SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CAPTURING AND DECONTAMINATING PHOTOPLETHYSMOPGRAPHY (PPG) SIGNALS IN A VEHICLE

• US 20150229341A1
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fung, Kin C., Dick, Timothy J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,153,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7207 of noise induced by motion artifacts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/25 using biometry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/10 by analysing the shape of a waveform, e.g. extracting parameters relating to peaks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/12 Classification; Matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/15 Biometric patterns based on physiological signals, e.g. heartbeat, blood flow
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/10 Means associated with receiver for limiting or suppressing noise or interference

Abstract

A system and method for processing photoplethysmography (PPG) signals in a vehicle. The system and method include receiving a PPG waveform signal from an optical sensor. The system and method also include processing a PPG measurement signal based on the PPG waveform signal. The system and method additionally include receiving a noise waveform signal from at least one of: a seat assembly sensor, a vehicle sensor, and a vehicle system. Additionally, the system and method include processing a motion artifacts measurement signal based on the noise waveform signal. The system and method further include processing a refined PPG signal to suppress the motion artifacts measurement signal from the PPG measurement signal.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing photoplethysmography (PPG) signals in a vehicle, comprising:

receiving a PPG waveform signal from an optical sensor;

processing a PPG measurement signal based on the PPG waveform signal;

receiving a noise waveform signal from at least one of;

a seat assembly sensor, a vehicle sensor, and a vehicle system;

processing a motion artifacts measurement signal based on the noise waveform signal; and

processing a refined PPG signal to suppress the motion artifacts measurement signal from the PPG measurement signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is included within a sensor assembly that is mechanically coupled to a vehicle seat in the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the PPG waveform signal from the optical sensor includes the optical sensor emitting a plurality of light sources at a plurality of frequencies, wherein the optical sensor is also configured to increase or decrease the intensity of light emitted from the plurality of light sources in order to emit a plurality of wavelengths based on the location of the plurality of optical sensors and the type of measurement that is being output by the plurality of optical sensors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the PPG measurement signal includes aggregating a plurality of PPG waveform signals that are received from a plurality of optical sensors into the PPG measurement signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the PPG measurement signal includes determining an optimum PPG waveform signal and converting the optimum PPG waveform signal into the PPG measurement signal, wherein the optimum PPG waveform signal is determined to be the PPG waveform signal that is output by the optical sensor that emits the lowest amount of LED light intensity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the motion artifacts measurement signal includes aggregating a plurality of noise waveform signals received from at least one of:

the seat assembly sensor, the vehicle sensor, and the vehicle system into the motion artifacts measurement signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein aggregating a plurality of noise waveform signals includes assigning a weight to each noise waveform signal received from at least one of:

the seat assembly sensor, the vehicle sensor, and the vehicle system, and aggregating the plurality of noise waveform signals to each impact the motion artifacts measurement signal based on an assigned weight.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the refined PPG signal includes filtering the PPG measurement signal, wherein filtering the PPG measurement signal includes determining a segment of the PPG measurement signal that includes data that is attributed to the motion artifacts measurement signal, filtering the segment of the PPG measurement signal that is attributed to the motion artifacts as representing the motion artifacts measurement signal, and outputting the refined PPG signal, wherein the refined PPG signal is indicative of a measurement of the driver'"'"'s blood volume and blood composition that is decontaminated from the one or more motion artifacts associated with the driver of the vehicle and the vehicle.

9. A system for processing photoplethysmography (PPG) signals in a vehicle, comprising:

a computing device that includes a processor;

a PPG determinant module that is included as a module of the computing device that receives a PPG waveform signal from an optical sensor and processes a PPG measurement signal based on the PPG waveform signal;

a motion artifacts determinant module that is included as a module of the computing device that receives a noise waveform signal from at least one of;

a seat assembly sensor, a vehicle sensor, and a vehicle system and processes a motion artifacts measurement signal based on the noise waveform signal; and

a PPG signal filtering module that is included as a module of the computing device that processes a refined PPG signal to suppress the motion artifacts measurement signal from the PPG measurement signal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the optical sensor is included within a sensor assembly that is mechanically coupled to a vehicle seat in the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the optical sensor is configured to emit a plurality of light sources at a plurality of frequencies, wherein the optical sensor is also configured to increase or decrease the intensity of light emitted from the plurality of light sources in order to emit a plurality of wavelengths based on the location of the plurality of optical sensors and the type of measurement that is being output by the plurality of optical sensors.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the PPG determinant module aggregates a plurality of PPG waveform signals that are received from a plurality of optical sensors into the PPG measurement signal.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the PPG determinant module determines an optimum PPG waveform signal and converts the optimum PPG waveform signal into the PPG measurement signal, wherein the optimum PPG waveform signal is determined to be the PPG waveform signal that is output by the optical sensor that emits the lowest amount of LED light intensity.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the motion artifacts determinant module aggregates the plurality of noise waveform signals received from at least one of:

the seat assembly sensor, the vehicle sensor, and the vehicle system into the motion artifacts measurement signal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the motion artifacts determinant module assigns a weight to each noise waveform signal received from at least one of:

the seat assembly sensor, the vehicle sensor, and the vehicle system, wherein the motion artifacts determinant module aggregates the plurality of noise waveform signals to each impact the motion artifacts measurement signal based on an assigned weight.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the PPG signal filtering module filters the PPG measurement signal, wherein the PPG measurement signal determines a segment of the PPG measurement signal that includes data that is attributed to the motion artifacts measurement signal, filters the segment of the PPG measurement signal that is attributed to the motion artifacts as representing the motion artifacts measurement signal, and outputs the refined PPG signal, wherein the refined PPG signal is indicative of a measurement of the driver'"'"'s blood volume and blood composition that is decontaminated from the one or more motion artifacts associated with the driver of the vehicle and the vehicle.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein receiving the PPG waveform signal from the optical sensor includes the optical sensor emitting a plurality of light sources at a plurality of frequencies, wherein the optical sensor is also configured to increase or decrease the intensity of light emitted from the plurality of light sources in order to emit a plurality of wavelengths based on the location of the plurality of optical sensors and the type of measurement that is being output by the plurality of optical sensors.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein processing the PPG measurement signal includes aggregating a plurality of PPG waveform signals that are received from a plurality of optical sensors into the PPG measurement signal.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein processing the refined PPG signal includes filtering the PPG measurement signal, wherein filtering the PPG measurement signal includes determining a segment of the PPG measurement signal that includes data that is attributed to the motion artifacts measurement signal, filtering the segment of the PPG measurement signal that is attributed to the motion artifacts as representing the motion artifacts measurement signal, and outputting the refined PPG signal, wherein the refined PPG signal is indicative of a measurement of the driver'"'"'s blood volume and blood composition that is decontaminated from the one or more motion artifacts associated with the driver of the vehicle and the vehicle.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor perform actions, comprising:

receiving a PPG waveform signal from an optical sensor;

processing a PPG measurement signal based on the PPG waveform signal;

receiving a noise waveform signal from at least one of;

a seat assembly sensor, a vehicle sensor, and a vehicle system;

processing a motion artifacts measurement signal based on the noise waveform signal; and

processing a refined PPG signal to suppress the motion artifacts measurement signal from the PPG measurement signal.