Wearable biometric monitoring devices and methods for determining signal quality in wearable biometric monitoring devices

• US 10,506,310 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2019
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yukka Magic LLC
• Original Assignee: Valencell, Inc.
• Inventors: Aumer, Michael Edward, LeBoeuf, Steven Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Casillashernandez, Omar
• Application Number:
  US16/443,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20190306594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 176 Days
• Field of Search: 34087007
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6802 Sensor mounted on worn items
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6815 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7221 Determining signal validity, reliability or quality A61B5/7207 and A61B5/7217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083

Abstract

A wearable biometric monitoring device includes a physiological sensor configured to detect and/or measure physiological information from a subject wearing the device, a motion sensor, and at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to receive signals produced by the physiological sensor and the motion sensor, and process the signals while the subject moves their mouth or ear to determine signal quality produced by the physiological sensor. The biometric monitoring device may include a transmitter, and the at least one processor communicates information to the subject regarding the signal quality via the transmitter. The at least one processor may inform the subject that the device is being worn correctly if the signal quality is acceptable, and may inform the subject that the device is not being worn correctly if the signal quality is not acceptable.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring signal quality of a wearable biometric monitoring device worn at the ear of a subject, wherein the biometric monitoring device includes a physiological sensor configured to detect and/or measure physiological information from the subject, a motion sensor, and at least one processor in communication with the physiological sensor and the motion sensor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive and analyze signals produced by the physiological sensor and the motion sensor, the method comprising:

instructing the subject to move their mouth or the ear while the physiological sensor is detecting and/or measuring physiological information from the subject; and

processing, via the at least one processor, signals from the physiological sensor and the motion sensor while the subject moves their mouth or the ear to determine signal quality produced by the physiological sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the signals from the physiological sensor and the motion sensor while the subject moves their mouth or the ear to determine signal quality comprises calculating a ratio of physiological information to motion information in the signals from the physiological sensor and the motion sensor, wherein a higher ratio of physiological information to motion information indicates a higher signal quality from the physiological sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating information to the subject regarding the signal quality, the communicating comprising informing the subject that the device is being worn correctly if the signal quality is acceptable, and informing the subject that the device is not being worn correctly if the signal quality is not acceptable.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein communicating information to the subject regarding the signal quality further comprises communicating instructions to the subject to adjust the biometric monitoring device relative to the ear in response to detecting that the signal quality is not acceptable.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein communicating information to the subject regarding the signal quality comprises communicating information to the subject that the signal quality is above a threshold level.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein communicating information to the subject regarding the signal quality comprises sending an audio and/or visual communication to a remote device in communication with the biometric monitoring device.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein communicating information to the subject regarding the signal quality comprises causing the biometric monitoring device and/or a remote device to vibrate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological sensor comprises a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor configured to detect and/or measure heart rate information from the subject.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological sensor comprises a temperature sensor configured to detect and/or measure temperature of a tympanic membrane of the subject.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the subject to move their mouth or the ear comprises instructing the subject to talk.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the subject to move their mouth or the ear comprises instructing the subject to wiggle the ear.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the subject to move their mouth or the ear comprises sending an audio and/or visual communication to a remote device in communication with the biometric monitoring device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the subject to move their mouth or the ear comprises causing the biometric monitoring device and/or a remote device to vibrate.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the biometric monitoring device includes an actuator, and further comprising adjusting the biometric monitoring device relative to the ear via the actuator in response to determining that the signal quality is not acceptable.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the biometric monitoring device comprises an earbud, a hearing aid, or a headset.

16. A wearable biometric monitoring device configured to be worn at an ear of a subject, the device comprising:

a physiological sensor configured to detect and/or measure physiological information from the subject;

a motion sensor; and

at least one processor in communication with the physiological sensor and the motion sensor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

receive signals produced by the physiological sensor and the motion sensor; and

process signals from the physiological sensor and the motion sensor while the subject moves their mouth or the ear to determine signal quality produced by the physiological sensor.

17. The biometric monitoring device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine signal quality produced by the physiological sensor by calculating a ratio of physiological information to motion information in the signals from the physiological sensor and the motion sensor, wherein a higher ratio of physiological information to motion information indicates a higher quality of the signal.

18. The biometric monitoring device of claim 16, further comprising a transmitter, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to communicate information to the subject regarding the signal quality via the transmitter.

19. The biometric monitoring device of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to inform the subject that the device is being worn correctly if the signal quality is acceptable, and inform the subject that the device is not being worn correctly if the signal quality is not acceptable.

20. The biometric monitoring device of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to communicate instructions to the subject to adjust the biometric monitoring device relative to the ear in response to detecting that the signal quality is not acceptable.

21. The biometric monitoring device of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to send an audio and/or visual communication to a remote device via the transmitter.

22. The biometric monitoring device of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to instruct the subject to move their mouth or the ear by sending an audio and/or visual communication to a remote device via the transmitter.

23. The biometric monitoring device of claim 16, wherein the physiological sensor comprises a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor configured to detect and/or measure heart rate information from the subject.

24. The biometric monitoring device of claim 16, wherein the physiological sensor comprises a temperature sensor configured to detect and/or measure temperature of a tympanic membrane of the subject.

25. The biometric monitoring device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to instruct the subject to move their mouth by talking while the physiological sensor is detecting and/or measuring physiological information from the subject.

26. The biometric monitoring device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to instruct the subject to wiggle the ear while the physiological sensor is detecting and/or measuring physiological information from the subject.

27. The biometric monitoring device of claim 16, further comprising an actuator configured to adjust the biometric monitoring device relative to the ear in response to determining that the signal quality is not acceptable.

28. The biometric monitoring device of claim 16, wherein the biometric monitoring device comprises an earbud, a hearing aid, or a headset.

29. A method of monitoring signal quality of a wearable biometric monitoring device worn at the ear of a subject, wherein the biometric monitoring device includes a physiological sensor configured to detect and/or measure physiological information from the subject, a motion sensor, and at least one processor in communication with the physiological sensor and the motion sensor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive and analyze signals produced by the physiological sensor and the motion sensor, the method comprising:

instructing the subject to move their mouth or the ear while the physiological sensor is detecting and/or measuring physiological information from the subject; and

processing, via the at least one processor, signals from the motion sensor while the subject moves their mouth or the ear to determine signal quality produced by the physiological sensor.