KR20250042032A - Wearable device and method for measuring body temperature using ultrasonic wave thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

According to various embodiments of the present document, a temperature sensor for measuring a user's body temperature, a wireless communication circuit supporting wireless communication with an external device, at least one ultrasonic sensor, a memory, and a processor operatively connected to the temperature sensor, the wireless communication circuit, the at least one ultrasonic sensor, and the memory. The processor may set a reference body temperature based on at least one of body temperature information measured by the temperature sensor or body temperature information received from the external device through the wireless communication circuit, and, when the electronic device is worn by the user, may measure a first speed of an ultrasonic wave passing through the user's body using the at least one ultrasonic sensor, and may store the measured first speed of the ultrasonic wave and the set reference body temperature in the memory as reference information. The processor may be set to measure a second speed of an ultrasonic signal passing through the user's body using the at least one ultrasonic sensor after storing the reference information, and compensate for the reference body temperature based on a difference between the measured first speed and the second speed, thereby generating compensated body temperature information.

Description

{WEARABLE DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MEASURING BODY TEMPERATURE USING ULTRASONIC WAVE THEREOF}

The present disclosure relates to a wearable device, and more particularly, to a method for measuring a user's body temperature using an ultrasonic sensor included in a wearable device.

In order to provide users with diverse user experiences, various types of electronic devices are being developed. Wearable devices are electronic devices that can be worn on the user's body, for example, they can be configured to be worn on the user's head, wrist, or finger, and can provide various functions. As an example of a wearable device, a smart ring that can be worn on the finger in the form of a ring is being developed.

Wearable devices such as smart rings may include biometric sensors that can measure various biometric information such as body temperature, heart rate, electrocardiogram, and blood pressure when worn on the user's body. In the case of a temperature sensor that measures body temperature, the temperature of the user's skin can be measured through an optical signal (e.g., an infrared signal) based on the Stefan-Boltzmann law, which states that radiant energy per unit area is proportional to the fourth power of the absolute temperature.

The above information may be provided as related art for the purpose of assisting in understanding the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the above is applicable as prior art related to the present disclosure.

When measuring body temperature using a temperature sensor using optical signals in a wearable device such as a smart ring, the accuracy may decrease depending on external factors because the temperature is measured on the skin surface. For example, since the wearable device is worn on the wrist or finger, it is easily affected by the clothes or gloves the user is wearing, and since the skin is exposed to the external temperature, there may be an error with the actual body temperature.

An electronic device according to the present disclosure (or specification, invention) may include a temperature sensor for measuring a user's body temperature, a wireless communication circuit supporting wireless communication with an external device, at least one ultrasonic sensor, a memory, and a processor operatively connected to the temperature sensor, the wireless communication circuit, the at least one ultrasonic sensor, and the memory.

According to one embodiment, the processor may set a reference body temperature based on at least one of body temperature information measured by the temperature sensor or body temperature information received from the external device via the wireless communication circuit, measure a first speed of ultrasonic waves passing through the user's body using the at least one ultrasonic sensor while the electronic device is worn by the user, and store the measured first speed of the ultrasonic waves and the set reference body temperature as reference information in the memory.

According to one embodiment, the processor may be configured to, after storing the reference information, measure a second speed of an ultrasonic signal passing through the user's body using the at least one ultrasonic sensor, and compensate for the reference body temperature based on a difference between the measured first speed and the second speed, thereby generating compensated body temperature information.

A method for measuring body temperature using ultrasonic waves in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present document may include: setting a reference body temperature based on at least one of body temperature information measured by a temperature sensor and body temperature information received from an external device; measuring a first speed of ultrasonic waves passing through a user's body using at least one ultrasonic sensor while the electronic device is worn by the user; storing the measured first speed of ultrasonic waves and the set reference body temperature in a memory as reference information; measuring a second speed of an ultrasonic signal passing through the user's body using the at least one ultrasonic sensor after storing the reference information; and compensating for the reference body temperature based on a difference between the measured first speed and the second speed, thereby generating compensated body temperature information.

According to various embodiments of the present document, an electronic device includes a display, a wireless communication circuit supporting wireless communication with an external device, a memory, and a processor operatively connected to the display, the wireless communication circuit, and the memory, wherein the processor may be configured to set a reference body temperature based on at least one of a user input through the display or body temperature information received from the external device through the wireless communication circuit, receive a first speed of ultrasonic waves passing through a body of a user measured by the at least one ultrasonic sensor by the external device through the wireless communication circuit, store the measured first speed of ultrasonic waves and the set reference body temperature as reference information in the memory, and after storing the reference information, receive a second speed of ultrasonic waves passing through a body of the user measured by the at least one ultrasonic sensor by the external device through the wireless communication circuit, and compensate for the reference body temperature based on a difference between the received first speed and the second speed, thereby generating compensated body temperature information.

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present document includes a first ultrasonic sensor, a second ultrasonic sensor disposed spaced apart from the first ultrasonic sensor, a memory, and a processor operatively connected to the first ultrasonic sensor, the second ultrasonic sensor, and the memory, wherein the memory stores a mapping table that maps a movement speed of the ultrasonic signal and a body temperature of a user for each movement path of the ultrasonic signal, and the processor verifies a movement speed of a first ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor and received through a straight path between the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor, verifies a movement speed of a second ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor and received through a reflection path reflected by a part of a user's body, calculates a weighted average of the movement speed of the first ultrasonic signal and the movement speed of the second ultrasonic signal, and calculates a weighted average of the movement speed of the first ultrasonic signal and the movement speed of the second ultrasonic signal from the mapping table stored in the memory. It can be set to obtain body temperature information corresponding to the average, and determine the body temperature information obtained from the mapping table as the user's current body temperature.

According to various embodiments of the present document, a body temperature measurement method using ultrasound can be provided, which can measure the temperature inside a user's body using an ultrasonic sensor, and can measure body temperature more accurately by using ultrasonic signals of various paths to improve the accuracy of the ultrasonic sensor.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments.
FIG. 2 illustrates a wearable device and a portable device according to one embodiment.
FIG. 3a is a block diagram of a wearable device according to one embodiment.
FIG. 3b is a diagram illustrating a sensor arrangement structure of a wearable device according to one embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a portable device according to one embodiment.
FIG. 5 is for explaining the principle of an ultrasonic sensor of a wearable device according to one embodiment.
Figure 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the temperature of a medium and the speed of ultrasonic waves according to one embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining changes in the speed of an ultrasonic signal according to changes in body temperature according to one embodiment.
FIG. 8 illustrates a signal detected at a receiving end of an ultrasonic sensor according to one embodiment.
FIG. 9 illustrates signals measured on the direct path and reflected path of an ultrasonic signal according to one embodiment.
FIG. 10 illustrates transmission paths of ultrasonic signals according to one embodiment.
FIG. 11 illustrates a change in a signal received from an ultrasonic sensor according to a change in the wearing state of a wearable device according to one embodiment.
FIG. 12 illustrates a UI provided by a portable device according to one embodiment.
Fig. 13 is a flow chart of a method for measuring body temperature using ultrasound of a wearable device according to one embodiment.
Fig. 14 is a flow chart of a method for measuring body temperature using ultrasound of a wearable device and a portable device according to one embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components. In addition, in the drawings and related descriptions, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) in a network environment (100) according to various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 1, in the network environment (100), the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (102) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with at least one of the electronic device (104) or the server (108) via a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) via the server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In some embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).

The processor (120) may control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of an electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing, for example, software (e.g., a program (140)), and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculations, the processor (120) may store a command or data received from another component (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the command or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store result data in a nonvolatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor) that can operate independently or together with the main processor (121). For example, when the electronic device (101) includes the main processor (121) and the auxiliary processor (123), the auxiliary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a given function. The auxiliary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one of the components of the electronic device (101) (e.g., the display module (160), the sensor module (176), or the communication module (190)), for example, on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a neural network processing device) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence models may be generated through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, in the electronic device (101) itself on which the artificial intelligence model is executed, or may be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers. The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), deep Q-networks, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to the hardware structure, the artificial intelligence model may additionally or alternatively include a software structure.

The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include volatile memory (132) or nonvolatile memory (134).

The program (140) may be stored as software in memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

The audio output module (155) can output an audio signal to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive an incoming call. According to one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as a part thereof.

The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) can include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) can include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can obtain sound through an input module (150), or output sound through an audio output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (102)) (e.g., a speaker or a headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).

The sensor module (176) can detect an operating state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) or an external environmental state (e.g., user state) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). In one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module (179) can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that a user can perceive through a tactile or kinesthetic sense. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The camera module (180) can capture still images and moving images. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) can include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery (189) can power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) can include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

The communication module (190) may support establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102), the electronic device (104), or the server (108)), and performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (e.g., the application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, a corresponding communication module may communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) may use subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196) to identify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199).

The wireless communication module (192) can support a 5G network and next-generation communication technology after a 4G network, for example, NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), terminal power minimization and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) may support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) may support various requirements specified in an electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., a second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) may support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each, or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.

The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from the outside (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) can include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) can include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (198) or the second network (199), can be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module (190). A signal or power can be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and the external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) can be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (197).

According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC positioned on or adjacent a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high-frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) positioned on or adjacent a second side (e.g., a top side or a side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high-frequency band.

At least some of the above components may be connected to each other and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, a general purpose input and output (GPIO), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), or a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)).

In one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102, or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may, instead of executing the function or service itself or in addition, request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least a part of the function or service. One or more external electronic devices that have received the request may execute at least a part of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may provide the result, as is or additionally processed, as at least a part of a response to the request. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. The electronic device (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an IoT (Internet of Things) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and/or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199). The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

FIG. 2 illustrates a wearable device and a portable device according to one embodiment.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may be an electronic device that can be worn on a body by a user, and has a biometric information sensing function and a wireless communication function. Referring to FIG. 2, the wearable device (200) may be a smart ring in the form of a ring that a user wears on a finger, but is not limited thereto, and may be implemented as other types of wearable devices (200) such as a smart watch, a smart band, smart glasses, smart clothes, and smart headphones.

According to one embodiment, the portable device (300) may be a portable electronic device such as a smart phone or a tablet PC. The portable device (300) may provide various user interfaces through various types of input devices (e.g., display, microphone, key, stylus) and output devices (e.g., display, speaker, haptic module). The portable device (300) may connect to a network through cellular communication (e.g., 4G LTE, 5G NR) or wireless LAN communication (e.g., WiFi). According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) and the portable device (300) may communicate with each other through short-range wireless communication. For example, the wearable device (200) and the portable device (300) may be connected through Bluetooth (or Bluetooth low energy) or WiFi (or WiFi direct).

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may include at least one biometric sensor to measure various biometric information of the user, such as body temperature, heart rate, electrocardiogram, and blood pressure. The wearable device (200) may transmit the measured biometric information to a portable device (300) through established short-range wireless communication.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) can measure the speed (or travel time) of ultrasonic waves passing through the user's body using an ultrasonic sensor. The wearable device (200) includes at least one ultrasonic sensor capable of outputting and/or receiving ultrasonic signals, and when the wearable device (200) is worn on the user's body (e.g., a finger), an ultrasonic signal output from one ultrasonic sensor can be detected by the ultrasonic sensor and/or another ultrasonic sensor located apart from the wearable device (200).

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) and/or the portable device (300) can measure the body temperature of the user based on the speed (or travel time) of the ultrasonic signal received from at least one ultrasonic sensor. Various embodiments of the present document can be divided into the following embodiments according to a device for measuring body temperature information by analyzing an ultrasonic signal and a method for measuring body temperature by using an ultrasonic signal. According to the first embodiment, the wearable device (200) can set a reference body temperature using a temperature sensor, and determine body temperature information compensated from the set reference body temperature by analyzing an ultrasonic signal. According to the second embodiment, the wearable device (200) can determine body temperature information by analyzing ultrasonic signals of various paths (e.g., direct path, reflected path) acquired from a plurality of ultrasonic sensors without using the temperature sensor. According to the third embodiment, the portable device (300) can set a reference body temperature of the user, and determine body temperature information compensated from the reference body temperature by analyzing information of an ultrasonic signal received from the wearable device (200). The first to third embodiments described above (and described later) are distinguished to help understand the content of the invention, and the various embodiments of this document are not limited thereto. In the following, descriptions of features that are the same or corresponding to each embodiment may be omitted in some embodiments.

FIG. 3a is a block diagram of a wearable device according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the wearable device (200) may include various sensors (240), wireless communication circuits (220), a processor (210), and a memory (230). Even if some of the illustrated configurations are omitted or replaced with other configurations, various embodiments of the present document may be implemented. In addition to the illustrated configurations, the wearable device (200) may further include at least some of the configurations and/or functions of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1. At least some of the illustrated configurations may be electrically, functionally, and/or operatively connected to each other.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may include a ring-type housing (not shown). For example, the housing may be in a form that surrounds an empty central hole so that the wearable device (200) can be worn on a user's finger. Some of the components of the wearable device (200) may be arranged within the housing, and others may be at least partially exposed to the outside. According to one embodiment, at least one sensor (e.g., a biometric sensor (270), a temperature sensor (260), an ultrasonic sensor (250)) for obtaining biometric information of the user may be arranged in a direction from the housing toward the central hole. The housing structure of the wearable device (200) and the arrangement structure of each component including the sensors will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3b.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may include various types of sensors (240). In FIG. 3A, a temperature sensor (260), an ultrasonic sensor (250), and a biometric sensor (270) are illustrated, but are not limited thereto. The wearable device (200) may include at least some of the configurations and/or functions of the sensor module (176) of FIG. 1.

According to one embodiment, the biometric sensor (270) can obtain various biometric information of the user. For example, the biometric sensor (270) can be a PPG (photoplethysmogram) sensor that can obtain various biometric information such as heart rate and blood circulation by measuring a plethysmogram according to an optical signal, but is not limited thereto. The wearable device (200) can further include at least one sensor that can obtain biometric information such as heart rate and electrocardiogram.

In one embodiment, the temperature sensor (260) can measure the body temperature of the user. For example, the temperature sensor (260) can measure the temperature of the user's skin through an optical signal (e.g., an infrared signal) based on the Stefan-Boltzmann law, which states that radiant energy per unit area is proportional to the fourth power of the absolute temperature. The type of the temperature sensor (260) and/or the method for measuring body temperature are not limited thereto, and the temperature sensor (260) defined in this document can include any type of temperature sensor that can measure body temperature using information other than ultrasound.

According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor (250) can output and receive ultrasonic signals. For example, the ultrasonic sensor (250) includes at least one piezoelectric element that operates as a transmitter and receiver of an ultrasonic signal, and when an electrical signal is input to the piezoelectric element, vibration is generated to output ultrasonic waves, and the ultrasonic vibration detected by the piezoelectric element can be converted into an electrical signal to receive an ultrasonic signal. According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor (250) includes a control unit configured as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and an interface for outputting vibration to the outside of the housing, and can be connected to a processor (210) and a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) (not shown). Hereinafter, various embodiments for measuring a user's body temperature using the ultrasonic sensor (250) will be described, but data sensed by the ultrasonic sensor (250) can be used in various fields in addition to body temperature measurement.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may include a plurality of ultrasonic sensors (250) that are arranged spaced apart from each other. For example, the plurality of ultrasonic sensors (250) may be arranged in a direction toward a central hole in a ring-type housing, and may be arranged spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance to measure a change in a moving speed of an ultrasonic signal. According to one embodiment, at least some of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors (250) may be arranged so that an ultrasonic signal forms a direct path that does not pass through a user's bones when the user wears the wearable device (200).

According to one embodiment, the wireless communication circuit (220) may include various hardware and/or software configurations for supporting wireless communication with an external device. The wireless communication circuit (220) may support short-range wireless communication (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth), and the wearable device (200) may transmit and receive various data with an adjacent external device (e.g., a portable device (300) of FIG. 2) through the wireless communication circuit (220). The wireless communication circuit (220) may include at least some of the configurations and/or functions of the communication module (190) of FIG. 1.

According to one embodiment, the memory (230) may temporarily or permanently store various data, including volatile memory and non-volatile memory. The memory (230) may include at least some of the configuration and/or functions of the memory (130) of FIG. 1, and may store the program (140) of FIG. 1. The memory (230) may store various instructions that may be performed by the processor (210). Such instructions may include arithmetic and logical operations, data movement, and control commands including input/output that may be recognized by the processor (210).

According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may be configured to perform calculations or data processing related to control and/or communication of each component of the wearable device (200), and may be configured with one or more processors. The processor (210) may include at least some of the configurations and/or functions of the processor (120) of FIG. 1. The processor (210) may be operatively, functionally, and/or electrically connected to each component of the wearable device (200), such as sensors (240), wireless communication circuits (220), and memory (230). The calculation and data processing functions that the processor (210) may implement on the wearable device (200) are not limited, but this document will describe various embodiments for measuring (or compensating for) a user's body temperature using an ultrasonic sensor (250). The operations of the processor (210) to be described later can be performed by loading instructions stored in the memory (230).

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) can measure the user's body temperature using the temperature sensor (260). Since the temperature sensor (260) measures the temperature of the skin surface using the Stefan-Boltzmann law, its accuracy may decrease due to external factors. In particular, since the wearable device (200) is worn on the user's hand or wrist, it is easily affected by the clothes or gloves the user is wearing, and since the skin is exposed to the external temperature, an error may occur with the actual body temperature. Accordingly, the wearable device (200) can measure the user's current body temperature using the ultrasonic sensor (250) and/or compensate for the body temperature information measured using the temperature sensor (260).

According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may measure the current body temperature of the user using the ultrasonic sensor (250) when worn by the user, or compensate for it from the reference body temperature. The speed of the ultrasonic signal may depend on the temperature of the medium. For example, when measured on a medium of the same property (e.g., density), the speed of the ultrasonic signal may increase substantially in proportion to the temperature of the medium. Since most of the human body is made of water, the speed of the ultrasonic wave passing through the body according to the temperature of the medium may have a similar tendency to the change in the speed of the ultrasonic wave according to the temperature in water. The relationship between the temperature of the medium and the speed of the ultrasonic signal will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 6.

According to one embodiment, since the ultrasonic signal is transmitted as a vibration, the ultrasonic signal detected by the ultrasonic sensor (250) may have a form of a wave input with various amplitudes. According to one embodiment, in order to determine the arrival time of the ultrasonic signal, the processor (210) may recognize a signal having an amplitude greater than or equal to a first reference value among the ultrasonic signals obtained from each ultrasonic sensor (250) as a direct signal, and recognize the first peak point greater than or equal to the first reference value as the arrival time of the direct signal.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may store a mapping table that maps and stores the speed of an ultrasonic signal and the body temperature in the memory (230). For example, the wearable device (200) may map and store the body temperature information set by the user's input through the temperature sensor (260), the ultrasonic sensor (250), or the UI (user interface) and the movement speed of an ultrasonic signal measured in the corresponding body temperature state. Alternatively, the table stored in the memory (230) may store and map the body temperature and the movement speed of an ultrasonic signal experimentally determined according to the general characteristics of the body, and/or may be generated based on big data including body temperature information and movement speed collected from various wearable devices (200). When the movement speed of an ultrasonic signal is measured using the ultrasonic sensor (250), the processor (210) may check the temperature value mapped to the movement speed of the ultrasonic sensor (250) in the table stored in the memory (230). According to another embodiment, the wearable device (200) may store a formula that can calculate body temperature from the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal.

According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may correct the table stored in the memory (230) and/or the formula for calculating the body temperature based on the user's body information (e.g., body fat percentage, musculoskeletal mass, BMI index) measured using another sensor (e.g., biometric sensor (270)). The moving speed of the ultrasonic signal may change depending on the properties of the medium, and since the body information such as the body fat percentage reflects the properties of the medium, the moving speed of the ultrasonic signal measured at the same body temperature may also change when the body information changes. Accordingly, the wearable device (200) may check the body information measured by the wearable device (200) and/or input on the portable device, and correct the body temperature information mapped to the moving speed of the ultrasonic signal on the table based on the checked body information.

According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may determine a table and/or formula used to calculate body temperature in response to the wearing state of the wearable device (200). For example, when a user turns a ring-type wearable device (200), the characteristics of a medium in the path of movement of an ultrasonic signal may change, and thus a body temperature value corresponding to the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal may change. Accordingly, the wearable device (200) may store a plurality of tables (or formulas) each corresponding to the wearing state (or angle) of the wearable device (200), and may determine body temperature information corresponding to the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal by using the table corresponding to the detected wearing state.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) includes a plurality of ultrasonic sensors (250), and can determine body temperature information of the user by using ultrasonic signals of various paths formed by the plurality of ultrasonic sensors (250). For example, an ultrasonic signal output from a first ultrasonic sensor can be transmitted to a second ultrasonic sensor and a third ultrasonic sensor through a direct path, and can be transmitted to the first ultrasonic sensor, the second ultrasonic sensor, and the third ultrasonic sensor through a reflection path reflected from the user's bone. In addition, when the second ultrasonic sensor outputs an ultrasonic signal, and also when the second ultrasonic sensor outputs an ultrasonic signal, the ultrasonic signal can be received from each ultrasonic sensor (250) through a plurality of paths. According to one embodiment, the processor (210) can calculate an average (or a weighted average) of the movement speed of the ultrasonic wave based on a plurality of ultrasonic data acquired from each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors (250), and can acquire body temperature information corresponding to the calculated average value.

Below, various embodiments of measuring body temperature information by analyzing the movement speed of an ultrasonic signal are described.

[First embodiment]

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) can set a reference body temperature and analyze an ultrasonic signal to determine body temperature information compensated from the set reference body temperature.

According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may set body temperature information measured by the temperature sensor (260) as the reference body temperature. The temperature sensor (260) may measure the user's body temperature information using a signal other than the ultrasonic sensor (250) (e.g., an infrared signal).

According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may receive the user's body temperature information from the portable device through the wireless communication circuit (220). For example, the portable device may provide a user interface (UI) for inputting the current body temperature on a healthcare application. The user may select a finger to wear the wearable device (200) on the UI provided on the portable device and directly input the user's body temperature. The processor (210) may set the user's body temperature information received from the portable device as the reference body temperature.

According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may measure a first speed (or reference speed) of ultrasonic waves passing through the user's body using at least one ultrasonic sensor (250) while the wearable device (200) is worn by the user. For example, the processor (210) may measure the first speed of ultrasonic waves using the ultrasonic sensor (250) in response to obtaining body temperature information through the temperature sensor (260) and/or receiving body temperature information from a portable device. That is, the first speed of ultrasonic waves may be measured in a state where the body temperature is the reference body temperature. The processor (210) may store the reference body temperature and the measured first speed of ultrasonic waves as reference information in the memory (230). According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may determine the first speed based on the movement speeds each of which is obtained from the movement paths of a plurality of ultrasonic signals when measuring the first speed (or reference speed).

According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may measure the second speed of the ultrasonic waves using the ultrasonic sensor (250) when a body temperature measurement event occurs after storing the reference information. For example, the processor (210) may measure the second speed of the ultrasonic waves by outputting an ultrasonic signal periodically after storing the reference information and/or when the user checks the current body temperature using a healthcare application of a portable device. According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may determine the second speed based on the movement speeds acquired from each movement path of a plurality of ultrasonic signals when measuring the second speed. Since the user is continuously wearing the wearable device (200), the medium of the movement path of the ultrasonic signals output from each ultrasonic sensor (250) may be considered to be the same as when the reference body temperature is set. Accordingly, when the current body temperature is higher than the reference body temperature, the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal may become faster than the reference speed, and when the current body temperature is lower than the reference body temperature, the movement speed of the ultrasonic waves may become slower than the reference speed. According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may control the ultrasonic signal output of the ultrasonic sensor (250) at a sampling rate higher than a reference rate to accurately measure the second speed when a body temperature measurement event occurs.

According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may generate compensated body temperature information by compensating for the reference body temperature based on the difference between the first speed (or reference speed) and the second speed of the ultrasonic signal. For example, the processor (210) may compensate for a value higher than the reference body temperature when the second speed of the ultrasonic signal is measured faster than the first speed, and may compensate for a value lower than the reference body temperature when the second speed of the ultrasonic signal is measured faster than the first speed. The larger the difference between the first speed and the second speed, the larger the size of the compensated body temperature value.

In one embodiment, the processor (210) can transmit compensated body temperature information to the portable device via the wireless communication circuit (220). The portable device can provide the received body temperature information to the user via the healthcare application.

In one embodiment, when a user takes the wearable device (200) off his or her finger and then puts it back on, or when the wearing state (e.g., wearing position, angle) changes, the processor (210) may set the reference body temperature and reference speed again, as the characteristics of the medium through which the ultrasonic signal travels may be considered to have changed.

[Second embodiment]

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) can determine body temperature information by analyzing ultrasonic signals of various paths (e.g., direct path, reflected path) obtained from a plurality of ultrasonic sensors (250) without using a temperature sensor (260).

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may include a plurality of ultrasonic sensors (250), for example, a first ultrasonic sensor, a second ultrasonic sensor, and a third ultrasonic sensor that are spaced apart from each other.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may store a table that maps the speed of an ultrasonic signal and body temperature in the memory (230). For example, the table may be generated by considering general characteristics of a human body and physical characteristics of a user of the wearable device (200), and may be generated by experimentally and/or statistically calculating for various users. Alternatively, the table may be generated by measuring the movement speed of an ultrasonic signal and mapping the body temperature and movement speed when the body temperature is measured through a temperature sensor (260) and/or body temperature information is input by a user. According to another embodiment, the wearable device (200) may store a formula that can calculate the body temperature from the movement speed of an ultrasonic signal.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) can output an ultrasonic signal through the first ultrasonic sensor, and calculate a movement speed of the ultrasonic signal from the arrival times of the ultrasonic signals received from the first ultrasonic sensor, the second ultrasonic sensor, and the third ultrasonic sensor. In addition, the wearable device (200) can output an ultrasonic signal of the second ultrasonic sensor, calculate a movement speed of the ultrasonic signal from the arrival times of the ultrasonic signals received from each ultrasonic sensor (250), and output an ultrasonic signal of the third ultrasonic sensor, calculate a movement speed of the ultrasonic signal from the arrival times of the ultrasonic signals received from each ultrasonic sensor (250). A direct signal and a reflected signal can be input from the receiving ultrasonic sensor (250), and the processor (210) can calculate a movement speed of the ultrasonic signal based on the distances of the direct path and the reflected path.

According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may analyze the travel time of a direct signal and the travel time of a reflected signal obtained from a plurality of ultrasonic signals, and calculate the travel time of the ultrasonic signal. For example, the wearable device (200) may assign weights to the first speed calculated according to the arrival time of the direct signal and the second speed calculated according to the arrival time of the reflected signal, and calculate the weighted average to calculate the travel speed of the ultrasonic signal. According to one embodiment, the processor (210) may obtain body temperature information mapped to the calculated travel speed from a table stored in the memory (230), and/or input the body temperature information into a stored formula to measure the current body temperature information.

According to one embodiment, the processor (210) can transmit the measured current body temperature information to the portable device through the wireless communication circuit (220). The portable device can provide the received body temperature information to the user through the healthcare application.

[Third embodiment]

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may measure the arrival time and/or movement speed of an ultrasonic signal using an ultrasonic sensor (250) and transmit the measured data to a portable device. According to one embodiment, the data transmitted from the wearable device (200) to the portable device may include body temperature information measured by a temperature sensor (260) and movement speeds of ultrasonic signals in a plurality of movement paths measured using a plurality of ultrasonic sensors (250).

According to one embodiment, the portable device can set the body temperature information received from the wearable device (200) or the current body temperature input by the user through the UI as the reference body temperature. The portable device can store the first speed of the ultrasonic waves received from the wearable device (200) as the reference information in the memory of the portable device.

According to one embodiment, the portable device may store a table that maps the speed of the ultrasonic signal and the body temperature in the memory. Here, the table stored in the memory of the portable device may be the same as the table stored in the memory (230) of the wearable device (200) in the first embodiment.

According to one embodiment, when a body temperature measurement event occurs, the processor (210) may measure a second speed of ultrasonic waves using the ultrasonic sensor (250) and transmit the measured second speed to the portable device. According to one embodiment, when measuring the second speed, the processor (210) may determine the second speed based on the movement speeds obtained from each of the movement paths of a plurality of ultrasonic signals.

According to one embodiment, the portable device may generate compensated body temperature information by compensating for the reference body temperature based on the difference between the first speed (or reference speed) and the second speed of the ultrasonic signal. For example, the portable device may compensate for a value higher than the reference body temperature when the second speed of the ultrasonic signal is measured faster than the first speed, and may compensate for a value lower than the reference body temperature when the second speed of the ultrasonic signal is measured faster than the first speed. The larger the difference between the first speed and the second speed, the larger the size of the compensated body temperature value.

In one embodiment, the mobile device may provide the user with body temperature information received via a healthcare application.

FIG. 3b is a diagram illustrating a sensor arrangement structure of a wearable device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3b illustrates a sensor arrangement structure of a wearable device implemented as a smart ring. The illustrated arrangement structure corresponds to one embodiment, and various embodiments of this document are not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 3b, the wearable device (200) may include a ring-type housing (not shown). For example, the housing may be of a type that surrounds an empty central hole so that it can be worn on a user's finger.

According to one embodiment, a plurality of ultrasonic sensors (252, 254, 256) (e.g., a first ultrasonic sensor (252), a second ultrasonic sensor (254), and a third ultrasonic sensor (256)) may be arranged on a housing of a wearable device (200). Each of the ultrasonic sensors (252, 254, 256) may be spaced apart from each other, and the plurality of ultrasonic sensors (252, 254, 256) may be arranged on the lower side of the housing so that a medium (e.g., a bone) that reflects an ultrasonic signal is not located between the direct paths between the ultrasonic sensors (252, 254, 256) when a user wears the wearable device (200). Each ultrasonic sensor (252, 254, 256) includes a control unit consisting of an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) and an interface for outputting vibrations to the outside of the housing, and can be connected to a processor (210) and a PMIC (power management integrated circuit) (284).

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may include a photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor as an example of a biometric sensor. The PPG sensor may include a plurality of emitters (272a, 272b, 272c) that output optical signals and a plurality of receivers (271a, 271b) that receive optical signals output from the emitters (272a, 272b, 272c). Each of the emitters (272a, 272b, 272c) and the receivers (271a, 271b) of the PPG sensor may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may include a temperature sensor (260) that measures the temperature of the user's skin using an optical signal (e.g., an infrared signal). The temperature sensor (260) may be placed next to the first receiver (271a) of the PPG sensor, but its location is not limited thereto.

In one embodiment, each of the sensors may be mounted on a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) (290). Referring to FIG. 3b, the FPCB (290) may include a bent portion to be placed on a ring-shaped housing. In another embodiment, a plurality of FPCBs (290) electrically connected to each other may be placed within the housing, or an FPCB (290) formed as an overall curved surface along a curved surface of the housing may be placed.

According to one embodiment, a processor (210), a wireless communication circuit (220), and a memory (230) may be mounted on the opposite side of the surface on which the sensor is placed in the FPCB (290). The placement locations of the processor (210), the wireless communication circuit (220), and the memory (230) are not limited thereto.

In one embodiment, a battery (282) may be placed opposite the location where the sensors are placed. The battery (282) may be connected to a charging interface (286), and the charging interface (286) may be electrically connected to a PMIC (284) mounted on the FPCB (290) through the FPCB (290). The PMIC may manage power delivered from the battery (282) to each component of the wearable device (200).

According to one embodiment, the antenna (225) is connected to the FPCB (290), and the wearable device (200) can transmit and receive various data with an external device (e.g., a portable device (300) of FIG. 2) through the antenna (225).

The layout structure of FIG. 3b corresponds to one embodiment, and various embodiments of this document are not limited thereto.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a portable device according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, the portable device (300) may include a display (340), a wireless communication circuit (320), a memory (330), and a processor (310). Even if some of the illustrated configurations are omitted or replaced with other configurations, various embodiments of the present document may be implemented. In addition to the illustrated configurations, the portable device (300) may further include at least some of the configurations and/or functions of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1. At least some of the illustrated configurations may be electrically, functionally, and/or operatively connected to each other.

According to one embodiment, the display (340) can display various images provided from the processor (310). For example, the display (340) can be implemented as any one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) display, or an electronic paper display, but is not limited thereto. The display (340) can be configured as a touch screen that detects touch and/or proximity touch (or hovering) input using a part of a user's body (e.g., a finger) or an input device (e.g., a stylus pen). The display (340) can include at least some of the configurations and/or functions of the display module (160) of FIG. 1. According to one embodiment, the display (340) may be a flexible display having at least a portion that is flexible, and the portable device (300) may be implemented in various form factors (e.g., a foldable device, a slidable device) in which the display area of the flexible display may be changed.

According to one embodiment, the wireless communication circuit (320) may include various hardware and/or software configurations to support wireless communication with an external device. The wireless communication circuit (320) may support short-range wireless communication (e.g., WiFi, or Bluetooth) and cellular wireless communication (e.g., 4G LTE, or 5G NR). The communication module may include at least some of the configurations and/or functions of the communication module (190) of FIG. 1.

According to one embodiment, the memory (330) may temporarily or permanently store various data, including volatile memory and non-volatile memory. The memory (330) may include at least some of the configuration and/or functions of the memory (130) of FIG. 1, and may store the program (140) of FIG. 1. The memory (330) may store various instructions that may be performed by the processor (310). Such instructions may include control commands including arithmetic and logical operations, data movement, and input/output that may be recognized by the processor (310).

According to one embodiment, the processor (310) may be configured as one or more processors capable of performing calculations or data processing related to control and/or communication of each component of the portable device (300). The processor (310) may include at least some of the configurations and/or functions of the processor (120) of FIG. 1. The processor (310) may be operatively, functionally, and/or electrically connected to each component of the portable device (300), such as the display (340), the wireless communication circuit (320), and the memory (330). There is no limitation to the computational and data processing functions that the processor (310) can implement on the portable device (300), but this document will describe various embodiments for receiving data measured by an ultrasonic sensor from a wearable device (e.g., the wearable device (200) of FIGS. 2, 3A, and 3B) connected via short-range wireless communication, and measuring (or compensating for) a user's body temperature based on the received data. The operations of the processor (310) described below can be performed by loading instructions stored in the memory (330).

According to one embodiment, the processor (310) may execute a healthcare application stored in the memory (330). The healthcare application may register an initial body temperature when a user wears a wearable device, provide body temperature information measured by the wearable device or portable device (300), and provide a UI (user interface) that provides various biometric information (e.g., heart rate, electrocardiogram, blood pressure) measured by the wearable device and additional information related to the biometric information through a display (340).

Hereinafter, the operation of the portable device (300) in various embodiments for measuring body temperature information by analyzing the movement speed of an ultrasonic signal will be described. The first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment described below can correspond to the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment described above through FIG. 3a.

[First embodiment]

According to one embodiment, the processor (310) may provide a UI for setting a reference body temperature through the display (340) when the healthcare application is executed. For example, the UI may include various screens through which the user may input the hand (e.g., left hand, right hand), the finger (e.g., thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger) on which the wearable device is to be worn, and the current body temperature. The processor (310) may input body temperature information based on the user's input while the UI is displayed. The processor (310) may transmit the input body temperature information to the wearable device through the wireless communication circuit (320).

According to one embodiment, the wearable device can measure the first speed of the ultrasonic signal in a reference body temperature state and store it as reference information. After storing the reference information, the wearable device can measure the second speed of the ultrasonic signal using the ultrasonic sensor when a body temperature measurement event occurs. The wearable device can compensate for the reference body temperature based on the difference between the first speed (or reference speed) and the second speed of the ultrasonic signal, and generate compensated body temperature information. The wearable device can transmit the compensated body temperature information to the portable device (300).

According to one embodiment, the processor (310) may provide body temperature information received from a wearable device to a user through a healthcare application.

[Second embodiment]

According to one embodiment, the wearable device can determine body temperature information by analyzing ultrasonic signals of various paths (e.g., direct path, reflected path) obtained from a plurality of ultrasonic sensors.

According to one embodiment, the portable device (300) may receive body temperature information measured from a wearable device, and the processor (310) may provide the received body temperature information to the user through a healthcare application.

[Third embodiment]

According to one embodiment, the processor (310) may provide a UI for setting a reference body temperature through the display (340) when the healthcare application is executed. For example, the UI may include various screens through which the user may input the hand (e.g., left hand, right hand) on which the wearable device is to be worn, the finger (e.g., thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger), and the current body temperature. The processor (310) may input body temperature information based on the user's input while the UI is displayed.

According to one embodiment, the portable device (300) can receive body temperature information measured by a temperature sensor of the wearable device through a wireless communication circuit (320). The processor (310) can set body temperature information input through a UI or body temperature information received from the wearable device as a reference body temperature and store it in the memory (330).

According to one embodiment, the wearable device can measure a first speed (or reference speed) of ultrasonic waves passing through the user's body using at least one ultrasonic sensor while the wearable device is worn by the user. The portable device (300) can receive the measured first speed data from the wearable device through the wireless communication circuit (320).

According to one embodiment, the processor (310) may store the reference body temperature and the first speed of the ultrasound received from the wearable device as reference information in the memory (330).

According to one embodiment, the processor (310) may request the wearable device to measure the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal when a body temperature measurement event occurs. The wearable device may measure the second speed of the ultrasonic signal using an ultrasonic sensor and transmit the measured second speed to the portable device (300). According to one embodiment, the second speed may include movement speeds obtained from each of the movement paths of a plurality of ultrasonic signals.

According to one embodiment, the processor (310) may generate compensated body temperature information by compensating for the reference body temperature based on the difference between the first speed (or reference speed) and the second speed of the ultrasonic signal. For example, the processor (310) may compensate for a value higher than the reference body temperature when the second speed of the ultrasonic signal is measured faster than the first speed, and may compensate for a value lower than the reference body temperature when the second speed of the ultrasonic signal is measured faster than the first speed. The larger the difference between the first speed and the second speed, the larger the size of the compensated body temperature value.

According to one embodiment, the processor (310) may provide compensated body temperature information through the UI of the healthcare application.

FIG. 5 is for explaining the principle of an ultrasonic sensor of a wearable device according to one embodiment.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may include at least one ultrasonic sensor (e.g., the ultrasonic sensor (250) of FIGS. 3A and 3B) arranged on the hole side of the ring-type housing. Referring to FIG. 5, the wearable device (200) may include a first ultrasonic sensor (252), a second ultrasonic sensor (254), and a third ultrasonic sensor (256) arranged spaced apart from each other, and the number and/or arrangement positions of the ultrasonic sensors are not limited thereto.

According to one embodiment, each ultrasonic sensor (252, 254, 256) includes at least one piezoelectric element that operates as a transmitter and receiver of an ultrasonic signal, and when an electrical signal is input to the piezoelectric element, vibration is generated to output ultrasonic waves, and the ultrasonic vibration detected by the piezoelectric element can be converted into an electrical signal to receive an ultrasonic signal. Each ultrasonic sensor (252, 254, 256) can output an ultrasonic signal of a predetermined frequency (e.g., about 10 MHz).

According to one embodiment, when an ultrasonic signal is output from one ultrasonic sensor, the ultrasonic signal may be received by the ultrasonic sensor and/or another ultrasonic sensor. For example, an ultrasonic signal output from a first ultrasonic sensor (252) may pass through a medium, i.e., body tissue, and/or be reflected and received by at least one of the first ultrasonic sensor (252), the second ultrasonic sensor (254), or the third ultrasonic sensor (256). A human body tissue may be composed of various media, and an ultrasonic signal may pass through some media as is, but may not pass through some media and may be reflected. For example, an ultrasonic signal may pass through epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue, and may be reflected by a bone (410). Hereinafter, media that pass ultrasonic signals without reflecting them among epithelial, muscle, and nervous tissue may be defined as soft tissue. The ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor (252) can pass through soft tissue as is and be received by the second ultrasonic sensor (254) and/or the third ultrasonic sensor (256), and can be reflected by the bone (410) and be received by the first ultrasonic sensor (252), the second ultrasonic sensor (254) and/or the third ultrasonic sensor (256).

Figure 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the temperature of a medium and the speed of ultrasonic waves according to one embodiment.

According to one embodiment, a wearable device (e.g., the wearable device (200) of FIGS. 3A and 3B) (or a portable device (e.g., the portable device (300) of FIG. 4)) may measure the speed of an ultrasonic signal according to a pulse-echo method, and measure (or compensate for) the body temperature of the user from the measured speed. The speed of the ultrasonic signal may vary depending on the properties of the medium through which it passes. In FIG. 6, the x-axis represents the temperature of the medium (e.g., soft tissue) through which the ultrasonic signal passes (or the body temperature of the user), and the y-axis represents the speed of the ultrasonic signal (unit: m/s).

Referring to Fig. 6, it is a graph measuring the temperature of the medium and the speed of the ultrasonic signal measured through the tissue phantom. Referring to Fig. 6, when measured on a medium of the same property, it can be confirmed that when the temperature of the medium increases, the speed of the ultrasonic signal increases substantially proportionally. Since most of the human body is made of water, the speed of the ultrasonic wave passing through the body according to the temperature of the medium may have a similar tendency to the change in the speed of the ultrasonic wave according to the temperature in water.

Referring to the graph in Fig. 6, when an ultrasonic signal passes through a medium having the same properties (e.g., a finger), the higher the temperature of the medium, the faster the speed of the ultrasonic signal can be. Accordingly, if the physical properties (e.g., density) of the user's body, which is the medium, do not change, the travel speed can be calculated from the travel time between the output and reception of the ultrasonic signal received from each ultrasonic sensor, and the user's body temperature can be measured from this.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining changes in the speed of an ultrasonic signal according to changes in body temperature according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7, the wearable device (200) may include a first ultrasonic sensor (252), a second ultrasonic sensor (254), and a third ultrasonic sensor (256) arranged in a hole direction in a ring type housing.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) (or the portable device) may set a reference body temperature, measure the speed of an ultrasonic signal passing through a part of the body (e.g., a finger) using an ultrasonic sensor (252, 254, 256) in a state where the reference body temperature is set, and store the reference body temperature and the reference speed of the measured ultrasonic signal as reference information in a memory (e.g., the memory (230) of FIG. 3A, the memory (330) of FIG. 4). For example, the wearable device (200) may measure the body temperature in a manner other than ultrasonic (e.g., infrared) using a temperature sensor (e.g., the temperature sensor (260) of FIG. 3A) different from the ultrasonic sensors (252, 254, 256), and/or may set a body temperature directly input by a user on a UI of the portable device as the reference body temperature. The speed of the ultrasonic wave passing through a human body may vary depending on the body temperature, and the reference speed of the measured ultrasonic signal may be the speed of the ultrasonic signal in a state where the body temperature is the reference body temperature.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) (or portable device) may measure the speed of an ultrasonic signal using at least one ultrasonic sensor after storing reference information, and may determine whether or not the body temperature has changed based on the difference between the measured speed and the reference speed of the reference information. Referring to FIG. 7, if the body temperature has increased compared to when the reference information was set, the ultrasonic signal may be detected relatively faster by the ultrasonic sensor on the receiving side, and thus the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal may be determined to be faster. In addition, if the body temperature has decreased compared to when the reference information was set, the ultrasonic signal may be detected relatively slower by the ultrasonic sensor on the receiving side, and thus the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal may be determined to be slower.

FIG. 8 illustrates a signal detected at a receiving end of an ultrasonic sensor according to one embodiment.

In FIG. 8, the x-axis may represent the time elapsed after the transmitter outputs the ultrasonic signal, and the y-axis may represent the intensity of the ultrasonic signal detected by the receiver. According to one embodiment, when the receiver of the ultrasonic sensor receives the ultrasonic signal, the intensity of the ultrasonic signal may be detected through the intensity of pressure and converted into an electrical signal. According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may include a plurality of ultrasonic sensors (e.g., the first ultrasonic sensor (252), the second ultrasonic sensor (254), and the third ultrasonic sensor (256) of FIG. 5) that are spaced apart from each other. An ultrasonic signal output from one ultrasonic sensor may pass through body tissues and be transmitted to another ultrasonic sensor, or may be reflected by a bone (410) and transmitted to the same or another ultrasonic sensor. Figure 8 illustrates the arrival time according to body temperature of an ultrasonic signal of a direct path that is transmitted as is through soft tissues of the body from the first ultrasonic sensor (252) to the third ultrasonic sensor (256).

Referring to FIG. 8, in the straight path of the first ultrasonic sensor (252) and the third ultrasonic sensor (256), a bone (410) reflecting an ultrasonic signal is not located, and only soft tissue passing an ultrasonic signal can be located. Since the distance between the first ultrasonic sensor (252) and the third ultrasonic sensor (256) is fixed, the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor (252) and received by the third ultrasonic sensor (256) can be determined according to the body temperature of the user corresponding to the soft tissue.

The graph of FIG. 8 shows ultrasonic signals received from the third ultrasonic sensor (256) measured at three temperatures when the first ultrasonic sensor (252) outputs an ultrasonic signal of 10 MHz and 1 cycle while fixing other conditions. Referring to the graph, when the body temperature is T2 (e.g., about 36.5 degrees), the speed of the ultrasonic signal is measured to be about 1500 m/s, when the body temperature is T1 (e.g., about 37 degrees) which is higher than T2, the speed of the ultrasonic signal is measured to be 1510 m/s, and when the body temperature is T3 (e.g., about 36 degrees) which is lower than T2, the speed of the ultrasonic signal is measured to be 1490 m/s.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) can determine the first peak point (810, 820, 830) having an amplitude greater than a reference value in a wave-shaped ultrasonic signal as the arrival time of the ultrasonic signal. Referring to FIG. 8, the first peak point (810, 820, 830) of the ultrasonic signal measured at each temperature can be detected faster as the body temperature is higher.

According to one embodiment, a wearable device (200) in the form of a smart ring has to be configured to be small in order to be worn on a user's finger, and therefore, the distance between each ultrasonic sensor cannot be formed far, so the length of the direct path of the ultrasonic signal has to be short. In addition, the temperature of the human body has a limited range of change, such as about 35 degrees to about 40 degrees. Accordingly, the arrival time of the direct signal at the ultrasonic sensor on the receiving side can only show a small change of about several tens to several hundred ns (nanoseconds) even if the body temperature changes.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may measure an ultrasonic signal at a high sampling rate when measuring body temperature in order to more accurately detect subtle changes in the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal according to the change in body temperature as described above. For example, when measuring the reference speed of the ultrasonic signal for setting reference information, if the body temperature (or the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal) is measured to have changed significantly by a threshold value or more than the reference information, or if the user checks the body temperature of the user through the wearable device (200) or a portable device, the wearable device (200) may increase the sampling rate for outputting and detecting the ultrasonic signal in order to more accurately measure the body temperature.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may measure the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal in a plurality of direct paths (e.g., the first ultrasonic sensor (252) - the second ultrasonic sensor, the first ultrasonic sensor (252) - the third ultrasonic sensor (256)) in order to more accurately detect subtle changes in the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal according to the change in body temperature as described above, and may measure the change in body temperature using the plurality of measured data. In addition, the wearable device (200) may further measure the change in body temperature using the reflection signal of the reflection path that is output from the transmitting ultrasonic sensor, reflected from the bone (410), and received by the receiving ultrasonic sensor.

FIG. 9 illustrates signals measured on the direct path and reflected path of an ultrasonic signal according to one embodiment.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may include a plurality of ultrasonic sensors (e.g., the first ultrasonic sensor (252), the second ultrasonic sensor (254), and the third ultrasonic sensor (256) of FIG. 5) that are arranged spaced apart from each other. An ultrasonic signal output from one ultrasonic sensor may pass through body tissues and be transmitted to another ultrasonic sensor, or may be reflected by a bone (410) and transmitted to the same or another ultrasonic sensor. FIG. 9 illustrates a direct signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor (252), passing through soft tissues and received in a third ultrasonic signal, and a reflected signal reflected from a bone (410) and received in a third ultrasonic signal.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 9, the direct signal may be an ultrasonic signal transmitted along a direct path from the first ultrasonic sensor (252) through the soft tissue of the body to the third ultrasonic sensor (256). Referring to (b) of FIG. 9, the reflected signal may be an ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor (252), reflected from the bone (410), and transmitted along a reflected path to the third ultrasonic sensor (256).

Since the direct path is shorter than the reflected path, the direct signal of the ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor (252) may arrive at the third ultrasonic sensor (256) at t ₁ , and the reflected signal may arrive at the third ultrasonic sensor (256) at a later t _2. In addition, since only a part of the ultrasonic signal is reflected by the bone (410) and transmitted to the third ultrasonic sensor (256) as a reflected signal, the intensity of the reflected signal may be smaller than that of the direct signal. According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may determine the time point (or the first peak point) at which an ultrasonic signal having an intensity higher than a threshold value is first detected by the third ultrasonic sensor (256) after the first ultrasonic sensor (252) outputs the ultrasonic signal as the arrival time of the direct signal. In addition, the wearable device (200) can determine the time point at which an ultrasonic signal within a predetermined range lower than the threshold value is first detected after direct signal detection by the third ultrasonic sensor (256), as the time point at which a reflected signal is detected.

Considering the structural characteristics of the ring-type wearable device (200), since the positions of each ultrasonic sensor (252, 254, 256) are fixed, the length of the direct path can always be the same. Therefore, in the case of a direct signal, the distance between the first ultrasonic sensor (252) and the third ultrasonic sensor (256) can be divided by the travel time, which is the difference between the time when the first ultrasonic sensor (252) outputs the ultrasonic signal and the time when the third ultrasonic sensor (256) receives the ultrasonic signal, to calculate the travel speed of the direct signal. Since the travel speed of the ultrasonic signal can be determined according to the temperature of the medium, the wearable device (200) (or portable device) can determine the temperature value corresponding to the calculated travel speed of the direct signal as the current body temperature.

Since the direct path corresponds to the straight-line distance between ultrasonic sensors, the distance of the direct path can always be the same even if the wearing state of the wearable device (200) changes. However, the direct path has a disadvantage in that it cannot measure accurate body temperature even with a slight error because the distance is short. In order to analyze the arrival time (or movement speed) of the ultrasonic signal more precisely, it is advantageous for the ultrasonic wave to have a long movement distance, and the accuracy can be increased by analyzing various paths. If the movement distance of the ultrasonic wave becomes longer, the time it takes for it to arrive at the ultrasonic sensor on the receiving side at the same movement speed can be delayed. In this case, a signal that travels a shorter distance and arrives quickly can show a larger arrival time difference according to the same change in speed. Therefore, measuring an ultrasonic signal that has traveled as far as possible can be more advantageous in measuring accurate temperature changes.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) (or portable device) can measure the travel time of the ultrasonic signal and the current body temperature (or the amount of change from the reference body temperature) by analyzing the travel time of the direct signal and the travel time of the reflected signal. For example, the wearable device (200) can calculate the travel speed of the ultrasonic signal by assigning weights to the first speed calculated according to the arrival time of the direct signal and the second speed calculated according to the arrival time of the reflected signal, and calculating the weighted average. In addition, the wearable device (200) can output ultrasonic signals from each of a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, and measure the body temperature of the user by analyzing the ultrasonic signals of multi-paths received from each ultrasonic sensor.

FIG. 10 illustrates transmission paths of ultrasonic signals according to one embodiment.

According to one embodiment, a wearable device (200) includes a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, outputs and receives ultrasonic signals from the plurality of ultrasonic sensors to measure a user's body temperature, and analyzes the travel time of each received ultrasonic signal to measure the user's current body temperature (or the amount of change from a reference body temperature).

FIG. 10 illustrates the path of ultrasonic signals transmitted to the first ultrasonic sensor (252), the second ultrasonic sensor (254), and the third ultrasonic sensor (256) when an ultrasonic signal is output from the first ultrasonic sensor (252).

Referring to FIG. 10, the ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor (252) can be transmitted to the second ultrasonic sensor (254) and the third ultrasonic sensor (256) through direct paths, path 4 and path 5, respectively. In addition, the ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor (252) can be reflected from the bone (410) and transmitted to the first ultrasonic sensor (252), the second ultrasonic sensor (254), and the third ultrasonic sensor (256) through reflection paths, path 1, path 2, and path 3, respectively.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may sequentially output ultrasonic signals from each ultrasonic sensor, and calculate the travel time of the ultrasonic signals by using the arrival times of the ultrasonic signals received from each ultrasonic sensor through multiple paths. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the first ultrasonic sensor (252) may output an ultrasonic signal, each ultrasonic sensor may receive an ultrasonic signal, and calculate the travel speed, the second ultrasonic sensor (254) may output an ultrasonic signal, each ultrasonic sensor may receive an ultrasonic signal, and the third ultrasonic sensor (256) may output an ultrasonic signal, and each ultrasonic sensor may receive an ultrasonic signal to calculate the travel speed. When one ultrasonic sensor outputs an ultrasonic signal, the travel speeds of five paths (e.g., paths 1 to 5 of FIG. 10) may be obtained, and thus, data obtained by outputting ultrasonic signals from three ultrasonic sensors may include the travel speeds of a total of 15 paths. In this way, the greater the number of data obtained, the more precise a system can be constructed for measuring body temperature.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may store and process the arrival time of the ultrasonic signal acquired for each ultrasonic sensor, or may calculate the ratio of the movement distance (or the ratio of the arrival time) of each ultrasonic signal based on the arrival time (or the movement speed) at the receiving ultrasonic sensor and use the calculated ratio for temperature measurement. For example, the wearable device (200) may predict the movement path of the ultrasonic signal according to the positions of the transmitting and receiving sensors, and designate each movement path as one path. In this case, the length of each movement path (or the movement distance of the ultrasonic signal) may be constant regardless of the movement speed. Since the movement distance of each movement path (e.g., path 1 to path 5) is constant, the ultrasonic signal received from each ultrasonic sensor is measured at the same body temperature, and since the temperature of the medium is the same, the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal in each movement path at a specific timing may be substantially the same. As a result, the wearable device (200) can obtain signals transmitted through various paths using a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, and measure body temperature based on the arrival time of each ultrasonic signal and the ratio of the arrival times.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may calculate an average (or weighted average) of the movement speeds of the ultrasonic signals measured in each movement path, and calculate a current body temperature corresponding to the average of the calculated movement speeds. According to another embodiment, the wearable device (200) may calculate an average (or weighted average) of the movement speeds of the ultrasonic signals measured in each movement path, calculate a difference between the average of the calculated movement speeds and the movement speed of the ultrasonic signals of the reference information, and compensate for the reference body temperature based on the calculated difference to calculate compensated body temperature information. According to one embodiment, when calculating the weighted average of the movement speeds in each movement path, the wearable device (200) may assign a higher weight to the direct path.

FIG. 11 illustrates a change in a signal received from an ultrasonic sensor according to a change in the wearing state of a wearable device according to one embodiment.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) includes a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, and the wearable device (200) (or the portable device) can determine body temperature information of the user by using ultrasonic signals of various paths formed by the plurality of ultrasonic sensors (252, 254, 256). For example, an ultrasonic signal output from a first ultrasonic sensor (252) can be transmitted to a second ultrasonic sensor (254) and a third ultrasonic sensor (256) through a direct path, and can be transmitted to the first ultrasonic sensor (252), the second ultrasonic sensor (254), and the third ultrasonic sensor (256) through a reflection path reflected from the user's bone (410). In addition, when the second ultrasonic sensor (254) outputs an ultrasonic signal and when the second ultrasonic sensor (254) outputs an ultrasonic signal, the ultrasonic signal can be received from each ultrasonic sensor through a plurality of paths.

FIG. 11 illustrates the path and signal graph of the direct signal and reflected signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor (252) and received by the third ultrasonic sensor (256) when the wearing angle of the wearable device (200) is changed.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) may recognize a signal having an amplitude equal to or greater than a first reference value in wave data of an ultrasonic signal received from the third ultrasonic sensor (256) as a first ultrasonic signal (or direct signal), and may recognize a signal having an amplitude equal to or less than a second reference value, which is lower than the first reference value, as a second ultrasonic signal (or reflected signal). Since a part of the ultrasonic signal passes through the bone (410) and only the remaining part is reflected from the bone (410), the intensity (or amplitude) of the reflected signal detected by the third ultrasonic sensor (256) may be smaller than the intensity of the direct signal.

According to one embodiment, since the position of each ultrasonic sensor in the wearable device (200) is fixed, the length of the direct path can always be the same. Referring to (a) and (b) of FIG. 11, even if the wearing angle of the wearable device (200) changes, the arrival time of the direct signal to the third ultrasonic sensor (256) can be substantially the same. According to one embodiment, since the direct signal is suitable for measuring a transmission signal inside the human body due to the fixed position of the sensor, it can be used as an indicator of measuring the ultrasonic velocity inside the human body.

According to one embodiment, the reflection signal output by the first ultrasonic sensor (252), reflected by the bone (410), and received by the third ultrasonic sensor (256) may have a travel distance that varies depending on the wearing angle of the wearable device (200). Comparing (a) and (b) of FIG. 11, the length of the reflection path may be shorter in (b) than in (a) as the wearing angle of the wearable device (200) varies. Accordingly, the time for the reflection signal to arrive at the third ultrasonic sensor (256) may be faster in (b) than in (a).

According to one embodiment, even if the wearing angle of the wearable device (200) changes, the ratio of the arrival time (or travel time) of the direct signal and the reflected signal at each temperature may be the same. For example, referring to the graph of (a) of FIG. 11, the ratio of the arrival time of the direct signal and the arrival time of the reflected signal in each of the ultrasonic signals measured in three temperature states may be the same. In addition, as shown in (b) of FIG. 11, even if the wearing angle changes, the ratio of the arrival time of the direct signal and the arrival time of the reflected signal in each of the ultrasonic signals measured in various temperature states may be the same.

According to one embodiment, the wearable device (200) (or portable device) can estimate the current wearing state (e.g., wearing angle) of the wearable device (200) through the ratio of the arrival time (or travel time) of the direct signal and the reflected signal.

FIG. 12 illustrates a UI provided by a portable device according to one embodiment.

According to one embodiment, the portable device (300) can install and execute a healthcare application that provides various biometric information measured by a wearable device and provides a UI that allows a user to input data related to the measurement of biometric information.

According to one embodiment, the portable device (300) may provide a user interface (UI) that allows the user to input the current body temperature on the healthcare application through a display.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 12, the portable device (300) may execute a menu capable of registering an initial body temperature and provide a UI (1210) capable of selecting the hand wearing the wearable device as either the right or left hand.

Referring to (b) of FIG. 12, the portable device (300) may provide a UI (1220) that allows selection of a finger wearing the wearable device as one of the thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger when the hand being worn is selected.

Referring to (c) of FIG. 12, the portable device (300) may provide a UI (1230) for confirming whether to input the current body temperature when the hand and finger wearing the wearable device are selected.

Referring to (d) of FIG. 12, when current body temperature information is input according to user input, the portable device (300) can store the body temperature information in memory and provide a UI (1240) that instructs completion of registration.

According to one embodiment, when the wearable device (or portable device (300)) inputs the user's body temperature information through the UI, the wearable device can map and store the current wearing state (e.g., wearing position, angle) of the wearable device with the input body temperature information. According to one embodiment, the portable device (300) can provide a UI that guides the user to change the wearing state of the wearable device, and in response to the UI, the user can change the wearing position of the wearable device or turn the wearing angle, and then measure the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal using an ultrasonic sensor. Accordingly, the wearable device and portable device (300) can map and store the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal and body temperature information in various wearing states.

According to one embodiment, the portable device (300) may further provide a UI for inputting other body information of the user (e.g., body fat percentage, musculoskeletal mass, BMI index) that may affect the speed of the ultrasonic signal, in addition to body temperature information. The portable device (300) (or wearable device) may correct a table or formula that maps the speed of ultrasonic waves and body temperature based on the body information input through the UI.

Fig. 13 is a flow chart of a method for measuring body temperature using ultrasound of a wearable device according to one embodiment.

The method illustrated in FIG. 13 can be performed by a wearable device (e.g., the wearable device (200) of FIGS. 3a and 3b), and the description of the technical features described above may be omitted below.

In the following embodiments, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel.

According to one embodiment, operations 1310 to 1360 may be understood to be performed in a processor (e.g., processor (210) of FIG. 3A) of a wearable device (e.g., wearable device (200) of FIGS. 3A and 3B).

According to one embodiment, in operation 1310, the wearable device can determine that the wearable device is worn on the user's finger. The wearable device can be in a form surrounding an empty central hole that the user wears on the finger, and at least one sensor (e.g., a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, an ultrasonic sensor) can be arranged in a direction from the housing toward the central hole to obtain biometric information of the user.

In one embodiment, at operation 1315, the wearable device may measure the user's current body temperature using a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor may measure the temperature of the user's skin via an optical signal (e.g., an infrared signal) based on the Stefan-Boltzmann law.

According to one embodiment, in operation 1320, the wearable device may receive body temperature information input by the user through a UI from an external device (e.g., the portable device (300) of FIG. 4). The UI for inputting the user's body temperature information in the healthcare application of the external device has been described with reference to FIG. 12.

According to one embodiment, in operation 1325, the wearable device may set the user's current body temperature measured using a temperature sensor and/or body temperature information received from an external device as the reference body temperature.

According to one embodiment, in operation 1330, the wearable device may measure a first velocity of an ultrasonic signal using at least one ultrasonic sensor in a state of a reference body temperature. For example, the wearable device may obtain body temperature information via a temperature sensor, and/or measure the first velocity of the ultrasonic signal using the ultrasonic sensor in response to receiving body temperature information from a portable device. That is, the first velocity of the ultrasonic signal may be measured in a state of a reference body temperature.

According to one embodiment, in operation 1335, the wearable device may store the set reference body temperature and the measured first speed as reference information in the memory. According to one embodiment, the wearable device may determine the first speed based on the movement speeds each acquired from the movement paths of the plurality of ultrasonic signals when measuring the first speed (or reference speed).

According to one embodiment, in operation 1340, after setting reference information, the wearable device may measure a second speed of an ultrasonic signal using at least one ultrasonic sensor when a body temperature measurement event occurs. For example, after storing the reference information, the wearable device may output an ultrasonic signal periodically and/or when a user checks a current body temperature using a healthcare application of the portable device to measure the second speed of the ultrasonic signal. According to one embodiment, when measuring the second speed, the wearable device may determine the second speed based on an average (or weighted average) of the movement speeds of direct signals and reflected signals respectively acquired from movement paths of a plurality of ultrasonic signals.

According to one embodiment, in operation 1345, the wearable device can determine whether the second speed of the ultrasonic signal has changed from the first speed of the ultrasonic signal stored as reference information. Since the moving speed of the ultrasonic signal can change according to a change in the temperature of the medium, if the second speed has changed from the first speed, it can be considered that the body temperature of the user has changed.

According to one embodiment, when there is a change in the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal, in operation 1350, the wearable device may generate compensated body temperature information by compensating for the reference body temperature based on the difference between the first speed and the second speed. For example, when the second speed of the ultrasonic signal is measured faster than the first speed, the wearable device may compensate for it with a value higher than the reference body temperature, and when the second speed of the ultrasonic signal is measured slower than the first speed, the wearable device may compensate for it with a value lower than the reference body temperature. The larger the difference between the first speed and the second speed, the larger the size of the compensated body temperature value.

In one embodiment, if there is no change in the speed of movement of the ultrasonic signal, at operation 1355, the wearable device may determine that the user's current body temperature is equal to the stored reference body temperature.

In one embodiment, at operation 1360, the wearable device may transmit the body temperature information determined at operation 1350 or operation 1355 to an external device. The external device may provide the body temperature information received to the user through a UI.

Fig. 14 is a flow chart of a method for measuring body temperature using ultrasound of a wearable device and a portable device according to one embodiment.

The method illustrated in FIG. 14 can be performed by a wearable device (e.g., the wearable device (200) of FIGS. 3a and 3b) and a portable device (e.g., the portable device (300) of FIG. 4), and the description of the technical features described above may be omitted below.

In the following embodiments, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel.

According to one embodiment, operations 1410 to 1475 may be understood to be performed in a processor (e.g., processor (210) of FIG. 3A) of a wearable device (e.g., wearable device (200) of FIGS. 3A and 3B) or a processor (e.g., processor (310) of FIG. 4) of a portable device (e.g., portable device (300) of FIG. 4).

According to one embodiment, in operation 1410, the wearable device can confirm that the wearable device is worn on the user's finger. In operation 1415, the wearable device can transmit a wearing state of the wearable device to the portable device. According to one embodiment, the wearable device can be connected to the portable device via short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi), and can transmit various data related to whether the wearable device is worn, the current state, and acquired biometric information to the portable device.

According to one embodiment, in operation 1420, if it is confirmed that the wearable device is being worn, the portable device may execute a healthcare application and provide a UI for entering the user's body temperature through the display. In operation 1425, the portable device may set a reference body temperature according to the user input on the UI. In operation 1430, the portable device may transmit the reference body temperature information set to the wearable device.

According to one embodiment, in operation 1435, the wearable device may measure a first speed of an ultrasonic signal using at least one ultrasonic sensor. The wearable device may include a plurality of ultrasonic sensors arranged spaced apart from each other, sequentially outputting ultrasonic signals from each ultrasonic sensor, and determining the first speed of the ultrasonic sensor using a moving speed of ultrasonic signals received from each ultrasonic sensor through various paths (e.g., direct path, reflected path).

In one embodiment, at operation 1440, the wearable device can transmit the first velocity of the measured ultrasonic signal to the portable device. At operation 1445, the wearable device can store the reference body temperature and the first velocity as reference information in memory.

In one embodiment, at operation 1450, a body temperature measurement event may occur on the wearable device, or at operation 1455, a body temperature measurement event may occur on the portable device.

In one embodiment, at operation 1460, the wearable device can measure a second speed of an ultrasonic signal using an ultrasonic sensor. In one embodiment, the wearable device can determine the second speed based on an average (or weighted average) of moving speeds of direct signals and reflected signals respectively acquired from moving paths of a plurality of ultrasonic signals when measuring the second speed. In operation 1465, the wearable device can transmit the measured second speed to a portable device.

According to one embodiment, in operation 1470, the portable device may compare the second speed of the ultrasonic signal with the first speed stored as reference information, and in operation 1475, generate compensated body temperature information by compensating the reference body temperature according to the comparison result. Since the moving speed of the ultrasonic signal may change according to a change in the temperature of the medium, if the second speed changes from the first speed, it may be considered that the body temperature of the user has changed. If the second speed of the ultrasonic signal is measured faster than the first speed, the portable device may compensate with a value higher than the reference body temperature, and if the second speed of the ultrasonic signal is measured slower than the first speed, the portable device may compensate with a value lower than the reference body temperature, and the size of the compensated body temperature value may increase as the difference between the first speed and the second speed increases.

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present document may include a temperature sensor for measuring a user's body temperature, a wireless communication circuit for supporting wireless communication with an external device, at least one ultrasonic sensor, a memory, and a processor operatively connected to the temperature sensor, the wireless communication circuit, the at least one ultrasonic sensor, and the memory.

According to one embodiment, the processor may set a reference body temperature based on at least one of body temperature information measured by the temperature sensor or body temperature information received from the external device via the wireless communication circuit, measure a first speed of ultrasonic waves passing through the user's body using the at least one ultrasonic sensor while the electronic device is worn by the user, and store the measured first speed of the ultrasonic waves and the set reference body temperature as reference information in the memory.

According to one embodiment, the processor may be configured to, after storing the reference information, measure a second speed of an ultrasonic signal passing through the user's body using the at least one ultrasonic sensor, and compensate for the reference body temperature based on a difference between the measured first speed and the second speed, thereby generating compensated body temperature information.

According to one embodiment, the processor may be configured to compensate the compensated body temperature information to a value higher than the reference body temperature when the second speed is faster than the first speed.

According to one embodiment, the at least one ultrasonic sensor includes a first ultrasonic sensor and a second ultrasonic sensor that are arranged to be spaced apart from each other, the second ultrasonic sensor detects a first ultrasonic signal that is output from the first ultrasonic sensor and received via a straight path between the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor, and the processor may be configured to generate the compensated body temperature information based on a speed of the first ultrasonic signal.

According to one embodiment, the second ultrasonic sensor may further detect a second ultrasonic signal received through a reflection path that is output from the first ultrasonic sensor and reflected by a part of the user's body, and the processor may be configured to generate the compensated body temperature information further based on a speed of the second ultrasonic signal.

According to one embodiment, the processor may be configured to recognize a signal having an amplitude greater than a first reference value among ultrasonic data received from the second ultrasonic sensor as the first ultrasonic signal, and to recognize a signal having an amplitude less than a second reference value that is lower than the first reference value as the second ultrasonic signal.

According to one embodiment, the processor may be configured to determine an average value of a movement speed of the first ultrasonic signal and a movement speed of the second ultrasonic signal as the second speed.

In one embodiment, the processor may be configured to control an ultrasonic output of the at least one ultrasonic sensor at a sampling rate greater than a reference rate to measure the second velocity of the ultrasonic waves.

In one embodiment, the temperature sensor may be configured to measure the body temperature information using a different type of signal than the ultrasonic sensor.

According to one embodiment, the electronic device further includes a ring-shaped housing including an empty central hole, and the at least one ultrasonic sensor can be positioned in the housing in a direction toward the central hole.

A method for measuring body temperature using ultrasonic waves in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present document may include: setting a reference body temperature based on at least one of body temperature information measured by a temperature sensor and body temperature information received from an external device; measuring a first speed of ultrasonic waves passing through a user's body using at least one ultrasonic sensor while the electronic device is worn by the user; storing the measured first speed of ultrasonic waves and the set reference body temperature in a memory as reference information; measuring a second speed of an ultrasonic signal passing through the user's body using the at least one ultrasonic sensor after storing the reference information; and compensating for the reference body temperature based on a difference between the measured first speed and the second speed, thereby generating compensated body temperature information.

According to one embodiment, the operation of generating the compensated body temperature information may include an operation of compensating the compensated body temperature information to a value higher than the reference body temperature when the second speed is faster than the first speed.

According to one embodiment, the at least one ultrasonic sensor includes a first ultrasonic sensor and a second ultrasonic sensor that are arranged to be spaced apart from each other, the second ultrasonic sensor detects a first ultrasonic signal that is output from the first ultrasonic sensor and received through a straight path between the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor, and the operation of generating the compensated body temperature information may include an operation of generating the compensated body temperature information based on a speed of the first ultrasonic signal.

According to one embodiment, the second ultrasonic sensor further detects a second ultrasonic signal received through a reflection path that is output from the first ultrasonic sensor and reflected by a part of the user's body, and the operation of generating the compensated body temperature information may include an operation of generating the compensated body temperature information further based on a speed of the second ultrasonic signal.

According to one embodiment, the method may include an operation of recognizing a signal having an amplitude greater than a first reference value in ultrasonic data received from the second ultrasonic sensor as the first ultrasonic signal, and recognizing a signal having an amplitude less than a second reference value that is lower than the first reference value as the second ultrasonic signal.

According to one embodiment, the operation of measuring the second speed of the ultrasonic signal may include an operation of determining an average value of a moving speed of the first ultrasonic signal and a moving speed of the second ultrasonic signal as the second speed.

In one embodiment, to measure the second velocity of the ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic output of the at least one ultrasonic sensor can be controlled at a sampling rate higher than a reference rate.

According to various embodiments of the present document, an electronic device includes a display, a wireless communication circuit supporting wireless communication with an external device, a memory, and a processor operatively connected to the display, the wireless communication circuit, and the memory, wherein the processor may be configured to set a reference body temperature based on at least one of a user input through the display or body temperature information received from the external device through the wireless communication circuit, receive a first speed of ultrasonic waves passing through a body of a user measured by the at least one ultrasonic sensor by the external device through the wireless communication circuit, store the measured first speed of ultrasonic waves and the set reference body temperature as reference information in the memory, and after storing the reference information, receive a second speed of ultrasonic waves passing through a body of the user measured by the at least one ultrasonic sensor by the external device through the wireless communication circuit, and compensate for the reference body temperature based on a difference between the received first speed and the second speed, thereby generating compensated body temperature information.

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present document includes a first ultrasonic sensor, a second ultrasonic sensor disposed spaced apart from the first ultrasonic sensor, a memory, and a processor operatively connected to the first ultrasonic sensor, the second ultrasonic sensor, and the memory, wherein the memory stores a mapping table that maps a movement speed of the ultrasonic signal and a body temperature of a user for each movement path of the ultrasonic signal, and the processor verifies a movement speed of a first ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor and received through a straight path between the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor, verifies a movement speed of a second ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor and received through a reflection path reflected by a part of a user's body, calculates a weighted average of the movement speed of the first ultrasonic signal and the movement speed of the second ultrasonic signal, and calculates a weighted average of the movement speed of the first ultrasonic signal and the movement speed of the second ultrasonic signal from the mapping table stored in the memory. It can be set to obtain body temperature information corresponding to the average, and determine the body temperature information obtained from the mapping table as the user's current body temperature.

Electronic devices according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be devices of various forms. The electronic devices may include, for example, portable communication devices (e.g., smartphones), computer devices, portable multimedia devices, portable medical devices, cameras, wearable devices, or home appliance devices. Electronic devices according to embodiments of this document are not limited to the above-described devices.

It should be understood that the various embodiments of this document and the terminology used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., a second) component, with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

The term "module" used in various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit, for example. A module may be an integrally configured component or a minimum unit of the component or a portion thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (140)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (136) or an external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, ‘non-transitory’ simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g. electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a commodity. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play Store ^TM ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). In the case of online distribution, at least a part of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, a server of an application store, or an intermediary server.

According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include a single or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separately arranged in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the components or operations of the above-described components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, the multiple components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into one component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component of the multiple components before the integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by the module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

Claims (18)

In electronic devices,
Temperature sensor for measuring the user's body temperature;
A wireless communication circuit that supports wireless communication with an external device;
At least one ultrasonic sensor;
memory; and
A processor operatively connected to the temperature sensor, the wireless communication circuit, the at least one ultrasonic sensor, and the memory,
The above processor,
A reference body temperature is set based on at least one of body temperature information measured through the temperature sensor or body temperature information received from the external device through the wireless communication circuit,
When the electronic device is worn by a user, the first speed of ultrasonic waves passing through the user's body is measured using at least one ultrasonic sensor,
The first speed of the above-mentioned measured ultrasound and the above-mentioned set reference body temperature are stored in the above-mentioned memory as reference information,
After storing the above reference information, the second speed of the ultrasonic signal passing through the user's body is measured using the at least one ultrasonic sensor, and
An electronic device configured to generate compensated body temperature information by compensating the reference body temperature based on the difference between the measured first speed and the second speed.
In paragraph 1,
The above processor,
An electronic device set to compensate for the compensated body temperature information to a value higher than the reference body temperature when the second speed is faster than the first speed.
In paragraph 1 or 2,
The at least one ultrasonic sensor comprises a first ultrasonic sensor and a second ultrasonic sensor which are spaced apart from each other,
The second ultrasonic sensor detects a first ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor and received through a straight path between the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor,
The above processor,
An electronic device configured to generate the compensated body temperature information based on the speed of the first ultrasonic signal.
In the third paragraph,
The second ultrasonic sensor further detects a second ultrasonic signal that is output from the first ultrasonic sensor and received through a reflection path reflected by a part of the user's body,
The above processor,
An electronic device configured to generate the compensated body temperature information further based on the speed of the second ultrasonic signal.
In paragraph 4,
The above processor,
An electronic device configured to recognize a signal having an amplitude greater than a first reference value among ultrasonic data received from the second ultrasonic sensor as the first ultrasonic signal, and to recognize a signal having an amplitude less than a second reference value, which is lower than the first reference value, as the second ultrasonic signal.
In paragraph 4,
The above processor,
An electronic device set to determine an average value of the movement speed of the first ultrasonic signal and the movement speed of the second ultrasonic signal as the second speed.
In any one of claims 1 to 6,
The above processor,
An electronic device configured to control the ultrasonic output of at least one ultrasonic sensor at a sampling rate higher than a reference rate to measure the second velocity of the ultrasonic waves.
In any one of claims 1 to 7,
The above temperature sensor is an electronic device set to measure the body temperature information using a different type of signal from the above ultrasonic sensor.
In any one of claims 1 to 8,
Further comprising a ring-shaped housing including an empty central hole,
An electronic device wherein at least one ultrasonic sensor is positioned in a direction toward the central hole in the housing.
In a method for measuring body temperature using ultrasonic waves of an electronic device,
An operation of setting a reference body temperature based on at least one of body temperature information measured by a temperature sensor or body temperature information received from an external device;
An act of measuring a first speed of ultrasonic waves passing through a user's body using at least one ultrasonic sensor while the electronic device is worn by the user;
An operation of storing the first speed of the measured ultrasound and the set reference body temperature as reference information in memory;
After storing the above reference information, an operation of measuring a second speed of an ultrasonic signal passing through the user's body using at least one ultrasonic sensor; and
A method including an operation of compensating the reference body temperature based on the difference between the measured first speed and the second speed, thereby generating compensated body temperature information.
In Article 10,
The operation of generating the above compensated body temperature information is:
A method including an operation of compensating the compensated body temperature information to a value higher than the reference body temperature when the second speed is faster than the first speed.
In clause 10 or 11,
The at least one ultrasonic sensor comprises a first ultrasonic sensor and a second ultrasonic sensor which are spaced apart from each other,
The second ultrasonic sensor detects a first ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor and received through a straight path between the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor,
The operation of generating the above compensated body temperature information is:
A method comprising an operation of generating the compensated body temperature information based on the speed of the first ultrasonic signal.
In Article 12,
The second ultrasonic sensor further detects a second ultrasonic signal that is output from the first ultrasonic sensor and received through a reflection path reflected by a part of the user's body,
The operation of generating the above compensated body temperature information is:
A method comprising an operation of generating the compensated body temperature information further based on the speed of the second ultrasonic signal.
In Article 13,
A method including an operation of recognizing a signal having an amplitude greater than a first reference value in ultrasonic data received from the second ultrasonic sensor as the first ultrasonic signal, and recognizing a signal having an amplitude less than a second reference value that is lower than the first reference value as the second ultrasonic signal.
In Article 13,
The operation of measuring the second velocity of the above ultrasonic signal is:
A method including an operation of determining an average value of the movement speed of the first ultrasonic signal and the movement speed of the second ultrasonic signal as the second speed.
In any one of Articles 10 to 15,
A method of controlling the ultrasonic output of at least one ultrasonic sensor at a sampling rate higher than a reference rate to measure the second velocity of the ultrasonic waves.
In electronic devices,
display;
A wireless communication circuit that supports wireless communication with an external device;
memory; and
A processor operatively connected to the display, the wireless communication circuit, and the memory,
The above processor,
Setting a reference body temperature based on at least one of user input through the display or body temperature information received from the external device through the wireless communication circuit,
A first speed of ultrasonic waves passing through the user's body measured by the at least one ultrasonic sensor by the external device is received through the wireless communication circuit,
The first speed of the above-mentioned measured ultrasound and the above-mentioned set reference body temperature are stored in the above-mentioned memory as reference information,
After storing the above reference information, the second speed of the ultrasonic waves passing through the user's body measured by the at least one ultrasonic sensor by the external device is received through the wireless communication circuit, and
An electronic device configured to generate compensated body temperature information by compensating the reference body temperature based on the difference between the received first speed and the second speed.
In electronic devices,
1st ultrasonic sensor;
A second ultrasonic sensor positioned spaced apart from the first ultrasonic sensor;
memory; and
A processor operatively connected to the first ultrasonic sensor, the second ultrasonic sensor, and the memory,
The above memory is,
For each path of movement of the ultrasonic signal, a mapping table that maps the movement speed of the ultrasonic signal and the user's body temperature is stored,
The above processor,
Check the movement speed of the first ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor and received through a straight path between the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor,
Check the movement speed of the second ultrasonic signal output from the first ultrasonic sensor and received through a reflection path reflected by a part of the user's body,
Calculating the weighted average of the movement speed of the first ultrasonic signal and the movement speed of the second ultrasonic signal, and
Obtaining body temperature information corresponding to the weighted average of the movement speed of the first ultrasonic signal and the movement speed of the second ultrasonic signal confirmed from the mapping table stored in the memory, and
An electronic device set to determine the body temperature information obtained from the above mapping table as the user's current body temperature.

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