Wearable device with combined sensing capabilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10852192-B2
Application number	US-201816183727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2018
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

The present invention discloses a wearable device with combined sensing capabilities, which includes a wearable assembly and at least one multi-function sensor module. The wearable assembly is suitable to be worn on a part of a user's body. The wearable assembly includes at least one light-transmissible window. The multi-function sensor module is located inside the wearable assembly, for performing an image sensing function and an infrared temperature sensing function. The multi-function sensor module includes an image sensor module for sensing a physical or a biological feature of an object through the light-transmissible window by way of image sensing; and an infrared temperature sensor module for sensing temperature through the light-transmissible window by way of infrared temperature sensing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable device with combined sensing capabilities, comprising:
a wearable assembly for being worn on a part of a user's body, wherein the wearable assembly has at least two light-transmissible windows, one of the at least two light-transmissible windows is provided at an upper surface of the wearable assembly, and another one of the at least two light-transmissible windows is provided at a lower surface of the wearable assembly; and
at least two multi-function sensor modules located inside the wearable assembly, wherein, the at least two multi-function sensor modules are respectively corresponding to the two light-transmissible windows, wherein, the at least two multi-function sensor modules are for performing an image sensing function and an infrared temperature sensing function, each of the at least two multi-function sensor module including:
an image sensor module for sensing a physical or a biological feature of an object through the at least one light-transmissible window by way of image sensing; and
an infrared temperature sensor module for sensing temperature through the corresponding light-transmissible window by way of infrared temperature sensing,

wherein each of the at least two multi-function sensor module further includes a substrate, a cap and at least one partitioning member, the cap covering a part of the substrate and the at least one partitioning member being on the substrate, to form at least two chambers for accommodating the image sensor module and the infrared temperature sensor module, respectively, wherein each of the at least two chambers has a light-transmissible zone, and a light beam is allowed to transmit between the light-transmissible zone and the light-transmissible window of the wearable assembly;
wherein, the multi-function sensor module corresponding to the light-transmissible window provided at the upper surface performs non-contact type temperature sensing through the corresponding light-transmissible window at the upper surface, and wherein the multi-function sensor module corresponding to the light-transmissible window provided at the lower surface performs contact type temperature sensing through the corresponding light-transmissible window at the lower surface;
whereby, the wearable device integrates both non-contact type temperature sensing and contact type temperature sensing into the one single wearable assembly.

2. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor module includes a light source and an image sensor, the cap covering a part of the substrate and the at least one partitioning member being on the substrate, to form at least three chambers for accommodating the light source, the image sensor and the infrared temperature sensor module, respectively, wherein each of the at least three chambers has a light-transmissible zone, and a light beam is allowed to transmit between the light-transmissible zone and the light-transmissible window of the wearable assembly.

3. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 2 , wherein the light source, the image sensor and the infrared temperature sensor module are not covered with a filler material.

4. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 2 , wherein each of the light source and the image sensor is fully covered with or at least partially covered with a corresponding filler material, while the infrared temperature sensor module is not covered with a filler material.

5. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 2 , wherein each of the light source, the image sensor and the infrared temperature sensor module is fully covered with or at least partially covered with a corresponding filler material.

6. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 2 , wherein the light-transmissible zone corresponding to the infrared temperature sensor module is sealed entirely or partially with a light filtering material.

7. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 2 , wherein a protection cap layer is connected above the infrared temperature sensor module, wherein a space between the protection cap layer and the infrared temperature sensor module is not filled with any filler material.

8. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 2 , further comprising a protection ring between the infrared temperature sensor module and the light-transmissible zone corresponding to the infrared temperature sensor module, the protection ring surrounding a lateral periphery of a space between the infrared temperature sensor module and the corresponding light-transmissible zone.

9. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor module includes a light source and an image sensor, the image sensor and the infrared temperature sensor module being integrated as one single module.

10. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 9 , wherein the at least one multi-function sensor module further includes a substrate, a cap and at least one partitioning member, the cap covering a part of the substrate and the at least one partitioning member being on the substrate, to form at least two chambers for accommodating the light source and the single module, respectively, wherein each of the at least two chambers has a light-transmissible zone, and a light beam is allowed to transmit between the light-transmissible zone and the light-transmissible window of the wearable assembly.

11. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 9 , wherein the light source, the image sensor and the infrared temperature sensor module are not covered with a filler material.

12. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 9 , wherein each of the light source and the image sensor is fully covered with or at least partially covered with a corresponding filler material, while the infrared temperature sensor module is not covered with a filler material.

13. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 9 , wherein each of the light source, the image sensor and the infrared temperature sensor module is fully covered with or at least partially covered with a corresponding filler material.

14. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 1 , wherein the light-transmissible zone corresponding to the infrared temperature sensor module is sealed entirely or partially with a light filtering material.

15. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 1 , wherein a protection cap layer is connected above the infrared temperature sensor module, wherein a space between the protection cap layer and the infrared temperature sensor module is not filled with any filler material.

16. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 1 , further comprising a protection ring between the infrared temperature sensor module and the light-transmissible zone corresponding to the infrared temperature sensor module, the protection ring surrounding a lateral periphery of a space between the infrared temperature sensor module and the corresponding light-transmissible zone.

17. The wearable device with combined sensing capabilities of claim 1 , wherein the at least one multi-function sensor module further includes a Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) device for providing one of the following functions: a sweat sensor, an ultraviolet light sensor, a gas sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an altimeter or a pedometer.

Assignees

• Pixart Imaging Inc

Inventors

• Sun Chih-Ming
• Tsai Ming-Han

Classifications

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• G01K13/20

  Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals · CPC title

• A61B2562/0233

  Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00 · CPC title

• A61B5/681

  Wristwatch-type devices · CPC title

• A61B5/14551

  for measuring blood gases · CPC title