SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNALS USING AMBIENT LIGHT

• US 20180078151A1
• Filed: 09/22/2017
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: ALLEC, Nicholas Paul Joseph, ARMSTRONG-MUNTNER, Joel S., NGUYEN, Chau V. H.
• Granted Patent: US 11,076,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• 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 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6802 Sensor mounted on worn items
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

This relates to systems and methods for determining one or more physiological signals of a user using ambient light. The systems and methods can include one or more light sensors configured to measure light that has interacted with a user and one or more light sensors configured to measure ambient light. The gain of the one or more light sensors can be adjusted based on the levels of measured ambient light. For example, the gain of the one or more light sensors can be increased when ambient light levels are low (e.g., a low light environment), or the gain of the one or more light sensors can be decreased when ambient light levels are high (e.g., a bright light environment). In some examples, the systems can include a variable opacity element whose transmission properties (e.g., opacity and/or selected one or more wavelengths to pass through) can be varied.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

one or more first light sensors configured to measure light that has interacted with a user and generate a first signal indicative of the measured light;

one or more second light sensors configured to measure ambient light and generate a second signal indicative of the measured ambient light; and

logic configured to;

receive the second signal,

adjust a gain of the one or more first light sensors based on the second signal,

receive the first signal, and

determine one or more physiological information of the user based on the first signal.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display configured to display one or more images from a first surface of the device, wherein the one or more second light sensors are located at the first surface and the one or more first sensors are located at a second surface, opposite the first surface, of the device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more first light sensors and the one or more second light sensors are located on a same side of the device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more first light sensors are located on a bottom of the device and the one or more second light sensors are located on a sidewall of the device.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more light emitters configured to switch to emitting light when a level of the measured ambient light is less than a predetermined threshold.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more light emitters configured to switch to emitting light when one or more characteristics of the first signal are outside a predetermined range.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising:

an accelerometer configured to measure an acceleration and generate an acceleration signal indicative of the measured acceleration, wherein the one or more light emitters are further configured to emit light based on the acceleration signal.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more variable opacity elements optically coupled to the one or more first light sensors or the one or more second light sensors, wherein the one or more variable opacity elements are further operatively coupled to the logic,

wherein the logic is further configured to;

transmit a third signal to the one or more variable opacity elements, the third signal indicative of an opacity of the one or more variable opacity elements.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more variable opacity elements, each variable opacity element including a plurality of regions, wherein the plurality of regions have different transmission properties.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more variable opacity elements, each variable opacity element configured to select one or more wavelengths, different from other variable opacity elements, to allow light to pass through.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more variable opacity elements capable of moving in and out of a light path of the one or more first light sensors, the one or more second light sensors, or both; and

a motion system operatively coupled to the one or more variable opacity elements and the logic, wherein the logic is further configured to;

transmit a third signal to the motion system, the third signal indicative of a motion state of the one or more variable opacity elements.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more variable opacity elements capable of controlling light; and

at least one angular acceptance element,

wherein the logic is further configured to determine which of the one or more first or second lights sensors are activated.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the one or more variable opacity element and the at least one angular acceptance elements are integrated,

the at least one angular acceptance element capable of being electrically controlled,

wherein the logic is further configured to adjust an acceptance angle of the at least one incident light angular acceptance element based on the determination.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more light sensors includes a plurality of detector pixels, the device further comprising:

a color filter array including a plurality of color filter units, wherein each color filter unit is associated to one of the plurality of detector pixels.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more first light sensors are configured with a first measurement frequency, and the one or more second light sensors are configured with a second measurement frequency, different from the first measurement frequency.

16. A method comprising:

detecting light that has interacted with a user using one or more first light sensors;

generating a first signal indicative of the detected light;

detecting ambient light using one or more second light sensors;

generating a second signal indicative of the detected ambient light;

adjusting a gain of the one or more first light sensors based on the second signal; and

determining one or more physiological information of the user based on the first signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting the gain of the one or more first light sensors includes:

increasing the gain when a level of the detected ambient light is less than a predetermined threshold, and

decreasing the gain when the level of the detected ambient light is greater than the predetermined threshold.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

adjusting an opacity of one or more variable opacity elements based on the detected ambient light.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the adjusting includes selectively allowing one or more wavelengths to pass through the one or more variable opacity elements.

20. A method of detecting light that has interacted with a user using one or more light sensors, the method comprising:

generating a first signal indicative of the detected light;

detecting an ambient light having one or more characteristics;

generating a second signal indicative of the detected ambient light; and

when the one or more characteristics of the detected ambient light, the first signal, or both is outside a predetermined range, performing one or more of;

emitting light using one or more light emitters,

changing an opacity of a variable opacity element,

excluding the first signal from a determination of one or more physiological signals of a user, and

deactivating the one or more light sensors.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

detecting an acceleration;

emitting light using one or more light sources when the acceleration information meets a predetermined criteria; and

deactivating the one or more light sources when the acceleration information does not meet predetermined criteria.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the ambient light is associated with one or more first environmental periods and one or more second environmental periods, the one or more first environmental periods having a higher ambient light level than the one or more second environmental periods, and the predetermined range includes the one or more second environmental periods, the method further comprising:

deactivating the one or more light emitters or increasing the opacity of the variable opacity element during the one or more first environmental periods.