Apparatus and method for analyzing substance of object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12055487-B2
Application number	US-202017077700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2020
Priority date	Jun 25, 2020
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus for analyzing a substance of an object in a non-invasive manner is provided. The apparatus for analyzing a substance of an object includes: a sensor part including an image sensor, and a plurality of light sources disposed around the image sensor; and a processor configured to drive the plurality of light sources to obtain absorbance of each pixel of the image sensor based on an intensity of light received by each pixel, to correct the absorbance of each pixel based on a distance between the plurality of light sources and each pixel, and to analyze a substance of an object based on the corrected absorbance of each pixel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for analyzing a substance of an object, the apparatus comprising:
a sensor part including an image sensor and a plurality of light sources, the image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels wherein the image sensor being disposed at the center of the sensor part, the plurality of light sources being disposed evenly around the image sensor, wherein the plurality of light sources are disposed to face each other diagonally with respect to the image sensor;
the plurality of light sources configured to emit light of a same wavelength, among the plurality of light sources, are disposed to face each other; and
a processor configured to:
drive the plurality of light sources to obtain absorbance of each pixel of the image sensor based on an intensity of light received by each pixel;
correct, for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, the absorbance of each pixel by applying, to the obtained absorbance of each pixel, a value obtained according to a pre-defined function for a distance between the plurality of light sources and each pixel; and
analyze a substance of an object based on the corrected absorbance of each pixel,

wherein the processor is further configured to sequentially drive a group of the plurality of light sources, the light sources in the group having different wavelengths and are driven in a time division manner in a predetermined direction centered around the sensor part.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor comprises a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the plurality of light sources are disposed on a first side of the image sensor, and a second portion of the plurality of light sources are disposed on a second side, the second side facing the first side.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor comprises a color filter configured to adjust a measurement wavelength band.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources are configured to emit light of a single wavelength, and the image sensor comprises a color filter configured to adjust a measurement wavelength band.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to, based on at least one of a measurement position or a measurement depth, select light sources among the plurality of light sources to be driven.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to combine the corrected absorbance of each pixel for each of the plurality of light sources, and analyze the substance of the object based on a result of combination.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to, based on the absorbance of each pixel of the image sensor, analyze the substance for each pixel position of the object.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to correct the absorbance of each pixel by applying, to the obtained absorbance of each pixel, a value obtained using a square of the distance between the plurality of light sources and each pixel of the image sensor, or a value obtained using a logarithmic function of the distance between the plurality of light sources and each pixel of the image sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to exclude a light source, which does not satisfy a predetermined criterion, based on the absorbance of each pixel with respect to each of the plurality of light sources, and analyze the substance of the object based on the absorbance of each pixel with respect to remaining light sources, excluding the light source.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substance of the object comprises at least one of carotenoid, triglyceride, blood glucose, calories, cholesterol, protein, uric acid, or water.

12. An apparatus for analyzing a substance of an object, the apparatus comprising:
a sensor part including an image sensor wherein the image sensor being disposed at the center of the sensor part, a plurality of first light sources disposed evenly around the image sensor, the image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels wherein the plurality of light sources are disposed to face each other diagonally with respect to the image sensor; and a second light source for fingerprint recognition; and
a processor configured to:
drive the second light source to perform user authentication based on a fingerprint image of a finger obtained by the image sensor, and based on a successful user authentication;
drive the plurality of first light sources to obtain absorbance of each pixel of the image sensor based on an intensity of light received by each pixel;
correct, for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, the absorbance of each pixel by applying, to the obtained absorbance of each pixel, a value obtained according to a pre-defined function for a distance between the plurality of first light sources and each pixel; and
analyze a substance of an object based on the corrected absorbance of each pixel,

wherein the processor is further configured to sequentially drive a group of the plurality of light sources, the light sources in the group having different wavelengths and are driven in a time division manner in a predetermined direction centered around the sensor part.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a storage configured to store a light source driving condition corresponding to each user,
wherein the processor is further configured to, based on the successful user authentication, drive the plurality of first light sources based on a light source driving condition corresponding to an authenticated user.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a storage configured to store a substance analysis history of each user,
wherein the processor is further configured to, based on completion of analysis of the substance of the object, update a substance analysis history of an authenticated user.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide information related to a contact position of the finger based on the fingerprint image.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect a position of a characteristic point of the finger based on the fingerprint image, and provide the information based on a distance between the detected characteristic point and a center of the image sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect a position of a characteristic point of the finger based on the fingerprint image, determine a pixel of interest among pixels of the image sensor, and obtain the absorbance based on an intensity of light at the determined pixel of interest.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect a position of a characteristic point of the finger based on the fingerprint image, and determine light sources to be driven among the plurality of first light sources based on the detected position of the characteristic point.

19. A method of analyzing a substance of an object, the method comprising:
emitting light onto an object by driving a plurality of light sources disposed evenly around an image sensor, the image sensor being disposed at the center of a sensor part comprising a plurality of pixels;
receiving light, scattered or reflected from the object, through the image sensor;
obtaining absorbance of each pixel of the image sensor based on an intensity of light received by eac

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Myoung Hoon
• Kim Sang Kyu
• Kim Yoon Jae
• Moon Hyun Seok
• Park Jin Young
• Ahn Sung Mo
• Eom Kun Sun

Classifications

• H10F39/8053

  Colour filters · CPC title

• H10F39/18

  Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors · CPC title

• G01N21/65

  Raman scattering · CPC title

• A61B5/681

  Wristwatch-type devices · CPC title

• H10F39/813

  Electronic components shared by multiple pixels, e.g. one amplifier shared by two pixels · CPC title