Removable smartphone case for radio wave based health monitoring that generates alignment signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10856766-B2
Application number	US-201916682989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2019
Priority date	Dec 18, 2018
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A removable smartphone case is disclosed. The removable smartphone case includes a case body configured to receive a smartphone, a radio frequency (RF) front-end connected to the case body and including a semiconductor substrate and an antenna array including at least one transmit antenna configured to transmit radio waves below the skin surface of a person and a two-dimensional array of receive antennas configured to receive radio waves, the received radio waves including a reflected portion of the transmitted radio waves, wherein the semiconductor substrate includes circuits configured to generate signals in response to the received radio waves, wherein the signals correspond to an alignment of the antenna array relative to a vein below the skin surface of the person, and a communications interface configured to transmit digital data that corresponds to the signals generated by the semiconductor substrate from the removable smartphone case.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A removable smartphone case comprising:
a case body configured to receive a smartphone;
a radio frequency (RF) front-end connected to the case body and including a semiconductor substrate and an antenna array including at least one transmit antenna configured to transmit radio waves below the skin surface of a person and a two-dimensional array of receive antennas configured to receive radio waves, the received radio waves including a reflected portion of the transmitted radio waves, wherein the semiconductor substrate includes circuits configured to generate signals in response to the received radio waves, wherein the signals correspond to an alignment of the antenna array relative to a vein below the skin surface of the person; and
a communications interface configured to transmit digital data that corresponds to the signals generated by the semiconductor substrate from the removable smartphone case.

2. The removable smartphone case of claim 1 , further comprising a battery connected to provide power to the RF front-end and to the communications interface.

3. The removable smartphone case of claim 1 , wherein the antenna array is located at the bottom of the case body.

4. The removable smartphone case of claim 1 , wherein the antenna array is located at the bottom of the case body and offset from a centerline of the case body.

5. The removable smartphone case of claim 1 , wherein the antenna array is located at a backside surface of the case body.

6. A removable smartphone case comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
an antenna array including at least one transmit antenna connected to the semiconductor substrate and configured to transmit radio waves below the skin surface of a person and a two-dimensional array of receive antennas connected to the semiconductor substrate and configured to receive radio waves, the received radio waves including a reflected portion of the transmitted radio waves;
wherein the semiconductor substrate includes circuits configured to generate signals that correspond to an alignment of the antenna array relative to a vein in the person in response to the received radio waves; and
a communications interface configured to transmit digital data that corresponds to the signals generated by the semiconductor substrate from the removable smartphone case.

7. The removable smartphone case of claim 6 , further comprising a battery connected to provide power to the RF front-end and to the communications interface.

8. The removable smartphone case of claim 6 , wherein the antenna array is located at the bottom of the case body.

9. The removable smartphone case of claim 6 , wherein the antenna array is located at the bottom of the case body and offset from a centerline of the case body.

10. The removable smartphone case of claim 6 , wherein the antenna array is located at a backside surface of the case body.

11. A removable smartphone case comprising:
a case body configured to receive a smartphone;
a radio frequency (RF) front-end connected to the case body and including a semiconductor substrate and an antenna array including at least one transmit antenna configured to transmit radio waves below the skin surface of a person and a two-dimensional array of receive antennas configured to receive radio waves, the received radio waves including a reflected portion of the transmitted radio waves, wherein the semiconductor substrate includes circuits configured to generate signals in response to the received radio waves; and
a processor configured to determine an alignment of the antenna array relative to the vein in the person in response to the generated signals; and
means for outputting a signal that is indicative of the determined alignment of the antenna array relative to the vein.

12. The removable smartphone case of claim 11 , wherein the RF front-end is embedded into the case body.

13. The removable smartphone case of claim 11 , further comprising a battery connected to provide power to the RF front-end and to the communications interface.

14. The removable smartphone case of claim 11 , wherein the means for outputting a signal comprises a wireless communications interface configured to wirelessly communicate with a smartphone.

15. The removable smartphone case of claim 11 , wherein the means for outputting a signal comprises a wired communications interface configured to mate with a wired interface of a smartphone.

16. The removable smartphone case of claim 11 , wherein the means for outputting a signal comprises an indicator element that is configured to output a visual indication that is indicative of the determined alignment of the antenna array relative to the vein.

17. The removable smartphone case of claim 11 , wherein the means for outputting a signal comprises an indicator element that is configured to output an audible indication that is indicative of the determined alignment of the antenna array relative to the vein.

18. The removable smartphone case of claim 11 , wherein the means for outputting a signal comprises an indicator element that is configured to output a tactile indication that is indicative of the determined alignment of the antenna array relative to the vein.

19. The removable smartphone case of claim 11 , wherein the antenna array is located at the bottom of the case body.

20. The removable smartphone case of claim 11 , wherein the antenna array is located at the bottom of the case body and offset from a centerline of the case body.

21. The removable smartphone case of claim 11 , wherein the antenna array is located at a backside surface of the case body.

Assignees

• Movano Inc

Inventors

• Leabman Michael A

Classifications

• G06N5/01

  Dynamic search techniques; Heuristics; Dynamic trees; Branch-and-bound · CPC title

• A45C11/002

  for storing portable handheld communication devices, e.g. pagers or smart phones · CPC title

• G06F2200/1633

  Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer · CPC title

• A61B5/683

  Means for maintaining contact with the body (A61B5/6802 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/6824 Primary

  Arm or wrist · CPC title