METHOD AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR OBTAINING BIO SIGNALS

• US 20170063107A1
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Myeongbo, BAN, Youngkyun, LEE, Seungho, HWANG, Sunlyeong
• Application Number:
  US15/250,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20170063107A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0204 of power management
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets

Abstract

A wearable electronic device is provided that includes a housing, a battery disposed in the housing, and a coupling member, connected to the housing, for detachably coupling the electronic device to a part of a user'"'"'s body. The wearable electronic device also includes a conductive member exposed on a side of the housing or on a side of the coupling member and electrically connected to the battery. The conductive member includes one or more contacts. The wearable electronic device further includes at least one sensor electrically connected to the conductive member, and a circuit electrically connected to the battery, the conductive member, and the at least one sensor. The circuit monitors a voltage and an amount of current received via the one or more contacts, and charges the battery with the current or operates the at least one sensor, based on at least one of the voltage and the amount of current.

Claims

1. A wearable electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a battery disposed in the housing;

a coupling member, connected to the housing, for detachably coupling the electronic device to a part of a user'"'"'s body;

a conductive member exposed on a side of the housing or on a side of the coupling member and electrically connected to the battery, the conductive member comprising one or more contacts;

at least one sensor electrically connected to the conductive member; and

a circuit electrically connected to the battery, the conductive member, and the at least one sensor,

wherein the circuit monitors a voltage and an amount of current received via the one or more contacts, and charges the battery with the current or operates the at least one sensor, based on at least one of the voltage and the amount of current.

2. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein, if the battery is fully discharged, the circuit selectively charges the battery with the current or operates the at least one sensor, based on electric power from an external device electrically connected to the conductive member.

3. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the side of the housing or the side of the coupling member contacts the part of the user'"'"'s body when the user wears the electronic device.

4. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the conductive member comprises an antenna.

5. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the conductive member comprises part of the coupling member.

6. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuit detects a resistance of an external object connected to the conductive member using the at least one sensor.

7. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuit further comprises:

a controller configured to control a switch to obtain a signal from the at least one sensor or charge the battery via the one or more contacts; and

the switch electrically connecting the one or more contacts to at least one sensor and the battery.

8. The wearable electronic device of claim 7, wherein, if a signal obtaining command is received from the controller, the circuit electrically connects the one or more contacts to the at least one sensor, receives current from an external object, and obtains the signal from the external object based on the received current.

9. The wearable electronic device of claim 7, wherein, if a level of voltage related to the current transferred from the external object is greater than a preset value, the controller is further configured to control the switch to electrically connect at least one of the one or more contacts to the battery and charge the battery with the current from the external object, and

wherein the preset value is a level of voltage permissible for the bio sensor.

10. The wearable electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

a level of voltage related to the current from the external object is transferred to an over-voltage protector (OVP); and

the controller is further configured to receive, from the OVP, a signal indicating that the level of voltage is greater than the preset value, and control the switch to electrically connect at least one of the one or more contacts to the battery, according to the received signal.

11. The wearable electronic device of claim 7, wherein, if a battery charging command is received from the controller, the controller is further configured to control the switch to electrically connect at least one of the one or more contacts to the battery, so that the battery is charged with the current transferred from the external object.

12. A method of obtaining a bio signal by a wearable electronic device, the method comprising:

monitoring a voltage and an amount of current received via the one or more contacts, and

charging the battery with the current or operating at least one bio sensor, based on at least one of the voltage and the amount of current.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein operating the at least one bio sensor comprises:

connecting the one or more contacts to the at least one bio sensor;

receiving current from an external object; and

obtaining a bio signal from the external object based on the received current.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein operating the at least one bio sensor comprises:

if a bio signal obtaining request from the at least one bio sensor is recognized, electrically connecting the one or more contacts to the at least one bio sensor; and

obtaining a bio signal via the at least one bio sensor.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein charging the battery with the current comprises:

if a level of voltage related to the current transferred from the external object is greater than a preset value, controlling the switch to electrically connect at least one of the one or more contacts to the battery; and

charging the battery with the current from the external object,

wherein the preset value is a level of voltage permissible for the at least one bio sensor.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein charging the battery with the current comprises:

if a battery charging request is recognized, controlling a switch to electrically connect the one or more contacts to a battery, according to the battery charging request; and

charging the battery with the current from the external object.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein charging the battery with the current comprises:

if a battery of the electronic device is fully discharged, controlling the switch to electrically connect one or more contacts to the battery; and

charging the battery with the current transferred from the external object.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein charging the battery comprises:

performing a pre-charge process to transfer the current, having an amount that is less than or equal to a preset value, from the external object, to the battery for a certain period of time.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program configured to perform a method comprising:

monitoring a voltage and an amount of current received via the one or more contacts; and

charging the battery with the current or operating at least one bio sensor, based on at least one of the voltage and the amount of current.