Biological information measurement apparatus and biological information measurement method

• US 10,327,707 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Hirano, Asao
• Primary Examiner(s): Stice, Paula J
• Application Number:
  US15/123,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20170065228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/04 Arrangements of multiple sensors of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7221 Determining signal validity, reliability or quality A61B5/7207 and A61B5/7217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence

Abstract

A biological information measurement apparatus includes a plurality of biological sensors of the same type (111a and 111b) and a controller (120) that measures biological information based on biological measurement outputs obtained from the biological sensors (111a and 111b).

Claims

1. A biological information measurement apparatus comprising:

a right earphone and a left earphone, each earphone comprising;

a body movement sensor configured to measure body movement, and a pulse wave sensor configured to measure pulse waves;

a controller comprising;

a body movement sensor controller configured to monitor body movement signals based on the measured body movements obtained from the body movement sensors,

a pulse wave controller configured to monitor pulse wave signals based on the measured pulse waves obtained from the pulse wave sensors, and

an integrated processor;

a communications interface; and

a memory,

wherein the body movement sensor is selected from the group consisting of at least one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

2. The biological information measurement apparatus of claim 1,

wherein

the controller is configured to calculate a body movement signal candidate for each of the body movement signals obtained from the body movement sensors, and based on the measured body movement data, output one body movement signal candidate as a measurement result of the body movement signal.

3. The biological information measurement apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body movement sensor is configured to measure body movement data of a site where each body movement signal is acquired.

4. The biological information measurement apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a body movement signal candidate for each of the body movement signals obtained from the body movement sensors, select one body movement signal candidate based on a comparison of each body movement signal candidate, correct the selected body movement signal candidate using a non-selected body movement signal candidate, and output the corrected body movement signal candidate as a measurement result of the body movement signal.

5. The biological information measurement apparatus of claim 1,

wherein

the controller is configured to calculate a body movement signal candidate for each of the body movement signals obtained from the body movement sensors, select one body movement signal candidate based on the measured body movement data, correct the selected body movement signal candidate using a non-selected body movement signal candidate, and output the corrected body movement signal candidate as a measurement result of the body movement signal.

6. The biological information measurement apparatus of claim 1,

wherein

when the measured body movement data is greater than a predetermined value, the controller is configured to calculate a body movement signal candidate for each of the body movement signals obtained from the body movement sensors, and based on each body movement signal candidate, output a measurement result of the body movement signal;

and

when the measured body movement data is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the controller is configured to output a measurement result of the body movement signal based on a body movement signal obtained from one of the body movement sensors.

7. The biological information measurement apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a timer configured to apply a time stamp to each body movement signal;

wherein

the controller is configured to monitor the body movement signal based on the time stamp.

8. A method for measuring body movement information and pulse wave information in a right earphone and a left earphone, each earphone comprising a body movement sensor and a pulse wave sensor, the method comprising:

acquiring a body movement signal from each of the body movement sensors,

acquiring a pulse wave signal from each of the pulse wave sensors,

calculating error rate of the pulse wave signals,

measuring pulse with reference to the body movement signals if the error rate in both earphones is greater than a predetermined threshold,

measuring the pulse based on pulse wave data of the sensor for one of the right or left earphone if the error rate in the one earphone is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold,

selecting the appropriate pulse sensor from which to acquire the pulse wave data, and

displaying and transmitting the data.