Temperature measurement apparatus and temperature measurement method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9952105-B2
Application number	US-201615061334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2016
Priority date	Mar 6, 2015
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A temperature measurement apparatus includes a first temperature sensor disposed so as to be close to a contact surface with an object to be measured in a thickness direction of an apparatus main body, and a second temperature sensor disposed so as to be close to a display unit in the thickness direction of the apparatus main body. The display unit is switched between a first display state and a second display state by switching a mark between display and non-display. An internal temperature of the object to be measured is calculated by using a detected temperature in the first temperature sensor and a detected temperature in the second temperature sensor in the first display state, and a detected temperature in the first temperature sensor and a detected temperature in the second temperature sensor in the second display state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A temperature measurement apparatus comprising:
a display unit;
a first temperature sensor that is disposed so as to be close to a contact surface with an object to be measured in a thickness direction of an apparatus main body;
a second temperature sensor that is disposed so as to be close to the display unit in the thickness direction of the apparatus main body; and
a calculation processing unit that calculates an internal temperature of the object to be measured by using a first state first temperature detected by the first temperature sensor and a first state second temperature detected by the second temperature sensor when the display unit is in a first display state, and a second state first temperature detected by the first temperature sensor and a second state second temperature detected by the second temperature sensor when the display unit is in a second display state.

2. The temperature measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second temperature sensor is disposed under a portion of the display unit whose display color is changed in the first display state and the second display state.

3. The temperature measurement apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein, in the display unit and the second temperature sensor, an area of the portion of the display unit is larger than an area of the second temperature sensor in a plan view.

4. The temperature measurement apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein, in the display unit and the second temperature sensor, an area of the portion of the display unit is three times larger or more than an area of the second temperature sensor in a plan view.

5. The temperature measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are disposed at positions to which distances from an outer edge or the center of the apparatus main body are different from each other in a plan view.

6. The temperature measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the calculation processing unit calculates an internal temperature of the object to be measured on the basis of the following equation:
T c =( T a1 ·T b2 −T b1 ·T a2 )/( T a1 −T a2 −T b1 +T b2 )

where, T c indicates an internal temperature, T a1 indicates the first state first temperature, T a2 indicates the second state first temperature, T b1 indicates the first state second temperature, and the T b2 indicates the second state second temperature.

7. The temperature measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the object to be measured is a human body, and
wherein the temperature measurement apparatus is configured as a wearable apparatus.

8. The temperature measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display unit includes a liquid crystal display.

9. The temperature measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display unit includes an electrophoretic device.

10. A temperature measurement method for a temperature measurement apparatus including a display unit, a first temperature sensor that is disposed so as to be close to a contact surface with an object to be measured in a thickness direction of an apparatus main body, and a second temperature sensor that is disposed so as to be close to the display unit in the thickness direction of the apparatus main body, the method comprising:
switching the display unit between a first display state and a second display state; and
calculating an internal temperature of the object to be measured by using a first state first temperature detected by the first temperature sensor and a first state second temperature detected by the second temperature sensor when the display unit is in the first display state, and a second state first temperature detected by the first temperature sensor and a second state second temperature detected by the second temperature sensor when the display unit is in the second display state.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Shimizu Sakiko
• Ikeda Akira

Classifications

• A61B5/6802

  Sensor mounted on worn items · 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

• G01K1/02

  Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers · CPC title

• G01K1/165 Primary

  for application in zero heat flux sensors · CPC title

• G01K7/00 Primary

  Measuring temperature based on the use of electric or magnetic elements directly sensitive to heat (giving results other than momentary value of temperature G01K3/00) {; Power supply therefor, e.g. using thermoelectric elements} · CPC title