Mobile terminal capable of measuring a biological signal

• US 7,433,718 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugimura, Toshiaki, Hiraiwa, Akira, Manabe, Hiroyuki, Nakano, Hirotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US10/461,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20040034645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,940 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.1, 455/575.2, 455/575.3, 455/575.4, 455/575.5, 455/575.6, 455/575.7, 379/106.02, 600/300, 370/39, 370/38, 340/825.19
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices

Abstract

A mobile terminal capable of measuring a biological signal is provided. The terminal comprises a terminal body; an electrode for human body earth or system reference, placed on an outer surface of the terminal body so as to be contactable with the skin of a user of the mobile terminal; and differential electrodes. The measured biological signals include an electromyography signal and an electroencephalogram signal. The differential electrodes can be external to the terminal body and be connected via lead lines to the terminal body.

Claims

1. A mobile phone capable of measuring a biological signal, comprising:

a terminal body;

an electrode for human body earth or system reference, placed on an outer surface of the terminal body so as to be contactable with a skin of a hand of a user of the mobile phone when said hand holds the mobile phone; and

a plurality of differential electrodes configured to measure a biological signal and configured for use as a human interface, and placed on an outer surface of the mobile phone so as to be contactable with the skin on a cheek of the user;

wherein the mobile phone is configured to measure the electromyography signal on the cheek of the user, said user having a speaking problem, or a person under a situation in which speaking audibly is inhibited so that the person can use the mobile phone.

2. The mobile phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the biological signal is an electromyography signal or an electroencephalogram signal.

3. The mobile phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the differential electrodes are placed on the outer surface of the mobile phone so that said differential electrodes are contactable with appropriate portions of the skin on the face of the user for measuring the biological signal.