Portable terminal and skin property measuring instrument

• US 9,398,127 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikemoto, Koichi, Kitamura, Hirokazu, Hibino, Yasuhiro, Miyatake, Takahiro, Kajimoto, Yoshiyuki, Konno, Fumiyasu, Takeda, Katsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US14/406,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20150156298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 600/301, 600/306, 600/340, 600/407, 345/157
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0462 Apparatus with built-in sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/443 Evaluating skin constituents, e.g. elastin, melanin, water
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/041 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

A portable terminal includes a case, a display unit having a display screen exposed from a front surface of the case, and a skin-condition measurement sensor accommodated in the case. The skin-condition measurement sensor includes a measurement unit provided on the front surface of the case. The portable terminal can be carried and operate easily.

Claims

1. A portable terminal configured to be utilized with an earphone connected to a first plug and with a skin-condition measurement device which includes a second plug, a measurement unit that measures a skin condition of a user, and a detection circuit connected to the measurement unit and the second plug, the portable terminal comprising:

an earphone jack configured to receive the first plug of the earphone and the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device selectively inserted into the earphone jack;

an audio circuit that supplies an electrical signal to the earphone via the earphone jack while the first plug of the earphone is inserted into the earphone jack;

a skin-condition measurement circuit having an electrical signal input thereto from the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device via the earphone jack while the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device is inserted into the earphone jack; and

a circuit switch unit that selects and switches one of the audio circuit and the skin-condition measurement circuit based on an electrical signal input to or output from the earphone jack.

2. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the earphone jack includes a plurality of contacts functioning as a voltage supply, a ground point, and a data line, respectively.

3. The portable terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a case having a plate shape having a front surface, a rear surface opposite to the front surface, and a side-circumferential surface connected to the front surface and the rear surface to surround the front surface and the rear surface, the case accommodating therein the earphone jack, the audio circuit, the skin-condition measurement circuit, and the circuit switch unit; and

a display screen exposed from the front surface of the case,

wherein the earphone jack is provided on the side-circumferential surface of the case,

wherein the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device has a measurement surface that faces the user upon measuring a skin condition of the user, and

wherein, when the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device is inserted into the earphone jack, the measurement surface of the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device faces in a direction that is different from a direction in which the display screen faces and that is away from the display screen.

4. The portable terminal according to claim 3, wherein, when the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device is inserted into the earphone jack, the measurement surface of the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device is movable with respect to the case.

5. The portable terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a case having a plate shape having a front surface, a rear surface opposite to the front surface, and a side-circumferential surface connected to the front surface and the rear surface to surround the front surface and the rear surface, the case accommodating therein the earphone jack, the audio circuit, the skin-condition measurement circuit, and the circuit switch unit; and

a display screen exposed from the front surface of the case,

wherein the earphone jack is provided on the side-circumferential surface of the case,

wherein the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device has a measurement surface that faces the user when measuring a skin condition Of the user, and

wherein the measurement surface of the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device faces in a direction in which the display screen faces, and protrudes from the display screen in a direction from the rear surface toward the front surface.

6. The portable terminal according to claim 5, wherein, when the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device is inserted into the earphone jack, the measurement surface of the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device is movable with respect to the case.

7. The portable terminal according to claim 6, wherein, when the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device is inserted into the earphone jack, the measurement surface of the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device faces in a direction in which the rear surface faces, and can protrude from the rear surface in a direction from the front surface toward the rear surface.

8. A portable terminal configured to be utilized with an earphone connected to a first plug to measure a skin condition of a user, comprising:

a skin-condition measurement device including

a measurement unit that measures the skin condition of the user,

a detection circuit connected to the measurement unit, and

a second plug connected to the detection circuit; and

a portable terminal body including

an earphone jack configured to receive the first plug of the earphone and the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device selectively inserted into the earphone jack,

an audio circuit that supplies electrical signals to the earphone via the earphone jack while the first plug of the earphone is inserted into the earphone jack,

a skin-condition measurement circuit having an electrical signal input thereto from the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device via the earphone jack while the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device is inserted into the earphone jack, and

a circuit switch unit that selects and switches one of the audio circuit and the skin-condition measurement circuit based on an electrical signal input to or output from the earphone jack.

9. The portable terminal according to claim 8, wherein the earphone jack includes a plurality of contacts functioning as a voltage supply, a ground point, and a data line, respectively.

10. The portable terminal according to claim 8,

wherein the portable terminal body further includes:

a case having a plate shape having a front surface, a rear surface opposite to the front surface, and a side-circumferential surface connected to the front surface and the rear surface to surround the front surface and the rear surface, the case accommodating therein the earphone jack, the audio circuit, the skin-condition measurement circuit, and the circuit switch unit; and

a display screen exposed from the front surface of the case,

wherein the earphone jack is provided on the side-circumferential surface of the case,

wherein the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device has a measurement surface that faces the user upon measuring a skin condition of the user, and

wherein, when the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device is inserted into the earphone jack, the measurement surface of the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device faces in a direction that is different in which the display screen faces and that is away from the display screen.

11. The portable terminal according to claim 10, wherein, when the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device is inserted into the earphone jack, the measurement surface of the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device is movable with respect to the case.

12. The portable terminal according to claim 8,

wherein the portable terminal body further includes:

a case having a plate shape having a front surface, a rear surface opposite to the front surface, and a side-circumferential surface connected to the front surface and the rear surface to surround the front surface and the rear surface, the case accommodating therein the earphone jack, the audio circuit, the skin-condition measurement circuit, and the circuit switch unit; and

a display screen exposed from the front surface of the case,

wherein the earphone jack is provided on the side-circumferential surface of the case,

wherein the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device has a measurement surface that faces the user upon measuring a skin condition of the user, and

wherein the measurement surface of the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device faces in a direction in which the display screen faces, and protrudes from the display screen in a direction from the rear surface toward the front surface.

13. The portable terminal according to claim 12, wherein, when the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device is inserted into the earphone jack, the measurement surface of the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device is movable with respect to the case.

14. The portable terminal according to claim 13, wherein, when the second plug of the skin-condition measurement device is inserted into the earphone jack, the measurement surface of the measurement unit of the skin-condition measurement device faces in a direction in which the rear surface faces, and can protrude from the rear surface in a direction from the front surface toward the rear surface.