Smart ring

Abstract

To provide a smart ring that can continually operate without being fed with power from the outside using a thermal power generating element.SOLUTION: A smart ring includes: a thermal power generating element which constitutes at least part of a ring inner periphery, to which body temperature propagates thereto via a contact part coming into contact with the skin of a finger of a wearer, and which generates power; a power storage part for storing power that is generated by the thermal power generating element; a sensor part for acquiring information relating to a physical activity of the wearer; a transmission part for transmitting the information acquired by the sensor part; and a controller for controlling the sensor part and the transmission part using the power stored in the power storage part. The controller operates the sensor part and the transmission part when detecting that a quantity of power stored in the power storage part exceeds a specified value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ring-shaped smart ring that is worn on the body and has a communication function.

Background Art

[0002] Various smart devices have been proposed that are worn on the body to measure the wearer's body temperature, blood oxygen concentration, body movement, etc., and communicate the measurement results to a smartphone or the like. For example, as a watch-type smartwatch worn on the wrist, those having various functions have been proposed.

[0003] On the other hand, as a problem of smart devices such as smartwatches, it is necessary to supply power from the outside. The time for charging by connecting to a commercial power supply or an external battery has problems such as the need to remove the smart device from the wearer or to limit the movement range of the wearer. As one method for solving such problems, a ring-shaped health monitoring device having a power generation unit that generates electricity by the heat of the wearer or the movement of the wearer has been proposed (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the amount of power that can be generated by a power generation unit installed in a small device such as a ring-shaped smart ring is limited. Therefore, in a conventional ring-shaped smart ring, the electrical energy required for controlling each part, communication, etc. is too large compared to the power generation amount, and there is a problem that it is difficult to operate continuously without power supply from the outside.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention relates to a technology for realizing a smart ring that can operate continuously without power supply from the outside by using a thermoelectric element.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] The smart ring according to the present invention includes a thermoelectric element that constitutes at least a part of the inner circumference of the ring and generates electricity by transmitting body temperature through a contact portion that contacts the skin of the wearer's finger, a power storage unit that stores the electricity generated by the thermoelectric element, a sensor unit that acquires information regarding the physical activity of the wearer, a transmission unit that transmits the information acquired by the sensor unit, and a control unit that controls the sensor unit and the transmission unit by using the electricity stored in the power storage unit. The control unit detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit has exceeded a predetermined value, and operates the sensor unit and the transmission unit.

[0008] The smart ring according to the present invention has a thermoelectric power generation element that generates electricity by transmitting body temperature through a contact portion. Since the body temperature, which is a heat source, is almost constant and the smart ring is in a ring shape, the contact area between the skin and the contact portion hardly fluctuates, and it does not get in the way even when worn constantly. Therefore, with such a smart ring, continuous and stable power generation is possible. Further, the control unit of the smart ring detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit exceeds a predetermined value and operates the sensor unit and the transmission unit. In such a smart ring, except when the sensor unit and the transmission unit are operating, for the operation of the control unit, the communication unit, and the sensor unit, it is sufficient for the control unit to detect the amount of electricity in the power storage unit. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the electrical energy required for the control and communication of each unit and to operate continuously without external power supply.

[0009] Further, for example, the transmission unit may only transmit information and not receive it.

[0010] As the transmission unit provided in a smart ring or the like, it is conceivable to adopt one that also serves as a reception unit. However, by only transmitting information and not receiving it, the circuit configuration can be simplified and miniaturized and power consumption can be reduced. Further, by only performing the transmission function, a smart ring using such a transmission unit has no power consumption during reception standby, and since there is no need for a switch to switch the reception standby on and off, the electrical energy required for operation can be reduced.

[0011] Further, for example, the control unit may not supply power to the sensor unit and the transmission unit after operating the sensor unit and the transmission unit until it detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit exceeds a predetermined value.

[0012] A smart ring having such a control unit can reduce power consumption except when the sensor unit and the transmission unit are operating and can operate continuously without external power supply.

[0013] Further, for example, the power storage unit may be a capacitor.

[0014] Making the power storage unit a capacitor such as an electrolytic capacitor, a ceramic capacitor, or an electric double layer capacitor is advantageous for miniaturization and power saving of the entire smart ring compared to using a rechargeable battery based on chemical changes.

[0015] Also, for example, the control unit may detect that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit has exceeded a first value that enables a series of operations including acquisition of information by the sensor unit and transmission of information by the transmission unit, and cause the sensor unit and the transmission unit to perform the series of operations.

[0016] By the control unit detecting that the amount of electricity has exceeded the first value and causing a series of operations to be performed, it is not necessary to store information in the smart ring, which is advantageous for miniaturization and power saving. Also, by performing the detection and control by the control unit in a combined manner for the sensor unit and the transmission unit, the configuration of the control unit can be simplified.

[0017] Also, for example, the sensor unit may include at least one of a body temperature sensor unit that measures body temperature, a body movement sensor unit that measures body movement, and an SpO2 sensor unit that measures blood oxygen saturation.

[0018] The sensor unit included in the smart ring is not particularly limited, but a body temperature sensor unit, a body movement sensor unit, or an SpO2 sensor unit is suitable as a sensor unit to be mounted on a ring-shaped smart ring.

[0019] Also, for example, the thermoelectric element has a voltage conversion unit that converts the electricity generated by the thermoelectric element and stored in the power storage unit into a predetermined voltage value, and the voltage conversion unit may include a first voltage conversion unit that outputs a first voltage and a second voltage conversion unit that outputs a second voltage lower than the first voltage.

[0020] In such a smart ring, the first power is supplied to the parts that require a high voltage to operate them, and for the parts that can operate at a low voltage, the second voltage is supplied to reduce the power consumption.

[0021] Also, for example, the first IC constituting the control unit may be a separate body from the second IC constituting the transmission unit.

[0022] By making the transmission unit and the control unit into separate ICs, the transmission unit and the control unit can be made into a simple and small configuration, which makes it easy to house them in a ring-shaped case. Also, by dispersing the heat-generating parts, stable and efficient operation is possible. Further, by making the IC of the control unit independent, there is an advantage that it is easy to design the control unit as one that comprehensively controls the transmission unit, the sensor unit, and the power storage unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] FIG. 1 is an external view of a smart ring 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the smart ring 10 has an annular outer shape, and for example, it is worn and used by passing any finger of a person's hand through the inner circumference 10a of the ring. The inner diameter of the ring is about 10.0 to 30.0 mm, the width (axial length) of the ring is about 2.0 to 20 mm, and the thickness (radial width) of the ring is about 1.0 to 8.0 mm.

[0025] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the smart ring 10 shown in FIG. 1. The smart ring 10 includes an outer case 12, a substrate 14, a thermoelectric element 20, an inner case 18, and the like. The outer case 12 of the smart ring 10 has a ring shape forming an annulus. The outer case 12 is formed with edges protruding inward in the axial direction at both ends so that the substrate 14, the thermoelectric element 20, etc. can be housed on the inner circumferential side of the outer case 12.

[0026] The substrate 14 is composed of a flexible printed circuit board (FPC), a rigid board, or the like. In addition to the thermoelectric element 20 described later being connected to the substrate 14, a power storage unit 30, a body temperature sensor unit 41 as a sensor unit 40, a control unit 50, a voltage conversion unit 60, etc. are mounted on the substrate 14. It is preferable that the substrate 14 can be mounted on both the front and back surfaces because it can be arranged on the side of the wearer's skin 72 (see FIG. 3) and on the side of the outer case 12 opposite to the skin 72 side for miniaturization and mounting various ICs, but it is not particularly limited.

[0027] The thermoelectric element 20 generates electricity when the body temperature of the wearer is transmitted thereto. The thermoelectric element 20 includes those using thermally excited charges in a semiconductor (also referred to as "semiconductor-sensitized thermal utilization power generation"), those using the Seebeck effect of a conductor or semiconductor, etc., but is not particularly limited. The thermoelectric element 20 generates electricity when heat is transmitted through a contact portion 22 that contacts the skin 72 of the wearer's finger. As shown in FIG. 1, the contact portion 22 constitutes at least a part of the inner circumference 10a of the ring of the smart ring 10 and contacts the skin 72 of the wearer's finger (see FIG. 3). The contact portion 22 can be made of a metal or the like having good thermal conductivity, for example, so that heat can be efficiently transmitted to the semiconductor or the like of the thermoelectric element 20.

[0028] The inner case 18 has a C-ring-shaped outer shape and constitutes at least a part of the inner circumference 10a of the ring of the smart ring 10. The inner case 18 houses the substrate 14 between itself and the outer case 12 and exposes the contact portion 22 from the broken part of the ring. Further, the inner case 18 has a through hole formed therein for exposing the detection portion 41a of the body temperature sensor portion 41 to the inner circumference 10a of the ring of the smart ring 10.

[0029] However, the inner case 18 is not limited to only a C-ring-shaped one as shown in FIG. 2, and may have an annular outer shape similar to that of the outer case 12. In this case, the inner case 18 itself may be the contact portion 22 of the thermoelectric element 20, and such an aspect is also preferable from the viewpoint of increasing the contact area with the skin 72 of the contact portion 22.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the smart ring 10 shown in FIG. 1. Further, FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a circuit adopted in the smart ring 10 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the smart ring 10 has a power storage portion 30 that stores electricity generated by the thermoelectric element 20. The electricity generated by the thermoelectric element 20 is sent to the power storage portion 30 and stored in the power storage portion 30. The power storage portion 30 is mounted on the substrate 14 shown in FIG. 2.

[0031] In the example shown in FIG. 4, the power storage unit 30 is a capacitor. Using a capacitor such as an electrolytic capacitor, a ceramic capacitor, or an electric double layer capacitor for the power storage unit 30 is advantageous for miniaturization and power saving of the smart ring 10. However, the power storage unit 30 is not limited to only a capacitor, and a rechargeable battery based on a chemical change may be used.

[0032] Also, although not shown in FIG. 3, the smart ring 10 may have a DC-DC converter or the like (see the flyback converter 76, the voltage conversion unit 60, etc.) that converts electricity to a predetermined voltage when storing the electricity generated by the thermoelectric power generation element 20 in the power storage unit 30 or when sending the electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 to the control unit 50 or the like. In the example shown in FIG. 4, a flyback converter 76 is provided between the thermoelectric power generation element 20 and the power storage unit 30 in the smart ring 10, more specifically, between the thermoelectric power generation element 20 and the voltage conversion unit 60. The flyback converter 76 can boost the electricity generated by the thermoelectric power generation element 20 to a predetermined voltage and send it to the voltage conversion unit 60 or the power storage unit 30.

[0033] Also, in the example shown in FIG. 4, a voltage conversion unit 60 is provided between the thermoelectric power generation element 20 and the power storage unit 30 in the smart ring 10, more specifically, between the flyback converter 76 and the power storage unit 30. The voltage conversion unit 60 converts the electricity generated by the thermoelectric power generation element 20 and stored in the power storage unit 30 to a predetermined voltage value. As shown in FIG. 4, the voltage conversion unit 60 converts the electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 to a predetermined voltage value (VSYS) and outputs it. The electricity of the predetermined voltage value (VSYS) output by the voltage conversion unit 60 is used for the operations of the control unit 50, the transmission unit 80, and the body temperature sensor unit 41.

[0034] The sensor unit 40 shown in FIG. 3 operates under the control from the control unit 50 described later and acquires information 78 regarding the physical activity of the wearer of the smart ring 10. The control unit 50 can, for example, operate the sensor unit 40 by supplying power to the sensor unit 40, and can also stop the operation of the sensor unit 40 by stopping the power supply to the sensor unit 40.

[0035] In the example shown in FIG. 4, the sensor unit 40 includes a body temperature sensor unit 41 that measures the wearer's body temperature. The body temperature sensor unit 41 includes, for example, a thermistor that detects the surface temperature of the skin based on a change in resistance or the like, or a device that collects infrared rays generated from the skin surface to detect the temperature. When the sensor unit 40 is powered by the control unit 50, it acquires information 78 regarding the wearer's body temperature and transmits the acquired information 78 to the transmission unit 80 directly or via the control unit 50.

[0036] The sensor unit 40 included in the smart ring 10 is not limited to only the body temperature sensor unit 41 shown in FIG. 4, and sensors capable of acquiring various types of information regarding the wearer's physical activity, such as a body motion sensor unit that measures body motion or an SpO2 sensor unit that measures blood oxygen saturation, can be adopted (see FIG. 6). Further, the sensor unit 40 may acquire one type of information regarding the wearer's physical activity, or may combine a plurality of sensor units to acquire a plurality of types of information regarding the wearer's physical activity.

[0037] The transmission unit 80 shown in FIG. 3 operates under the control from the control unit 50 described later and transmits the information 78 acquired by the sensor unit 40. The transmission unit 80 is composed of, for example, a BLE module or the like. The control unit 50 can, for example, operate the transmission unit 80 by supplying power to the transmission unit 80, and can also prevent the transmission unit 80 from operating by stopping the power supply to the transmission unit 80.

[0038] The transmission unit 80 establishes a predetermined communication protocol for an external device that is the destination of the information 78, converts the information 78 acquired by the sensor unit 40 into a signal in a predetermined frequency band, and transmits the information 78 to the external device. Examples of the external device to which the smart ring 10 transmits the information 78 include portable information terminals such as smartphones, personal computers, and reception terminals dedicated to smart rings, but are not particularly limited. Further, as the transmission unit 80, for example, those that transmit the information 78 in the 2.4 GHz band standardized as Bluetooh (registered trademark) or the like, or those that transmit the information 78 in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, or 60 GHz band standardized as Wi-fi (registered trademark) or the like can be mentioned, but are not particularly limited.

[0039] Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the first IC constituting the control unit 50 and the second IC constituting the transmission unit 80 are separate bodies and are individually mounted on the substrate 14. That is, the control unit 50 that controls the transmission unit 80 is an IC separate from the transmission unit 80 itself. By adopting such a configuration, the transmission unit 80 and the control unit 50 can be made into a simple and small configuration, which is easy to house in a ring-shaped case, and by dispersing the heat-generating parts, stable and efficient operation becomes possible. Further, by making the IC of the control unit 50 independent from the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80, a control unit 50 that comprehensively and efficiently controls the transmission unit 80, the sensor unit 40, and the power storage unit 30 can be realized.

[0040] Further, it is preferable that the transmission unit 80 only transmits the information 74 and the other parts of the transmission unit 80 and the smart ring 10 do not receive information by wireless communication from the viewpoint of reducing the power consumption of the smart ring 10 and reducing the power generation amount that enables continuous operation. However, the transmission unit 80 may have an information transmission / reception function. Note that the control unit 50, the transmission unit 80, and the sensor unit 40 may be modularized.

[0041] The control unit 50 shown in FIG. 3 controls the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80 using the electricity stored in the power storage unit 30. The control unit 50 is composed of a control circuit such as a microcontroller. The control unit 50 can detect that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 has exceeded a predetermined value and operate the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 4, the electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 is converted to a predetermined voltage value VSYS by the voltage conversion unit 60 and supplied to the control unit 50, the sensor unit 40 (body temperature sensor unit 41), and the transmission unit 80. However, the switching of power supply to and power supply stop for the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80 is controlled by the control unit 50.

[0043] For example, after operating the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80, the control unit 50 can control not to supply power to the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80 until it detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 has exceeded a predetermined value. FIG. 5 shows an example of the control by the control unit 50 in the smart ring 10 and is a graph showing the time change of the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30.

[0044] During t0 to t1, t2 to t3, and t4 to t5 shown in FIG. 5, the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 shown in FIG. 3 does not exceed a predetermined value Q1. During this period, the control unit 50 shown in FIG. 4 stops supplying power to the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80, the detection operation of the sensor unit 40 is not performed, and the transmission of information by the transmission unit 80 is not performed. Note that the control unit 50 can detect the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 based on the voltage (potential difference) VSTRG of the capacitor constituting the power storage unit 30 shown in FIG. 4.

[0045] In addition, in the smart ring 10, the body temperature, which is the heat source, is almost constant, and since it is a ring, the contact area between the skin and the contact portion 22 hardly fluctuates. Therefore, the amount of power generated per unit time by the thermoelectric element 20 is substantially constant. Also, as described above, the power consumption in the smart ring 10 is kept low by the control unit 50. Therefore, during t0 to t1, t2 to t3, and t4 to t5, the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 increases at a substantially constant pace (charging time).

[0046] Next, when the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 increases and exceeds a predetermined value Q1, the control unit 50 detects this from the change in the voltage VSTRG of the capacitor (t1, t3, t5 in FIG. 5). The control unit 50 that has detected that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 has exceeded the predetermined value Q1 starts supplying power to the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80, causes the sensor unit 40 to acquire information regarding the wearer's physical activity, and further causes the acquired information to be transmitted to the transmission unit 80.

[0047] When the acquisition of information by the sensor unit 40 and the transmission of information by the transmission unit 80 are completed, the control unit 50 stops supplying power to the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80 (t2, t4, t6 in FIG. 5). During t1 to t2, t3 to t4, and t5 to t6 when the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80 are operating, the amount of electricity in the power storage unit 30 is consumed and decreased by these operations (detection / transmission time).

[0048] Here, the amount of electricity required for the acquisition of information by the sensor unit 40 and the transmission of information by the transmission unit 80 (Q1 - Q0 in FIG. 5) can be grasped in advance. Therefore, the predetermined value Q1 detected by the control unit 50 can be set as the first value (Q1 - Q0 in FIG. 5) at which the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 can perform a series of operations including the acquisition of information by the sensor unit 40 and the transmission of information by the transmission unit 80.

[0049] In this way, by controlling the control unit 50 to continuously perform a series of operations including information acquisition by the sensor unit 40 and information transmission by the transmission unit 80, it is not necessary to store information in the smart ring 10, which is advantageous in terms of miniaturization and power saving. Also, in the configuration as shown in FIG. 4, the predetermined value Q1 detected by the control unit 50 is sufficient as one value for continuously performing a series of operations of the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80, and the control after detection is also sufficient with one pattern, so the circuit of the control unit 50 can be simplified.

[0050] Also, as shown in FIG. 5, even if the control unit 50 does not acquire information regarding time, each time it detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 exceeds the predetermined value Q1, it can periodically perform a series of operations by the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80. Therefore, in such a smart ring 10, even without constantly operating an oscillation element or the like that can acquire time information, by using the property that the amount of electricity in the power storage unit 30 increases substantially proportionally to time due to power generation by the thermoelectric power generation element, it is possible to perform periodic information acquisition and transmission, which is effective from the viewpoints of suppressing power consumption and miniaturization. However, the control unit 50 of the smart ring 10 may operate using a timer or the like that can acquire time information.

[0051] As described above, the smart ring 10 has the thermoelectric power generation element 20 that generates power when body temperature is transmitted through the contact portion 22. Since the body temperature, which is the heat source, is substantially constant and the smart ring is in a ring shape, the contact area between the skin 72 and the contact portion 22 hardly fluctuates, and it does not get in the way even when worn constantly. Also, the control unit 50 of the smart ring 10 operates the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80 when it detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 exceeds the predetermined value Q1. In such a smart ring 10, as long as the control unit 50 can detect the amount of electricity in the power storage unit 30 outside the operation of the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80, it is sufficient, so it is possible to reduce the electrical energy required for control and communication of each part and operate continuously without power supply from the outside.

[0052] Further, in the smart ring 10, by omitting the time measuring element and the receiving unit, etc., and particularly by simply configuring the control unit 50 and the transmitting unit 80, it is possible to reduce the size and power consumption.

[0053] FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a circuit employed in the smart ring 110 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The smart ring 110 according to the second embodiment is different from the smart ring 10 shown in FIG. 4 in that the sensor unit 140 has a body movement sensor unit 142 and an SpO2 sensor unit 143 in addition to the body temperature sensor unit 41, and the voltage conversion unit 160 has a first voltage conversion unit 161 and a second voltage conversion unit 162, but is the same as the smart ring 10 in other respects. In the description of the smart ring 110, the differences from the smart ring 10 will be mainly described, and the description of the common points with the smart ring 10 will be omitted.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 6, the smart ring 110 has a body movement sensor unit 142 and an SpO2 sensor unit 143 in addition to the body temperature sensor unit 41 similar to that in FIG. 4. The body movement sensor unit 142 and the SpO2 sensor unit 143 are also controlled by the control unit 50 by the control unit 50 switching the power supply and power supply stop, similar to the body temperature sensor unit 41.

[0055] The body movement sensor unit 142 has a gyro sensor or the like and detects the movement of the wearer's body. The SpO2 sensor unit 143 has a light emitting unit using an LED and a light receiving unit using a photoelectric conversion element or the like, and detects the blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) of the wearer. Various information regarding the physical activity of the wearer acquired by the body movement sensor unit 142 and the SpO2 sensor unit 143 is transmitted to the transmitting unit 80 in the same manner as the information 78 (see FIG. 3) acquired by the body temperature sensor unit 41. The transmitting unit 80 is controlled by the control unit 50 in the same manner as the transmitting unit 80 shown in FIG. 4, and transmits the information acquired by each part of the sensor unit 140 to an external device.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 6, the power storage unit 130 of the smart ring 110 is composed of a plurality (three in FIG. 6) of capacitors connected in parallel. The number of capacitors constituting the power storage unit 130 and the capacitance of the power storage unit 130 can be appropriately changed according to the configuration of the sensor unit 140 and the like.

[0057] The voltage conversion unit 160 of the smart ring 110 includes a first voltage conversion unit 161 and a second voltage conversion unit 162. Similar to the voltage conversion unit 60 shown in FIG. 4, the voltage conversion unit 160 converts the electricity generated by the thermoelectric power generation element 20 and stored in the power storage unit 130 into a predetermined voltage value. As shown in FIG. 6, the first voltage conversion unit 161 of the voltage conversion unit 160 outputs a first voltage VSYS, and the second voltage conversion unit 162 outputs a second voltage 1V8 that is lower than the first voltage VSYS. The first voltage conversion unit 161 and the second voltage conversion unit 162 are composed of a DC-DC converter or the like.

[0058] The first voltage VSYS is used for the operations of the control unit 50, the transmission unit 80, and a part of the SpO2 sensor unit 143 that require a relatively high voltage, and the second voltage 1V8 is used for the operations of the body temperature sensor unit 41, the body movement sensor unit 142, and another part of the SpO2 sensor unit 143 that operate at a relatively low voltage. Similar to the control unit 50 shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 50 of the smart ring 110 detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 130 has exceeded a predetermined value, and can operate the sensor unit 140 including the body temperature sensor unit 41, the body movement sensor unit 142, and the SpO2 sensor unit 153, and the transmission unit 80.

[0059] For example, the control unit 50 detects that the amount of electricity that can perform all the operations of acquiring a plurality of different pieces of information by the body temperature sensor unit 41, the body movement sensor unit 142, and the SpO2 sensor unit 143 and transmitting the information by the transmission unit 80 has been stored in the power storage unit 130. Further, after detecting that a predetermined amount of electricity has been stored in the power storage unit 130, the control unit 50 controls the sensor unit 140, the transmission unit 80, etc. so that the operation of acquiring information by the sensor unit 140 and the operation of transmitting the acquired information by the transmission unit 80 are continuously performed.

[0060] The smart ring 110 shown in FIG. 6 supplies the first voltage VSYS to operate the parts that require a high voltage, and supplies the second voltage 1V8 to the parts that can operate at a low voltage, so that when the voltages required by the respective parts of the sensor unit 140 are different, etc., power consumption can be reduced. In addition, regarding the common points with the smart ring 10, the smart ring 110 has the same effects as the smart ring 10.

[0061] As described above, the smart rings 10 and 110 according to the present invention have been described with reference to a plurality of embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to only these embodiments, and it goes without saying that many other embodiments and variations are included in the technical scope of the present invention. For example, the smart ring according to the present invention may cover all the power consumed only by the power generation by the thermoelectric element 20, but there may also be a configuration in which other power generation elements such as solar cells and rechargeable batteries are used in combination. Even when other batteries or the like are used in combination, the smart ring according to the present invention has the effect of reducing the charging frequency and replacement frequency of the battery, and also, due to the stable power generation by the thermoelectric element 20, even when the power from other batteries or the like is interrupted, it can continue to operate at a certain level or higher.

[0062] Also, for example, the size etc. of the thermoelectric element 20 shown in FIG. 2 are not particularly limited, but it may be arranged in a larger angular range in the smart ring 10. FIG. 7 is a schematic external view of the smart ring 210 according to the first modification example, viewed from the axial direction of the ring. As shown in FIG. 7, the thermoelectric element 220 and the contact portion 222 of the smart ring 210 are arranged in the range of the angle θ in the circumferential direction of the smart ring 210. The angular range θ in which the thermoelectric element 220 or the contact portion 222 is arranged is preferably 180 to 360 degrees from the viewpoint of increasing the power generation amount of the thermoelectric element 220. However, when it is desired to secure a wider arrangement space for the substrate 214, etc., the angular range θ in which the thermoelectric element 220 or the contact portion 222 is arranged may be less than 180 degrees (see FIG. 2). In addition, in FIG. 7, the case etc. are omitted from the illustration.

[0063] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross-section along the radial direction of the ring in the smart ring 310 according to the second modification. The smart ring 310 has a solid heat insulating material portion 396 that covers at least a part of the outer peripheral side such as a substrate (see FIG. 2) on which a sensor unit or the like is mounted and a thermoelectric element 320. As shown in FIG. 8, the solid heat insulating material portion 396 is filled between the outer case 12 and the thermoelectric element 320 so as to cover the outer peripheral surface facing the opposite side of the contact portion 322 in the thermoelectric element 320. The solid heat insulating material portion 396 is not particularly limited as long as its thermal conductivity is less than 0.1 W / (m·K), and examples include those in which hollow microbeads are dispersed in an insulating matrix (base material). In the smart ring 310 as shown in FIG. 8, it is possible to prevent the heat used for power generation from dissipating from the smart ring 310, and the power generation amount in the thermoelectric element 320 can be increased. Note that the solid heat insulating material portion 396 may be gel-like. Further, by covering the outer peripheral side of the substrate on which the sensor unit or the like is mounted, the solid heat insulating portion 396 preferably prevents the problem that the detection value of the sensor unit is affected by external heat. The solid heat insulating portion 396 may directly cover the substrate or the thermoelectric element 320, or may be in a form that covers the outside of the substrate or the thermoelectric element 320 with other members such as the outer case 12 or a space interposed therebetween.

[0064] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of a substrate 414 used in a smart ring according to a third modification. Although not shown in FIG. 9, at least a control unit and a transmission unit (see FIG. 2) are mounted on the substrate 414. The substrate 414 has a multilayer structure of three or more layers overlapping in the radial direction of the ring. The substrate 414 has an intermediate layer 414c sandwiched between an outermost layer 414a located on the outermost peripheral side and an innermost layer 414b located on the innermost peripheral side, and a capacitor constituting the power storage unit 430 is formed in the intermediate layer 414c. In such a smart ring, a capacitor constituting the power storage unit 430 is disposed between the outermost layer 414a and the innermost layer 414b of the substrate 414, and the substrate 414 incorporates the power storage unit 430. In such a smart ring, since the power storage unit 430 can be thinned, the maximum thickness in the radial direction of the substrate 414 in consideration of the mounted elements can be reduced as compared with the case where a capacitor or the like is mounted on the outer surface or the inner surface of the substrate.

Explanation of Signs

[0065] 10, 110... Smart ring 10a... Inner circumference of the ring 12... Outer case 14... Substrate 18... Inner case 20... Thermoelectric power generation element 22... Contact part 30, 130... Power storage unit 40, 140... Sensor unit 41... Body temperature sensor unit 41a... Detection part 80... Transmission unit 50... Control unit 60, 160... Voltage conversion unit 161... First voltage conversion unit 162... Second voltage conversion unit 72... Skin 78... Information 76... Flyback converter 142... Body movement sensor unit 143... SpO2 sensor unit

Claims

1. A thermoelectric power generation element that constitutes at least a part of the inner circumference of the ring and generates power by transmitting body temperature through a contact portion that contacts the skin of the wearer's finger; A power storage unit that stores the electricity generated by the thermoelectric power generation element; A sensor unit that acquires information regarding the physical activity of the wearer; A transmission unit that transmits the information acquired by the sensor unit; A control unit that controls the sensor unit and the transmission unit using the electricity stored in the power storage unit, and The control unit detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit has exceeded a predetermined value, and a smart ring that operates the sensor unit and the transmission unit.

2. The smart ring according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit only transmits information and does not receive information.

3. The smart ring according to claim 1, wherein the control unit does not supply power to the sensor unit and the transmission unit until it detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit has exceeded a predetermined value after operating the sensor unit and the transmission unit.

4. The smart ring according to claim 1, wherein the power storage unit is a capacitor.

5. The control unit detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit has exceeded a first value at which a series of operations including acquisition of information by the sensor unit and transmission of information by the transmission unit can be performed, and causes the sensor unit and the transmission unit to perform the series of operations. The smart ring according to claim 1.

6. The sensor unit includes at least one of a body temperature sensor unit that measures body temperature, a body movement sensor unit that measures body movement, and an SpO ２ The smart ring according to claim 1 having a sensor unit.

7. The smart ring according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage conversion unit that converts the electricity generated by the thermoelectric element and stored in the power storage unit into a predetermined voltage value, wherein the voltage conversion unit includes a first voltage conversion unit that outputs a first voltage, and a second voltage conversion unit that outputs a second voltage lower than the first voltage.

8. The smart ring according to claim 1, wherein the first IC constituting the control unit is a separate body from the second IC constituting the transmission unit.

9. The smart ring according to claim 1, further comprising a substrate on which the sensor unit is at least mounted and a solid heat insulating material unit that covers at least a part of the outer peripheral side of the thermoelectric element.

10. The smart ring according to claim 1, further comprising a substrate on which the control unit and the transmission unit are at least mounted, wherein the substrate has a multilayer structure of three or more layers overlapping in the radial direction. The smart ring according to claim 1, wherein the power storage unit is disposed between the outermost layer located on the outermost peripheral side and the innermost layer located on the innermost peripheral side of the substrate.

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