Exhalation gaseous component gauge and a cellular phone equipped with function of measuring gaseous components

• US 6,858,182 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2000
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tanita Corporation (Tanita)
• Original Assignee: Tanita Corporation (Tanita)
• Inventors: Ito, Yusuke, Koizumi, Kuniyoshi, Kenmochi, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siefke, Sam P.
• Application Number:
  US09/551,349
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 422/83, 422/58, 422/84, 422/86, 422/61, 422/55, 422/88, 422/98, 340/870.28
• US Class Current: 422/416
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4972 Determining alcohol content for vehicle safety devices B60K28/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

Disclosed is an exhalation gaseous component gauge including, in a palm-sized casing having exhalation taking-in and taking-out slots made on its front and rear sides, a semiconductor gas sensor so placed that the air flowing from one'"'"'s mouth may pass the sensor, a CPU responsive to the signal from the sensor for determining the quantity of the exhalation gaseous components, and a display for showing the so determined result. The palm-sized casing is so sized and configured as to permit one to have a look at the display while holding the gauge in hand to direct the air from the mouth to the exhalation taking-in slot. Also, disclosed is a cellular phone equipped with an exhalation gaseous component gauge.

Claims

1. An exhalation gaseous component gauge including, in a palm-sized casing having exhalation taking-in and taking-out slots on its front and rear sides respectively, at least an electric power supply, a CPU connected to the power supply via an associated switch, a gas sensor connected to the CPU and a display device fixed to the front side of the casing, and connected to the CPU, characterized in that the gas sensor is located to permit the breath out of one'"'"'s mouth to flow over the gas sensor on the way from the exhalation taking-in slot to the exhalation taking-out slot, and the palm-sized casing is sized and configured to permit one to have a look at the display while holding the gauge in a hand to direct the breath from one'"'"'s mouth to the exhalation taking-in slot;

further comprising a buzzer connected to the CPU, for permitting the buzzer to respond to detection of a halitosis detectable quantity of exhalation by the gas sensor for informing a person of detection of such exhalation.

2. A cellular phone equipped with a function of measuring halitosis components characterized in that a palm-sized cellular phone casing has exhalation taking-in and taking-out slots on its front and rear sides respectively, and a gas sensor is placed in the casing to permit the breath out of one'"'"'s mouth to flow over the gas sensor on the way from the exhalation taking-in slot to the exhalation taking-out slot, the CPU of the cellular phone being connected to the gas sensor, and being programmed to determine the quantity of the halitosis components detected by the sensor and to allow the display device of the cellular phone to indicate the so determined quantity of the halitosis components.

3. A cellular phone equipped with function of measuring exhalation gaseous components according to claim 2 wherein it further includes a buzzer connected to the CPU, for permitting the buzzer to respond to detection of a halitosis detectable quantity of exhalation by the gas sensor for informing a person of detection of such exhalation.

4. A cellular phone equipped with function of measuring exhalation gaseous components according to claim 2 wherein the CPU is so programmed as to permit the display device to show pictures varying with the detected component quantities.

5. A cellular phone equipped with function of measuring exhalation gaseous components according to claim 2 wherein the semiconductor gas sensor has halitosis-sensitive characteristics, thereby giving an indication of the degree of smelling bad in someone'"'"'s breath.

6. A cellular phone equipped with function of measuring exhalation gaseous components according to claim 5 wherein the pictures show countenances varying with the detected component quantities.

7. A cellular phone equipped with function of measuring exhalation gaseous components according to claim 2 wherein the pictures indicate the remaining liquid amount in a glass and/or countenances or postures varying with the detected component quantities.

8. A cellular phone equipped with function of measuring exhalation gaseous components according to claim 2 wherein the CPU is so programmed as to permit the display device to give graphic representations of the length of time left for the gauge to reach the standby position for measurement.

9. An exhalation gaseous component gauge including, in a palm-sized casing having exhalation taking-in and taking-out slots made on its front and rear sides respectively, at least an electric power supply, a CPU connected to the power supply via an associated switch, a gas sensor connected to the CPU and a display device fixed to the front side of the casing, and connected to the CPU, characterized in that the gas sensor being so placed as to permit the breath out of one'"'"'s mouth to flow over the gas sensor on the way from the exhalation taking-in slot to the exhalation taking-out slot, the palm-sized casing being so sized and configured as to permit one to have a look at the display while holding the gauge in hand to direct the breath from one'"'"'s mouth to the exhalation taking-in slot, and that the CPU is so programmed as to permit the display to show pictures of remaining liquid amount in a glass and/or postures varying with the detected component quantities.

10. A cellular phone equipped with function of measuring exhalation gaseous components characterized in that a palm-sized cellular phone casing has exhalation taking-in and taking-out slots made on its front and rear sides respectively, and that a gas sensor is so placed in the casing as to permit the breath out of one'"'"'s mouth to flow over the gas sensor on the way from the exhalation taking-in slot to the exhalation taking-out slot, the CPU of the cellular phone being connected to the gas sensor, and being so programmed as to determine the quantity of the exhalation gaseous components detected by the sensor and to allow the display device of the cellular phone to indicate the so determined quantity of the exhalation gaseous components, and that the CPU is so programmed as to permit the display to show pictures of countenance varying with the detected component quantities.

11. A cellular phone equipped with function of measuring exhalation gaseous components characterized in that a palm-sized cellular phone casing has exhalation taking-in and taking-out slots made on its front and rear sides respectively, and that a gas sensor is so placed in the casing as to permit the breath out of one'"'"'s mouth to flow over the gas sensor on the way from the exhalation taking-in slot to the exhalation taking-out slot, the CPU of the cellular phone being connected to the gas sensor, and being so programmed as to determine the quantity of the exhalation gaseous components detected by the sensor and to allow the display device of the cellular phone to indicate the so determined quantity of the exhalation gaseous components, and that the CPU is so programmed as to permit the display to show pictures of remaining liquid amount in a glass and/or postures varying with the detected component quantities.

12. A cellular phone equipped with function of measuring exhalation gaseous components characterized in that a palm-sized cellular phone casing has exhalation taking-in and taking-out slots made on its front and rear sides respectively, and that a gas sensor is so placed in the casing as to permit the breath out of one'"'"'s mouth to flow over the gas sensor on the way from the exhalation taking-in slot to the exhalation taking-out slot, the CPU of the cellular phone being connected to the gas sensor, and being so programmed as to determine the quantity of the exhalation gaseous components detected by the sensor and to allow the display device of the cellular phone to indicate the so determined quantity of the exhalation gaseous components, and that the CPU is so programmed as to permit the display to show simple pictures presumable in association with the incident relating to the exhalation to be detected, which simple pictures are given in terms of number varying with the detected component quantities.