Apparatus, method, and medium controlling electrical stimulation and/or health training/monitoring

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and medium for generating electrical stimulation, including an electromyogram detector detecting an electromyographic signal of a body, a fatigue index calculator calculating a fatigue index indicating a degree of muscle fatigue by converting the electromyographic signal detected by the electromyogram detector during a predetermined time unit into a frequency-domain electromyographic signal, and an electrical stimulation signal generator adjusting an electrical stimulation signal according to the calculated fatigue index and generating the electrical stimulation signal. Accordingly, a health training/monitoring apparatus can include an electrical stimulation generator adjusting an electrical stimulation signal according to a degree of fatigue and generating the electrical stimulation signal, a physical activity monitor monitoring a physical activity using at least one of a heart rate measurer and an accelerometer, and a mode selector selectively driving the electrical stimulation generator or the physical activity monitor according to an amount of the physical activity.

1 . An electrical stimulation apparatus using an electromyographic measurement, comprising: 
 an electromyogram detector detecting an electromyographic signal from a body;    a fatigue index calculator calculating a fatigue index indicating a degree of muscle fatigue, for at least a muscle of the body, by converting the detected electromyographic signal, detected during a predetermined time unit, into a frequency-domain electromyographic signal; and    an electrical stimulation signal generator adjusting an electrical stimulation signal, for application to the body, based on the calculated fatigue index and generating the electrical stimulation signal.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the electromyogram detector comprises an electromyogram detection electrode.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fatigue index calculator comprises: 
 an initial median frequency output unit to measure an electromyogram at an initial point, of the predetermined time unit, to convert the measured initial point electromyogram into an initial frequency-domain electromyogram, and to output an initial median frequency;    a final median frequency output unit to measure an electromyogram at a final point, of the predetermined time unit, to convert the measured final point electromyogram into a final frequency-domain electromyogram, and to output a final median frequency; and    a fatigue index output unit to determine the fatigue index based on a ratio of the initial median frequency to a difference between the initial median frequency and the final median frequency.    
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation signal generator adjusts the electrical stimulation signal by changing a size, a cycle, and/or a pattern of the electrical stimulation signal.  
   
   
       5 . A method of generating electrical stimulation using an electromyographic signal, comprising: 
 detecting an electromyographic signal from a body using a predetermined medium for detecting an electromyogram;    calculating a fatigue index indicating a degree of muscle fatigue, for a muscle of the body, by converting the detected electromyographic signal, detected during a predetermined time unit, into a frequency-domain electromyographic signal; and    adjusting an electrical stimulation signal according to the calculated fatigue index and generating the adjusted electrical stimulation signal.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the calculating of the fatigue index comprises: 
 measuring an initial electromyogram signal at an initial point, of the predetermined time unit, converting the measured initial point electromyogram signal into an initial frequency-domain electromyogram signal, and outputting an initial median frequency;    measuring a final electromyogram signal at a final point, of the predetermined time unit, converting the measured final point electromyogram signal into a final frequency-domain electromyogram signal, and outputting a final median frequency; and    determining the fatigue index based on a ratio of the initial median frequency to a difference between the initial median frequency and the final median frequency.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein, in the adjusting and generating of the electrical stimulation signal, the electrical stimulation signal is adjusted by changing a size, a cycle, and/or a pattern of the electrical stimulation signal.  
   
   
       8 . A health training/monitoring apparatus, comprising: 
 an electrical stimulation generator to adjust an electrical stimulation signal based on a degree of fatigue, of a muscle of a body, and generating the adjusted electrical stimulation signal;    a physical activity monitor to monitor a physical activity of a user using at least one of a heart rate measurer and an accelerometer for the body; and    a mode selector selectively driving the electrical stimulation generator or the physical activity monitor based on an amount of the monitored physical activity.    
   
   
       9 . The health training/monitoring apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the electrical stimulation generator comprises: 
 an electromyogram detector to detect an electromyographic signal of the body;    a fatigue index calculator to calculate a fatigue index indicating the degree of fatigue by converting the detected electromyographic signal, detected during a predetermined time unit, into a frequency-domain electromyographic signal; and    an electrical stimulation signal generator to adjust the electrical stimulation signal based on the calculated fatigue index and to generate the adjusted electrical stimulation signal.    
   
   
       10 . The health training/monitoring apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the physical activity monitor comprises: 
 the heart rate measurer to measure a heart rate using a predetermined electrode attached to the body;    the accelerometer to measure an acceleration of physical movement of the body; and    an activity output unit to output at least one of a physical activity pattern and calories expended based on the measured heart rate and/or the measured acceleration    
   
   
       11 . The health training/monitoring apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the accelerometer measures the acceleration of the physical movement in any one of a one-axis direction, two-axis direction, or three-axis direction.  
   
   
       12 . The health training/monitoring apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the mode selector drives the physical activity monitor when an output waveform of the accelerometer is greater than a predetermined threshold value and drives the electrical stimulation generator when the output waveform of the accelerometer is not greater than the predetermined threshold value.  
   
   
       13 . The health training/monitoring apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is a waist belt or a patch.  
   
   
       14 . The health training/monitoring apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the waist belt or the patch comprises: 
 a first layer comprising a plurality of electrodes for measuring the heart rate, a plurality of electrodes for the electrical stimulation, and a plurality of electrodes for the measuring of the electromyographic signal; and    a second layer comprising the accelerometer measuring the acceleration of the physical movement and a predetermined controller.    
   
   
       15 . The health training/monitoring apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein an airbag layer inflatable and deflatable by air is interposed between the first layer and the second layer.  
   
   
       16 . A health training/monitoring method, comprising: 
 determining whether a physical activity is dynamic or static;    monitoring the physical activity using at least one of a heart rate measurer and an accelerometer when the physical activity is dynamic; and    adjusting an electrical stimulation signal based on a degree of muscle fatigue, of at least a muscle of a body, and generating the adjusted electrical stimulation signal when the physical activity is static.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein in the determining of whether the physical activity is dynamic or static, the physical activity is determined to be dynamic when a value of the physical activity is greater than a predetermined threshold value for a predetermined period of time, and the physical activity is determined as static when a value of the physical activity is not greater than the predetermined threshold value for the predetermined period of time.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the monitoring of the physical activity comprises: 
 measuring the heart rate using a predetermined electrode attached to the body when the physical activity is dynamic;    measuring acceleration of physical movement of the body using an accelerometer; and    outputting at least one of a physical activity pattern and calories expended using the measured heart rate and the measured acceleration.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the adjusting and generating of the electrical stimulation signal comprises: 
 detecting an electromyographic signal of the body;    calculating a fatigue index indicating the degree of muscle fatigue by converting the detected electromyographic signal, detected during a predetermined time unit, into a frequency-domain electromyographic signal; and    adjusting the electrical stimulation signal based on the calculated fatigue index and generating the adjusted electrical stimulation signal.    
   
   
       20 . A medium comprising computer readable code implementing the method of  claim 5 .  
   
   
       21 . A medium comprising computer readable code implementing the method of  claim 16 .  
   
   
       22 . An electrical stimulation apparatus, comprising: 
 an electromyogram detector detecting electromyographic signals from a body;    a fatigue index calculator calculating a fatigue index indicating a degree of muscle fatigue, for at least a muscle in a body, by converting at least two detected electromyographic signals into respective frequency-domain electromyographic signals, with the calculated fatigue index being based on a ratio with the at least two frequency-domain electromyographic signals; and    an electrical stimulation signal generator generating an electrical stimulation signal, for application to the body, based on the calculated fatigue index.    
   
   
       23 . The electrical stimulation apparatus of  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 a heart rate measurer to measure a heart rate using a predetermined electrode attached to the body; and    an activity output unit to output at least one of a physical activity pattern and calories expended based on the measured heart rate.    
   
   
       24 . The electrical stimulation apparatus of  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 an accelerometer to measure an acceleration of physical movement of the body; and    an activity output unit to output at least one of a physical activity pattern and calories expended based on the measured acceleration.    
   
   
       25 . The electrical stimulation apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein when the measured acceleration is greater than a predetermined threshold value the electrical stimulation signal generator does not generate the electrical stimulation signal.  
   
   
       26 . The electrical stimulation apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the at least two detected electromyographic signals are detected at least at an initial point in a predetermined period and a final point in the predetermined period, respectively.  
   
   
       27 . The electrical stimulation apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the initial point occurs when the electrical stimulation apparatus is applied to operate on the body.  
   
   
       28 . The electrical stimulation apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the final point occurs when the electrical stimulation apparatus is removed from operating on the body.