Wearable electronic device

• US 9,990,172 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensirion AG (Sensirion Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Sensirion AG (Sensirion Holding AG)
• Inventors: Komaromi, Heiko, Koller, Marcel
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US14/943,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20160162256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/029 adapted for auto-initiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0462 Apparatus with built-in sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/029 Humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/063 in a linear array
• 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 5/12 Audiometering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14517 for sweat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4266 sweat secretion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements

Abstract

A wearable electronic device (100) comprises a sensor (1) providing a sensor signal (s1), which sensor (1) is one of a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor. A control unit (3) determines, subject to at least the sensor signal (s1), if the wearable electronic device (100) is worn by a user, and provides an output signal (t1) indicative of a result of the determination.

Claims

1. A wearable electronic device, comprising

a first sensor providing a first sensor signal, which first sensor is a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor,

a second sensor providing a second sensor signal, which second sensor is a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor,

wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are of the same type,

a control unit configured to determine based on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal if the device is worn by a user, and configured to provide an output signal indicative of a result of the determination,

a common channel including at least one opening, the at least one opening facing a body part of the user when the device is worn by a user, and

wherein the first sensor is arranged in the common channel at a first distance from the at least one opening and the second sensor is arranged in the common channel in spatial series with the first sensor, at a second distance from the at least one opening, the first distance being less than the second distance, the first and second sensors and the common channel being so configured and arranged that the first and second sensors sense an air volume propagated in the common channel and measure a heat flux or humidity flux determined as a difference between the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal.

2. A wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor is arranged facing a body part of a user when the device is worn by the user, and wherein the second sensor is exposed to ambient air when the device is worn by a user.

3. A wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are located on opposite sides of the device.

4. A wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine based on a comparison between the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal if the device is worn by a user.

5. A wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are arranged on a circuit board.

6. A wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine based on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal one or more of a heat flux, a relative humidity flux and a sweat rate when the device is worn by a user and is configured to provide a signal indicative of a result of the determination.

7. A wearable electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured to supply the signal to a display of the device for displaying the result of the determination.

8. A wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the common channel is one of a straight channel, an “

S”

-formed channel, or an “

L”

-formed channel.

9. A wearable electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the circuit board is arranged between a first housing part of the device and a second housing part of the device, wherein at least a portion of the common channel is formed by a recess in one of the first and the second housing part and wherein a portion of the circuit board containing the sensor and the other sensor faces the recess.

10. A wearable electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising an earphone, wherein the common channel is provided in a housing of the earphone.

11. A wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the wearable electronic device further includes one of:

a hearing aid;

an earphone;

a headphone;

a watch;

glasses;

a fitness wearable;

a safety wearable;

a medical wearable;

or

a piece of clothing.

12. A wearable electronic device according to claim 1, comprising

a wearable unit including the first and second sensors, and

a remote unit from the wearable unit, the remote unit including the control unit,

wherein the wearable unit and the remote unit are connected by means of a wireless or a wired interface,

and wherein the wearable unit is an earphone or a headphone, and the remote unit is a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a portable computer.

13. A wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to trigger an action of the device in response to the output signal.

14. A wearable electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the control unit is configured to trigger at least one of the following actions:

powering on or powering off one or more of the device, a component thereof, an application thereof;

switching on or switching off a stand-by mode of one or more of the device, a component thereof, an application thereof;

stopping or activating logging data from one or more further sensors comprised in the device, in particular wherein the one or more further sensors are medical sensors.

15. A wearable electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the device comprises an earphone or a headphone, and

wherein, if the result of the determination is that the earphone or the headphone is no longer worn by a user, the control unit is configured to one or more of

pause or stop an active audio component or application,

switch an active audio component or application to an audio output different from the earphone or headphone respectively,

wherein the wearable unit includes the first and second sensors,

wherein a remote unit from the wearable unit comprises the control unit,

wherein the wearable unit and the remote unit are connected by means of a wireless or a wired interface, and

wherein the different audio output is a speaker of the remote unit.

16. A wearable electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the device comprises glasses or a watch, and wherein, if the result of the determination is that the glasses or watch is no longer worn by a user, the control unit is configured to one or more of

pause or stop an active video component or application,

switch an active video component or application to video output different from the glasses or watch respectively,

wherein the wearable unit includes the first and second sensors,

wherein a unit remote from the wearable unit comprises the control unit,

wherein the wearable unit and the remote unit are connected by means of a wireless or a wired interface, and

wherein the different video output is a display of the remote unit.

17. A wearable electronic device according to claim 13,

wherein the device comprises an earphone or a headphone, and

wherein the control unit is configured to mute a microphone of the device in case the result of the determination is that the earphone or headphone respectively is no longer worn by a user,

wherein the wearable unit includes the first and second sensors,

wherein a remote unit from the wearable unit comprises the control unit,

wherein the wearable unit and the remote unit are connected by means of a wireless or a wired interface,

and wherein the microphone is arranged in the remote unit.

18. A wearable electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the device comprises a safety or a medical wearable, and wherein the control unit is configured to generate an alert in case the result of the determination is that the safety or medical wearable respectively is no longer worn by a user.

19. A wearable electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising

a housing and attachment means for attaching the housing to a body part of a user for wearing the device,

wherein the sensors are arranged either on or in the housing or on or in the attachment means,

and wherein the control unit is arranged in the housing.

20. A method for determining if a wearable electronic device is worn by a user, comprising

i) sensing a first temperature using a first temperature sensor or a first humidity using a first humidity sensor,

ii) further sensing a second temperature using a second temperature sensor or a second humidity using a second humidity sensor, wherein sensing and further sensing are done by sensors of the same type,

iii) determining, based on the first temperature and the second temperature or the first humidity and the second humidity, if the wearable electronic device is worn by the user, and

iv) providing an output signal indicative of a result of the determination,

wherein the wearable electronic device comprises a common channel including at least one opening, the at least one opening facing a body part of the user when the device is worn by the user, and wherein the first sensor is arranged in the common channel at a first distance from the at least one opening and the second sensor is arranged in the common channel in spatial series with the first sensor at a second distance from the at least one opening, the first distance being less than the second distance, the first and second sensors and the common channel being so configured and arranged that the first and second sensors sense an air volume propagated in the common channel and measure a heat flux or humidity flux determined as a difference between the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal.