Apparatus and method for detecting biometric information

• US 10,335,088 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2016
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Seoul National University R&DB Foundation (Seoul National University)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Sangyun, Kwon, Yongjoo, Kim, Younho, Kim, Heechan, Park, Jonghyun, Yoo, Byeongwook
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mustansir, Abid A
• Application Number:
  US15/057,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20160278704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence

Abstract

A biometric information detecting apparatus includes a bio-signal measurer including a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit, the light-emitting unit configured to emit an optical signal and the light-receiving unit configured to detect the optical signal that is modulated by a target object; a low-frequency signal obtainer configured to obtain a low-frequency signal from the bio-signal measured by the bio-signal measurer; and a signal processor configured to analyze biometric information from the bio-signal in response to determining that the low-frequency signal obtained from the bio-signal is within a reference range.

Claims

1. A biometric information detecting apparatus comprising:

a bio-signal measurer configured to measure a bio-signal and comprising a light emitter and a light receiver, the light emitter being configured to emit an optical signal and the light emitter being configured to detect the optical signal that is modulated by a target object;

a low-frequency signal obtainer circuitry configured to obtain a low-frequency signal from the bio-signal measured by the bio-signal measurer; and

a signal processor configured to analyze a waveform of the bio-signal in response to determining that the low-frequency signal obtained from the bio-signal is within a reference range,

wherein the signal processor does not start analyzing the waveform of the bio-signal until it is determined that the low-frequency signal obtained from the bio-signal is within the reference range.

2. The biometric information detecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bio-signal comprises a photoplethysmogram (PPG) signal.

3. The biometric information detecting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display an indication indicating whether a contact pressure between the biometric information detecting apparatus and a skin of the target object has an acceptable level.

4. The biometric information detecting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the bio-signal measurer is configured to, in response to determining that the low-frequency signal is not within the reference range, again measure the bio-signal after a state in which the biometric information detecting apparatus is worn on the target object is adjusted.

5. The biometric information detecting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the display is configured to display an indication that the contact pressure has the acceptable level when the low-frequency signal is within the reference range.

6. The biometric information detecting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a pulse signal detection controller configured to pass the bio-signal of a particular band, and provide the bio-signal of the particular band to the signal processor,

wherein the signal processor is further configured to analyze the waveform of the bio-signal by using the bio-signal of the particular band.

7. The biometric information detecting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the pulse signal detection controller comprises a band pass filter configured to pass only a signal of the particular band.

8. The biometric information detecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the low-frequency signal obtainer circuitry comprises a low-frequency band pass filter configured to pass only a signal of a low-frequency band.

9. The biometric information detecting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the low-frequency band pass filter is configured to pass only a signal of direct current (DC) and a signal of a frequency band less than 10 Hz.

10. The biometric information detecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biometric information detecting apparatus comprises a wearable device.

11. The biometric information detecting apparatus of claim 10, wherein the signal processor is configured to obtain biometric information based on the analyzing of the waveform of the bio-signal, the biometric information comprising at least one from among systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, oxygen saturation of blood, blood vessel elasticity, speed of blood flow, and arterial stiffness.

12. A method of detecting biometric information in a biometric information detecting apparatus, the method comprising:

measuring a bio-signal by detecting an optical signal that is modulated by a target object;

obtaining a low-frequency signal from the bio-signal; and

in response to determining that the low-frequency signal obtained from the bio-signal is within a reference range, obtaining biometric information by analyzing a waveform of the bio-signal,

wherein the analyzing the waveform of the bio-signal is not started until it is determined that the low-frequency signal obtained from the bio-signal is within the reference range.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to determining that the low-frequency signal is not within the reference range, again measuring the bio-signal after a state in which the biometric information detecting apparatus is worn on the target object is adjusted.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying an indication indicating whether a contact pressure between the biometric information detecting apparatus and a skin of the target object has an acceptable level.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the displaying comprises displaying an indication that the contact pressure has the acceptable level when the low-frequency signal is within the reference range.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the bio-signal comprises a PPG signal.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

filtering, by using a band pass filter, the bio-signal so that only the bio-signal of a particular band is passed,

wherein the biometric information is obtained by analyzing a waveform of the filtered bio-signal.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the low-frequency signal is obtained by passing only the bio-signal of a low frequency band by using a low-frequency band pass filter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the low-frequency band pass filter is configured to pass only the bio-signal of a frequency band from DC to about 10 Hz.

20. A biometric information detecting apparatus comprising:

a biometric sensor configured to sense a biometric signal of a user measured through contact with a skin of the user;

a filter configured to filter a low-frequency signal from the biometric signal sensed by the biometric sensor; and

a signal processor configured to determine that the biometric signal sensed by the biometric sensor is reliably sensed by the biometric sensor based on the low-frequency signal filtered by the filter, and analyze a waveform of the biometric signal in response to determining that the biometric signal is reliably sensed by the biometric sensor,

wherein the signal processor does not start analyzing the waveform of the biometric signal until it is determined that the low-frequency signal filtered by the filter is within a reference range.