Portable device for user's basal body temperature and method for operating the device

• US 20070191729A1
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Kwang, Jung, Hye, Kim, Kyung, Park, Jeong
• Application Number:
  US11/480,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20070191729A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/551
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/107 Measuring physical dimensions, e.g. size of the entire body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0275 Control or determination of height or distance or angle information for sensors or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/04 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/049 Casings for tympanic thermometers

Abstract

A basal body temperature (BBT) measurement method includes: measuring each distance to at least one ear canal area by emitting a pulse to a user'"'"'s ear canal; measuring a body temperature in the at least one ear canal area utilizing infrared rays; recognizing a first body temperature corresponding to a first distance which satisfies a predetermined standard, among the each distance to the at least one ear canal area, as the user'"'"'s eardrum temperature; and converting the eardrum temperature into the user'"'"'s BBT.

Claims

1. A method of measuring a basal body temperature, the method comprising:

measuring at least one distance to at least one ear canal area;

measuring a body temperature in the at least one ear canal area;

recognizing a first body temperature corresponding to a first distance which satisfies a predetermined standard, among the measured at least one distance to the at least one ear canal area, as the user'"'"'s eardrum temperature; and

converting the eardrum temperature into the user'"'"'s basal body temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in the measuring at least one distance, measures of a first sub-distance, a second sub-distance and a third sub-distance corresponding to the at least one ear canal area are respectively made via a first distance sensor, a second distance sensor and a third distance sensor,

in the measuring a body temperature, measures of a first sub-body temperature in an ear canal area corresponding to the first sub-distance, a second sub-body temperature in an ear canal area corresponding to the second sub-distance and a third sub-body temperature in an ear canal area corresponding to the third sub-distance are made, and

in the recognizing a first body temperature, a sub-body temperature corresponding to a sub-distance which has a largest value among the first sub-distance, the second sub-distance, and the third sub-distance, is recognized as the user'"'"'s eardrum temperature, when all the distances of the first sub-distance, the second sub-distance and the third sub-distance corresponding to the at least one ear canal area are greater than a distance between each distance sensor and the user'"'"'s outer ear and a variation of the first sub-distance, the second sub-distance and the third sub-distance being smaller than a horizontal distance to the eardrum.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in the measuring at least one distance, the at least one distance to the at least one ear canal area is measured via a single distance sensor,

in the measuring a body temperature, the body temperature in the ear canal area corresponding to the each distance is measured, and

in the recognizing a first body temperature, the first body temperature corresponding to the first distance which has a largest value among the at least one distance is recognized as the user'"'"'s eardrum temperature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting the eardrum temperature includes:

reading a time when the eardrum temperature is measured;

reading an activity state of the user at the time when the eardrum temperature is measured; and

converting the eardrum temperature into the basal body temperature based on either the user'"'"'s body temperature rise value according to the read time or a predetermined body temperature calibration value according to the read activity state.

5. A method of measuring a basal body temperature, the method comprising:

measuring a user'"'"'s body temperature;

reading a time when the body temperature is measured; and

converting the measured body temperature into the basal body temperature based on the user'"'"'s body temperature rise value according to the read time.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

reading the user'"'"'s activity state at the time when the body temperature is measured; and

converting the measured body temperature into the basal body temperature based on a predetermined body temperature calibration value according to the read activity state.

7. A method of measuring a basal body temperature, the method comprising:

measuring a user'"'"'s body temperature;

reading the user'"'"'s activity state at a time when the body temperature is measured; and

converting the measured body temperature into the basal body temperature based on a predetermined body temperature calibration value according to the read activity state.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the converting the measured body temperature is based on a difference value between a first body temperature which is measured when the user lies down and a body temperature which is measured in the user'"'"'s each activity state, as the body temperature calibration value, based on the first body temperature.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

reading a time when the body temperature is measured; and

converting the measured body temperature into the basal body temperature based on the user'"'"'s body temperature rise value according to the read time.

10. A method of measuring a basal body temperature, the method comprising:

measuring at least one distance to at least one ear canal area;

measuring a body temperature in the at least one ear canal area;

recording the measured at least one distance and the measured body temperature in a memory, to correspond to each other;

recognizing a first body temperature which is measured in correspondence to a first distance satisfying a predetermined standard, among the measured at least one distance to the at least one ear canal area, as the user'"'"'s eardrum temperature;

converting the eardrum temperature into the basal body temperature based on either the user'"'"'s body temperature rise value according to a time when the eardrum temperature is measured or a predetermined body temperature calibration value according to the user'"'"'s activity state at the time when the eardrum temperature is measured, and recording the converted basal body temperature into the memory; and

generating the user'"'"'s menstruation information from at least one basal body temperature which is recorded in the memory for a predetermined period and controlling the generated menstruation information to be displayed or played for the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the menstruation information includes the user'"'"'s ovulation day information, fertile period information, infertile period information and menstruation period information.

12. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for implementing a method of measuring a basal body temperature, the method comprising:

measuring at least one distance to at least one ear canal area;

measuring a body temperature in the at least one ear canal area;

recognizing a first body temperature corresponding to a first distance which satisfies a predetermined standard, among the at least one measured distance to the at least one ear canal area, as the user'"'"'s eardrum temperature; and

converting the eardrum temperature into the user'"'"'s basal body temperature.

13. A basal body temperature measurement device comprising:

a distance sensor measuring at least one distance to at least one ear canal area by emitting a pulse to a user'"'"'s ear canal;

an infrared ray temperature sensor measuring a body temperature in the at least one ear canal area utilizing infrared rays;

a data control unit recording the measured at least one distance and the measured body temperature in a memory, to correspond to each other, and recognizing a first body temperature which is measured in correspondence to a first distance satisfying a predetermined standard, among the at least one distance to the at least one ear canal area, as the user'"'"'s eardrum temperature;

a basal body temperature converter converting the eardrum temperature into the basal body temperature based on either the user'"'"'s body temperature rise value according to a time when the eardrum temperature is measured or a predetermined body temperature calibration value according to the user'"'"'s activity state at the time when the eardrum temperature is measured, and recording the converted basal body temperature into the memory; and

an information control unit generating the user'"'"'s menstruation information from at least one basal body temperature which is recorded in the memory for a predetermined period and controlling the generated menstruation information to be displayed or played for the user via a display unit or an audio output unit.

14. The basal body temperature measurement device of claim 13, further comprising a user interface receiving a selection on measurement of the basal body temperature from a user,

wherein the data control unit controls the distance sensor and the infrared ray temperature sensor to measure a distance to the at least one ear canal area and the body temperature, when the selection on the measurement of the basal body temperature is received from the user.

15. The basal body temperature measurement device of claim 13, further comprising a user authentication unit authenticating whether the user is a registered user,

wherein the data control unit controls the distance sensor and the infrared ray temperature sensor to measure the at least one distance to the at least one ear canal area and the body temperature, when the user authentication unit authenticates the user as the registered user.

16. An apparatus for measuring a basal body temperature, comprising:

a distance sensor measuring distances to ear canal areas;

a temperature sensor measuring body temperatures in the ear canal areas corresponding to the measured distances;

determining a body temperature corresponding to a first one of the measured distances satisfying set criteria, as the user'"'"'s eardrum temperature; and

converting the eardrum temperature into the basal body temperature.