Apparatus for measuring biological information and earphone having the same

• US 8,463,367 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Oh, Jung-Taek
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Tse
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARK, PATRICIA JOO YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/634,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20100152557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 600/478
• US Class Current: 600/478
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6816 Ear lobe

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for measuring biological information and an earphone having the same for contacting with a uniform pressure a user body part using an elastic member. The apparatus includes a first housing; a second housing foldably connected with the first housing; a third housing foldably connected with the second housing and provided with a sensor for measuring the biological information; a plurality of joint parts for connecting the housings to be folded or unfolded to each other; one or more locking parts for restraining or releasing the housings to be folded or unfolded to each other; and the elastic member for applying the same pressure to make the sensor contact with the user'"'"'s body by enabling the respective housings to be folded or unfolded using a stress-strain.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring biological information, the apparatus comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing foldably connected with the first housing;

a third housing foldably connected with the second housing and provided with a sensor for measuring the biological information;

a plurality of joint parts connecting the respective housings about which the housings fold and unfold;

a locking part provided between the respective housings to restrain the housings in a folded state; and

an elastic member provided within the respective housings and joint parts that applies a uniform pressure to unfold the respective housings and to contact the sensor against an earlobe.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first housing is installed in a mounting groove formed in an earphone.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of joint parts include a first elastic joint and a second elastic joint,

wherein the first elastic joint is provided between the first housing and the second housing, the second elastic joint is provided between the second housing and third housing, and the first elastic joint and second elastic joint have a smaller diameter than their respective housings.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastic member is formed of from a Nitinol material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking part comprises:

a first locking part provided between the first housing and the second housing to restrain the first housing and the second housing in the folded state;

a second locking part provided between the second housing and third housing to restrain the second housing and the third housing in the folded state,

wherein releasing the first locking part rotates the first housing and the second housing, and then releases and unfolds the second housing and third housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first locking part comprises:

first and second pressing members exposed outside of the first housing;

a hook part provided on one side of the second housing; and

a pair of wire latch parts provided at a location corresponding to the hook part between the first and second pressing members,

wherein a central portion of the wire latch parts expands to release the hook part when the first and second pressing members are pressed.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the hook part includes a guide ramp for contacting one of the wire latch parts.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second locking part comprises:

a first engaging member provided on one side of the second housing; and

a second engaging member provided at a location corresponding to the first engaging member on one side of the third housing,

wherein the second engaging member contacts an outer protrusion of an earphone to release the second housing from the third housing, thereby unfolding the second housing from the third housing via rotated by the elastic member.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein one end of the first engaging member formed as a semi-sphere and one end of the second engaging member is formed with a ridge to detachably engage the first engaging member.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastic member comprises:

a first elastic part provided in the first housing;

a second elastic part provided in the second housing to unfold the first housing from the second housing;

a third elastic part provided in the third housing to unfold the second housing from the third housing; and

first and second elastic joints provided in respective joint parts connecting the first, second and third elastic parts.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first and second elastic joints have a diameter smaller than a diameter of the elastic part connected by opposite ends of the elastic joints.

12. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first housing is provided with an engaging groove having the first locking part.