Systems and methods for non-contact biometric sensing

• US 8,483,806 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Saint Clair, Jonathan Martin, Soreide, David C., Higgins, Robert P., Ray, Gary A., Anderson, Tyler M., Spurgeon, Donald Allen, Voth, Mitchell D., Sjoholm, Paul F.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAO, ELMER M
• Application Number:
  US12/700,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20110190636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 376/149, 736/53, 736/55, 736/56, 600/407, 600473-480, 600/508, 600/509, 600/529, 600/532, 382/115
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique

Abstract

A non-contact biometric sensing device is described. The device includes a processing device, a user interface communicatively coupled to the processing device, a display communicatively coupled to the processing device, a laser doppler vibrometer sensor communicatively coupled to the processing device, and an infrared camera communicatively coupled to the processing device. The processing device is programmed to utilize mechanical motion data received from the laser doppler vibrometer sensor and thermal distributions data from the infrared camera to calculate biometric data, when signals originating from the laser doppler vibrometer sensor and the infrared camera are reflected back towards the device from a target.

Claims

1. A method for sensing biometric parameters associated with an object without contacting the object, said method comprising

directing a plurality of visible laser beams, emanating from a sensing device, onto the object to provide an aiming function;

causing a signal from a laser doppler vibrometer sensor, the signal emanating from the sensing device, to impinge the object in the vicinity of the visible laser beams;

receiving infrared data from the object at an infrared camera associated with the sensing device, the infrared data in the vicinity of the visible laser beams; and

utilizing mechanical motion data associated with the object as sensed by the laser doppler vibrometer sensor and thermal distribution data as sensed by the infrared camera to calculate biometric data associated with the object, the biometric data including at least two of a pulse rate, a respiration rate, and a map of temperature distribution on the object.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

determining, by a processing device, a distance between the visible laser beams at the object; and

using the determined distance to generate a distance between the object and the sensing device.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein determining a distance between the visible laser beams at the object comprises using an image received by a visible light camera to determine the distance between the laser beams.

4. The method according to claim 2 further comprising using the determined distance from the object to focus the laser doppler vibrometer sensor, the infrared camera, and a visible light camera.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein focusing the laser doppler vibrometer sensor, the infrared camera, and the visible light camera comprises operating respective linear translators to move a lens associated with each of the laser doppler vibrometer sensor, the infrared camera, and the visible light camera.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising using a fine steering mirror to stabilize laser beams emanating from and received by at least two of the laser doppler vibrometer sensor and a ranging laser that is the source of the visible laser beams.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising utilizing data from a gyroscope within the sensing device to remove higher frequency rotations of the sensing device from the mechanical motion data and the thermal distribution data.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising utilizing data from a visible camera to remove motion of the sensing device from the mechanical motion data and the thermal distribution data.