Techniques For Selecting Skin-Electrode Interface Modulation Modes Based On Sensitivity Requirements And Providing Adjustments At The Skin-Electrode Interface To Achieve Desired Sensitivity Needs And Systems And Methods Of Use Thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024211045-A1
Application number	US-202318395323-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 22, 2023
Priority date	Dec 22, 2022
Publication date	Jun 27, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method of reducing and controlling values of at least one characteristic (e.g., impedance) associated with biopotential-signal sensors is provided. The apparatus, system, and method includes monitoring—based on data from a wearable device that includes a biopotential-signal sensor, a characteristic-stabilizing component, and a characteristic monitor—a characteristic at the sensor-skin interface that impacts the biopotential-signal sensor's ability to sense biopotential signals. In accordance with selecting a biopotential-signal sensitivity need, provide an adjustment (e.g., stimulation) to the characteristic in accordance with a sensitivity-stabilizing mode until the characteristic satisfies the first biopotential-signal sensitivity need. The adjustments may be provided in various methods to achieve desired results.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A wrist-wearable device for sensing biopotential signals comprising:
a plurality of biopotential-signal sensors, each respective biopotential-signal sensor configured to contact a user's skin at a respective sensor-skin interface and further configured to sense biopotential signals of the user; and an impedance-stabilizing component associated with at least a first biopotential-signal sensor of the plurality of biopotential-signal sensors, the first impedance-stabilizing component configured to direct a stimulation to a first sensor-skin interface associated with the first biopotential-signal sensor until an impedance value at the first sensor-skin interface is within a first desired range, the stimulation being compliant with a predefined safety standard.

2 . The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the impedance-stabilizing component is a first impedance-stabilizing component, and the wrist-wearable device further comprises:
a second impedance-stabilizing component associated with at least a second biopotential-signal sensor of the plurality of biopotential-signal sensors, the second impedance-stabilizing component configured to direct another stimulation to a second sensor-skin interface, distinct from the first sensor-skin interface, associated with the second biopotential-signal sensor until an impedance value at the second sensor-skin interface is within a second desired range, the other stimulation being compliant with the predefined safety standard.

3 . The wrist-wearable device of claim 2 , further comprising:
circuitry configured for detecting that the wrist-wearable device has been worn by a user; the first impedance-stabilizing component further configured to direct the stimulation as a result of the circuitry detecting that the wrist-wearable device has been worn; and the second impedance-stabilizing component further configured to direct the other stimulation as a result of the circuitry detecting that the wrist-wearable device has been worn.

4 . The wrist-wearable device of claim 2 , wherein:
in accordance with a determination that the impedance value at the first sensor-skin interface is not within the first desired range, the first impedance-stabilizing component is further configured to direct a stimulation as a result of the determination that the impedance value at the first sensor-skin interface is not within the first desired range; and in accordance with a determination that the impedance value at the second sensor-skin interface is not within the second desired range, the second impedance-stabilizing component is further configured to direct a stimulation as a result of the determination that the impedance value at the second sensor-skin interface is not within the second desired range.

5 . The wrist-wearable device of claim 2 , wherein:
the first impedance-stabilizing component is further configured to direct the stimulation to the first sensor-skin interface associated with the first biopotential-signal sensor for no more than a particular duration of time; and the second impedance-stabilizing component is configured to direct the stimulation to the second sensor-skin interface associated with the second biopotential-signal sensor for no more than the particular duration of time.

6 . The wrist-wearable device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first impedance monitor, the first impedance monitor configured to determine an impedance value at a first monitor-skin interface associated with the first biopotential-signal sensor, or the first impedance-stabilizing component, or both, wherein the first monitor-skin interface is distinct from the first sensor-skin interface; a second impedance monitor, the second impedance monitor configured to determine an impedance value at a second monitor-skin interface associated with the second biopotential-signal sensor, or the second impedance-stabilizing component, or both, wherein the second monitor-skin interface is distinct from the second sensor-skin interface; and wherein each respective impedance monitor is different from each respective biopotential-signal sensor and different from each respective impedance-stabilizing component.

7 . The wrist-wearable device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a plurality of electrodes; a first impedance monitor configured to determine the impedance value at the first sensor-skin interface; a second impedance monitor configured to determine the impedance value at the second sensor-skin interface; wherein the first impedance monitor, the first impedance-stabilizing component, and the first biopotential-signal sensor are within a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes; and wherein the second impedance monitor, the second impedance-stabilizing component, and the second biopotential-signal sensor are within a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes.

8 . The wrist-wearable device of claim 2 , further comprising:
circuitry configured for learning at least one characteristic of a user; the circuitry further configured for storing the at least one characteristic of the user; and wherein the first and second impedance-stabilizing components are further configured to direct respective stimulations based on at least one stored characteristic of the user.

9 . The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein:
the impedance-stabilizing component is further configured to direct the stimulation for a certain time period; and the certain time period being within a range of 1 millisecond to 60 seconds.

10 . The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein:
the impedance-stabilizing component is a current generator configured to direct a stimulation of between 7 and 40 Volts.

11 . The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein:
the predefined safety standard is the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62368-1 standard and the stimulations are within one of ES1, ES2, or ES3 levels.

12 . The wrist-wearable device of claim 10 , wherein:
the impedance-stabilizing component is further configured to measure one or more properties of the impedance-stabilizing component; the impedance-stabilizing component is further configured to determine stimulation parameters from the measured properties and from at least one stored characteristic of the user; and the impedance-stabilizing component is further configured to direct a stimulation based on the determination.

13 . The wrist-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein:
the impedance-stabilizing component being configured to direct the stimulation to the first sensor-skin interface associated with the first biopotential-signal sensor until the impedance value at the first sensor-skin interface is within the first desired range includes the impedance-stabilizing component being configured to direct a first stimulation with a first value for a stimulation characteristic at the first sensor-skin interface; an impedance monitor configured to, after the first stimulation, measure or estimate a first impedance value at the first sensor-skin interface; and the impedance-stabilizing component being further configured to, after the measurement or estimation of the first impedance value at the first sensor-skin interface, apply a second stimulation with a second value for the stimulation characteristic, the second value being distinct from the first value.

14 . A method comprising:
at a wrist-wearable device including a plurality of biopotential-signal sensors:
sensing, via the plurality of biopotential-signal sensors, biopotential signals of a user, each respective biopotential-signal sensor configured to con

Assignees

• Meta Platforms Tech Llc

Inventors

• Vanwyk Eric
• Demenschonok Filipp
• WEI Pinghung
• Flynn Brendan Patrick
• Li Zidong

Classifications

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/015 Primary

  Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection · CPC title

• G06F11/3058

  Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations (thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206) · CPC title

• G06F2201/86

  Event-based monitoring · CPC title

• G06F11/3041

  where the computing system component is an input/output interface (interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00) · CPC title