Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer program for measuring eardrum temperature

• US 9,259,159 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsuboi, Toshimitsu, Tanaka, Akichika, Asakawa, Takeshi, Sazuka, Naoya, Wada, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S
• Application Number:
  US13/847,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20130296685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0011 Ear thermometers G01J5/021 and G01J5/049 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/049 Casings for tympanic thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/07 Arrangements for adjusting the solid angle of collected radiation, e.g. adjusting or orienting field of view, tracking position or encoding angular position optical collimating elements G01J5/0806
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0896 using a light source, e.g. for illuminating a surface

Abstract

There is provided an information processing apparatus including an eardrum recognition unit configured to recognize a position of an eardrum based on image information regarding the eardrum, a temperature measurement unit configured to acquire a temperature within an external ear canal including the eardrum, and a temperature processing unit configured to determine a temperature of the eardrum based on a recognition result of the eardrum recognition unit and a measured temperature of the temperature measurement unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an image sensor operable to capture an image of an eardrum;

a temperature sensor; and

a central processing unit (CPU) operable to;

acquire image information regarding the eardrum from the captured image of the eardrum;

determine a first area corresponding to a temperature measurable area of the temperature sensor in the captured image;

determine a second area occupied by the eardrum within the first area corresponding to the temperature measurable area of the temperature sensor based on the acquired image information;

calculate an eardrum occupancy rate, wherein the eardrum occupancy rate represents a ratio of the second area to the first area;

acquire a temperature, within an external ear canal including the eardrum, measured by the temperature sensor; and

determine a temperature of the eardrum based on, the calculated eardrum occupancy rate, and the acquired temperature.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the CPU recognizes a position of the eardrum based on the captured image.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the acquired image information regarding the eardrum is a thermal image including the eardrum,

wherein the CPU recognizes a position of the eardrum based on the thermal image, and

wherein the CPU acquires a temperature within the external ear canal including the eardrum based on the thermal image.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the CPU is operable to:

acquire the image information regarding the eardrum and determine the temperature from the captured image of the eardrum, simultaneously.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the CPU is further operable to:

notify a user of the acquired image information regarding the eardrum, wherein the CPU provides at least notification of the determined temperature of the eardrum.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the CPU notifies a user of a position state of the temperature sensor with respect to the eardrum based on the calculated eardrum occupancy rate.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the CPU notifies the user of a direction for adjusting the direction of the temperature sensor in a manner that the eardrum occupancy rate increases.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the CPU is operable to:

correct the determined temperature of the eardrum,

wherein the CPU corrects the determined temperature of the eardrum based on the calculated eardrum occupancy rate.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the CPU corrects the determined temperature of the eardrum based on a correlation relationship between the calculated eardrum occupancy rate and the acquired temperature of the eardrum.

10. An information processing method comprising:

capturing an image of an eardrum;

acquiring image information regarding the eardrum from the captured image of the eardrum;

determining a first area corresponding to a temperature measurable area of a temperature sensor in the captured image;

determining a second area occupied by the eardrum within the first area corresponding to the temperature measurable area of the temperature sensor based on the acquired image information;

calculating an eardrum occupancy rate, wherein the eardrum occupancy rate represents a ratio of the second area to the first area;

acquiring a temperature, within an external ear canal including the eardrum, measured by the temperature sensor; and

determining a temperature of the eardrum based on, the calculated eardrum occupancy rate, and the acquired temperature.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon, a set of computer-executable instructions for causing the computer to perform steps comprising:

capturing an image of an eardrum;

acquiring image information regarding the eardrum from the captured image of the eardrum;

determining a first area corresponding to a temperature measurable area of a temperature sensor in the captured image;

determining a second area occupied by the eardrum within the first area corresponding to the temperature measurable area of the temperature sensor based on the acquired image information;

calculating an eardrum occupancy rate, wherein the eardrum occupancy rate represents a ratio of the second area to the first area;

acquiring a temperature, within an external ear canal including the eardrum, measured by the temperature sensor; and

determining a temperature of the eardrum based on, the calculated eardrum occupancy rate, and the acquired temperature.