Method and apparatus for measuring animal's condition by acquiring and analyzing its biological signals
First Claim
1. A method for determining the biological condition of a non-human animal by acquiring and analyzing a biological signal, the method comprising:
- (a) acquiring a predetermined biological signal using a biological signal detection unit which is adapted to be attached to the non-human animal;
(b) extracting a predetermined feature vector from the acquired predetermined biological signal, wherein the feature vectors include any one or any combination of the mean heart rate of the photoplethysmogram and its standard deviation, the very low frequency, low frequency, and high frequency components of heart rate variability of the non-human animal; and
(c) analyzing and determining the biological condition of the non-human animal, including emotions and needs of the non-human animal, from the predetermined feature vector.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for measuring the biological condition of an animal by acquiring and analyzing its biological signals are provided. The biological signals from skin temperature, a photoplenthysmogram (PPG), an electrocardiogram (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA), an electromyogram (EMG), and an electrogastrogram (EGG) are detected using a biological signal detection unit which is attached to the animal'"'"'s skin. Feature vectors, including the mean heart rate of the photoplenthysmogram and its standard deviation, the very low frequency, low frequency, and high frequency components of heart rate variability, the frequency and mean amplitude of skin conductance responses, and the mean and maximum skin temperatures, are extracted from the detected biological signals. The biological condition, including needs and emotions, of the animal as to whether or not the animal feels hunger or fear, how much the animal is stressed, or whether or not the animal needs to have a bowel movement, is determined using a pattern classifier which has learned reference vectors, which reflect the behaviors, needs, and emotions of different kinds of animals for various biological conditions and are stored in a predetermined database. Therefore, the biological condition of the animal can be determined through instrumental communication, not through human languages, and the breeding of pets can be efficiently managed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for determining the biological condition of a non-human animal by acquiring and analyzing a biological signal, the method comprising:
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(a) acquiring a predetermined biological signal using a biological signal detection unit which is adapted to be attached to the non-human animal; (b) extracting a predetermined feature vector from the acquired predetermined biological signal, wherein the feature vectors include any one or any combination of the mean heart rate of the photoplethysmogram and its standard deviation, the very low frequency, low frequency, and high frequency components of heart rate variability of the non-human animal; and (c) analyzing and determining the biological condition of the non-human animal, including emotions and needs of the non-human animal, from the predetermined feature vector.
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2. A method for determining the biological condition of an animal by acquiring and analyzing biological signals, the method comprising:
- (a) acquiring biological signals from skin temperature, a photoplethysmogram (PPG), an electrocardiogram (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA), an electromyogram (EMG), and an electrogastrogram (EGG) using a biological signal detection unit which is adapted to be attached to the animal'"'"'s skin;
(b) extracting feature vectors from the acquired biological signals, the feature vectors including any one or any combination of the mean heart rate of the photoplethysmogram and its standard deviation, the very low frequency, low frequency, and high frequency components of heart rate variability, the frequency and mean amplitude of skin conductance responses which are obtainable from the electrodermal activity, and the mean and maximum skin temperatures; and
(c) analyzing and determining the biological condition, including needs and emotions, of the animal as to whether or not the animal feels hunger or fear, how much the animal is stressed, or whether or not the animal needs to have a bowel movement, using a support vector machine which has learned reference vectors, which reflect the behaviors, needs, and emotions of different kinds of animals for various biological conditions and are stored in a predetermined database. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- (a) acquiring biological signals from skin temperature, a photoplethysmogram (PPG), an electrocardiogram (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA), an electromyogram (EMG), and an electrogastrogram (EGG) using a biological signal detection unit which is adapted to be attached to the animal'"'"'s skin;
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13. An apparatus for measuring the biological condition of a non-human anima;
- by acquiring and analysing biological signals, the apparatus comprising;
a biological signal section unit which is adapted to be attached to the non-human animal'"'"'s skin and detects a biological signal of the non-human animal; and a condition analysis unit which determines the biological condition, including needs and emotions, of the non-human animal by comparing a predetermined feature vector including any one or any combination of the mean heart rate of the photoplethysmogram and its standard deviation, the very low frequency, low frequency, and high frequency components of heart rate variability of the animal with a feature vector extracted by analyzing the biological signal detected by the biological signal detection unit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
- by acquiring and analysing biological signals, the apparatus comprising;
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16. An apparatus for measuring the biological condition of an animal by acquiring biological signals, the apparatus comprising:
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a biological signal detection unit including a plurality of sensors and electrodes, which is adapted to be attached to the animal'"'"'s skin and detects biological signals from skin temperature, and electrocardiogram (ECG), a photoplethysmogram (PPG), electrodermal activity (EDA), an electromyogram (EMG), and an electrogastrogram (EGG); a feature vector extraction unit which extracts feature vectors from the biological signals detected by the biological signal detection unit, the feature vectors including the mean heart rate of the photoplethysmogram and its standard deviation, the very low frequency, low frequency, and high frequency components of heart rate variability, the frequency and mean amplitude of skin conductance responses, and the mean and maximum skin temperatures; a biological information database which stores reference vectors reflecting the behaviors, needs, and emotions of different kinds of animals for various biological conditions; and a biological condition analysis unit which compares the feature vectors extracted by the feature vector extraction unit with reference vectors of the biological information database and determines the biological condition, including needs and emotions, of the animals as to whether or not the animal feels hunger or fear, how much the animal is stressed, or whether or not the animal needs to have a bowel movement. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method for determining the biological condition of an animal by acquiring and analyzing a biological signal, the method comprising:
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(a) acquiring a predetermined biological signal using a biological signal detection unit which is adapted to be attached to the animal; (b) extracting a predetermined feature vector, elected from a plurality of feature vectors corresponding to different kinds of animals, from the acquired predetermined biological signal, wherein the feature vectors include any one or any combination of the mean heart rate of the photoplethysmogram and its standard deviation, the very low frequency, low frequency, and high frequency components of heart rate variability of the different kinds of animals; and (c) analyzing and determining the biological condition of the animal, including emotions and needs of the animal, from the predetermined feature vector.
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20. An apparatus for measuring the biological condition of an animal by acquiring and analysing biological signals, the apparatus comprising:
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a biological signal detection unit which is adapted to be attached to the animal'"'"'s skin and detects a biological signal of the animal; and a condition analysis unit which determines the biological condition, including needs and emotions, of the animal by comparing a predetermined feature vector including any one or any combination of the mean heart rate of the photoplethysmogram and its standard deviation, the very low frequency, low frequency, and high frequency components of heart rate variability of the animal, selected from a plurality of feature vectors corresponding to different kinds of animals, with a feature vector extracted by analyzing the biological signal detected by the biological signal detection unit.
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Specification