FATIGUE DETECTION APPARATUS AND FATIGUE DETECTION METHOD

• US 20180055436A1
• Filed: 01/05/2017
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Chia-Chi, Hsu, Hung-Yi
• Application Number:
  US15/399,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20180055436A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02028 Determining haemodynamic parameters not otherwise provided for, e.g. cardiac contractility or left ventricular ejection fraction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

A fatigue detection apparatus is provided. The fatigue detection apparatus includes a first detector, a second detector and a processor. The first detector is configured to obtain a first physiological signal and the second detector is configured to obtain a second physiological signal. The processor is coupled to the first detector and the second detector, obtains a plurality of characteristic time differences according to the first physiological signal and the second physiological signal, and determines a fatigue detection result according to a variation trend of the obtained characteristic time differences varying with time. Furthermore, a fatigue detection method is also provided.

Claims

1. A fatigue detection apparatus, comprising:

a first detector, configured to obtain a first physiological signal;

a second detector, configured to obtain a second physiological signal; and

a processor, coupled to the first detector and the second detector, wherein

the processor obtains a plurality of characteristic time differences based on the first physiological signal and the second physiological signal, and determines a fatigue detection result based on a variation trend of the characteristic time differences varying with time.

2. The fatigue detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first physiological signal corresponds to a first physiological indicator, the second physiological signal corresponds to a second physiological indicator, and the first physiological indicator differs from the second physiological indicator.

3. The fatigue detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the characteristic time differences is relevant to the first physiological signal and the second physiological signal.

4. The fatigue detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the variation trend of the characteristic time differences varying with time is consistent, the processor determines that the fatigue detection result is a fatigue state, wherein that the variation trend is consistent means that the variation trend is either increasing or decreasing.

5. The fatigue detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit, coupled to the processor and configured to record a plurality of historical information, wherein

the processor determines the fatigue detection result based on the historical information and the variation trend.

6. The fatigue detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a warning unit, coupled to the processor and configured to issue a warning signal based on the fatigue detection result.

7. The fatigue detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first detector is an electrocardiogram (ECG) detector, and the second detector is a phonocardiogram (PCG) detector.

8. The fatigue detection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first physiological signal is an ECG signal, the second physiological signal is a PCG signal, and the characteristic time differences are a plurality of pre-ejection periods (PEP).

9. The fatigue detection apparatus according to claim 1, adapted to be installed in a vehicle so as to serve as a fatigue detection apparatus for vehicles, wherein at least one of the first detector and the second detector is installed on a seat belt of the vehicle.

10. A fatigue detection method, comprising:

obtaining a first physiological signal;

obtaining a second physiological signal;

obtaining a plurality of characteristic time differences based on the first physiological signal and the second physiological signal; and

determining a fatigue detection result based on a variation trend of the characteristic time differences varying with time.

11. The fatigue detection method according to claim 10, wherein the first physiological signal corresponds to a first physiological indicator, the second physiological signal corresponds to a second physiological indicator, and the first physiological indicator differs from the second physiological indicator.

12. The fatigue detection method according to claim 10, wherein step of obtaining the characteristic time differences based on the first physiological signal and the second physiological signal comprises:

obtaining a plurality of first characteristic times of the first physiological signal;

obtaining a plurality of second characteristic times of the second physiological signal; and

calculating, as the characteristic time differences, time differences between each of the first characteristic times and each of the second characteristic times, respectively.

13. The fatigue detection method according to claim 10, wherein step of determining the fatigue detection result based on the variation trend of the plurality of characteristic time differences varying with time comprises:

determining whether the variation trend of the characteristic time differences varying with time is consistent; and

if the variation trend of the characteristic time differences varying with time is consistent, determining that the fatigue detection result is a fatigue state, wherein

that the variation trend is consistent means that the variation trend is either increasing or decreasing.

14. The fatigue detection method according to claim 10, wherein step of determining the fatigue detection result based on the variation trend of the characteristic time differences varying with time comprises:

determining the fatigue detection result based on a plurality of historical information and the variation trend of the characteristic time differences varying with time.

15. The fatigue detection method according to claim 10, further comprising:

issuing a warning signal based on the fatigue detection result.

16. The fatigue detection method according to claim 11, wherein the first detector is an electrocardiogram (ECG) detector, and the second detector is a phonocardiogram (PCG) detector.

17. The fatigue detection method according to claim 16, wherein the first physiological signal is an ECG signal, the second physiological signal is a PCG signal, and the characteristic time differences are a plurality of pre-ejection periods (PEP).