Adjustable wearable system having a modular sensor platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9592007-B2
Application number	US-201514719043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2015
Priority date	May 23, 2014
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

A wearable system and methods for measuring physiological data from a device worn about a body part of a user is provided comprising a base module and sensor module. The base module comprises a display and a base computing unit. The sensor module is spatially positioned relative to the base module and over a portion of the body part for measuring one or more physiological characteristics. The base module is adjustably positioned by the user relative to the sensor module such that the sensor module maintains its positioning over the body part for sufficient contact with the body part for accurate measurements of physiological data regardless of the anthropometric size of the body part.

First claim

We claim:

1. A wearable system for measuring physiological data from a device worn about a body part of a user comprising:
a base module, the base module comprising a display and a base computing unit;
a sensor module, being spaced apart from the base module, and spatially positioned relative to the base module to establish a contact over the body part for measuring one or more physiological characteristics; and
the base module being adjustably positioned relative to the sensor module to maintain the contact with the body part for accurate measurements of physiological data regardless of the anthropometric size of the body part.

2. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module is positioned over the underside of the wrist of the user.

3. The wearable system of claim 1 , where in the sensor module further maintains a pressure contact with the skin of the user to allow for continuous use by the user.

4. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module is removable.

5. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module is replaceable with a different type of sensor module.

6. The wearable system of claim 5 , wherein the sensor module further comprises sensor units and a sensor plate, and wherein the sensor units are removably coupled to the sensor plate, and wherein the sensor units are individually replaceable with different sensor units.

7. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module comprises a combination of electric and optical sensors.

8. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module comprises one or more of: biological sensors, proximity detectors for detecting the proximity of objects, and environmental sensors.

9. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module comprises sensor units that further comprises any combination of optical sensor array, a thermometer, a galvanic skin response (GSR) sensor array, a bioimpedance (BioZ) sensor array, and an electrocardiography (ECG) sensor.

10. The wearable system of claim 9 , further comprising a band, and wherein the optical sensor array is arranged on the band to straddle the optical sensor array about a blood vessel.

11. The wearable system of claim 9 , further comprising a band, and wherein the bioimpedance (BioZ) sensor array is arranged on the band to straddle the optical sensor array about a blood vessel.

12. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the base module further includes a base computing unit comprising a processor, memory, a communication interface and a set of sensors.

13. The wearable system of claim 1 , further comprising a strap having an interior surface, and wherein the sensor module is removably disposed on the interior surface of the strap.

14. The wearable system of claim 1 , further comprising a symmetrically adjustable band, and wherein the symmetrically adjustable band connects the base module and the sensor module.

15. The wearable system of claim 1 , further comprising a symmetrically adjustable band, and wherein the symmetrically adjustable band connects the base module and the sensor module, wherein the symmetrically adjustable band is a one-piece band.

16. The wearable system of claim 1 , further comprising at least two symmetrically adjustable sub-bands, and wherein the at least two symmetrically adjustable sub-bands connect the base module and the sensor module.

17. The wearable system of claim 1 , further comprising at least two symmetrically adjustable sub-bands, and wherein the at least two symmetrically adjustable bands connect the base module and the sensor module, wherein the at least two symmetrically adjustable sub-bands are one-piece bands.

18. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein a symmetrically adjustable band connects the base module and the sensor module, and the sensor module is co-molded to the band.

19. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein a symmetrically adjustable band connects the base module and the sensor module and the sensor module is co-molded to the band in a flexible gel.

20. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein at least two overlapping straps connect the base module and the sensor module.

21. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein a band comprises at least four links connected by a flex connection, and the band connects the base module and the sensor module.

22. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein a band comprises at least four links connected by a flex connection, and the band connects the base module and the sensor module.

23. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module comprises sensor units housed on a sensor plate removably coupled to the band.

24. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module is positioned on the forehead of the user and the display is oriented toward the user about the head.

25. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module adheres to the skin of a body part.

26. The wearable system of claim 25 , wherein the sensor module is positioned on the underside of the wrist.

27. The wearable system of claim 1 , the base module comprises a thin, flexible display adhered to the skin of a body part.

28. The wearable system of claim 25 , wherein the base module is positioned on the top side of the wrist.

29. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the body part is a wrist and the sizes of the wrist can range from 125 mm to 210 mm.

30. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the body part is the upper arm, waist, finger, ankle, neck, chest, foot or thigh.

31. The wearable system of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication unit positioned in the sensor module for transmitting physiological data via a wireless communications link to the base module.

32. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module and the base module are connected via a wire for power and communicate data wirelessly.

33. The wearable system of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication unit for transmitting physiological data via a wireless communications link to the base module and to a location remote from the system.

34. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module and the base module each contain battery power sources and communicate wirelessly between each other.

35. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module and the base module each contain battery power sources and communicate wirelessly between each other and to a location remote from the system.

36. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the base module wirelessly communicates with multiple sensor modules worn on different body parts of the user.

37. The wearable system of claim 1 , wherein the system further transmits data to a remote architecture for multi-modal interactions.

38. The wearable system of claim 37 , wherein the architecture comprises a layer of artificial intelligence between the system and one or more of: cloud devices, websites, online services, and applications.

39. The wearable system of claim 37 , wherein the system and the architecture communicate changes in user condition.

40. The wearable system of claim 37 , wherein architecture interacts with the system to

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nuovo Frank Settemo
• Phillips Sheldon George

Classifications

• A61B5/6843

  Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure · CPC title

• A61B5/0006

  ECG or EEG signals · CPC title

• A61B5/0059

  using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence (photoacoustic A61B5/0093; optical measurement of heart rate A61B5/02416; optical measurement of blood flow A61B5/0261; optical measurement of analytes A61B5/1455) · CPC title

• A61B5/7264

  Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems · CPC title

• A61B5/0004

  characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted · CPC title