Patent Application
20150305635
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable electronic device and a heartbeat value sensing method of the same, especially to an electronic device detects blood by light detectors and its sensing method.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
With the progress of the technology, the portable electronic device can provide various functions. One of the application of the portable electronic device is to detect heartbeat value. The user puts the finger or other part of the body on a light source. A light detector receives the reflecting light of the light source to generate a blood detecting signal. A control unit calculates the heartbeat value based on the blood detecting signal. Thus, the user can measure his heartbeat value at rest, or monitor his heartbeat value during exercise.
However, the user's body is unavoidably vibrated during exercise. When detecting heartbeat value during exercise, the blood detecting signal generated by the light detector includes a real signal from the real heartbeat value and a vibration signal from the vibration so that the heartbeat value calculated by the blood detecting signal may be incorrect. The conventional portable electronic device has an extra gravity sensor (G-sensor) to detect the vibration signal. Then the control unit can eliminate the vibration signal influence to calculate a correct heartbeat value. However, mounting extra G-sensor not only increases manufacturing cost but also enlarges the volume so that is not unfavorable for the portable electronic device to be lightweight, especially to wearable devices. The overweight or oversized wearable devices are undoubtedly less valued.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a portable electronic device and a heartbeat value sensing method of the same to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
The present invention seeks solution to obtain a correct heartbeat value that is not influenced by the vibration noise without having extra components.
To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the present invention provides a portable electronic device comprising:
a first light source providing a first beam;
a light detector comprising at least one light detecting unit, wherein the light detector detects a reflected light generated from the first beam of the first light source emitting to a user's body, and then a blood detecting signal is generated based one the reflected light;
a control unit connecting to the first light source and the light detector and executing a real time heartbeat value sensing method having following steps:
(a) obtaining an initial heartbeat value;
(b) setting a reference range based on the initial heartbeat value;
(c) obtaining a real time heartbeat value; and
(d) determining whether the real time heartbeat value falls into the reference range; when the real time heartbeat value falls into the reference range, the real time heartbeat value is output; when the real time heartbeat value does not fall into the reference range, the real time heartbeat value is not output.
The advantage of the present invention is to use the initial heartbeat value to set the reference range so that the unusual values occurred by the vibration noise is eliminated without mounting extra components. Then the user's heartbeat value is calculated accurately. Therefore, the manufacturing cost and the volume of the portable electronic device are reduced and the portable electronic device is easily worn or carried by the user.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
The light detector 20 has at least one light detecting unit 21 and at least one driving unit 22. Each driving unit 22 is connected to and drives the first light source 10. The light detecting unit 21 receives the lights through holes on the portable electronic device as described to generate light detecting signal. The light source 10 emits light through the holes on the portable electronic device as described. The amount and the relating locations of the light detecting units 21 and the driving units 22 are regarded as the functions provided by the portable electronic device as described. The related location of the first light source 10 and the light detecting unit 21 is also regarded as the functions provided by the portable electronic device as described. Further, the light detecting units 21 and the light source 10 may be integrated in a semiconductor package. In a preferred embodiment, the light detector 20 comprises multiple light detecting units 21, a time controller TC, an amplifier AMP, an active gain controller AGC, an analog-to-digital converter ADC, a digital filter DF, a multiplexer MUX, a control register CR, a data register DR, an interrupt interface II, a transmitting-receiving interface TSI, a light source controller LC, an oscillator OSC, a bias circuit BC and a temperature sensor TS. The light detecting unit 21 detects light to generate said light detecting signal. The amplifier AMP amplifies the light detecting signal and the amplification of the amplifier AMP is adjusted by the active gain controller AGC. The active gain controller AGC adjusts the amplification of the amplifier AMP and the integration time of the light detecting unit 21 for the light detecting signal to reach the desired brightness. The analog-to-digital converter ADC converts the amplified light detecting signal to a digital signal. The digital filter DF filters noises. The time controller TC controls the time sequences of the elements in the light detector 20. The temperature sensor TS detects the temperature. The bias circuit BS is a bias voltage source of the analog circuit. The oscillator OSC provides the clock signal. The light source controller LC controls the said light sources 30. The control register CR and the data register DR respectively storage commands and detecting results. The transmitting-receiving interface TSI transmits and receives the commands and the data. The interrupt interface II notifies the control unit 30 about the condition of the storage space to determine the data whether transmitted or received.
With reference to
Obtaining initial heartbeat value (S1): When the user's body approaches the first light source 10, the first light source 10 emits a first beam to the user's body to generate a reflected light. The light detecting unit 21 of the light detector 20 receives the reflected light and generates a blood detecting signal to obtain the initial heartbeat value.
Setting a reference range (S2): The initial heartbeat value is used to set up a reference range of a possible heartbeat value variation. In one embodiment, the initial heartbeat value is used as a median value to set the reference range. For example, the initial heartbeat value is 72 times per minute. Suppose the heartbeat value cannot change more than 30 times in difference. Thus, the reference range can be set as 42 to 102 times per minute or even smaller range such as 52 to 92 times per minute.
Obtaining a real time heartbeat value (S3): The first light source 10 emits the first beam to the user's body again to generate a reflected light. The light detecting unit 21 of the light detector 20 receives the reflected light and generates a blood detecting signal to obtain the real time heartbeat value.
Determining whether the real time heartbeat value falling in the reference range (S4): The obtained real time heartbeat value is compared with the reference range to determine whether the real time heartbeat value falling in the reference range. Whether the real time heartbeat value does fall in the reference range, the real time heartbeat value is output (S41). Whether the real time heartbeat value does fall in the reference range, the real time heartbeat value is not output (S42). Then the reference range is enlarged (S43) and then go back to step S3. In step S43 that enlarging the reference range, the reference range is slightly enlarged as predetermined, but the enlarged range does not exceed a reasonable value that predetermined by the system so that the result influenced by the vibration noise is not determined as the real time heartbeat value.
Therefore, with the comparison between the reference range and the real time heartbeat value, the output real time heartbeat value is always a correct heartbeat value that falls in the reasonable variation range and is not an incorrect heartbeat value influenced by the vibration noise.
Further, the method as described further comprises another step of resetting the reference range (S5): The output real time heartbeat value is used to reset the reference range. In one embodiment, the real time is used as a median value to reset the reference range. With the user changes his condition, the real time heartbeat value may be changed as well. For example, when the user exercises, the real time heartbeat value definitely changed. Therefore, the reference range is adjusted by the real time heartbeat value to accurately determine whether the next real time heartbeat value is correct.
Moreover, with further reference to
Emitting the first beam to the user's body (S61): The first light source 10 emits a first beam to the user's body to generate a reflected light.
Receiving the reflected light of the first beam (S62): The light detecting unit 21 of the light detector 20 receives the reflected light and generates a blood detecting signal.
Determining whether the blood detecting signal is valid (S63): The control unit 30 determines whether the blood detecting signal is valid. The blood detecting signal may be invalid because the user's body moves away or other reason to result in the blood detecting signal being too small. The invalid blood detecting signal is unable to be used to further determine the heartbeat value. Whether the blood detecting signal is determined as valid, the blood detecting signal is converted into a heartbeat data (S631). Whether the blood detecting signal is determined as valid, then go back to step S62.
Determining whether the times that the heartbeat data is converted reaches a certain amount (S64): When the blood detecting signal is converted into the heartbeat data, the times that the heartbeat data is converted are calculated to determine whether the times reach the certain amount, such as 100 to 500 times. Whether the times reach the certain amount, a heartbeat value is calculated by the all converted heartbeat data. Whether the times are not reached the certain amount yet, then go back to step S62.
By determining whether the blood detecting signal is valid, a threshold may be set to eliminate the over-large and over-small signal. With multiple heartbeat data to obtain the heartbeat value, a single event occurred by a surge is kept from influencing the heartbeat value so that the calculated heartbeat value is more accurate.
With further reference to
Emitting a second beam with a first emitting frequency and receiving its reflected light (S11): The first light source 10 emits the second beam with the first emitting frequency. Then the light detecting unit 21 of the light detector 20 receives the reflected light of the second beam.
Determining whether a user's body approaches (S12): The received reflected light is used to determine whether the user's body approaches close enough. When the user's body approaches closer, the intensity of the reflected light is stronger. When the user's body is determined close enough, the first beam is emitted to the user's body with a second emitting frequency to generate a reflected light (S121). When the user's body is determined not close enough or no user's body approach is determined, go back to step S11.
Receiving the reflected light of the first beam (S13): The light detecting unit 21 of the light detector 20 receives the reflected light and generates a blood detecting signal.
Obtaining initial heartbeat value (S1): The blood detecting signal is used to obtain the initial heartbeat value.
With the aforementioned proximity sensing procedure, the second beam is emitted with the lower first emitting frequency when the portable electronic device is idle. When the user's body approach is determined, the first beam is emitted with the higher second emitting frequency to obtain the initial heartbeat value. The lower frequency cost lower power so that using the proximity sensing procedure can reduce power consumption.
Further, with reference to
Moreover, when the initial heartbeat value is obtained, the initial heartbeat value is converted into an initial frequency. Then the initial frequency is used to set up the reference range. When the real time heartbeat value is obtained, the real time heartbeat value is converted into a real time frequency to be compared with the initial frequency.
Therefore, the portable electronic device as described uses the initial heartbeat value to set the reference range to compare with the subsequent real time heartbeat values. Thus, when the false heartbeat value that is too large or too small due to the vibration noise, the false heartbeat value is eliminated because of the comparison result between the false heartbeat value and the reference range. Then the output real time heartbeat value is accurate and is not influenced by the vibration noise.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 104104308 | Feb 2015 | TW | national |
This application claims the benefit of United States provisional application filed on Apr. 24, 2014 and having application Ser. No. 61/983,470, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference This application is based upon and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 from Taiwan Patent Application No. 104104308 filed on Feb. 10, 2015, which is hereby specifically incorporated herein by this reference thereto.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61983470 | Apr 2014 | US |
