Electronic device and method for measuring biometric information

• US 10,299,690 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Ah-Young, Kim, Young-Hyun, Jo, Seong-Wook, Min, Jin-Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavert, Nicole F
• Application Number:
  US15/044,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20160235341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/392 Detecting gastrointestinal contractions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/398 Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4035 Evaluating the autonomic nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers

Abstract

An electronic device for measuring biometric information is provided. The electronic device includes a sensor unit configured to detect an attitude of the electronic device, a biometric information measurement unit configured to detect biometric information on an examinee through a plurality of electrodes formed on at least one surface of the electronic device, a switch unit including a plurality of switches electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes and a controller configured to recognize an array of the plurality of electrodes based on the detected attitude of the electronic device and control the switch unit such that the recognized electrode array corresponds to a preset electrode array.

Claims

1. An electronic device for measuring biometric information, the electronic device comprising:

a plurality of sensors configured to detect an attitude of the electronic device;

a biometric information measurement detector configured to detect biometric information on an examinee through a plurality of electrodes formed on at least one surface of the electronic device;

a plurality of switches electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes; and

at least one processor configured to;

recognize an array of the plurality of electrodes based on the detected attitude of the electronic device, and

control the plurality of switches such that the recognized electrode array corresponds to a preset electrode array.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises:

an acceleration sensor configured to detect an acceleration value of the electronic device according to a movement to a measurement point;

a geomagnetic sensor configured to detect a geomagnetic value of the electronic device at the measurement point; and

an altitude sensor configured to detect an altitude value of the electronic device at the measurement point.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the biometric information measurement detector comprises a biometric signal measurement device configured to detect a biometric signal of the examinee.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the biometric signal measurement device detects one of an electrocardiography (ECG) signal, an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal, an electrooculogram (EOG) signal, an electrogastrogram (EGG) signal, or an electromyography (EMG) signal.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor comprises:

a measurement location recognition device configured to recognize a location and the attitude of the electronic device at the measurement point by using at least one of the detected acceleratation value, geomagnetic value or altitude value;

an electrode array determination device configured to;

recognize the array of the plurality of electrodes according to the recognized location and attitude of the electronic device,

compare the recognized electrode array and the preset electrode array, and

determine whether the electrode array is changed; and

a switch control device configured to control the plurality of switches such that the recognized electrode array corresponds to the preset electrode array and is connected to the biometric information measurement detector according to a result of the determination.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the measurement location recognition device is further configured to:

calculate a direction and an angle of each axis changed from a reference direction and a reference angle of each axis of the plurality of sensors by using the detected acceleration value and geomagnetic value, and

recognize the location and the attitude of the electronic device based on the calculated direction and angle of each axis and the detected altitude value.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the electrode array determination device is further configured to:

compare whether the recognized electrode array of each electrode matches the preset electrode array of the corresponding electrode, and

determine, when the recognized electrode array of at least one electrode is not equal to the preset electrode array of the corresponding electrode, that the recognized electrode array is changed.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein, when the recognized electrode array is changed, the switch control device is further configured to switch a corresponding switch to connect the preset electrode array of the corresponding electrode changed from the changed electrode array of the corresponding electrode to the biometric information measurement detector.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the electrode array comprises a location, direction, polarity, arrangement of electrode channels of each electrode.

10. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor further comprises a biometric information analysis device configured to analyze health state information of the examinee by analyzing the biometric information detected through the controlled electrode array of the plurality of electrodes.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the biometric information analysis device is further configured to analyze a biometric index of the examinee based on the detected biometric signal.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor further comprises a biometric information conversion device configured to convert, when the recognized electrode array is changed, the detected biometric signal to compensate for a difference between the recognized electrode array and the preset electrode array.

13. A method of measuring biometric information by an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting an attitude of the electronic device;

recognizing an array of a plurality of electrodes formed on at least one surface of the electronic device based on the detected attitude;

determining whether the recognized electrode array is changed by comparing the recognized electrode array and a preset electrode array; and

controlling a plurality of switches corresponding to the plurality of electrodes, respectively, such that the recognized electrode array corresponds to the preset electrode array and is connected to a biometric information measurement unit based on a result of the determination.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the recognizing of the array of the plurality of electrodes comprises:

detecting an acceleration value, a geomagnetic value, and an altitude value of the electronic device in a measurement point by a sensor unit;

calculating a direction and an angle of each axis changed from a reference direction and a reference angle of each axis of the sensor unit by using the detected acceleration value and geomagnetic value;

recognizing a location and the attitude of the electronic device from the calculated direction and angle of each axis and the detected altitude value; and

recognizing the array of the plurality of electrodes according to the recognized location and attitude of the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining of whether the recognized electrode array is changed comprises:

comparing the recognized electrode array of each electrode with a preset electrode array of the corresponding electrode; and

determining, when the recognized electrode array of at least one electrode is not equal to the preset electrode array of the corresponding electrode based on a result of the comparison, that the recognized electrode array is changed.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the controlling of the switch unit comprises controlling, when the recognized electrode array is changed, a corresponding switch to switch the changed electrode array of the corresponding electrode into the preset electrode array of the corresponding electrode.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising analyzing health state information of an examinee by detecting biometric information through the plurality of electrodes by the biometric information measurement unit.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the analyzing of the health state information of the examinee comprises analyzing a biometric index of the examinee based on a biometric signal detected through the plurality of electrodes of the controlled electrode array by the biometric information measurement unit.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising converting, when the recognized electrode array is changed, the detected biometric signal to compensate for a difference between the recognized electrode array and the preset electrode array.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the analyzing of the health state information of the examinee comprises analyzing a biometric index of the examinee based on a biometric signal detected by the biometric information measurement unit through the plurality of electrodes of the recognized electrode array.