Method and apparatus for contacting skin with sensor equipment

• US 10,456,082 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2015
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Kosonen, Matti, Lasarov, Harri
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/529,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20170319136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 600300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• 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 5/6844 Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program, in which a body of a wearable apparatus is maintained maintaining by a link in place at a given part of skin of the user. A sensor platform is movably supported sandwiched between the body and the skin and supported by the body movably with relation to the body towards and away of the skin, when the apparatus is worn by the user. A sensor is supported by the sensor platform. The sensor produces sensor signals corresponding to a property of the skin or underlying matter. The position of the sensor platform is adjusted by an actuator with relation to the skin.

Claims

1. A sensor structure for a user wearable apparatus, the sensor structure comprising:

a sensor platform configured to be sandwiched between a body of the user wearable apparatus and skin of a user, where the sensor platform is configured to be supported on the body of the user wearable apparatus proximate a connection to be movable with relation to the body of the user wearable apparatus towards and away of the skin when the sensor structure is mounted to the user wearable apparatus and the user wearable apparatus is worn by the user;

a sensor supported on the sensor platform and configured to produce sensor signals corresponding to a property of the skin or underlying matter;

an actuator located on the sensor platform, where the actuator is configured to be located proximate the connection of the sensor platform to the user wearable apparatus, and where the actuator is configured to adjust position of the sensor platform towards and away of the skin;

a processor configured to receive the sensor signals and to determine suitable compensating movement of the sensor platform from the sensor signals and to cause the actuator to adjust the position of the sensor platform to prevent the sensor from moving away from the skin; and

a lateral float configured to enable lateral movement of the sensor platform with relation to the body, where the lateral float is configured to inhibit lateral movement of the sensor with relation to the skin.

2. The sensor structure of claim 1, further comprising a lateral actuator configured to compensate lateral movement of the body with relation to the skin.

3. The sensor structure of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to compensate centrifugal forces acting to move the sensor away from the skin.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a body;

a sensor platform configured to be sandwiched between the body of the apparatus and skin of a user, where the sensor platform is movably supported by the body proximate a connection of the sensor platform to the body towards and away of the skin when the apparatus is worn by the user;

a sensor supported on the sensor platform and configured to produce sensor signals corresponding to a property of the skin or underlying matter;

an actuator located between the sensor platform and the body, where the actuator is configured to adjust position of the sensor platform towards and away of the skin;

a processor configured to receive the sensor signals and to determine suitable compensating movement of the sensor platform from the sensor signals and to cause the actuator to adjust the position of the sensor platform to prevent the sensor from moving away from the skin; and

a lateral float configured to enable lateral movement of the sensor platform with relation to the body, where the lateral float is configured to inhibit lateral movement of the sensor with relation to the skin.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a link configured to maintain the body in place at a given part of skin of the user.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a lateral actuator configured to compensate lateral movement of the body with relation to the skin.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the actuator is configured to compensate centrifugal forces acting to move the sensor away from the skin.

8. A method comprising:

maintaining by a link a body of a wearable apparatus in place at a given part of skin of a user;

movably supporting a sensor platform, sandwiched between the body and the skin, on the body of the wearable apparatus, where the sensor platform is supported by the body movably with relation to the body towards and away of the skin when the wearable apparatus is worn by the user;

supporting a sensor on the sensor platform and producing sensor signals corresponding to a property of the skin or underlying matter; and

adjusting by an actuator position of the sensor platform, where the actuator is located between the sensor platform and the body, and where the adjusting adjusts the position of the sensor towards and away of the skin to assist in maintaining contact of the sensor to the skin as a portion of the body moves towards and away of the skin, where the adjusting comprises a processor receiving the sensor signals and determining suitable compensating movement of the sensor platform from the sensor signals and to cause the actuator to adjust the position of the sensor platform to prevent the sensor from moving away from the skin,

where a lateral float enables lateral movement of the sensor platform with relation to the body so as to inhibit lateral movement of the sensor with relation to the skin.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising a lateral actuator configured to compensate lateral movement of the body with relation to the skin.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising compensating by the actuator centrifugal forces acting to move the sensor away from the skin.

11. A computer readable medium encoded with computer program comprising computer executable program code configured to control a wearable device, when the computer executable program code is executed, to:

receive sensor signals corresponding to a property of skin or underlying matter from a sensor supported by a movably supported sensor platform that is adjustable with relation to a body of the wearable device with an actuator towards or away of skin of the user;

determine whether the sensor platform should be moved by the actuator;

adjust by the actuator the position of the sensor platform with relation to the skin so that the operation of the sensor is enhanced, where the actuator is located between the sensor platform and the body, and where the adjusting adjusts the position of the sensor towards and away of the skin to assist in maintaining contact of the sensor to the skin as a portion of the body moves towards and away of the skin, where the adjusting comprises a processor receiving the sensor signals and determining suitable compensating movement of the sensor platform from the sensor signals and to cause the actuator to adjust the position of the sensor platform to prevent the sensor from moving away from the skin, where lateral movement of the sensor platform with relation to the body is enabled with a lateral float so as to inhibit lateral movement of the sensor with relation to the skin; and

control a lateral actuator with use of the processor to compensate lateral movement of the body with relation to the skin so as to inhibit lateral movement of the sensor with relation to the skin.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the enhancing of the operation of the sensor may comprise reducing pressing of the sensor platform against the skin so that blood flow obstruction is reduced.