Heart rate monitor
The heart rate is the rate of contractions over a given time period, usually defined in beats per minute. A pulse can be defined as the rhythmical dilation of a vessel produced by the increased volume of blood forced into the vessel by the contraction of the heart. For many applications, it is necessary to measure and display a person's heartbeat. In particular, in exercise and fitness training, it is often the situation that a person wishes to measure his or her heartbeat in order to achieve the maximum benefits of the exercise without the danger of increasing the heartbeat to a rate where adverse effects could occur. Heart rate monitor displays have been utilized in a variety of applications including, but not limited to, medical diagnostics, physical therapy, and long term care. Heart rate monitors are popular among athletes but more and more people at all fitness levels are starting to use them as an additional and important tool to monitor their health and the impact of their exercise schedule on their well being. Heart rate monitor displays allow an exerciser to determine his/her heart rate during exercise without needing to interrupt the exercise routine to manually detect his/her pulse. This allows the user to continue the exercise routine while providing indication of real time changes in the user's heart rate. Heart rate monitors employ a heart rate limit alarm to direct a user's workout such that the exerciser is given an alarm if the exercise heart rate is at or drops below a minimum limit or the heart rate is at or exceeds a maximum limit. In order for the exercise to be efficient enough but still safe, the heart rate should fall within a certain range. A heart rate monitor generally comprises a display comprising the actual display element enabling a measured heart rate level to be shown. This can be implemented using either numerical values per minute, i.e. beats per minute (bpm), or percentages of the maximum heart rate. In addition, heart rate monitors equipped with heart rate limit alarms are known wherein the display comprises display elements for set minimum and maximum heart rate limits. The heart rate is usually measured by a sensing device using electrodes that monitor the electrical activity of the heart (e.g., contact monitors) based on electrocardiograms (EKG OR ECG). Essentially, the EKG records an electrical side effect of heart activity. Depending on where the electrodes are placed, the changes in potential reflect depolarization and repolarization of the heart muscle along different axes. Measuring rate values is a useful tool in individualizing and optimizing exercise regimens. Individuals who want to increase endurance or performance aim for certain target heart rates to maximize progression towards their goals. Conversely, adults with a history of heart disease must avoid exceeding a certain heart or pulse rate to reduce unnecessary strain on the heart and resultant injury. A typical heart rate monitor consists of a watch worn on the user's wrist, and a heart rate detector that is worn against the user's skin around the chest. The detector is often embodied in a belt that may be adjusted to fit comfortably around the user's chest. The detector includes electrocardiogram (EKG) electrodes that are able to detect the electrical signals from the user's heart. These signals are then wirelessly transmitted to the watch worn on the user's wrist by a transmitter included in the detector.
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