TERMINAL AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130005303A1
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Seehyung, Park, Sangmo, Kim, Seonghyok, Lim, Gukchan, SONG, Seungkyu, Jin, Dongchul, Kim, Hyunjin, Lee, Jinsu
• Granted Patent: US 9,089,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H

Abstract

A terminal is provided. the terminal includes: at least one body sensor; at least one wireless communication module; a display unit; a memory for storing a program that processes at least one body signal detected by the at least one body sensor; and a control unit for executing the memory.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising:

at least one body sensor;

at least one wireless communication module;

a display unit;

a memory for storing a program that processes at least one body signal detected by the at least one body sensor; and

a control unit for executing the program.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light emitting diode; and

a light receiving diode for receiving the light emitted from the light emitting diode,

wherein the at least one body sensor comprises a blood movement measuring sensor for generating a blood movement measurement signal from the current that the light receiving diode provides.

3. The terminal according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting diode, the light receiving diode, and the blood movement measuring sensor are connected to an earphone jack and the terminal further comprises:

the earphone jack including two speaker ports and a mike port;

an audio sub system including two audio signal output terminals connected to the two speaker ports, respectively, and a mike signal input terminal; and

a switch having one end connected to the mike port and the other end connected to the mike signal input terminal,

wherein the control unit turns off the switch when recognizing that the blood movement pulse measuring sensor is inserted through a voltage level change of the mike port, and receives a signal of the blood movement measuring sensor through the mike port; and

when recognizing that the blood movement measuring sensor is inserted, the control unit controls the audio sub system in order to allow the audio sub system to provide a voltage that the blood movement measuring sensor requires to the two speaker ports.

4. The terminal according to claim 2, further comprising a fingerprint recognition electrode,

wherein the at least one body sensor further comprises a fingerprint sensor for generating fingerprint recognition information from a signal of the fingerprint recognition electrode;

and

the light emitting diode and light receiving diode are disposed adjacent to the fingerprint recognition electrode to allow fingerprint measurement and blood movement measurement to be possible at the same time.

5. The terminal according to claim 2, further comprising a function button, wherein the light emitting diode and the light receiving diode are disposed adjacent to the function button to allow a click of the function button and blood movement measurement to be possible at the same time.

6. The terminal according to claim 1, further comprising an ECG electrode, wherein the at least one body sensor comprises an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor for generating an ECG signal from the ECG electrode.

7. The terminal according to claim 6, further comprising a proximity sensor, wherein the ECG sensor starts to generate an ECG signal through the ECG electrode when the proximity of an object is detected through the proximity sensor during a phone call;

the control unit obtains an excitement of a user from the ECG signal;

the control unit ends a call or outputs an alarm when the excitement is more than a predetermined level;

the proximity sensor is disposed adjacent to the ECG electrode; and

the ECG electrode is disposed adjacent to a call speaker.

8. The terminal according to claim 6, wherein the ECG electrode is disposed at an ear accessory;

and

the control unit determines whether to output an audio signal to an ear speaker of the ear accessory on the basis of an ECG signal recognized through the ECG electrode.

9. The terminal according to claim 8, further comprising a hand contact ECG electrode, wherein the hand contact ECG electrode is disposed at the ear accessory or the terminal;

and

the control unit performs an operation related to audio playback or call reception on the basis of an ECG signal recognized through the hand contact ECG electrode.

10. The terminal according to claim 6, wherein the at least one body sensor further comprises a fingerprint recognition electrode;

and a fingerprint sensor for generating fingerprint recognition information from a signal of the fingerprint electrode; and

the fingerprint recognition electrode is disposed adjacent to the ECG electrode to allow fingerprint measurement and ECG measurement to be possible at the same time.

11. The terminal according to claim 6, further comprising a function button, wherein the function button is disposed adjacent to the ECG electrode to allow a click of the function button and ECG measurement to be possible at the same time.

12. The terminal according to claim 6, further comprising:

a light emitting diode; and

a light receiving diode for receiving the light emitted from the light emitting diode,

wherein the at least one body sensor further comprises a blood movement measuring sensor for generating a blood movement measurement signal from the current that the light receiving diode, and the light emitting diode and the light receiving diode are disposed adjacent to the ECG electrode to allow ECG measurement and blood movement measurement to be possible at the same time.

13. The terminal according to claim 6, further comprising a noise removing unit for removing noise detected from the ECG signal by detecting a typical noise source, wherein the typical noise source corresponds to at least one of a vibration detection signal, an electromagnetic detection signal, a sound source signal, and an AC power signal.

14. The terminal according to claim 6, further comprising:

a first noise removing unit for removing a saturation interval, which is detected by amplifying the ECG signal, from the ECG signal; and

a second noise removing unit for removing noise detected from the ECG signal by detecting a typical noise source,

wherein the first noise removing unit and the second noise removing unit are connected in series.

15. The terminal according to claim 6, wherein the memory further stores an ECG pattern;

and the program performs user authentication when an ECG waveform detected from the ECG signal and the ECG pattern of the user are identical from comparison.

16. The terminal according to claim 6, wherein the control unit changes from a first mode into a second mode when an electromyogram (EMG) waveform is detected from the ECG signal.

17. The terminal according to claim 16, wherein

the first mode corresponds to a lock state;

and

the second mode corresponds to a lock release state,

wherein the memory further stores an ECG pattern of a user; and

the control unit changes from the first mode into the second mode when an EMG waveform is detected from the ECG signal and an ECG waveform detected from the ECG signal and the ECG pattern of the user are identical after comparison.

18. The terminal according to claim 16, wherein the first mode and the second mode correspond to a sleep state and a wake state from the sleep state, respectively;

the first mode and the second mode correspond to a call reception state and a phone call state, respectively;

the first mode and the second mode correspond to a message reception state and a message display state, respectively;

the first mode and the second mode correspond to an application standby state and an application execution state, respectively;

or

the first mode and the second mode correspond to a content'"'"'s one interval playback state and a content'"'"'s next interval playback state, respectively.

19. The terminal according to claim 6, wherein the at least one wireless communication module comprises a body communication module for demodulating a signal generated from the ECG electrode in order to generate demodulated data, and providing a signal modulated by modulating transmission data to the ECG electrode;

the terminal further comprises a switch for connecting the ECG electrode to the ECG sensor in response to a first control signal and connecting the ECG electrode to the body communication module in response to a second control signal;

the memory further stores an ECG pattern of a user;

when a pattern of the ECG signal is identical to the ECG pattern of the user, the control unit provides the second control signal to the switch to communication with another terminal through the body communication module;

when an EMG pattern occurs in the ECG signal, the control unit starts communication with the other terminal;

the at least one wireless communication module further comprises a short range communication module; and

the control unit perform communication in order to confirm the other terminal through the body communication module and performs short range communication through the short range communication module.

20. An operation method of a portable terminal including an ECG sensor, the method comprising:

changing from a first mode to a second mode when an ECG waveform is detected through the ECG sensor; and

changing from the second mode into a third mode when an EMG waveform is detected through the ECG sensor.