Monitoring biometric characteristics of a user of a user monitoring apparatus

• US 9,572,521 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PNI Sensor Corporation
• Original Assignee: PNI Sensor Corporation
• Inventors: Hsu, George
• Primary Examiner(s): NEGIN, RUSSELL SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US14/022,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20150073717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0223 Magnetic field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/067 using accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0803 Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 5/00 ICT specially adapted for modelling or simulations in systems biology, e.g. gene-regulatory networks, protein interaction networks or metabolic networks
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/02 Permanent magnets [PM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/06 Electromagnets; Actuators including electromagnets electric coils H01F5/00; devices for holding workpieces using electric force B23Q3/15; load-engaging elements for lifting articles electromagnetically B66C1/06; electromagnetic couplings F16D27/00; magnetic brakes F16D63/002; electromagnetically operated valves F16K11/24, F16K31/00; analysing materials by magnetic means G01N27/72, G01N27/80; electromagnets for winding mechanical clocks G04C1/02; electromagnetic relays H01H51/00; windings for salient poles of dynamo-electric machines H02K3/18; electromagnets for telegraphic communication H04L; for arc lamps H05B31/28

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods and systems for a user monitoring apparatus are disclosed. One embodiment of the user monitoring apparatus includes one or more magnetic sensors operative to sense magnetic fields applied to the user monitoring apparatus. Further, the user monitoring apparatus is operative to sense at least one biometric characteristic of a user of the user monitoring apparatus based upon the sensed magnetic field applied to the user monitoring apparatus.

Claims

1. A user monitoring apparatus, comprising:

a first magnetic sensor operative to sense a first magnetic field applied to the user monitoring apparatus and a second magnetic sensor operative to sense a second magnetic field applied to the user monitoring apparatus, wherein the second magnetic sensor is oriented in parallel with an axis of the first magnetic sensor;

a magnetic source, wherein the magnetic source is located proximate to the first and second magnetic sensors forming a gap between the magnetic source and the first and second magnetic sensors;

wherein

the user monitoring apparatus is operative to;

sense at least a rate of breathing and amounts of air intake of a user of the user monitoring apparatus based upon a sensed rate of displacement and a sensed amount of displacement of the gap as determined by a difference between the sensed first magnetic field and the sensed second magnetic field, wherein the sensed displacement of the gap indicates a change in a distance between the magnetic source and the first and second magnetic sensors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user the user monitoring apparatus further comprises an elastic strap, wherein the elastic strap is configured to be attached about a chest of the user, and wherein the elastic strap is configured to stretch to maximum inhalation chest circumference of the user and recover to maximum chest exhalation of the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user monitoring apparatus is further operative to sense a heartbeat characteristic of the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user monitoring apparatus is further operative to:

sense orientation of the user based upon at least one component of the sensed magnetic field applied to the user monitoring apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least one component of the sensed magnetic fields includes a magnetic field of earth.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least one component of the sensed magnetic fields includes a non-earth magnetic field of the magnetic source proximally located to the user monitoring apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the magnetic source proximally located to the user monitoring apparatus includes a permanent magnet.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the magnetic source proximally located to the user monitoring apparatus includes a magnetic coil.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more accelerometers operative to sense acceleration of the user monitoring apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user monitoring apparatus is further operative to sense at least one biometric characteristic of the user of the user monitoring apparatus based upon the sensed acceleration of the user monitoring apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one biometric characteristic includes a breathing characteristic of the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one biometric characteristic includes a heartbeat characteristic of the user.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the user monitoring apparatus is further operative to sense orientation of a user based upon at least one component of the sensed acceleration of the user monitoring apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one component of the sensed acceleration of the user monitoring apparatus includes a gravitational field of earth.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more gyroscopes operative to sense orientation of the user monitoring apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein user monitoring apparatus is further operative to sense orientation of the user based upon at least the sensed orientation of the user monitoring apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein user monitoring apparatus further comprises:

one or more accelerometers operative to sense acceleration of the user monitoring device;

one or more gyroscopes operative to sense orientation of the user monitoring device;

wherein

the user monitoring device is operative to;

sense at least one biometric characteristic of a user of the user monitoring apparatus based upon the sensed first and second magnetic fields applied to the user monitoring apparatus, and the sensed acceleration of the user monitoring device; and

sense orientation of the user based upon at least the sensed orientation of the user monitoring device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one biometric characteristic of the user includes at least one of a breathing characteristic of the user, or a heartbeat characteristic of the user.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the user monitoring device is further operative to sense velocity or spatial positioning of the user based upon at least the sensed orientation of the user monitoring device and a single or a double integration of the sensed acceleration of the user monitoring device.

20. A method of monitoring a user, comprising:

sensing, by one or more accelerometers, acceleration of a user monitoring device;

sensing, by first and second magnetic sensors, first and second magnetic fields applied to the user monitoring device, wherein at least a portion of the sensed magnetic fields are from a magnetic source, wherein the magnetic source is located proximate to the one or more magnetic sensors forming a gap between the magnetic source and at least one of the one or more magnetic sensors;

sensing, by one or more gyroscopes, orientation of the user monitoring device;

determining a breathing rate and amounts of air intake of the user of the user monitoring device based upon a sensed rate of displacement and a sensed amount of displacement of the gap as determined by a difference between the sensed first and second magnetic fields, and the sensed acceleration of the user monitoring device, wherein the sensed displacement of the gap indicates a change in a distance between the magnetic source and the first and second magnetic sensors; and

sensing orientation of the user based upon at least the sensed orientation of the user monitoring device.