Adjustable wearable system having a modular sensor platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10136857-B2
Application number	US-201514878706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2015
Priority date	May 23, 2014
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A wearable system and methods for measuring physiological data from a device worn about a body part of a user is provided comprising a base module, a first sensor module, and a second sensor module. The base module comprises a display and a base computing unit. The first sensor module measures a gravitational force experienced by the device. The second sensor module is spatially positioned relative to the base module and over a portion of the body part for measuring one or more physiological characteristics calibrated based on the gravitational force measured with the first sensor module. The base module is adjustably positioned by the user relative to the second sensor module such that the sensor module maintains its positioning over the body part for sufficient contact with the body part for accurate measurements of physiological data regardless of the anthropometric size of the body part.

First claim

We claim:

1. A wearable system for measuring physiological data from a device worn about a body part of a user comprising:
a base module, the base module comprising a display and a base computing unit, and being positioned on a first side of the body part;
a first sensor module configured to measure a gravitational force experienced by the device;
a second sensor module spatially positioned relative to the base module on a second side opposite to the first side of the body part and over a portion of the body part for measuring one or more physiological characteristics calibrated based on the gravitational force measured with the first sensor module; and
the base module being adjustably positioned on the body part relative to the second sensor module so that the second sensor module maintains its positioning over the body part for sufficient contact with the body part regardless of an anthropometric size of the body part.

2. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor module is positioned over an underside of a wrist of the user.

3. The wearable system of claim 1 , where in the second sensor module further maintains a pressure contact with skin of the user to allow for continuous use by the user.

4. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor module is removable.

5. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor module is replaceable with a different type of sensor module.

6. The wearable system of claim 5 , wherein sensor units are adapted to be removably coupled to a sensor plate of the second sensor module so that the sensor units may be individually replaced with different sensor units.

7. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor module comprises a combination of electric and optical sensors.

8. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor module comprises one or more of: biological sensors, proximity detectors for detecting a proximity of objects, and environmental sensors.

9. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor module comprises sensor units that further comprises any combination of optical sensor array, a thermometer, a galvanic skin response (GSR) sensor array, a bioimpedance (BioZ) sensor array, and an electrocardiography (ECG) sensor.

10. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor module comprises sensor units that further comprises an optical sensor array, and wherein the optical sensor array is arranged on a band so that the optical sensor array on the band is adapted to straddle a blood vessel.

11. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor module comprises sensor units that further comprises a bioimpedance (BioZ) sensor array and optical sensor array, and wherein the bioimpedance (BioZ) sensor array is arranged on a band so that the optical sensor array on the band is adapted to straddle a blood vessel.

12. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the base module further includes a base computing unit comprising a processor, memory, a communication interface and a set of sensors.

13. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor module is adapted to be removably disposed on an interior surface of a strap.

14. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein a symmetrically adjustable band is adapted to connect the base module and the second sensor module.

15. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein a symmetrically adjustable band is adapted to connect the base module and the second sensor module, wherein the symmetrically adjustable band is a one-piece.

16. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein at least two symmetrically adjustable sub-bands are adapted to connect the base module and the second sensor module.

17. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein at least two symmetrically adjustable bands are adapted to connect the base module and the second sensor module, wherein the symmetrically adjustable bands are one-piece bands.

18. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein a symmetrically adjustable band is adapted to connect the base module and the second sensor module, and the second sensor module is co-molded to the symmetrically adjustable band.

19. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein a symmetrically adjustable band is adapted to connect the base module and the second sensor module and the second sensor module is co-molded to the symmetrically adjustable band in a flexible gel.

20. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein at least two overlapping straps are adapted to connect the base module and the second sensor module.

21. The wearable system of claim 1 , further comprising a band, and wherein the band comprises at least four links connected by a flex connection, and the band is adapted to connect the base module and the second sensor module.

22. The wearable system of claim 21 , wherein the second sensor module comprises sensor units housed on a sensor plate that is adapted to be removably coupled to the band.

23. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor module is adapted to adhere to skin of a body part.

24. The wearable system of claim 23 , wherein the second sensor module is adapted to be positioned on an underside of a wrist.

25. The wearable system of claim 1 , the base module comprises a thin, flexible display adapted to be adhered to skin of a body part.

26. The wearable system of claim 23 , wherein the base module is adapted to be positioned on a top side of a wrist.

27. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the body part is a wrist and sizes of the wrist can range from 125 mm to 210 mm.

28. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the body part is an upper arm, waist, finger, ankle, neck, chest, foot or thigh.

29. The wearable system of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communications link and a wireless communication unit positioned in the second sensor module for transmitting physiological data via the wireless communications link to the base module.

30. The wearable system of claim 1 , further comprising a wire, and wherein the second sensor module and the base module are connected via the wire for power and communicate data wirelessly.

31. The wearable system of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communications link and a wireless communication unit for transmitting physiological data via the wireless communications link to the base module and to a location remote from the wearable system.

32. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor module and the base module each contain battery power sources and communicate wirelessly between each other.

33. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor module and the base module each contain battery power sources and communicate wirelessly between each other and to a location remote from the wearable system.

34. The wearable system of claim 1 , further comprising multiple sensor modules, and wherein the base module wirelessly communicates with the multiple sensor modules adapted to be worn on different body parts of the user.

35. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the wearable system further transmits data to a remote architecture adapted to implement multi-modal interactions.

36. The wearable system of claim 35 , wherein the remo

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nuovo Frank Settemo
• Phillips Sheldon George
• Schuessler James

Classifications

• A61B5/742

  using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339) · CPC title

• A61B5/0059

  using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence (photoacoustic A61B5/0093; optical measurement of heart rate A61B5/02416; optical measurement of blood flow A61B5/0261; optical measurement of analytes A61B5/1455) · CPC title

• A61B5/7445

  Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units · CPC title

• A61B5/681 Primary

  Wristwatch-type devices · CPC title

• A61B5/6843

  Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure · CPC title