Monitoring apparatus and methods for measuring physiological and/or environmental conditions
A monitoring apparatus includes a wearable electronic device having an audio port and a headset having at least one earbud, at least one physiological and/or environmental sensor, and circuitry that processes signals produced by the at least one physiological and/or environmental sensor and transmits the processed signals to the electronic device via the audio port. The headset may include a microphone in audio communication with the electronic device via the audio port, and the circuitry modulates audio signals produced by the microphone and signals produced by the at least one physiological and/or environmental sensor for transmission to the electronic device via the audio port. The circuitry may power the at least one physiological and/or environmental sensor via power supplied by the electronic device through the audio port and may include a processor that coordinates collection, modulation, and/or transmission of signals produced by the at least one physiological and/or environmental sensor.
1. A removable audio headset connected to a wearable electronic device via an audio port of the wearable electronic device, the headset comprising:
at least one earbud;
at least one physiological sensor powered by a power supply of the wearable electronic device via the audio port of the wearable electronic device, wherein the at least one physiological sensor is configured to detect physiological information from a person wearing the headset and is configured to produce an electrical signal containing the physiological information;
at least one microphone powered by the power supply of the wearable electronic device via the audio port of the wearable electronic device, wherein the microphone is configured to produce an audio signal containing audio information responsive to a verbal communication by the person;
power conditioning circuitry configured to condition the power received from the power supply of the wearable electronic device and to adjust voltage and/or current supplied to the at least one physiological sensor; and
modulation circuitry powered by the power supply of the wearable electronic device, wherein the modulation circuitry is configured to modulate the electrical signal produced by the at least one physiological sensor and the audio signal produced by the at least one microphone to create a modulated signal comprising both the audio information and the physiological information,
wherein the modulation circuitry is configured to transmit the modulated signal via the audio port of the wearable electronic device, and wherein the wearable electronic device includes demodulating circuitry configured to receive and to demodulate the modulated signal.
2. The audio headset of claim 1 , wherein the at least one physiological sensor is configured to be integrated within the earbud.
3. The audio headset of claim 1 , wherein the headset further comprises wireless communication circuitry configured to be powered by the power supply of the wearable electronic device, wherein the wireless communication circuitry is further configured to transmit data from the at least one physiological sensor to a remote device.
4. A removable audio headset connected to a wearable electronic device via an audio port of the wearable electronic device, the headset comprising:
at least one earbud;
at least one physiological sensor powered by a power supply of the wearable electronic device via the audio port of the wearable electronic device, wherein the at least one physiological sensor is configured to detect physiological information from a person wearing the headset and is configured to produce an electrical signal containing the physiological information;
wireless communication circuitry; and
at least one processor configured to receive the electrical signal from the at least one physiological sensor and to transmit the electrical signal to the wearable electronic device via the wireless communication circuitry; and
power conditioning circuitry in electrical communication with the audio port, wherein the power conditioning circuitry is configured to condition the power received from the power supply of the wearable electronic device and to adjust voltage and/or current supplied to the at least one physiological sensor and to the wireless communication circuitry.