Mobile phone with fat measuring function and the fat measuring method thereof

• US 20050020936A1
• Filed: 06/16/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qisda Corporation
• Original Assignee: BenQ Corporation (Qisda Corporation)
• Inventors: Lin, Chih-Lung
• Granted Patent: US 7,031,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices

Abstract

A mobile phone with fat measuring function including a mobile phone control module, a display device, a fat measuring control circuit, a constant current electrode pair and a voltage measuring electrode pair is provided. Both the display device and the fat measuring control circuit are coupled to the mobile phone control module, while both constant current electrode pair and voltage measuring electrode pair are coupled to the fat measuring control circuit. When the user touches the constant current electrode pair and the voltage measuring electrode pair, the fat measuring control circuit firstly applies a predetermined current to the constant current electrode pair. The predetermined current causes the voltage measuring electrode pair to generate a measured voltage. The user'"'"'s body fat percentage is then generated according to the measured voltage and the user'"'"'s weight data, and the body fat percentage is displayed on the display device.

Claims

1. A mobile phone for measuring a user'"'"'s body fat percentage according to the user'"'"'s weight data, comprising:

a mobile phone control module;

a display device coupled to the mobile phone control module;

a fat measuring control circuit coupled to the mobile phone control module;

a constant current electrode pair coupled to the fat measuring control circuit; and

a voltage measuring electrode pair coupled to the fat measuring control circuit;

wherein when the user touches the constant current electrode pair and the voltage measuring electrode pair, the fat measuring control circuit applies a predetermined current to the constant current electrode pair, causing the voltage measuring electrode pair to generate a measured voltage, the user'"'"'s body fat percentage is then generated according to the measured voltage and the user'"'"'s weight data, and the body fat percentage is displayed on the display device.

2. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone control module is applied for transmitting the body fat percentage to a medical center and receiving a suggested exercise quantity or a suggested menu corresponding to the body fat percentage from the medical center.

3. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone control module is applied for transmitting the body fat percentage to a base station and receiving a suggested menu corresponding to the body fat percentage from the base station.

4. The mobile phone according to claim 3, wherein the suggested menu is a menu among the menus provided by restaurants in the vicinity of the mobile phone that corresponds to the body fat percentage.

5. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a memory device which is coupled to the mobile phone control module and stores an authorized user'"'"'s body fat percentage, wherein the mobile phone control module terminates the normal booting procedure of the mobile phone if the user'"'"'s body fat percentage measured by the mobile phone is beyond a tolerance error of the authorized user'"'"'s body fat percentage.

6. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a memory device which is coupled to the mobile phone control module and stores a range of target body fat percentage set by the user, wherein the mobile phone control module selectively displays a predetermined screen picture on the display device or initiate a predetermined screen saver if the user'"'"'s body fat percentage measured by the mobile phone is outside the range of target body fat percentage.

7. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a memory device which is coupled to the mobile phone control module and stores a plurality of suggested exercise quantities and a plurality of suggested menus, and the mobile phone control module chooses one from these suggested exercise quantities or one from these suggested menus according to the body fat percentage and have the chosen exercise quantity or the chosen suggested menu displayed on the display device.

8. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a memory device which is coupled to the mobile phone control module and stores a range of target body fat percentage set by the user, the mobile phone control module selectively imposes restrictions on the length of talk time or the number of calls the user can make within a specific period of time if the user'"'"'s body fat percentage is outside the target range.

9. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the fat measuring control circuit comprises:

a sine wave oscillator used to provide an alternating voltage signal;

a voltage/current converter used to convert the alternating voltage signal into an alternating current signal;

a reference resistance coupled to the voltage/current converter, wherein the alternating current signal flows through the reference resistance and the user'"'"'s body when the user touches the constant current electrode pair and the voltage measuring electrode pair;

a voltage measuring device coupled to the voltage measuring electrode pair wherein the voltage measuring device detects a voltage cross the voltage measuring electrode pair when the user touches the constant current electrode pair and the voltage measuring electrode pair;

a digital/analog converter used to convert the voltage cross the voltage measuring electrode pair into a digital signal; and

a body fat percentage generating device which produces the user'"'"'s body fat percentage according to the digital signal.

10. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone further comprises an outer casing;

the constant current electrode pair comprises a first constant current electrode and a second constant current electrode;

the voltage measuring electrode pair comprises a first voltage measuring electrode and a second voltage measuring electrode;

the first constant current electrode and the first voltage measuring electrode are disposed on the right-hand side of the outer casing while the second constant current electrode and the second voltage measuring electrode are disposed on the left-hand side of the outer casing;

the second constant current electrode and the second voltage measuring electrode are opposite to the first constant current electrode and the first voltage measuring electrode, facilitating the user to read the display device from a readable angle when holding the mobile phone using the right hand and the left hand respectively.

11. A fat measuring method performed on a mobile phone, the mobile phone including a mobile phone control module, a display unit, a fat measuring control circuit, a constant current electrode pair and a voltage measuring electrode pair, both the display unit and the fat measuring control circuit being coupled to the mobile phone control module and both the constant current electrode pair and the voltage measuring electrode pair being coupled to the fat measuring control circuit, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing a user'"'"'s personal data including at least a weight data by the mobile phone control module;

touching the constant current electrode pair and the voltage measuring electrode pair by the user, allowing the fat measuring control circuit to measure a bioelectric impedance of the user; and

generating a body fat percentage of the user according to the bioelectric impedance and the user'"'"'s personal data by the fat measuring control circuit, and displaying the body fat percentage on the display device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

transmitting the body fat percentage to a medical center by the mobile phone control module; and

receiving a suggested exercise quantity or a suggested menu corresponding to the body fat percentage from the medical center by the mobile phone control module.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

transmitting the body fat percentage to a base station by the mobile phone control module; and

receiving a suggested menu corresponding to the body fat percentage from the base station by the mobile phone control module.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the suggested menu is a menu among the menus provided by restaurants in the vicinity of the mobile phone that corresponds to the body fat percentage.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a memory device which is coupled to the mobile phone control module and stores an authorized user'"'"'s body fat percentage, the method further comprising the step of:

determining if the body fat percentage measured by the mobile phone is beyond a predetermined tolerance error of the authorized user'"'"'s body fat percentage;

if yes, terminating normal booting procedure of the mobile phone by the mobile phone control module.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a memory device which is coupled to the mobile phone control module and stores the user'"'"'s personal data, a plurality of suggested exercise quantities and a plurality of suggested menus, the method further comprising the step of:

choosing one from these suggested exercise quantities or one from these suggested menus by the mobile phone control module, and displaying the chosen suggested exercise quantity or the chosen menu on the display device.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the fat measuring control circuit further comprises a voltage measuring device coupled to the voltage measuring electrode pair, the step of measuring the bioelectric impedance of the user further comprising:

applying an alternating current signal to the body of the user, detecting a voltage cross the voltage measuring electrode pair by the voltage measuring device, and obtaining the bioelectric impedance according to the voltage cross the voltage measuring electrode pair.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a memory device which is coupled to the mobile phone control module and stores a range of target body fat percentage, the method further comprising the step of:

determining if the user'"'"'s body fat percentage is outside the range of target body fat percentage;

if yes, selectively displaying a predetermined screen picture on the display device or initiate a predetermined screen saver by the mobile phone control module.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a memory device which is coupled to the mobile phone control module and stores a range of target body fat percentage predetermined by the user, the method further comprising the step of:

determining if the user'"'"'s body fat percentage is outside the range of target body fat percentage;

if yes, selectively imposing restrictions on the length of talk time or the number of calls the user can make within a specific period of time by the mobile phone control module.