Electronic device, method executed by electronic device, and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic device, a method executed by the electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium. The electronic device includes: a display unit that displays information using a pointer; and a processing unit that obtains the number of pulses of a living body during a predetermined period and controls the display unit so that the pointer displays a pulse cycle based on the obtained number of pulses of the living body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device, a method executed by the electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, electronic devices such as watches worn on the body have been developed that use optical sensors or other sensors to measure biological information such as pulse rate. In most of these electronic devices, the pulse rate is displayed as a numerical value. However, even when the pulse rate is displayed as a numerical value, it is sometimes difficult to understand the actual speed of the heart. To solve this problem, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a clock that can intuitively understand the measurement results of the pulse rate (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-187356).

[0003] In the timepiece disclosed in Patent Document 1, the number of hand movements during one rotation is set to be approximately the same as the pulse rate, that is, the hand moves at a cycle roughly the same as the heartbeat, making it possible to intuitively grasp the pulse rate. However, with this structure, the greater the pulse rate, the smaller the angle of hand movement, making it difficult to grasp the movement of the hand. For example, when the pulse rate is above 180 beats per minute (bpm), the angle of hand movement per rotation is only less than 2 degrees, making it extremely difficult to grasp the movement of the hand. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a display unit that displays information through a pointer; and a processing unit that obtains the number of pulses of a biological body during a predetermined period and controls the display unit to express a pulse cycle based on the obtained number of pulses of the biological body through the pointer.

[0005] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0007] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing an example of a PPG waveform.

[0008] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of an electronic device as viewed from the front.

[0009] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of an electronic device as viewed from the back.

[0010] Figure 5This is an example of a flowchart of the pointer control process according to the embodiment.

[0011] Figure 6 This is an example of a flowchart of the pointer vibration thread according to the embodiment.

[0012] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing an example of the vibration of the pointer in the small hand display portion according to the embodiment.

[0013] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing an example of the vibration state of the second hand in the embodiment.

[0014] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing an example of an ECG waveform. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The electronic device and the like according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0016] (Implementation Method)

[0017] The electronic device according to the embodiment is a watch-type device capable of measuring the user's pulse rate when worn on the user's wrist, for example, a smart watch.

[0018] like Figure 1 As shown, the electronic device 100 of the embodiment includes a processing unit 110 , a storage unit 120 , a sensor unit 130 , a display unit 140 , an operation unit 150 , a timer unit 160 , a communication unit 170 , and an output unit 180 .

[0019] The processing unit 110 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing unit 110 executes pointer control processing, etc., described below, using programs stored in the storage unit 120. The processing unit 110 supports multithreading and can execute multiple processes in parallel.

[0020] The storage unit 120 stores programs and necessary data executed by the processing unit 110. The storage unit 120 can include, but is not limited to, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or flash memory. Alternatively, the storage unit 120 may be located within the processing unit 110.

[0021] The sensor unit 130 includes a PPG (Photoplethysmography) sensor composed of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and a PD (Photodiode) to detect pulse waves. However, the sensor unit 130 may include sensors other than PPG sensors, as long as they detect the pulse of a living body. For example, the sensor unit 130 may include an ECG (Electrocardiogram) sensor worn on the chest to detect heartbeats. However, in this embodiment, the sensor unit 130 includes a PPG sensor worn on the wrist.

[0022] The sensor unit 130 uses a PD to receive light reflected from the body by the LED, and detects the intensity of this light as a biological pulse signal. The processing unit 110 analyzes the temporal changes in the value (AD value) obtained by analog-to-digital conversion of the light intensity in the PD using an AD (Analog-to-Digital) converter to calculate the PPI (Peak to Peak Interval) and pulse rate (heart rate). Furthermore, the pulse wave sensor 131 may also include an AFE (Analog Front End). Even if the light intensity (analog signal) in the PD is too weak to be directly converted to an analog signal, the AFE can be used to adjust the analog signal for AD conversion.

[0023] In addition, the PPI obtained by the PPG sensor is the time interval from the peak of the AD value to the next peak, also known as the BBI (Beat to Beat Interval). In addition, the PPI and BBI are basically the same as the RRI (RR Interval), the time interval between R waves of the electrocardiogram obtained by the ECG sensor. Among PPI, BBI, and RRI, the method called RRI is the most popular. Therefore, in the following description, PPI and BBI will also be referred to as RRI. In addition, since the pulse rate is basically the same as the heart rate, the pulse rate will also be referred to as the heart rate in the following description.

[0024] Through the PPG sensor, the processing unit 110 can obtain, for example, Figure 2 The waveform 200 (PPG waveform) showing the temporal variation of the AD value is shown. Furthermore, the processing unit 110 detects the peak (maximum point) on the waveform 200 to obtain the peak time interval (RRI). The time when the waveform 200 reaches the peak is called the peak timing. The pulse rate is the number of pulses per unit time (1 minute). Therefore, if the unit for expressing the RRI value is seconds, the following relationship exists.

[0025] Average RRI value within 1 minute of pulse measurement = 60 ÷ pulse rate

[0026] Assuming the same RRI continues, the pulse rate = 60 ÷ RRI

[0027] Display unit 140 includes display devices such as physical hands, a liquid crystal display, and an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. Display unit 140 displays the pulse rate measured by sensor unit 130 and the time measured by timer unit 160. Alternatively, display unit 140 may include an analog time display unit comprised of physical hands (second hand, minute hand, hour hand), a date wheel, a motor driver, a motor, and a gear train mechanism. Furthermore, display unit 140 may not be a physical analog time display unit, but may instead display the analog time by displaying an image of hands on a display device such as a liquid crystal display.

[0028] The operating unit 150 is a user interface such as a knob or push button switch, and receives user input. The processing unit 110 can determine the user's input based on the detection results of the knob rotation or switch pressing status of the operating unit 150. Furthermore, if the electronic device 100 includes a touch panel integrated with the display unit 140, this touch panel also serves as the operating unit 150, receiving user touch operations, etc.

[0029] The timing unit 160 measures the time displayed on the display unit 140 by the electronic device 100. Furthermore, the timing unit 160 also functions as a timer for measuring a specified time. Furthermore, the timing unit 160 may be implemented as software that changes the value stored at a predetermined address in the storage unit 120 at predetermined intervals (e.g., 1 second), or as dedicated hardware. Furthermore, the timing unit 160 may be provided within the processing unit 110.

[0030] Communication unit 170 is a communication interface for electronic device 100 to communicate data with external devices (e.g., smartphones, tablet computers, personal computers, other smartwatches, etc.) or to obtain information from the Internet. Communication unit 170 may include, for example, but is not limited to, a wireless communication interface for communicating via Bluetooth (registered trademark) or a wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

[0031] The output unit 180 includes a speaker and outputs audio announcements and sound effects. Alternatively, the electronic device 100 may include an LED (light emitting unit) or a vibrator (vibration unit) as the output unit 180 instead of or in addition to the speaker.

[0032] like Figure 3As shown, the electronic device 100 has an hour hand 141, a minute hand 142, a second hand 143, a date wheel 144, a pulse rate display 145, and a small hand display 146 on the front as a display unit 140. The electronic device 100 displays the time using the hour hand 141, minute hand 142, and second hand 143, the date using the date wheel 144, and the user's pulse rate using the pulse rate display 145. Furthermore, the small hand display 146 can display various information depending on the function of the electronic device 100. As one of its functions, the small hand display 146 uses the vibration of the hand 147 (rotation and counter-rotation of the vibration amplitude by a reference rotation angle) to represent the heartbeat.

[0033] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown, the electronic device 100 has a handle 151 and button switches 152 and 153 on the side to accept user operations. Figure 4 As shown, the electronic device 100 includes an LED and a PD on the back surface as the sensor unit 130. The processing unit 110 calculates the RRI and the pulse rate based on the temporal change in the intensity (AD value) of the received light detected by the PD of the sensor unit 130.

[0034] For example, Figure 2 As shown, the processing unit 110 detects the peak values ​​of the AD values ​​to extract the pulsation times 201t, 202t, and 203t, and obtains the intervals 211i and 212i between these pulsation times as the RRI. The processing unit 110 also obtains the number of peak values ​​per minute as the pulse rate.

[0035] The electronic device 100 displays the pulse rate on the pulse rate display unit 145 and expresses the heartbeat by the vibration of the pointer 147 of the small needle display unit 146. Figure 3 FIG. 1 shows a pulse rate display unit 145 indicating a pulse rate of 76 bpm (beats per minute), and the heartbeat is represented by the vibration of pointer 147. Pointer 147 rotates from the vibration start position (base position) to the maximum point position (peak position), and then rotates in the reverse direction, thereby representing vibration with an amplitude equal to the reference rotation angle.

[0036] exist Figure 3 The following example is shown: the starting position of the vibration of the pointer 147 is set as the basic position ( Figure 3 The processing unit 110 rotates the pointer 147 from the base position to the peak position ( Figure 3The processor 110 then rotates pointer 147 in the reverse direction from its peak position to its base position, causing it to vibrate and represent the heartbeat. The speed of pointer 147 during this rotation and reverse rotation (rotational velocity) can also be varied according to the pulse rate. For example, as the pulse rate increases, the processor 110 increases the rotational velocity. This allows the user to intuitively grasp the pulse rate based on the speed (period) of the pointer's vibration.

[0037] In addition, the base position and the peak position may not be fixed positions. For example, by fixing the base position, the more the pulse number increases, the more the reference rotation angle (in Figure 3 In the example, the angle between the base position and the peak position is used), and the user can easily intuitively grasp the pulse rate based on the size of the pointer vibration (vibration amplitude).

[0038] In addition, Figure 3 , an example of expressing the heart's pulsation by the vibration of the pointer 147 of the small needle display unit 146 is shown, but the expression of the heart's pulsation is not limited to the expression of the small needle display unit 146. The electronic device 100 can also express the heart's pulsation by other pointers (such as the second hand 143). In this case, for example, the second hand 143 does not indicate the number of seconds at the current moment during the expression of the pulsation, but the time for expressing the pulsation is limited (for example, only 0.2 seconds in 1 second). Therefore, even if the heart's pulsation is expressed by the pointer that displays the time, the user can confirm the time without any problem. In addition, if the heart's pulsation is expressed by the pointer that displays the time, the electronic device 100 can express the heart's pulsation even if it does not have the small needle display unit 146.

[0039] When the second hand 143 represents the heartbeat, the processing unit 110 sets the base position of the vibration to the position indicating the current second. Thus, even when the second hand 143 represents the heartbeat, the user can confirm the current second by looking at the second hand 143. In this case, for example, the base rotation angle may be increased as the pulse rate increases. This allows the user to intuitively grasp the pulse rate based on the magnitude (amplitude) of the vibration.

[0040] Next, refer to Figure 5 The following describes the pointer control process, which is a process in which the electronic device 100 causes the hands to represent the heart's pulsation. This pointer control process begins when the user instructs the electronic device 100 to represent the hands' pulsation through the operating unit 150. Furthermore, the pointer control process may also begin in parallel with other processes when the electronic device 100 is booted up.

[0041] When the pointer control process starts, first, the processing unit 110 starts the RRI calculation thread (step S101). The RRI calculation thread is a process executed in parallel with the pointer control process. When the AD value is input in a time series, the maximum point (peak) of the AD value is detected, and the most recent RRI value and the most recent peak timing (beat time) are output to the pointer control process. In addition, the RRI value and peak timing can be calculated using existing technology (such as the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-45319), so the details of the processing of the RRI calculation thread are omitted.

[0042] Next, processing unit 110 activates the pointer vibration thread (step S102). The pointer vibration thread is also executed in parallel with the pointer control process. It vibrates the pointer to represent the pulse corresponding to the RRI value and peak timing. The details of the pointer vibration thread are described later.

[0043] Then, the processing unit 110 causes the LED of the sensor unit 130 to emit light (step S103). The light emitted from the LED and reflected by the living body is received by the PD of the sensor unit 130, and the processing unit 110 obtains an AD value by converting the received light intensity at the PD using an AD converter (step S104).

[0044] Next, the processing unit 110 inputs the acquired AD value to the RRI calculation thread (step S105). The processing unit 110 then determines whether an RRI value has been output from the RRI calculation thread (step S106). If no RRI value has been output (step S106: No), the process returns to step S103.

[0045] If an RRI value is output (step S106; yes), the processing unit 110 obtains the RRI value and peak timing from the RRI calculation thread (step S107). The processing unit 110 then inputs the obtained RRI value and peak timing to the pointer vibration thread (step S108) and returns to step S103.

[0046] Next, refer to Figure 6 The pointer vibration thread is described below. Parameters of the pointer vibration thread include a preset reference rotation angle (e.g., 135 degrees), a reference vibration period (e.g., 0.2 seconds), a unit rotation angle (e.g., 1 degree), and a reference delay time (e.g., 2 seconds).

[0047] The reference rotation angle is the angle at which the pointer rotates according to the heartbeat (equivalent to the angle of the pointer's vibration amplitude). Figure 3In the example shown, this is the angle required to rotate the pointer from its base position to its peak position. The reference vibration period is the time it takes for the pointer to rotate from its base position by the reference rotation angle, rotate in the opposite direction, and finally return to its base position. This represents the period of pointer vibration. The unit rotation angle is the rotation angle per rotation of the pointer during the pointer vibration cycle. The reference delay time is the difference between the actual peak timing and the timing when the pointer reaches the peak position.

[0048] In this embodiment, the pointer is moved after confirming the peak timing of the AD value. This creates a discrepancy (delay) between the actual heartbeat and the pointer's oscillation. However, this discrepancy can be reduced by shortening the reference delay time. However, since a time delay between the actual peak timing and the output of the RRI value and peak timing by the RRI calculation thread is unavoidable, it is considered realistic to set the reference delay time to approximately 1 to 2 seconds.

[0049] When the pointer vibration thread starts, the processing unit 110 first determines whether the RRI value and peak timing have been input from the pointer control process (step S201). If the RRI value and peak timing have not been input from the pointer control process (step S201: No), the process returns to step S201. If the RRI value and peak timing have been input from the pointer control process (step S201: Yes), the processing unit 110 obtains the RRI value and peak timing (step S202).

[0050] Next, processing unit 110 calculates the operating frequency (step S203). This operating frequency is the frequency at which the pointer is set to move in the pointer vibration thread. Specifically, processing unit 110 calculates the operating frequency using the following formula. The reference rotation angle is multiplied by 2 because the reference rotation angle must be reciprocated during the reference vibration period.

[0051] Operating frequency = (reference rotation angle × 2) ÷ unit rotation angle ÷ reference vibration period

[0052] Next, the processing unit 110 substitutes "BaseToPeak" into a variable representing the current state (step S204). This variable indicates the direction in which the pointer is currently rotating. Initially, the pointer is at the base position. To rotate the pointer from the base position toward the peak position, the processing unit 110 sets the value of the variable to "BaseToPeak."

[0053] Next, the processing unit 110 determines whether the current timing is the operating frequency timing (step S205). The processing unit 110 controls the hands to vibrate with a reference delay time relative to the actual pulsation. Therefore, if the current time is earlier than "peak timing + reference delay time - reference vibration period ÷ 2", the processing unit 110 determines that the current timing is not the operating frequency timing. If the current time is "peak timing + reference delay time - reference vibration period ÷ 2 + operating frequency × n" (where n is an integer greater than or equal to 0 and less than (reference rotation angle × 2) ÷ unit rotation angle), the processing unit 110 determines that the current timing is the operating frequency timing.

[0054] Then, if the current timing is not the operating frequency timing (step S205 ; No), the processing unit 110 returns to step S205 .

[0055] If the current timing is the operating frequency timing (step S205; Yes), the processing unit 110 determines whether the current pointer position is the peak position (step S206). If the current pointer position is the peak position (step S206; Yes), the processing unit 110 substitutes "PeakToBase" into the variable representing the state (step S207) and proceeds to step S208.

[0056] On the other hand, if the current pointer position is not the peak position (step S206 ; No), the processing unit 110 proceeds to step S208 .

[0057] In step S208, the processing unit 110 determines whether the value of the variable representing the state is "PeakToBase." If the value of the variable representing the state is not "PeakToBase" (step S208; No), the processing unit 110 rotates the pointer by the unit rotation angle (step S209) and proceeds to step S211.

[0058] If the value of the variable indicating the state is “PeakToBase” (step S208 ; Yes), the processing unit 110 rotates the pointer in the reverse direction by the unit rotation angle (step S210 ), and then proceeds to step S211 .

[0059] In step S211 , the processing unit 110 determines whether the current pointer position is the base position (step S211 ). If the current pointer position is not the base position (step S211 ; No), the processing unit 110 returns to step S205 .

[0060] On the other hand, if the current pointer position is the base position (step S211 ; Yes), the processing unit 110 returns to step S201 .

[0061] Through the above pointer control processing and pointer vibration thread, electronic device 100 obtains the heart beat frequency and controls display unit 140 to display the heart beat cycle based on the obtained heart beat frequency using the pointer. In other words, the heart beat is displayed through the vibration of the pointer, allowing the user to more intuitively understand the heart beat.

[0062] Furthermore, processing unit 110 causes the pointer to begin rotation from the base position at a time equal to "peak timing + reference delay time - reference vibration period ÷ 2" (i.e., a time half the reference vibration period prior to the time at which the reference delay time has elapsed from the pulsation). Consequently, the pointer is positioned at the peak position at a time at which the reference delay time has elapsed from the pulsation. Therefore, ignoring the delay due to the reference delay time, the user can grasp the actual pulsation timing at the time when the pointer is positioned at the peak position.

[0063] Reference Figure 7 The following describes how the pointer 147 of the small hand display unit 146 vibrates through the above-described pointer control process. In this example, it is assumed that the base position is set to the 3 o'clock direction, the reference rotation angle is set to 135 degrees, the reference vibration period is set to 0.2 seconds, and the reference delay time is set to 2 seconds.

[0064] First, if Figure 7 As shown at the top, pointer 147a of small hand display unit 146a is at the base position. Furthermore, the RRI calculation thread outputs the value "RRI value = 0.8 seconds, peak timing = 9 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds." Processing unit 110 then begins rotating pointer 147 at 9 hours, 0 minutes, and 1.9 seconds (= "peak timing + reference delay time - reference vibration period ÷ 2").

[0065] Furthermore, when the time is 9:00:1.95 (= "peak timing + reference delay time - reference vibration period ÷ 4"), the pointer 147b of the small hand display portion 146b is as shown. Figure 7 As shown in the second one from the top, when the time is 9 hours, 0 minutes and 2 seconds (= "peak timing + reference delay time"), as shown in Figure 7 As shown in the third one from the top, the pointer 147c of the small hand display portion 146c rotates to the peak position.

[0066] After that, the direction of rotation of the pointer becomes reverse, and when the time is 9:00:2.05 (= "peak timing + reference delay time + reference vibration period ÷ 4"), the pointer 147b of the small needle display part 146b is as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown in the second one from the top, when the time is 9 hours, 0 minutes and 2.1 seconds (= "peak timing + reference delay time + reference vibration period ÷ 2"), as Figure 7As shown at the top of FIG. 1 , the pointer 147a of the small hand display portion 146a returns to the base position.

[0067] In this manner, in the small hand display portion 146 , the hand 147 is vibrated with a vibration amplitude equal to the reference rotation angle and in the reverse direction, thereby making it easier to grasp the user's heartbeat.

[0068] In addition, refer to Figure 8 An example will be described in which the second hand 143 is used as a vibrating hand instead of the pointer 147 of the small hand display unit 146. In this example, it is assumed that the base position is set to the direction indicating the seconds of the current time, the reference rotation angle is set to 30 degrees, the reference vibration period is set to 0.2 seconds, and the reference delay time is set to 2.1 seconds.

[0069] For example, at 16:07:55, the RRI calculation thread outputs the value "RRI value = 0.8 seconds, peak timing = 16:07:54 seconds". Then, the processing unit 110 starts the rotation of the second hand 143 at 16:07:56 (= "peak timing + reference delay time - reference vibration period ÷ 2"). Figure 8 As shown at the top of the display, the second hand 143a is located at the home position (the position of 56 seconds, which is the second number of the current moment).

[0070] Furthermore, when the time is 16:07:56.05 (= "peak timing + reference delay time - reference vibration period ÷ 4"), the second hand 143b is as follows: Figure 8 As shown in the second figure from the top, the time is 16:07:56.1 (= "peak timing + reference delay time"), as shown in the figure below. Figure 8 As shown third from the top, the second hand 143c rotates to the peak position (1 second).

[0071] After that, the rotation direction of the second hand 143 becomes reverse. When the time is 16:07:56.15 (= "peak timing + reference delay time + reference vibration period ÷ 4"), the second hand 143b is as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown in the second one from the top, the reverse rotation is performed. At the time of 16 hours, 7 minutes and 56.2 seconds (= "peak timing + reference delay time + reference vibration period ÷ 2"), as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown at the top of the display, the second hand 143a returns to the home position (the position of 56 seconds corresponding to the current second).

[0072] Thus, even when the pulse is represented by the second hand 143, the electronic device 100 can display the correct seconds outside the reference vibration period (0.2 seconds in the above example) by the second hand 143. Furthermore, the user can intuitively grasp the pulse by the vibration of the second hand 143 during the reference vibration period.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above example, the reference delay time is set to 2.1 seconds because, for ease of explanation, it is easy to understand that the number of seconds does not change between the start and end timings of the vibration of the second hand 143. Even if the number of seconds between the start and end timings of the vibration of the second hand 143 is changed, no particular problem will arise if the processing unit 110 controls the second hand 143 so that the reverse rotation ends at the time the second hand 143 rotates in reverse to the position corresponding to the current second.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the rotation speed when the pointer rotates from the base position to the peak position and the rotation speed when the pointer rotates in the reverse direction from the peak position to the base position are assumed to be the same. However, the rotation speed may be changed midway.

[0075] Alternatively, the reference oscillation period can be varied based on the RRI value. For example, if the reference oscillation period is set to RRI ÷ x (where x is any real number greater than 1), the rotation speed of the pointer is proportional to the pulse rate, making it easier to intuitively grasp the pulse rate based on the pointer's rotation speed.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the processing unit 110 starts rotating the pointer from a base position, reverses the direction of rotation when the pointer reaches a reference rotation angle (peak position), and stops rotating when the pointer returns to the base position, thereby generating vibration. In this case, the center position of the pointer vibration is the position where the pointer has rotated half the reference rotation angle from the base position. However, the center position of the vibration generated by the pointer is not limited to this position.

[0077] For example, the processing unit 110 may start the rotation of the pointer from the base position, reverse the rotation direction when it rotates to an angle half the reference rotation angle (peak position), reverse the rotation direction again when it passes the base position and further rotates in the opposite direction to an angle half the reference rotation angle, and stop the rotation of the pointer when it returns to the base position again, thereby expressing vibration.

[0078] In this case, processing unit 110 begins rotating the pointer from its base position when the current time is "peak timing + reference delay time - reference vibration period / 4" and reverses the direction of rotation at the peak position (when the current time is "peak timing + reference delay time"). Consequently, at "peak timing + reference delay time + reference vibration period / 4," the pointer passes the base position. At "peak timing + reference delay time + reference vibration period / 2," the pointer reaches a position rotated counterclockwise from the base position by half the reference rotation angle. Therefore, processing unit 110 reverses the direction of rotation. Furthermore, at "peak timing + reference delay time + 3 × reference vibration period / 4," the pointer returns to its base position, and processing unit 110 stops rotating the pointer.

[0079] In this example, the center position of the vibration of the pointer is the base position. Therefore, based on the waveform of the pulsation, the processing unit 110 can express a pulsation with less discomfort by the vibration of the pointer.

[0080] Furthermore, the center position of the pointer's vibration is not limited to the position where the pointer is rotated by half the reference rotation angle from the base position, or the base position. Processing unit 110 may also vibrate the pointer by setting the position after the pointer is rotated by any angle within ± the reference rotation angle from the base position as the center position of the pointer's vibration (reference vibration center position). This allows processing unit 110 to, for example, produce a vibration with a waveform more suitable for a pulsation using the pointer.

[0081] (Variation 1)

[0082] In the above embodiment, the sensor unit 130 includes a PPG sensor to obtain Figure 2 However, the waveform processed by the electronic device 100 is not limited to the PPG waveform. As a modification example 1, the following embodiment can also be considered: the sensor unit 130 has an ECG sensor, and the processing unit 110 obtains the AD value obtained by AD conversion of the voltage value output by the ECG sensor. Figure 9 The waveform 300 (ECG waveform) is shown.

[0083] In this case, if Figure 9 As shown, the processing unit 110 can also extract the pulsation times 301t, 302t, and 303t by detecting the peak values ​​of the AD values, and obtain the intervals 311i and 312i between these pulsation times as the RRI. Therefore, the processing unit 110 can perform the above-mentioned processing (such as the pointer control processing) even when using the ECG waveform.

[0084] In this way, even if the sensor unit 130 does not include a PPG sensor, as long as it includes another sensor capable of detecting the pulse of a living body (for example, an ECG sensor), the processing unit 110 can express the pulse using the vibration of the pointer.

[0085] (Variation 2)

[0086] The processing unit 110 does not necessarily need to analyze the waveform to calculate the RRI. For example, as described above, the average RRI value can be calculated from the pulse rate using the following formula.

[0087] Average RRI value within 1 minute of pulse measurement = 60 ÷ pulse rate

[0088] Therefore, as a second modification, an embodiment is also conceivable in which an average RRI value is calculated based on the pulse rate, and the pulsation is expressed by the vibration of the pointer based on the RRI value.

[0089] In the second modification, instead of the aforementioned RRI calculation thread, a pulse rate calculation thread is executed in parallel with other processing, and periodically (at pulse rate calculation intervals) outputs the pulse rate to the processing unit 110. Since the pulse rate can also be calculated using conventional techniques (e.g., the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-58022), the details of the processing of the pulse rate calculation thread are omitted.

[0090] In addition, the processing unit 110 performs the following processing: each time the pulse rate is obtained, the RRI value is calculated as "RRI = 60 ÷ pulse rate", the value obtained by adding the calculated RRI value to the most recent peak timing is used as the next peak timing, and the RRI value and peak timing are input into the pointer vibration thread.

[0091] By performing such processing, even if the exact peak timing or RRI value is unknown, the processing unit 110 can express a pulsation that does not cause discomfort by the vibration of the hands based on the pulse rate.

[0092] (Other Modifications)

[0093] Furthermore, the representation of the heartbeat in electronic device 100 is not limited to representation based on the vibration of the hands. For example, electronic device 100 may also represent the heartbeat by vibrating the volume of sound in output unit 180. In this case, processing unit 110 may, for example, begin outputting a low sound at the time "peak timing + reference delay time - reference vibration period ÷ 2," gradually increase the volume, reach maximum volume at the time "peak timing + reference delay time," then gradually decrease the volume, and cease outputting the sound at the time "peak timing + reference delay time + reference vibration period ÷ 2."

[0094] Alternatively, the electronic device 100 may include a vibration unit as the output unit 180 that vibrates the electronic device 100, and the magnitude of the vibration of the vibration unit may be varied in a vibrating manner to represent a pulsation. In this case, the processing unit 110 may, for example, start a small vibration at the time "peak timing + reference delay time - reference vibration period / 2", gradually increase the magnitude of the vibration, reach maximum magnitude at the time "peak timing + reference delay time", then gradually decrease the magnitude of the vibration, and stop the vibration at the time "peak timing + reference delay time + reference vibration period / 2".

[0095] Alternatively, the electronic device 100 may include a light-emitting unit (e.g., an LED) as the output unit 180, and may vibrate the light intensity of the light-emitting unit to represent pulsation. In this case, the processing unit 110 may, for example, begin emitting very dim light from the LED at a time equal to "peak timing + reference delay time - reference vibration period ÷ 2," gradually increase the brightness of the LED, reach maximum brightness at a time equal to "peak timing + reference delay time," then gradually decrease the brightness, and stop emitting light at a time equal to "peak timing + reference delay time + reference vibration period ÷ 2."

[0096] Furthermore, the processing unit 110 may express the heartbeat using at least one of the above-mentioned sound, vibration, and light, in addition to expressing the heartbeat using the vibration of the pointer.

[0097] In the above-described embodiment, the electronic device 100 is described as representing the pulsation of the heart (heartbeat) and the pulsation of the artery (pulse) through the vibration of the pointer, etc. However, the pulsation represented by the electronic device 100 is not limited to the pulsation of the heart and artery. For example, the processing unit 110 may detect the pulsation of the lungs (expansion and contraction of the lungs) using the sensor unit 130 and represent the pulsation of the lungs through the vibration of the pointer, etc.

[0098] Furthermore, the electronic device 100 may increase or decrease the number of sensors included in the sensor unit 130 as needed, and the processing unit 110 may express an arbitrary biological pulse obtained from the sensor unit 130 through the vibration of the pointer or the like.

[0099] In addition, the electronic device 100 can also be implemented by a wearable computer that can be worn on the user's body, a smartphone, a tablet computer, a PC, or other computers that can obtain detection values ​​detected by sensors worn on the user's body. Specifically, in the above embodiment, the case where the program for the pointer control processing and the like executed by the electronic device 100 is pre-stored in the storage unit 120 is described. However, the program can also be stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a floppy disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), an MO (Magneto-Optical Disc), a memory card, or a USB memory and distributed, and the program can be read into a computer and installed, thereby constituting a computer capable of executing the above-mentioned processing.

[0100] Furthermore, the program can be superimposed on a carrier wave and applied via a communication medium such as the Internet. For example, the program can be posted on a bulletin board (BBS) on a communication network and distributed. Furthermore, the program can be activated and executed like other application programs under the control of the OS (Operating System), thereby performing the above-mentioned processes.

[0101] Furthermore, the processing unit 110 may be composed of any single processor such as a single processor, a multi-processor, or a multi-core processor, or may be composed of any processor combined with a processing circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0102] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments and that the scope of the claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

[0103] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-053621, filed on March 25, 2020, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized in that: have: a display unit that displays information through a pointer; and Processing Department, The processing unit obtains the number of pulses of the living body during a predetermined period, and controls the display unit to display a pulse cycle based on the obtained number of pulses of the living body by rotating the pointer by an angle based on a vibration amplitude and rotating it in the reverse direction. The processing unit starts the vibration of the pointer from a base position, which is a starting position of the vibration. The processing unit obtains the pulsation time, which is the time of the maximum point of the pulsation, and vibrates the pointer so that the pointer is located at the position of the maximum point of the vibration, which is the peak position, at a timing when a reference delay time has passed from the obtained pulsation time. The processing unit starts the vibration of the pointer from the base position at a timing that is earlier than a timing at which a reference delay time has elapsed from the acquired pulsation time by a time period that is half a reference vibration period.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein The processing unit increases the rotation speed of the pointer as the number of acquired times increases.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The processing unit increases the reference rotation angle as the number of times the obtained angle is greater.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The processing unit changes the reference vibration period according to the acquired number of times.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein The pointer is the second hand, The base position is the position corresponding to the seconds of the current moment. The processing unit displays the seconds using the hand and vibrates the hand.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The processing unit vibrates the pointer so that a reference vibration center position is set as the center position of the vibration.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The pulsation is a pulse.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The processing unit acquires the number of pulsations of the living body per unit time as the number of pulsations of the living body during the predetermined period.

9. A method performed by an electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises: a display unit that displays information through a pointer; and Processing Department, The method includes: obtaining the number of pulses of a living body during a predetermined period; controlling the display unit to represent a pulsation cycle based on the acquired number of pulsations of the living body by rotating and vibrating the pointer by a rotation angle based on a vibration amplitude and in a reverse direction; Starting the vibration of the pointer from the starting position of the vibration, that is, the base position, The pulsation time is obtained, and the pointer is vibrated so that the pointer is located at the position of the maximum point of the vibration, that is, the peak position, at a timing when a reference delay time has passed from the obtained pulsation time. The hand starts vibrating from the base position at a timing that is earlier than a timing at which a reference delay time has elapsed from the acquired pulsation time by half a reference vibration period.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The pointer is the second hand, The base position is the position corresponding to the seconds of the current moment. The method further comprises: The seconds are displayed using the hand and the hand is vibrated.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium records a program executed by a computer of an electronic device, the electronic device having: a display unit that displays information through a pointer; and Processing Department, The processing unit of the electronic device executes the following processing according to the program: Obtaining the number of pulses of the living body during a predetermined period, controlling the display unit to rotate the pointer by an angle based on a vibration amplitude and to vibrate the pointer in reverse rotation to represent a pulsation cycle based on the acquired number of pulsations of the living body, Starting the vibration of the pointer from the starting position of the vibration, that is, the base position, The pulsation time is obtained, and the pointer is vibrated so that the pointer is located at the position of the maximum point of the vibration, that is, the peak position, at a timing when a reference delay time has passed from the obtained pulsation time. The hand starts vibrating from the base position at a timing that is earlier than a timing at which a reference delay time has elapsed from the acquired pulsation time by half a reference vibration period.

12. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein The pointer is the second hand, The base position is the position corresponding to the seconds of the current moment. The processing unit of the electronic device further performs the following processing according to the program: The seconds are displayed using the hand and the hand is vibrated.

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