Smart Ring

Abstract

A smart ring that uses solar panels with stable power generation voltage and low losses. [Solution] A smart ring to be worn on the fingers of the wearer, comprising: a substantially ring-shaped solar panel having a light-receiving surface facing radially outward and composed of a single cell continuous 270 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction; a substrate portion having a sensor portion arranged radially inward of the solar panel along the circumferential direction of the solar panel and acquiring the wearer's biometric information, and a transmission portion having a transmission portion that wirelessly transmits the information acquired by the sensor portion, and which operates using electricity generated by the solar panel; and a housing portion having a light-transmitting portion that transmits light to the light-receiving surface of the solar panel, and having a substantially ring-shaped housing portion formed inside that houses the solar panel and the substrate portion, and which covers the solar panel and the substrate portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a smart ring having a solar panel.

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. Among smart devices, in particular, ring-shaped smart rings have the characteristic that the burden on the wearer during wearing is light, and thus are expected to be smart devices that can be continuously worn for a long time including, for example, while sleeping.

[0003] On the other hand, among wearable devices such as smart rings, those having a power generation unit that generates electricity using light, heat, vibration energy, etc. have also been proposed, and a smart ring having a power generation unit can be driven for a long time even without external power supply. In particular, a power generation unit having a solar panel is promising as a power generation unit for wearable devices because a practical power generation amount can be obtained at a relatively low cost.

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, when using conventional solar panels in smart rings, which are ring-shaped wearable devices, there are challenges such as the limited light-receiving area and power generation capacity, the fact that the amount of power generated is easily affected by changes in the wearer's hand orientation, and that the generated voltage is unstable and losses are significant.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention relates to a smart ring that uses a solar panel with stable power generation voltage and low losses. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The smart ring according to the present invention is A smart ring that is worn on the finger, A substantially ring-shaped solar panel having a light-receiving surface facing radially outward and composed of a single cell that is continuous for 270 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction, The solar panel has a substrate portion located radially inward and arranged along the circumferential direction of the solar panel, which includes a sensor portion for acquiring the wearer's biometric information and a transmission portion for wirelessly transmitting the information acquired by the sensor portion, and which operates using the power generated by the solar panel.

[0008] The smart ring according to the present invention has a substantially ring-shaped solar panel that has a light-receiving surface facing radially outward and is composed of a single cell that is continuous for 270 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction. As a result, the generated voltage is relatively stable and there is little loss. In other words, because the solar panel is composed of a single cell, as long as the amount of light that can generate electricity changes, the generated voltage of the solar panel is kept substantially constant even if the amount of light received by the light-receiving surface changes, thereby reducing power loss due to voltage fluctuations. Furthermore, because it is a single cell that is continuous for 270 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction, even if the direction of the light source relative to the smart ring changes due to the orientation of the wearer's hand, the change in the total amount of light received by the light-receiving surface is suppressed, and fluctuations in the amount of power generated due to changes in the orientation of the smart ring can be suppressed. In addition, by arranging the substrate portion along the circumferential direction inside the solar panel, the substrate portion can be compactly arranged without obstructing the light reception of the solar panel.

[0009] Furthermore, for example, it is preferable that the light-receiving surface of the solar panel is continuous for 300 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction.

[0010] In other words, the solar panel of the smart ring only needs to have a single cell light-receiving surface that is continuous for 270 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction, but it is even more preferable to have a single cell light-receiving surface that is continuous for 300 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction from the viewpoint of suppressing fluctuations in power generation due to changes in the orientation of the smart ring. Furthermore, it is ideal for the solar panel of the smart ring to have a single cell light-receiving surface that is continuous for approximately 360 degrees in the circumferential direction from the viewpoint of suppressing fluctuations in power generation due to changes in the orientation of the smart ring.

[0011] Furthermore, for example, the smart ring according to the present invention may have a light-transmitting portion that transmits light to the light-receiving surface of the solar panel, a substantially ring-shaped housing portion formed inside that houses the solar panel and the substrate portion, and a housing portion that covers the solar panel and the substrate portion.

[0012] Such a smart ring utilizes a housing that has a roughly ring-shaped housing formed inside for accommodating the solar panel and circuit board, thereby effectively protecting the solar panel and circuit board from impacts, water droplets, and other elements.

[0013] Furthermore, for example, the housing portion may be made of resin, and the housing portion may be sealed by the housing portion. The outer surface may be composed solely of the resin of the housing portion.

[0014] Such smart rings offer excellent durability in their casing, and the solar panels and circuit boards inside the housing are better protected from the external environment. Furthermore, smart rings whose outer surface is composed solely of the resin of the casing do not have wiring or other components protruding from the housing, thus improving the airtightness of the housing and enabling better environmental resistance, such as high water resistance.

[0015] Furthermore, for example, the substrate portion may have a flexible printed circuit board.

[0016] Because the substrate portion has a flexible printed circuit board, such smart rings are easy to manufacture and their radial thickness can be reduced.

[0017] Furthermore, for example, the solar panel may be flexible and directly mounted on the flexible printed circuit board.

[0018] Smart rings having such solar panels and circuit boards are advantageous in terms of miniaturization and yield improvement because the wiring is simple and assembly is easy, and the solar panels and circuit boards can be bent to conform to the shape of the housing.

[0019] Furthermore, for example, the substrate portion may include a capacitor and / or capacitor for storing electricity generated by the solar panel, and a control unit for controlling the power supply from the capacitor and / or capacitor to the sensor portion and the transmission portion. The control unit may detect that the amount of electricity stored in the capacitor and / or capacitor exceeds a first value that allows it to perform a series of operations including the acquisition of biological information by the sensor unit and the wireless transmission of information by the transmission unit, and may cause the sensor unit and the transmission unit to perform the series of operations. The control unit does not need to supply power to the sensor unit and the transmitting unit after performing the series of operations until it detects again that the amount of electricity stored in the capacitor and / or capacitor exceeds the first value.

[0020] A circuit board with such a control unit can effectively suppress power consumption in the circuit board, enabling the realization of a low-power, highly durable smart ring.

[0021] Also, for example, the transmission unit may only perform information transmission and not perform reception.

[0022] Since the transmission unit is dedicated to transmission, power consumption in the substrate unit can be effectively suppressed. However, in order to provide the substrate unit with a setting function or the like, the transmission unit may be able to perform both transmission and reception.

[0023] Also, for example, the sensor unit may include at least one of a body temperature sensor that measures body temperature, a body movement sensor that measures body movement, a SpO2 sensor that measures blood oxygen saturation, a heart rate sensor that measures heart rate, an electrocardiogram sensor that measures electrocardiogram, a pulse sensor that measures pulse, a blood pressure sensor that measures blood pressure, and an electroencephalogram sensor that measures electroencephalogram.

[0024] The sensor unit included in the smart ring is not particularly limited, but a body temperature sensor unit, a body movement sensor unit, a SpO2 sensor unit, a heart rate sensor unit, an electrocardiogram sensor unit, a pulse sensor unit, and an electroencephalogram sensor unit are suitable as the sensor unit mounted on a ring-shaped smart ring.

[0025] Also, for example, the first IC constituting the control unit is separate from the second IC constituting the transmission unit, and the ON / OFF of the transmission unit may be directly controlled by power supply and power supply stop from the control unit.

[0026] A smart ring having such a transmission unit can operate with lower power.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external view of a smart ring according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the smart ring shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the smart ring shown in FIG. 1 taken along a cross-section orthogonal to the circumferential direction. [Figure 4]Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the smart ring shown in Figure 1, taken from a cross-section perpendicular to the width direction. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic circuit diagram of the smart ring shown in Figure 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an external view of the solar panel of the smart ring shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] Figure 1 is an external view of a smart ring 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the smart ring 10 has an annular outer shape. The smart ring 10 is generally used by inserting the wearer's fingers through the inner circumference 10a of the ring and wearing it on the wearer's fingers. The inner diameter of the ring is approximately 10.0 to 30.0 mm, the width (axial length) of the ring is approximately 2.0 to 20 mm, and the thickness (radial width) of the ring is approximately 1.0 to 10 mm. The outer shape of the smart ring 10 shown in Figure 1 is a ring shape that is continuous 360 degrees in the circumferential direction D1 (see Figure 4) with a substantially constant ring width and ring thickness, but the outer shape of the smart ring 10 is not limited to the shape shown in Figure 1. For example, the outer shape of a smart ring according to other embodiments may include one in which the ring width and ring thickness change in the circumferential direction D1, or a substantially ring shape with a single break.

[0029] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the smart ring 10 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the smart ring 10 has a housing portion 12, a solar panel 20, and a substrate portion 30. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the smart ring 10 taken from a cross section perpendicular to the circumferential direction D1, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the smart ring 10 taken from a cross section perpendicular to the width direction (along the circumferential direction D1). As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the solar panel 20 is substantially ring-shaped, has a light-receiving surface 22 facing radially outward D2 (see Figure 4), and is composed of a single cell that is continuous for 270 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction D1.

[0030] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the solar panel 20 before it is housed in the housing section 13 of the housing section 12. Figure 6(a) is a perspective view of the solar panel 20 seen from the light-receiving surface 22 side, and Figure 6(b) is a perspective view of the solar panel seen from the inner surface 23, which is the opposite side of the light-receiving surface 22. As can be seen from a comparison with Figures 1 to 4 and Figure 6, the solar panel 20 is flexible and has a strip-shaped outer form before being housed in the housing section 13. Examples of flexible solar panels 20 include solar panels having amorphous silicon and solar panels having a perovskite crystal structure, but the material of the solar panel 20 is not particularly limited.

[0031] The solar panel 20 shown in Figure 6 is bent along its longitudinal direction with a substantially constant curvature, so that it is housed in the housing section 13 of the housing section 12 in a substantially ring shape as shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the solar panel 20 is composed of a single cell that is continuous for 270 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction D1. That is, the solar panel 20 shown in Figure 6 has a strip shape in which the length L1 in the longitudinal direction is about 10 to 100 times the length L2 in the short direction, and the cells are not divided in the planar direction, and the size and shape of the single cell in plan view are the same as those of the solar panel 20. In other words, the single cell of the solar panel 20 has a strip shape in which the length L1 in the longitudinal direction is about 10 to 100 times the length L2 in the short direction.

[0032] Here, if a solar panel is composed of multiple cells, variations in the amount of light received can cause a situation where only some cells generate power. As a result, the voltage generated by the solar panel is affected by the light reception conditions and is unstable, leading to a problem where generated power is easily lost. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 2 and 6, in a solar panel 20 composed of a single cell, as long as the amount of light received by the light-receiving surface 22 exceeds the threshold at which power can be generated, the generated voltage of the solar panel 20 remains approximately constant even if the amount of light received is uneven or changes.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the solar panel 20 of the smart ring 10 has light-receiving surfaces 22 arranged around the entire circumference D1, or over a wide area in the circumferential direction D1. Therefore, even when the direction of the light source relative to the smart ring 10 changes due to a change in the orientation of the wearer's hand, the change in the total amount of light received by the light-receiving surfaces 22 is suppressed, and fluctuations in power generation and voltage due to changes in the orientation of the smart ring 10 can be suppressed. In addition, by arranging the light-receiving surfaces 22 of the solar panel 20 around almost the entire circumference D1 of the smart ring 10, the light-receiving area can be increased, thereby improving the power generation of the solar panel 20.

[0034] While sufficient effectiveness can be obtained if the solar panel 20 has a single-cell light-receiving surface 22 that is continuous for 270 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction D1, it is even more preferable from the viewpoint of suppressing fluctuations in power generation due to changes in the orientation of the smart ring 10 if the solar panel 20 has a single-cell light-receiving surface 22 that is continuous for 300 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction D1. In fact, it is ideal from the viewpoint of suppressing fluctuations in power generation due to changes in the orientation of the smart ring 10 if the solar panel 20 of the smart ring 10 has a single-cell light-receiving surface 22 that is continuous for approximately 360 degrees in the circumferential direction D1.

[0035] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the substrate 30 is positioned radially inward D3 of the solar panel 20, along the circumferential direction D1 of the solar panel 20. As shown in Figure 2, the substrate 30 includes a temperature sensor 32 as a sensor unit for acquiring the wearer's biometric information, a BLE transmitter 33 as a transmitter unit for wirelessly transmitting the information acquired by the temperature sensor 32, and a flexible printed circuit board 31 on which the temperature sensor 32 and the BLE transmitter 33 are mounted.

[0036] Figure 5 is a schematic circuit diagram of the smart ring 10 having a substrate section 30 and a solar panel 20, etc. As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the substrate section 30 has a capacitor 34, a control section 35, a regulator 36, a CPU 37, an antenna 38, etc., in addition to the temperature sensor 32, BLE transmitter 33, and flexible printed circuit board 31 mentioned above.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2, it is preferable for the substrate portion 30 to have a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) 31 from the viewpoint of reducing the radial thickness of the smart ring 10 and making it easier to place in the substantially ring-shaped housing portion 13. However, the substrate portion 30 may have a rigid substrate or the like instead of the flexible printed circuit board 31.

[0038] As shown in Figures 2 and 6, terminals 24 are formed on the inner surface 23 of the solar panel 20, and the flexible solar panel 20 is directly mounted on the flexible printed circuit board 31, similar to the temperature sensor 32, BLE transmitter 33, and capacitor 34. Because the flexible solar panel 20 is directly mounted on the flexible printed circuit board 31, such a smart ring 10 has simple wiring and is easy to assemble, and the solar panel 20 and the circuit board 30 can be bent and assembled to conform to the shape of the housing 13, which is advantageous from the viewpoint of miniaturization and yield improvement.

[0039] In the circuit board section 30 shown in Figure 2, the BLE transmitter 33, capacitor 34, control unit 35, etc., are mounted on the radially outer surface of the flexible printed circuit board 31. However, alternatively, only the solar panel 20 may be mounted on the radially outer surface of the flexible printed circuit board 31. This improves the adhesion between the flexible printed circuit board 31 and the solar panel 20, contributing to the miniaturization of the smart ring 10. When only the solar panel 20 is mounted on the radially outer surface of the flexible printed circuit board 31, the other BLE transmitter 33, capacitor 34, control unit 35, etc., may be mounted on the radially inner surface of the flexible printed circuit board 31, or may be built into the flexible printed circuit board 31.

[0040] As shown in Figure 5, the substrate 30 has a capacitor 34, which stores the electricity generated by the solar panel 20. Examples of capacitors 34 include electrolytic capacitors, ceramic capacitors, and electric double-layer capacitors. They may be relatively large capacitors or relatively small capacitors. The smart ring 10 does not use a chemical battery that undergoes a chemical change as a means of storing the electricity generated by the solar panel 20. This makes it possible to improve the environmental resistance of the smart ring 10 and extend its lifespan, as well as to omit protection circuits that protect chemical batteries from overcurrents, etc., thereby enabling miniaturization.

[0041] As shown in Figure 5, the substrate 30 has a control unit 35 that controls the power supply from the capacitor 34 to the temperature sensor 32 and the BLE transmitter 33. The control unit 35 has, for example, a DC-DC converter and a comparator, and determines whether the amount of electricity stored in the capacitor 34 exceeds a predetermined value, and converts the electricity stored in the capacitor 34 to a predetermined voltage to supply power to the temperature sensor 32 and the BLE transmitter 33.

[0042] For example, the control unit 35 can detect when the amount of electricity stored in the capacitor and / or capacitor 34 exceeds a first value that allows a series of operations, including the acquisition of biometric information by the temperature sensor 32 and the wireless transmission of information by the BLE transmitter 33, to be performed, and can then cause the temperature sensor 32 and the BLE transmitter 33 to perform the series of operations. Alternatively, for example, after causing the temperature sensor 32 and the BLE transmitter 33 to perform the series of operations, the control unit 35 will not supply power to the temperature sensor 32 and the BLE transmitter 33 until it detects again that the amount of electricity stored in the capacitor and / or capacitor 34 has exceeded the first value. A smart ring 10 having such a control unit 35 can periodically perform the acquisition and transmission of biometric information with a simple circuit, even without a time measurement element such as a crystal device. Furthermore, a smart ring 10 having such a control unit 35 can effectively suppress power consumption, which is advantageous in terms of miniaturizing the solar panel 20 and the smart ring 10.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, the substrate 30 has a temperature sensor 32 that acquires the wearer's body temperature information. Electricity generated by the solar panel 20 and stored in the capacitor 34 is sent to the temperature sensor 32 via the control unit 35 and the regulator (step-down converter) 36. Examples of temperature sensors 32 include those having a thermistor that detects the surface temperature of the skin by a change in resistance, or those that detect temperature by collecting infrared rays emitted from the skin surface.

[0044] In the example shown in Figure 5, a regulator 36 is placed between the temperature sensor 32 and the control unit 35 because the drive voltage of the temperature sensor 32 is lower than that of the CPU 37 and the BLE transmitter 33. However, if the drive voltage of the temperature sensor 32 is the same as that of the CPU 37 and the BLE transmitter 33, the regulator 36 is not necessary. If the drive voltage of the temperature sensor 32 is higher than that of the CPU 37 and the BLE transmitter 33, a regulator (boost converter) is placed between the temperature sensor 32 and the control unit 35. The information acquired by the temperature sensor 32 (temperature detection signal) is transmitted to the BLE transmitter 33 via the CPU 37.

[0045] The smart ring 10 shown in Figure 5 has a temperature sensor 32 that measures the wearer's body temperature as a sensor unit that acquires the wearer's biometric information. However, the sensor unit of the smart ring 10 is not limited to just the temperature sensor 32. For example, the smart ring can have at least one of the following as a sensor unit: a body temperature sensor that measures body temperature, a body movement sensor that measures body movement, an SpO2 sensor that measures blood oxygen saturation, a heart rate sensor that measures heart rate, an electrocardiogram sensor that measures electrocardiogram, a pulse rate sensor that measures pulse rate, a blood pressure sensor that measures blood pressure, and an electroencephalogram sensor that measures brain waves. Furthermore, the sensor unit of the smart ring 10 may acquire only one type of information regarding the wearer's physical activity, but it may also be possible to acquire multiple types of information regarding the wearer's physical activity by combining multiple sensor units.

[0046] The CPU 37 converts the output signal from the temperature sensor 32 into a signal format suitable for transmission by the BLE transmitter 33 and transmits it to the BLE transmitter 33. The BLE transmitter 33, acting as the transmitting unit, establishes a predetermined communication protocol with the external device to which the biometric information acquired by the smart ring 10 is to be transmitted. The BLE transmitter 33 also wirelessly transmits the signal transmitted from the temperature sensor 32 as a signal in a predetermined frequency band via the antenna 38. Examples of external devices to which the smart ring 10 transmits information include, but are not limited to, portable information terminals such as smartphones, personal computers, and dedicated receiving terminals for the smart ring. Furthermore, the transmitting unit of the circuit board 30 of the smart ring 10 is not limited to those that transmit information in the 2.4GHz band standardized as Bluetooth®, such as the BLE transmitter 33, but is not limited to, but also includes other examples such as those that transmit information in the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 60GHz bands standardized as Wi-Fi®, etc.

[0047] The BLE transmitter 33, which is the transmitting unit, only transmits information and does not receive it. By making the transmitting unit of the smart ring 10 transmission-only and the smart ring unable to receive information, power consumption in the circuit board unit 30 can be effectively suppressed. However, in order to include user setting functions for the smart ring 10 in the circuit board unit 30, the transmitting unit of the circuit board unit 30 may be designed to both transmit and receive.

[0048] Furthermore, in the circuit board section 30, the first IC constituting the control unit 35 is separate from the second IC constituting the BLE transmitter 33 as the transmitting unit, and the ON / OFF state of the BLE transmitter 33 may be directly controlled by the power supply / power stop from the control unit 35. Generally, when wireless communication equipment is operated continuously, the cumulative power consumption tends to be high. However, in the smart ring 10, power consumption is effectively reduced by directly controlling the ON / OFF state of the BLE transmitter 33 by the power supply / power stop from the control unit 35, and the smart ring 10 can be operated continuously and / or intermittently with the small amount of electricity obtained from the small solar panel 20. The same power consumption reduction effect can be obtained for the temperature sensor 32 shown in Figure 5 by directly controlling its ON / OFF state by the power supply / power stop from the control unit 35, similar to the BLE transmitter 33.

[0049] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the housing portion 12 of the smart ring 10 surrounds the solar panel 20 and the substrate portion 30. That is, a substantially ring-shaped housing portion 13 is formed inside the housing portion 12 to house the solar panel 20 and the substrate portion 30. As shown in Figure 3, the cross-sectional shape of the housing portion 12 perpendicular to the circumferential direction D1 is a rectangular ring, and the cross-sectional shape of the housing portion 13 is rectangular.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3, the housing portion 12 of the smart ring 10 has a light-transmitting portion 12a that transmits light to the light-receiving surface 22 of the solar panel 20. The light-transmitting portion 12a is composed of an outer housing portion, which is the radially outer surface D2 of the housing portion 12. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the housing portion 12 has an outer housing portion that constitutes the light-transmitting portion 12a, an inner housing portion 12b, which is the radially inner surface D3, and housing sides 12c and 12d that connect the light-transmitting portion 12a and the inner housing portion 12b along the radial direction.

[0051] The material of the light-transmitting portion 12a of the housing portion 12 can be, for example, hard resins or glass that transmit light, such as acrylic resin, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, or polyvinyl chloride, or soft materials such as silicon resin or rubber, but is not particularly limited. In the housing portion 12 shown in Figures 1 to 4, the material of the parts other than the light-transmitting portion 12a is the same as that of the light-transmitting portion 12a, and the light-transmitting portion 12a and the other parts of the housing portion 12 are formed integrally.

[0052] Furthermore, the housing portion 12 shown in Figures 3 and 4 is made of resin, and the housing portion 13 that houses the solar panel 20 and the circuit board portion 30 is sealed by the housing portion 12. In addition, the outer surface of the smart ring 10 is made only of the resin of the housing portion 12, and there are no exposed parts of metal or other materials. With this smart ring 10, the housing portion 12 has suitable durability, and the solar panel 20 and circuit board portion 30 inside the housing portion 13 are suitably protected from the external environment. Moreover, because the outer surface of the smart ring 10 is made only of the resin of the housing portion 12, no wiring from the circuit board portion 30 is exposed on the outer surface, which further enhances the airtightness of the housing portion 13. Therefore, the smart ring 10 can exhibit better environmental resistance, such as high water resistance. The housing portion 12 may be assembled by separately molding the outer housing portion that constitutes the light-transmitting portion 12a and the inner housing portion 12b, and then joining them together with the solar panel 20 and the substrate portion 30 sandwiched between them. Alternatively, the solar panel 20 and the substrate portion 30 may be insert-molded so that they are covered from the outside by the resin of the housing portion 12.

[0053] As described above, the smart ring 10 has a light-receiving surface 22 facing radially outward D2, and a substantially ring-shaped solar panel 20 composed of a single cell that is continuous for 270 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction D1. Therefore, the generated voltage is much more stable compared to conventional solar panel type smart rings, and the loss that occurs when the generated electricity is stored in the capacitor 34 can be reduced. In addition, because the light-receiving surface 22 of the smart ring 10 is arranged over a wide area in the circumferential direction D1, even if the direction of the light source relative to the smart ring 10 changes due to the orientation of the wearer's hand, the change in the total amount of light received by the light-receiving surface 22 of the solar panel 20 is suppressed, and fluctuations in power generation and voltage due to changes in the orientation of the smart ring 10 can be suppressed.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the smart ring 10 is manufactured using a solar panel 20 (solar cell module) in which the length L1 in the longitudinal direction is approximately 10 to 100 times the length L2 in the short direction, and the cells are not divided in the planar direction of the light-receiving surface 22 but are single cells.

[0055] The strip-shaped solar panel 20 shown in Figure 6 is mounted on the substrate portion 30 via terminals 24 formed on the inner surface 23, and is sealed inside the housing portion 13 of the housing portion 12 together with the substrate portion 30, with the light-receiving surface 22 facing radially outward D2 and bent along the circumferential direction D1. The strip-shaped single cell solar panel 20 shown in Figure 6 is particularly suitable as the power generation unit of the smart ring 10, but the application of the solar panel 20 is not limited to the smart ring 10, and it can also be used as a power generation unit for other communication terminals having a ring-shaped housing portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10…Smart Ring 10a...Inner circumference of the ring 12… Enclosure 12a...Light transmission part 12b...Inside of the enclosure 12c, 12d... Side of the enclosure 13...Detention Unit 20…Solar panels L1...Length in the longitudinal direction L2…Short direction length 22…Light receiving surface 23…Inner surface 24… Terminals D1...Circumferential direction D2…Radially outward D3...Radial inward 30... Circuit board section 31… Flexible printed circuit board 32…Temperature sensor 33…BLE Transmitter 38… Antenna 34…Capacitor 35…Control Unit 36… Regulator 37…CPU

Claims

1. A smart ring that is worn on the finger, A substantially ring-shaped solar panel having a light-receiving surface facing radially outward and composed of a single cell that is continuous for 270 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction, A smart ring having a substrate portion that operates using electricity generated by the solar panel, and which is arranged radially inward of the solar panel and along the circumferential direction of the solar panel, and which has a sensor portion that acquires the wearer's biometric information and a transmission portion that wirelessly transmits the information acquired by the sensor portion.

2. The light-receiving surface of the solar panel is a smart ring according to claim 1, which is continuous for 300 to 360 degrees in the circumferential direction.

3. The smart ring according to claim 1, further comprising a light-transmitting portion that transmits light to the light-receiving surface of the solar panel, a substantially ring-shaped housing portion formed inside that houses the solar panel and the substrate portion, and a housing portion that covers the solar panel and the substrate portion.

4. The housing portion is made of resin, and the storage portion is sealed by the housing portion. The smart ring according to claim 3, wherein the outer surface is composed solely of the resin of the housing portion.

5. The smart ring according to claim 1, wherein the substrate portion has a flexible printed circuit board.

6. The smart ring according to claim 5, wherein the solar panel is flexible and the solar panel is directly mounted on the flexible printed circuit board.

7. The substrate portion includes a capacitor and / or capacitor for storing electricity generated by the solar panel, and a control unit for controlling the power supply from the capacitor and / or capacitor to the sensor portion and the transmission portion. The control unit detects that the amount of electricity stored in the capacitor and / or capacitor exceeds a first value that allows the sensor unit to perform a series of operations including the acquisition of biological information and the wireless transmission of information by the transmission unit, and causes the sensor unit and the transmission unit to perform the series of operations. The smart ring according to claim 1, wherein the control unit does not supply power to the sensor unit and the transmitting unit after performing the series of operations until it detects again that the amount of electricity stored in the capacitor and / or capacitor exceeds the first value.

8. The smart ring according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting unit only transmits information and does not receive it.

9. The sensor unit includes a body temperature sensor for measuring body temperature, a body movement sensor for measuring body movement, and an SpO2 sensor for measuring blood oxygen saturation. ２ The smart ring according to claim 1, comprising a sensor, a heart rate sensor for measuring heart rate, an electrocardiogram sensor for measuring electrocardiogram, a pulse rate sensor for measuring pulse rate, a blood pressure sensor for measuring blood pressure, and an electroencephalogram sensor for measuring brain waves.

10. The smart ring according to claim 1, wherein the first IC constituting the control unit is separate from the second IC constituting the transmission unit, and the ON / OFF state of the transmission unit is directly controlled by the power supply / power supply stoppage from the control unit.

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