APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ASSISTING USER TO MAINTAIN CORRECT POSTURE

• US 20130072820A1
• Filed: 03/15/2012
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Ho-Sub Lee
• Inventors: LEE, Ho-Sub
• Granted Patent: US 9,141,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/594
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1071 measuring angles, e.g. using goniometers A61B5/1123 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

An apparatus for assisting a user to maintain a correct posture is provided. The apparatus includes a determining unit configured to determine whether the user is using a portable terminal in a correct posture based on a user'"'"'s face image captured by the portable terminal, an angle of inclination of the portable terminal, or any combination thereof, and an alarming unit configured to provide a predetermined alarm according to a result of determination by the determining unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assisting a user to maintain a correct posture, comprising:

a determining unit configured to determine whether the user is using a portable terminal in a correct posture based on a user'"'"'s face image captured by the portable terminal, an angle of inclination of the portable terminal, or any combination thereof; and

an alarming unit configured to provide a predetermined alarm according to a result of determination by the determining unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determining unit estimates a state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine, a state of user'"'"'s viewing the portable terminal as a criterion for determining the correct posture, or any combination thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the determining unit includes a cervical state estimating unit configured to estimate a degree of tilt of the user'"'"'s cervical spine as the state of the cervical spine based on the user'"'"'s face image, the angle of inclination of the portable terminal, or any combination thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the determining unit includes a viewing state estimating unit configured to estimate a distance between user'"'"'s eyes and the portable terminal or a state of user'"'"'s concentration on the portable terminal, as the state of the user'"'"'s viewing the portable terminal, based on the user'"'"'s face image.

29. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined alarm includes an alarm message on a display of the portable terminal, an alarming sound, a vibration, or a decrease in power sent to the display.

5. An apparatus for assisting a user to maintain a correct posture, comprising:

a sensor unit configured to collect a user'"'"'s face image captured by a portable terminal and an angle of inclination of the portable terminal;

a cervical spine state estimating unit configured to estimate a state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine based on the user'"'"'s face image, the angle of inclination of the portable terminal, or any combination thereof; and

an alarming unit configured to provide a predetermined alarm according to a result of estimation of the cervical spine state estimating unit.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cervical spine state estimating unit determines whether the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine is in a normal range or falls outside a normal range based on a result of comparison between a previously stored reference face image and a currently capture face image.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cervical spine state estimating unit determines whether the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine is in a normal range or falls outside a normal range based on a result of comparison between a predefined threshold value and the angle of inclination of the portable terminal.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cervical spine state estimating unit preliminarily determines whether the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine is in a normal range or falls outside a normal range based on a result of comparison between a previously stored reference face image and a currently captured face image and finally determines whether the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine is in a normal range or falls outside a normal range based on a result of comparison between a predefined threshold value and the angle of inclination of the portable terminal.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a pattern storage unit configured to receive the user'"'"'s face image and the angle of inclination of the portable terminal from the sensor unit and to extract features from the face image and store a result of matching between the extracted features and the angle of inclination of the portable terminal.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a user setting unit configured to set a parameter for the cervical spine state estimating unit and a type of the alarm to be provided by the alarming unit in response to a user'"'"'s input.

11. An apparatus for assisting a user to maintain a correct posture, comprising:

a sensor unit configured to sense a user'"'"'s face image captured by a portable terminal and an angle of inclination of the portable terminal;

a cervical spine state estimating unit configured to estimate whether a state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine state is in a normal range or falls outside a normal range based on the user'"'"'s face image, the angle of inclination of the portable terminal, or any combination thereof;

a viewing state estimating unit configured to estimate whether a state of the user'"'"'s viewing the portable terminal is in a normal range or falls outside a normal range based on the user'"'"'s face image in response to the cervical spine state estimating unit determining that the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine is in the normal range; and

an alarming unit configured to provide a predetermined alarm in response to the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine or the state of the user'"'"'s viewing the portable terminal falling outside the normal range.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cervical spine state estimating unit determines whether the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range based on a result of comparison between a previously stored reference face image and a currently captured face image.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cervical spine state estimating unit determines whether the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range based on a result of comparison between a predefined threshold value and the angle of inclination of the portable terminal.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cervical spine state estimating unit:

preliminarily determines whether the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range based on a result of comparison between a previously stored reference face image and a currently captured face image and

finally determines whether the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range based on a result of comparison between a predefined threshold value and the angle of inclination of the portable terminal.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the viewing state estimating unit calculates a distance between the user'"'"'s eyes and the portable terminal based on a ratio of an area of a face region to the entire face image and determines whether the state of the user'"'"'s viewing the portable terminal is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range according to the calculated distance.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the viewing state estimating unit calculates a degree of the user'"'"'s concentration on the portable terminal based on information about eye movement in the user'"'"'s face image and determines whether the state of the user'"'"'s viewing the portable terminal is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range according to the calculated degree of concentration.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the viewing state estimating unit:

calculates a distance between the user'"'"'s eyes and the portable terminal based on a ratio of an area of a face region to the entire face image,

preliminarily determines whether the state of the user'"'"'s viewing the portable terminal is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range according to the calculated distance,

calculates a degree of the user'"'"'s concentration on the portable terminal based on information about eye movement in the user'"'"'s face image and

finally determines whether the state of the user'"'"'s viewing the portable terminal is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range according to the calculated degree of concentration.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a pattern storage unit configured to receive the user'"'"'s face image and the angle of inclination of the portable terminal from the sensor unit and to extract features from the face image and store a result of matching between the extracted features and the angle of inclination of the portable terminal.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a user setting unit configured to, in response to a user'"'"'s input, set a parameter for the cervical spine state estimating unit, a parameter for the viewing state estimating unit and a type of an alarm to be provided by the alarming unit.

28. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the state of the cervical spine is the angle of the user'"'"'s head with respect to the user'"'"'s torso.

20. A method for assisting a user to maintain a correct posture, comprising:

determining whether a state of a user'"'"'s cervical spine or a state of user'"'"'s viewing a portable terminal is in a normal range or falls outside a normal range based on a user'"'"'s face image captured by the portable terminal, an angle of inclination of the portable terminal, or any combination thereof; and

providing a predetermined alarm in response to the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine or the state of the user'"'"'s viewing the portable terminal falling outside the normal range.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining comprises determining whether the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine is in a normal range or falls outside a normal range based on a result of comparison between a previously stored reference face image and a currently captured face image.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining comprises whether the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range based on a result of comparison between a predefined threshold value and the angle of inclination of the portable terminal.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining includes preliminarily determining whether the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range based on a result of comparison between a previously stored reference face image and a currently captured face image and finally determining whether the state of the user'"'"'s cervical spine is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range based on a result of comparison between a predefined threshold value and the angle of inclination of the portable terminal.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining includes calculating a distance between user'"'"'s eyes and the portable terminal based on a ratio of an area of a face region to the entire face image and determining whether the state of the user'"'"'s viewing the portable terminal is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range according to the calculated distance.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining includes calculating a degree of the user'"'"'s concentration on the portable terminal based on information about eye movement in the user'"'"'s face image and determining whether the state of the user'"'"'s viewing the portable terminal is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range according to the calculated degree of concentration.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining includes:

calculating a distance between the user'"'"'s eyes and the portable terminal based on a ratio of an area of a face region to the entire face image,

preliminarily determining whether the state of the user'"'"'s viewing the portable terminal is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range according to the calculated distance,

calculating a degree of the user'"'"'s concentration on the portable terminal based on information about eye movement in the user'"'"'s face image and

finally determining whether the state of the user'"'"'s viewing the portable terminal is in the normal range or falls outside the normal range according to the calculated degree of concentration.

27. A device comprising:

an apparatus for assisting a user to maintain a correct posture, comprising;

an alarming unit configured to provide a predetermined alarm according to a result of determination based on a determination on whether a user is using a portable terminal in a correct posture based on the user'"'"'s face image captured by a portable terminal, an angle of inclination of the portable terminal, or any combination thereof.