Portable body fat measurement device, method, and medium, using side-view light sources

• US 7,851,740 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, In Duk, Shin, Kun Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Que T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bennett; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US11/797,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20070293767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 250/227.11, 25022714-22724, 250/221, 250/559.4, 600/473, 600/476, 600/310, 356 40- 42, 356/300, 356/600, 356432-442
• US Class Current: 250/221
• 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 5/1075 for measuring dimensions by non-invasive methods, e.g. for determining thickness of tissue layer A61B8/0858 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4872 Body fat

Abstract

A portable body fat measurement device, method and medium that can accurately measure body fat by using a small optical sensor having a comparatively small cross-section. The device includes a light source unit having at least two side-view light sources and a light guiding efficiency optical element to guide an optical signal generated from the at least two side-view light sources to a measuring point, an optical detection unit to detect a scattered optical signal, generated by a scattering of the optical signal irradiated to the measuring point, and to transform the scattered optical signal into an electrical signal; and an electrical signal calculation unit to calculate body fat information based on the electrical signal.

Claims

1. A portable body fat measuring device comprising:

a light source unit having at least two side-view light sources and a light guiding efficiency optical element to guide an optical signal generated from the at least two side-view light sources to a measuring point at which body fat is measured;

an optical detection unit to detect a scattered optical signal, generated by a scattering of the optical signal irradiated to the measuring point, and to transform the scattered optical signal into an electrical signal; and

an electrical signal calculation unit to calculate body fat information based on the electrical signal,

wherein an optical power output of each of the at least two side-view light sources differs according to a distance of a side-view light source from the optical detection unit.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises an optical power control unit to control a current supplied to the light source unit.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least two side-view light sources emit a light having an identical wavelength, while being separated from the optical detection unit by different distances, such that a power of the optical signal output from the light source unit increases, as a distance between the optical detection unit and the at least two side-view light sources increases.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the light source unit further comprises a light collective optical element comprising a prism sheet.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the light source unit further comprises a scattered optical element comprising a diffusion plate.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the light guiding efficiency optical element comprises a light guide or an optical fiber, and the side-view light source comprises a luminous element including a light emitting diode (LED) located in the light guiding efficiency optical element.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrical signal calculation unit comprises:

a signal amplification unit to amplify the electrical signal transformed from the optical detection unit;

a body fat information calculation unit to calculate the body fat information from the amplified electrical signal; and

an output control unit to control an output of the body fat information to an output device.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the output control unit controls output of a message to request changing the measuring point via the output device, when intensity of the electrical signal transformed in the optical detection unit meets a predetermined value.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the light source unit outputs an optical signal having a wavelength of approximately 600 to 800 nm.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a light cut-off unit to prevent the optical signal from being directly radiated into the optical detection unit.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the portable body fat measuring device is any one of a mobile terminal, a personal digital Assistant (PDA), a portable game device, an MP3 player, a personal multimedia player (PMP), a digital multimedia broadcasting terminal (DMB) terminal, a portable blood sugar measuring device, and a grip power exercise device.

12. An optical sensor module of a portable body fat measuring device, the optical sensor module comprising:

a light source unit having at least two side-view light sources and a light guiding efficiency optical element to guide an optical signal generated from the at least two side-view light sources to a body fat measuring point at which body fat is measured; and

an optical detection unit to detect a scattered optical signal generated by scattering of the optical signal irradiated to the measuring point to transform the scattered optical signal into an electrical signal, and to forward the electrical signal to an electrical signal calculation unit,

wherein an optical power output of each of the at least two side-view light sources differs according to a distance of a side-view light source from the optical detection unit.

13. The optical sensor module of claim 12, further comprising:

an optical power control unit to control a current supplied to the light source unit.

14. The optical sensor module of claim 12, wherein the at least two side-view light sources emit a light having an identical wavelength, while separated from the optical detection unit with different distances, and a power of the optical signal output from the light source unit increases, as a distance between the optical detection unit and the at least two side-view light sources increases.

15. The optical sensor module of claim 12, wherein the light source unit further comprises a light collective optical element comprising a prism sheet.

16. The optical sensor module of claim 12, wherein the light source unit further comprises a scattered optical element comprising a diffusion plate.

17. The optical sensor module of claim 12, wherein the light guiding efficiency optical element comprises a light guide or an optical fiber, and the side-view light source comprises a luminous element including a light emitting diode (LED) located in the light guiding efficiency optical element.

18. The optical sensor module of claim 12, wherein the electrical signal calculation unit calculates body fat information at the measuring point.

19. A method for measuring body fat using a portable light source unit having at least two side-view light sources, a light guiding efficiency optical element, and an optical detection unit, the method comprising:

guiding at least one light beam generated from the at least two side-view light sources to irradiate a measuring point, the at least two side-view light sources each having an optical power output that differs according to a distance of a side-view light source from the optical detection unit;

detecting scattered light, generated by a scattering of the at least one light beam after being irradiated to the measuring point;

transforming the scattered light into an electrical signal; and

calculating body fat information based on the electrical signal.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising controlling the at least two side-view light sources by controlling an operation current supplied to the at least two side-view light sources.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

controlling the at least two side-view light sources to respectively emit a light having an identical wavelength;

separating the at least two side-view light sources from an optical detector by different distances; and

increasing a power of the light output from the portable light source unit as a distance between the optical detector and the at least two side-view light sources increases.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the calculating comprises:

amplifying the electrical signal transformed from the scattered light;

calculating body fat information from the amplified electrical signal; and

controlling the output of the body fat information to an output device.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising directing a message to request changing the measuring point when a value of the electrical signal transformed in the optical detector meets a predetermined value.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising preventing the scattered light from being radiated directly into the optical detector.

25. At least one medium comprising computer readable code to control at least one processing element to implement the method of claim 19.

26. A portable body fat measuring device comprising:

a light source unit having at least two side-view light sources;

an optical detection unit to detect a scattered optical signal, generated by a scattering of the optical signal irradiated to a point at which the body fat is measured, and to transform the scattered optical signal into an electrical signal; and

a light cut-off unit to prevent the optical signal from being directly radiated into the optical detection unit without first being irradiated and scattered into a body having subcutaneous fat,

wherein an optical power output of each of the at least two side-view light sources differs according to a distance of a side-view light source from the optical detection unit.

27. A method for measuring body fat using a portable light source unit having at least two side-view light sources each separated a different distance from an optical detector, the method comprising:

guiding light generated from each of the at least two side-view light sources to irradiate a measuring point the at least two side-view light sources each having an optical power output that differs according to a distance of a side-view light source from the optical detector; and

sequentially extinguishing the at least two side-view light sources while continuing to detect light generated by a scattering of the at least one light beam after being irradiated to the measuring point.