Mobile terminal and method of measuring bioelectric signals thereof

• US 9,198,585 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lim, Gukchan, Park, Sangmo, Kim, Seonghyok, Lee, Seehyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Torres, Marcos
• Assistant Examiner(s): DU, HUNG K
• Application Number:
  US13/368,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20130005310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/404.1, 455/414.1, 455/556.1, 455/401, 455/456.1, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

A mobile terminal and a method of measuring a bioelectric signal thereof are provided. When the mobile terminal enters a call mode, a user'"'"'s pulse wave data are acquired using a plurality of electrodes provided in a body of the mobile terminal or a body of an earphone.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a proximity sensor disposed at a surface of the mobile terminal and configured to detect an object approaching the surface of the mobile terminal;

a plurality of electrodes disposed at the surface of the mobile terminal;

a pulse wave sensing unit configured to obtain a pulse wave signal through the plurality of electrodes; and

a controller configured to;

provide a control signal, for activating the pulse wave sensing unit, to the pulse wave sensing unit when the mobile terminal is in a call mode and the object is detected through the proximity sensor;

control the pulse wave sensing unit to obtain the pulse wave signal when the pulse wave sensing unit receives the control signal;

acquire at least one of a pulse wave data, a heart rate, and a heartbeat cycle based on the pulse wave signal;

determine whether a user'"'"'s health state is abnormal considering that the acquired at least one of the pulse wave data, the heart rate, and the heartbeat cycle is deviated from a first preset reference,

output a notification for warning abnormality of the user'"'"'s health state through the mobile terminal and transmit the notification to a call party, when the user'"'"'s health state is abnormal;

transmit the user'"'"'s health state to a preset another party using a phone number and an e-mail address of the preset another party when a preset cycler arrives;

store position information of the mobile terminal and the user'"'"'s health state coupled to the position information;

recommend or provide contents of a specific kind of a help for the user'"'"'s stability or relaxation, when the user'"'"'s health state is abnormal and the call mode is terminated;

recommend specific restaurant position information related to a stored good health state of the user when the call mode is terminated and an application for searching restaurant position information is executed;

determine a user'"'"'s excitement based on the acquired pulse wave data;

output an alarm for warning that the user is in an excited state, when the determined excitement is equal to or greater than a preset level;

and terminate the call mode when the determined excitement is equal to or greater than the preset level;

wherein the proximity sensor is activated when the mobile terminal is in the call mode.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the pulse wave sensing unit comprises:

a signal processor configured to perform a signal processing of the pulse wave signal from the plurality of electrodes, and to provide the processed pulse wave signal to the controller; and

a switch configured to control transmission of the pulse wave signal from the plurality of electrodes to the signal processor based on the control signal.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the proximity sensor provides the control signal to transfer the pulse wave signal to the signal processor, when an object is detected approaching a body of the mobile terminal.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the proximity sensor provides the control signal to transfer the pulse wave signal to the signal processor, when an object is detected approaching a body of the mobile terminal while the mobile terminal is in the call mode.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes includes a first electrode disposed at a front surface of a body of the mobile terminal and a second electrode disposed at a side surface of the body of the mobile terminal.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the pulse wave sensing unit to transfer the pulse wave signal to the controller, when the mobile terminal is in the call mode.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, further comprising an interface unit configured to receive an earphone that includes the plurality of electrodes,

wherein the controller controls the pulse wave sensing unit to transfer the pulse wave signal obtained via the plurality of electrodes of the earphone to the controller, when the mobile terminal is in the call mode and the earphone is coupled to the mobile terminal.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit a guide sound or a message for warning that the user is in an excited state to another party, when the determined excitement is equal to or greater than the preset level.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to output at least one of a guide sound, a vibration sound, or a message for warning that the user is in an excited state, when the determined excitement is equal to or greater than the preset level.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the pulse wave signal is a bioelectric signal.

11. A method for measuring a bioelectric signal of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

determining that the mobile terminal enters a call mode and an object is detected through a proximity sensor;

providing a control signal, for activating a pulse wave sensing unit, to the pulse wave sensing unit when the mobile terminal enters a call mode and the object is detected through the proximity sensor;

controlling the pulse wave sensing unit to obtain the pulse wave signal when the pulse wave sensing unit receives the control signal;

receiving a pulse wave signal from a plurality of electrodes that contact a user'"'"'s skin surface when the pulse wave sensing unit receives the control signal;

acquiring at least one of a pulse wave data, a heart rate, and a heartbeat cycle based on the pulse wave signal;

determining whether a user'"'"'s health state is abnormal considering that the acquired at least one of the pulse wave data, the heart rate, and the heartbeat cycle is deviated from a preset reference;

outputting a notification for warning abnormality of the user'"'"'s health state through the mobile terminal and transmitting the notification to a call party, when the user'"'"'s health state is abnormal;

transmitting the user'"'"'s health state to a preset another party using a phone number and an e-mail address of the preset another party when a preset cycler arrives,

storing position information of the mobile terminal and the user'"'"'s health state coupled to the position information;

recommending or providing contents of a specific kind of help for the user'"'"'s stability or relaxation, when the user'"'"'s health state is determined to be abnormal and the call mode is terminated;

recommending specific restaurant position information related to a stored good health state of the user when the call mode is terminated and an application for searching restaurant position information is executed;

determining excitement information of the user based on the received pulse wave signal;

outputting an alarm when the determined excitement information is equal to or greater than a preset level; and

terminating the call mode when the determined excitement information is equal to or greater than the preset level;

wherein the proximity sensor is activated when the mobile terminal is in the call mode.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a health state of the user based on the received pulse wave signal.