the human body”,
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
41 (4) 810-817, 1985. This principle of operation may be applied to measure the fat mass for a person under test. For instance, any impedance between extreme parts of the person such as hands and feet may be measured according to four-terminal electrode measurement theory. The impedance thus measured, together with the personal body information such as the weight, height, sex and age of the person under test, can be used to estimate the amount of body water and the fat mass for the person. For instance, (Examined) Patent Publication H5-49050 discloses apparatus for measuring the weight of a person under test concurrent with fat mass. Various types of apparatus utilizing this principle have already been put into the market.
A body composition measuring apparatus based on such bioelectrical impedance measurement is constructed such that electrodes directly contact the skin of a person under test. Then very small AC current is actually passed through the body of the person for measuring the bioelectrical impedance of the person. Then the body fat percentage and the fat mass for the person is determined from the measured bioelectrical impedance and the preset personal body information. In this regard, the personal body information is essential data and it is usually entered before starting the measurement operation.
FIG. 4
of the accompanying drawings shows one example of the case where a person under test enters the personal body information into a conventional body composition measuring apparatus with a built-in weight meter. More particularly, FIG.
4
(
a
) shows the case where the person stands in front of the measuring apparatus for the purpose of entering the personal body information by operating a setting switch
88
. FIG.
4
(
b
) shows the case where the person stands at the side of the measuring apparatus for the same purpose. The setting switch
88
may be any conventional LCD touch panel and display in which data may be entered by operating the switch displayed on the LCD.
FIG. 5
is a flow chart representing a sequence of measuring steps for the conventional body composition measuring apparatus with a built-in weight meter. In step S
11
a person under test pushes a power switch to power up the measuring apparatus. In step S
12
the person enters the personal body information such as height, sex, age, etc. into the apparatus, as shown in FIG.
4
. Then in step S
13
confirmation is made as to whether setting of all the personal body information is completed or not. If not, the procedure restores to the data input step. After completion of setting all the persona body information, a no-load output or a zero-point is determined and stored in a weighing section of the weight meter, in step S
14
. The operations described above are performed before the person under test gets on the weight meter.
When the person under test gets on the weight meter and the measuring apparatus detects the load, the apparatus starts the measurement of the weight of the person, in step S
15
. After completion of the weight measurement, the person grasps a handgrip to measure the bioelectrical impedance for the person, in step S
16
. Then the apparatus calculates the body fat percentage or the fat mass for the person, based upon the measured bioelectrical impedance and the weight as well as the preset personal body information, in step S
17
. Thereafter, the resultant values are displayed on the display
88
, in step S
18
.
As described above, in the conventional body composition measuring apparatus with the built-in weight meter, no load should be applied to the weight meter up to the time that the personal body information is entered and the zero-point or the no-load weight meter output is determined. Therefore, only after the completion of entering or setting the personal body information by the person who does not get on the weight meter, the conventional measuring apparatus can operate to measure the weight and then the bioelectrical impedance for the person.
The way of entering the personal body information, as conducted in the conventional body composition measuring apparatus with the built-in weight meter, has several deficiencies. Referring first to FIG.
4
(
a
), due to the fact that the person stands in front of the measuring apparatus for entering such personal information, and has relatively longer distance to the setting switch
88
, the person unavoidably takes unnatural pose such as bending his waist or stretching his arm. This leads to a big burden imposed to the person if he is an aged person or a child, or a patient.
Then referring to FIG.
4
(
b
), because of the person standing at the lateral side of the measuring apparatus for entering the personal information, there is less burden as described above imposed to the person. However, the person should watch the setting switch
88
from the lateral side thereof. In view of the viewing angle designed for LCD, the person has the most visibility to watch the LCD at the position directly opposed to it or within the angle of several degrees offset therefrom. At the positions directly over or beneath the LCD, or at the positions lateral or oblique to the LCD, however, it is difficult for the person to watch the LCD or it may happen that the person can not perceive the LCD being ON at all. This is not limited to the touch panel with LCD, but the same is true for all the common LCD.
Accordingly, in the case as shown in FIG.
4
(
b
), in order to enter the personal information, the person should move his face to the position opposite to the LCD or stretch his back to get better visibility to the LCD. Such action is very cumbersome for the person.
Especially, when entering the parameters that may greatly vary depending on the persons under test, such as height, etc., it takes longer period of time for entering them, and the unnatural pose required during such period of time, of course, imposes greater burden to the person.
In addition, in the conventional body composition measuring apparatus with the built-in weight meter, the person gets on the weight meter after entering the personal body information, as described above. Therefore, if any variation in amount of body water is produced due to any movement of the body immediately before the measurement, it may affect the measurement of body composition.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved body composition measuring apparatus based on bioelectrical impedance measurement in which a person under test can set the required personal body information with higher visibility for setting operation, while taking easy pose. Another object of the present invention is to reduce any introduction of error factors into the body composition measurement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To attain those objects, the present invention provides a body composition measuring apparatus with a built-in weight meter based on bioelectrical impedance measurement, comprising.
a weight meter;
a data input device;
an impedance measurement device; and
a CPU, whereby said CPU estimates the body composition for the person under test based upon the data from said weight mete
Komatsu Yoshichika
Sasaki Yoshitsugu
McDermott & Will & Emery
Nghiem Michael
Tanita Corporation
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