METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING BIOMETRICS UTILIZING 3-DIMENSIONAL SENSOR DATA

• US 20140121982A1
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: RAUHALA, JYRI KALERVO
• Granted Patent: US 10,265,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1102 Ballistocardiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An approach is provided for processing various sensor data and determining various characteristics associated with a user. A data collection module may process and/or facilitate a processing of sensor data for determining one or more distance measurements between at least one body part of a user and a device. The data collection module may determine one or more biometrical characteristics associated with the user based, at least in part, on the one or more distance measurements.

Claims

1. A method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following:

a processing of sensor data for determining one or more distance measurements between at least one body part of a user and a device; and

at least one determination of one or more biometrical characteristics associated with the user based, at least in part, on the one or more distance measurements.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more biometrical characteristics include, at least in part, a heart-rate measurement.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination of the sensor data based, at least in part, on one or more three-dimensional sensors of the device, wherein the one or more distance measurements are based, at least in part, on one or more z-axis values of the sensor data.

4. A method of claim 3, wherein the one or more three-dimensional sensors include, at least in part, one or more touch sensors.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein the one or more touch sensors are in a touch screen display of the device.

6. A method of claim 4, wherein the one or more distance measurements are based, at least in part, on one or more electrical capacitive measurements between the at least one body part and the one or more touch sensors.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination of one or more parameters for one or more filters for measuring one or more jitters, one or more vibrations, one or more movements, or a combination thereof associated with the at least one body part.

8. A method of claim 7, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a processing of the sensor data with the one or more filters to determine a filtered portion of the sensor data; and

at least one determination of the one or more biometrical characteristics based, at least in part, on the one or more distance measurements associated with the filtered portion of the sensor data.

9. A method of claim 7, wherein the one or more parameters include, at least in part, one or more sampling rates, one or more touch sensor configurations, or a combination thereof.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

process and/or facilitate a processing of sensor data for determining one or more distance measurements between at least one body part of a user and a device; and

determine one or more biometrical characteristics associated with the user based, at least in part, on the one or more distance measurements.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more biometrical characteristics include, at least in part, a heart-rate measurement.

12. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine the sensor data based, at least in part, on one or more three-dimensional sensors of the device, wherein the one or more distance measurements are based, at least in part, on one or more z-axis values of the sensor data.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more three-dimensional sensors include, at least in part, one or more touch sensors.

14. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more distance measurements are based, at least in part, on one or more electrical capacitive measurements between the at least one body part and the one or more touch sensors.

15. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine one or more parameters for one or more filters for measuring one or more jitters, one or more vibrations, one or more movements, or a combination thereof associated with the at least one body part.

16. An apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitate a processing of the sensor data with the one or more filters to determine a filtered portion of the sensor data; and

determine the one or more biometrical characteristics based, at least in part, on the one or more distance measurements associated with the filtered portion of the sensor data.

17. An apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more parameters include, at least in part, one or more sampling rates, one or more touch sensor configurations, or a combination thereof.

18. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform:

processing and/or facilitating a processing of sensor data for determining one or more distance measurements between at least one body part of a user and a device; and

determining one or more biometrical characteristics associated with the user based, at least in part, on the one or more distance measurements.

19. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more biometrical characteristics include, at least in part, a heart-rate measurement.

20. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

determining the sensor data based, at least in part, on one or more three-dimensional sensors of the device, wherein the one or more distance measurements are based, at least in part, on one or more z-axis values of the sensor data.

21-46. -46. (canceled)