Biometric information measuring apparatus and biometric information measuring system

• US 20080243393A1
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Sensing, Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Sensing, Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: YAMAMOTO, Koji, TATEDA, Norihiro, NAGAI, Yoshiroh, KITAJIMA, Kazumi, YOKOTA, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip

Abstract

A biometric information measuring apparatus has a storage device for storing data concerning a biometric signal or biometric information derived from the biometric signal in association with position information indicating the current location of a sensor unit of the apparatus. Since the biometric information measuring apparatus provides the position information acquired when the data on the biometric signal or the biometric information was obtained, one can know the location and behavior of a subject at the time of measurement and exactly analyze the biometric information on the subject.

Claims

1. A biometric information measuring apparatus attached to a living body for acquiring specific biometric information thereof, said biometric information measuring apparatus comprising:

a sensing portion for detecting a biometric signal representative of the biometric information;

a processing portion for deriving biometric information data from the biometric signal detected by said sensing portion;

a positioning portion for acquiring position information indicating the current location of said sensing portion by use of radio waves; and

a storage portion for storing one of the biometric signal detected by said sensing portion and the biometric information data derived by said processing portion in association with the position information acquired by said positioning portion.

2. The biometric information measuring apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a controller which instructs said positioning portion to perform operation for acquiring the position information, so that said positioning portion acquires the position information as instructed by said controller.

3. The biometric information measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said controller causes said positioning portion to repeatedly perform the operation for acquiring the position information during a period of time when said sensing portion continues to detect the biometric signal, and said controller causes said storage portion to store the position information in association with one of the biometric signal and the biometric information data generally in synchronism with the operation for acquiring the position information.

4. The biometric information measuring apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising:

an operating portion which is operated when instructing said storage portion to store position information indicating a location to be preregistered; and

a decision portion for judging whether the position information acquired by said positioning portion matches the position information indicating the preregistered location;

wherein said controller causes said sensing portion to detect the biometric signal when said decision portion judges that the acquired position information matches the position information indicating the preregistered location, and said controller causes said storage portion to store the position information judged to match the position information indicating the preregistered location in association with one of the biometric signal and the biometric information data.

5. The biometric information measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said controller causes said positioning portion to perform the operation for acquiring the position information when one of the biometric signal and the biometric information data goes into a predefined state.

6. The biometric information measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said sensing portion has capability to detect biometric signals representative of plural kinds of biometric information, said storage portion stores in advance a relationship between the plural kinds of biometric information and locations where the biometric signals representative of the respective kinds of biometric information should be detected, and said controller specifies at least one kind of biometric information and causes said sensing portion to detect the biometric signal representative of the specified kind of biometric information when the current location indicated by the position information acquired by said positioning portion matches the location where the biometric signal representative of said at least one kind of biometric information should be detected.

7. The biometric information measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said controller causes said positioning portion to repeatedly perform the operation for acquiring the position information during a period of time when said sensing portion continues to detect the biometric signal, said controller calculates moving speed of said sensing portion from the distance between locations where said positioning portion acquires first position information and second position information while said sensing portion detects the biometric signal and a time difference between points in time when said positioning portion acquires the first position information and the second position information, and said controller causes said storage portion to store information on the moving speed of said sensing portion in association with one of the biometric signal and the biometric information data obtained during a period of time when the first position information and the second position information were acquired.

8. A biometric information measuring system comprising:

a biometric information measuring unit attached to a living body for acquiring specific biometric information thereof; and

an analyzing unit for analyzing the biometric information;

wherein said biometric information measuring unit includes;

a sensing portion for detecting a biometric signal representative of the biometric information;

a processing portion for deriving biometric information data from the biometric signal detected by said sensing portion;

a positioning portion for acquiring position information indicating the current location of said sensing portion by use of radio waves; and

a storage portion for storing one of the biometric signal detected by said sensing portion and the biometric information data derived by said processing portion in association with the position information acquired by said positioning portion; and

said analyzing unit includes;

an analyzing portion for analyzing one of the biometric signal and the biometric information data and the position information stored in association with each other in said storage portion according to predefined content of analysis; and

a display portion for displaying results of analysis obtained by said analyzing portion.