Smart belt and control method thereof

• US 10,398,355 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welt Corp., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Welt Corp., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Seong Ji, Roh, Hye Kang
• Primary Examiner(s): Quinn, Richale L
• Application Number:
  US15/266,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20180035917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A41F 9/002 Free belts
• CPC Class Codes: A41H 1/02 Devices for taking measurements on the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1072 measuring distances on the body, e.g. measuring length, height or thickness A61B5/1076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1077 Measuring of profiles
• 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 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/046 using magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2287 constructional details of the strain gauges adjustable resistors H01C10/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt

Abstract

A smart belt and a control method thereof are provided, in which a belt device is provided, including a strap portion comprising a plurality of magnet patterns, a first sensor portion configured to sense one of the plurality of magnet patterns while the strap portion is being fastened to a buckle portion, and a controller configured to obtain a length of a waist circumference of a user that corresponds to the magnet pattern sensed by the first sensor portion. The belt apparatus may additionally include a clip portion connecting the strap portion with the buckle portion, and a second sensor portion configured to measure a tension exerted on the clip portion while the strap portion is being fastened to the buckle portion. The controller may correct the length of the waist circumference using a waist circumference correction value corresponding to the measured tension.

Claims

1. A belt apparatus, comprising:

a strap portion comprising a plurality of magnet patterns;

a first sensor portion configured to sense one of the plurality of magnet patterns while the strap portion is being fastened to a buckle portion;

a clip portion connecting the strap portion with the buckle portion and including a body portion and a cover portion;

an electromagnetic permeable plate attached on an outer side of the cover portion;

a second sensor portion configured to measure a tension exerted on the clip portion while the strap portion is being fastened to the buckle portion, wherein the first sensor portion comprises a magnetic sensor, and the second sensor portion comprises a strain gauge or a force sensing resistor (FSR) sensor, wherein

the body portion includes an attachment surface on which the strain gauge or the FSR sensor is attached, and

the cover portion includes an electromagnetic transmitting window configured to allow the magnetic sensor to sense a magnetic signal generated from the magnet pattern, among the plurality of magnet patterns, that is positioned above the clip portion;

a controller configured to obtain a length of a waist circumference of a user that corresponds to the magnet pattern sensed by the first sensor portion, wherein the controller corrects the length of the waist circumference using a waist circumference correction value corresponding to the measured tension.

2. The belt apparatus of claim 1, wherein the strap portion comprises a plurality of holes corresponding to the plurality of magnet patterns, respectively.

3. The belt apparatus of claim 2, wherein lengths of the waist circumference of the user corresponding to the magnet patterns are determined based on distances from predetermined points of the buckle portion or the clip portion to the holes that correspond to the plurality of magnet patterns, respectively.

4. The belt apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third sensor portion configured to sense user motion information of a user wearing the belt apparatus,

wherein the controller corrects the tension using the user motion information sensed at the third sensor portion.

5. The belt apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller measures the length of the waist circumference of the user in a predetermined state, based on the user motion information.

6. The belt apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store a table composed of a waist circumference correction value corresponding to the measured tension.

7. The belt apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of magnet patterns are distinguished from one another according to at least one of:

a number of magnets included in the magnet patterns;

positions of the magnets;

polarities of the magnets; and

intensities of the magnets.