Pulsimeter for vehicles

Claim 1

A pulsimeter for a vehicle having a steering wheel assembly including a slip ring and horn switch comprising: first and second electrodes, provided on said steering wheel assembly and electrically separated from each other, for picking up electrical potentials when touched by a driver's right and left hands respectively corresponding to muscular activity of a driver's heart; first circuit means, connected to said electrodes, for differentially amplifying said electrical potentials picked up by said electrodes and providing an output signal corresponding to each heart beat of the driver; second circuit means, connected to said first circuit means, for calculating the driver's heart pulsation rate by measuring the interval of time between said output signals successively produced by said first circuit means, said second circuit means including microprocessor means for averaging intervals of time from one pulsation to the next successively measured and calculating said pulsation rate therefrom, the microprocessor means including means for discriminating whether each interval is within a predetermined range or not, the averaging means averaging only those intervals within said predetermined range; display means, connected to said second circuit means and provided on said steering wheel assembly, for displaying said calculated rate; and voltage supply means, connected to an electric lead connecting said slip ring and horn switch for supplying power to said first and second circuit means and display means.