Electronic device for measuring information regarding human body and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016367195-A1
Application number	US-201615176823-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 8, 2016
Priority date	Jun 19, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device and method for measuring user body information are provided. The method for measuring user body information includes detecting a contact of a user's body portion on at least two spots of a touch screen of the electronic device, upon detecting the contact of the user's body portion on the at least two spots of the touch screen, applying power to a first coil in the electronic device, and measuring the user body information using at least one of a voltage and a second current measured after a first current is induced across the user's body by a first magnetic field generated from the first coil as the power is applied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device for measuring user body information, the electronic device comprising:
a touch screen; a first coil disposed under the touch screen; and a processor configured to:
detect a contact of a user's body portion on at least two spots of the touch screen,
upon detecting the contact of the user's body portion on at least two spots of the touch screen, apply power to the first coil in the electronic device, and
measure the user body information using at least one of a voltage and a second current measured after a first current is induced across the user's body by a first magnetic field generated from the first coil as the power is applied.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
identify at least one of a contact area, a contact position, and a contact time for the user's body portion, and detect the contact of the user's body portion based on a result of the identification.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least two spots of the touch screen are previously set and displayed on the touch screen.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first coil is formed of a transparent film and embedded in the electronic device.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a second coil disposed under the touch screen, wherein the processor is further configured to:
measure the second current induced across the second coil by a second magnetic field generated by the first current, and measure the user body information using the measured second current.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
calculate a difference between the second current and a current rendered to flow across the first coil as the power is applied, and measure the user body information based on the calculated difference.

7 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the second coil is formed of a transparent film and embedded in the electronic device, and wherein the second coil and the first coil are wound in opposite directions.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a second coil disposed under the touch screen, wherein the processor is further configured to charge the electronic device using a third current induced across the second coil in the electronic device by a third magnetic field generated from outside the electronic device.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine whether to charge the electronic device based on at least one of an obtained user input, running an application related to the charging, a magnitude of the third current, and a magnitude of an impedance measured by the third current, and upon determining to charge the electronic device, charge the electronic device with the third current.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
measure a voltage at one of at least two spots of the touch screen, and measure the user body information using the measured voltage.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
compare the measured voltage with a preset first threshold voltage, and measure the user body information based on a result of the comparison.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the first threshold voltage is set to a voltage sensed by a contact of the user's body portion at one of at least two spots of the touch screen before the power is applied to the first coil.

13 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the user body information comprises at least one of body composition information, body fat information, body fat-free information, body water information, body muscle information, body protein information, and body mineral information for the user's body.

14 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
identify a contact area for the user's body, and compensate for the measured user body information based on the identified contact area.

15 . A method for measuring user body information by an electronic device, the method comprising:
detecting a contact of a user's body portion on at least two spots of a touch screen of the electronic device; upon detecting the contact of the user's body portion on the at least two spots of the touch screen, applying power to a first coil in the electronic device; and measuring the user body information using at least one of a voltage and a second current measured after a first current is induced across the user's body by a first magnetic field generated from the first coil as the power is applied.

16 . An electronic device for measuring user body information, the electronic device comprising:
a touch screen; an electrode applying a current; a first coil disposed under the touch screen; and a processor configured to:
detect a contact of a user's body portion on the touch screen,
upon detecting the contact of the user's body portion on the touch screen, apply a first current to the user's body through the electrode,
measure a second current induced across the first coil by a first magnetic field generated by the first current, and
measure the user body information using the measured second current.

17 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the first coil is formed of a transparent film and embedded in the electronic device.

18 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
calculate a difference between the second current and the first current, and measure the user body information based on the calculated difference.

19 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to charge the electronic device using a third current induced across the first coil by a second magnetic field generated from outside the electronic device, determine whether to charge the electronic device based on at least one of an obtained user input, running an application related to the charging, a magnitude of the third current, and a magnitude of an impedance measured by the third current, and upon determining to charge the electronic device, charge the electronic device with the third current.

20 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
identify a contact area for the user's body, and compensate for the measured user body information based on the identified contact area.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sang-Bae
• Kim Do-Yoon
• Kim Young-Hyun
• Choi Byung-Hun
• Kang Jae-Eun
• Kim Chang-Hyun
• Yoon Kang-Jin
• Lee Jeong-Eun

Classifications

• A61B5/0537

  Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content · CPC title

• A61B5/4869

  Determining body composition · CPC title

• G16H40/67

  for remote operation · CPC title

• A61B5/01

  Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20) · CPC title

• A61B5/4875

  Hydration status, fluid retention of the body · CPC title