headset
The headset measures body temperature using internal sensors on the ear canal and opposite sides, addressing the complexity issue of conventional designs by providing accurate measurements without extra sensors.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2021060540
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2021-03-31
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-22
- Estimated Expiration
- 2041-03-31
AI Technical Summary
Conventional headsets for measuring deep body temperature require additional sensors, complicating the device configuration.
A headset design that utilizes a first sensor on the ear canal side and a second sensor on the opposite side inside the housing, along with a calculation unit to measure body temperature based on their outputs, without adding extra sensors.
Accurately measures body temperature without the need for additional sensors, accounting for individual differences and environmental conditions.
Smart Images

Figure 0007728098000005 
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Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a headset. [Background technology]
[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, techniques for measuring deep body temperature have been known (for example, Patent Document 1, Non-Patent Document 1).
[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a non-heating deep body thermometer that includes a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor in that order from the measurement surface that contacts the body surface, and an insulating material between the first and second temperature sensors, and that includes at least two sets of temperature sensors: a set of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, and a set of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, and that the thermal resistance value of the insulating material between the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor is different for each set of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor.
[0004] Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for calculating core body temperature using ear canal temperature measured by a thermistor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-212407 [Non-patent literature]
[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] Akira Ikejiri et al., "Study on calibration for calculating core body temperature using ear canal temperature measured by thermistor," [No.19-306] Proceedings of the 2019 Symposium on Sports Engineering and Human Dynamics, Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0007] As described above, in the conventional technology, it is necessary to add a sensor for measuring body temperature, which makes the headset device configuration complicated.
[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a headset that can measure body temperature with high accuracy without adding a sensor for measuring body temperature. [Means for solving the problem]
[0009] The headset of the present invention comprises a hollow housing to be worn on the ear of a user, a cylindrical ear canal insertion portion that is a part of the housing and is provided on the ear canal side of the housing, a first sensor for the headset that is provided on the ear canal side inside the housing, a second sensor for the headset that is provided on the opposite side of the ear canal inside the housing, and a calculation unit that measures the body temperature of the user based on the output of the first sensor and the output of the second sensor.
[0010] According to the present invention, a first sensor for a headset is provided inside the housing on the ear canal side, a second sensor for a headset is provided inside the housing on the opposite side to the ear canal side, and a calculation unit measures the body temperature of the user based on the output of the first sensor and the output of the second sensor.
[0011] In this way, by measuring the user's body temperature based on the output of the first sensor for the headset located on the ear canal side inside the housing and the output of the second sensor for the headset located on the opposite side of the ear canal inside the housing, it is possible to measure body temperature accurately without adding any additional sensors for measuring body temperature.
[0012] The first sensor according to the present invention may include a proximity sensor for detecting the wearing state or a thermistor for measuring the temperature inside the housing, and the second sensor may include a sensor mounted on the main board or a touchpad for detecting operations from the user.
[0013] In addition, the calculation unit according to the above invention can estimate the room temperature, which is the temperature outside the housing, from the output of the first sensor or the second sensor under specified conditions, acquire the output of the first sensor and the output of the second sensor, and measure the user's body temperature from a first temperature difference between the estimated room temperature and the temperature measured from the output of the first sensor, and a second temperature difference between the temperature measured from the output of the second sensor and the temperature measured from the output of the first sensor.
[0014] The first sensor of the present invention is a plurality of sensors, and the second sensor is a plurality of sensors, and the calculation unit selects a combination of any one of the plurality of sensors of the first sensor and any one of the plurality of sensors of the second sensor based on the temperature measured from the output of the plurality of sensors of the first sensor and the temperature measured from the output of the plurality of sensors of the second sensor, and can measure the body temperature of the user based on the temperature measured from the output of the sensors included in the selected combination.
[0015] The calculation unit according to the above invention estimates the room temperature, which is the temperature outside the housing, from the output of the first sensor or the second sensor under specified conditions, acquires the output of the first sensor and the output of the second sensor, selects a combination of any one of the multiple sensors of the first sensor and any one of the multiple sensors of the second sensor based on the ratio of a first temperature difference between the estimated room temperature and the temperature measured from the output of the first sensor and a second temperature difference between the temperature measured from the output of the second sensor and the temperature measured from the output of the first sensor, which are calculated for each combination, and measures the user's body temperature using the temperature measured from the output of the sensors included in the selected combination and parameters previously determined for the combination.
[0016] The calculation unit of the present invention can measure the user's body temperature based on the first temperature difference, the second temperature difference in the selected combination, and the temperature measured from the output of the first sensor when measuring the user's body temperature. [Effects of the Invention]
[0017] As described above, with the headset of the present invention, the body temperature of the user is measured based on the output of the first sensor for the headset provided inside the housing on the ear canal side and the output of the second sensor for the headset provided inside the housing on the opposite side of the ear canal, thereby making it possible to measure body temperature accurately without adding any additional sensors for measuring body temperature. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a method for estimating a core body temperature in the headset according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining parameters used in estimating core body temperature. [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a headset according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a calculation unit of a headset according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of temperature data measured during development of a headset. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the distribution of tB / te relative to te / tA. [Figure 7] 5 is a flowchart showing the contents of a temperature measurement process performed by the headset according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a method for estimating a core body temperature in a headset according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining parameters used in estimating core body temperature. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a headset according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a calculation unit of a headset according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing the contents of a temperature measurement process performed by a headset according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a headset according to a first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a headset according to a second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of measuring core body temperature in the headset according to Example 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0020] [First embodiment] <Outline of the first embodiment of the present invention> In the first embodiment of the present invention, the core body temperature is determined using sensors provided for conventional headsets, without adding any additional configuration for measuring the core body temperature.
[0021] As an example, core body temperature is measured using a temperature transmission system that includes a basic sensor configuration of a thermistor and a temperature sensor on the main board.
[0022] The thermal resistance and parameter configurations in this heat transfer system are shown in Figures 1 and 2.
[0023] The temperature measured by the thermistor is T b , the temperature measured by the temperature sensor on the main board is T a , room temperature is T A , core body temperature T B Also, room temperature T A and temperature T a The temperature difference between the first temperature difference t A , temperature T b and temperature T a The temperature difference inside the headset is the second temperature difference t e , core body temperature T B and temperature T b The temperature difference between B In addition, the temperature difference t A The thermal resistance corresponding to A , temperature difference t e The thermal resistance corresponding to e , temperature difference t B The thermal resistance corresponding to B Let's say.
[0024] As a preliminary preparation for the measurement, that is, as a parameter creation during headset development, the room temperature T A and core body temperature T B Based on this, "R B / R e value" and "t e / t A t for B / t e Find the "distribution of ."
[0025] In measuring core body temperature, the temperature difference t A , temperature difference t e , temperature difference t B , and core body temperature T B Ask for.
[0026] Here, room temperature T A Regarding temperature, there is no local temperature rise due to body heat and the temperature of the entire headset housing is constant (temperature T a , T b The temperature at room temperature T A Let's say.
[0027] Also, the headset may be locally warmed by body heat and may not reach room temperature. A If the temperature cannot be obtained, the parameters used in the previous temperature measurement are applied to obtain the core temperature T B Ask for.
[0028] <Configuration of the headset according to the first embodiment of the present invention> 3, headset 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has a hollow housing 10 that houses various functional components and is worn on the ear of a user. Housing 10 is the main body of headset 100. Headset 100 also has a cylindrical ear canal insertion portion 12 that has a hollow portion and is provided on the ear canal side of housing 10 when worn on the ear of a user.
[0029] The headset 100 also has a driver 14 provided inside the housing 10 for outputting sound signals.
[0030] The headset 100 also includes a driver 14 that outputs sound signals, a microphone 16 that is arranged to collect signals propagating through the hollow portion of the ear canal insertion portion 12, a thermistor 18 for the headset that is arranged on the ear canal side inside the housing 10, a temperature sensor 24 for the headset that is arranged on the opposite side of the ear canal inside the housing 10, a playback unit 20 that outputs sound signals from the driver 14, a calculation unit 22 that measures core body temperature based on the outputs of the thermistor 18 and the temperature sensor 24, a communication unit 23 that receives sound signals from an information processing terminal (not shown) and transmits the measurement results by the calculation unit 22 to the information processing terminal, and a main board 25.
[0031] The playback unit 20, the calculation unit 22, the communication unit 23, and the temperature sensor 24 are mounted on a main board 25 disposed inside the housing 10.
[0032] The thermistor 18 is a sensor used to measure the operating temperature during charging and discharging of a battery (not shown) provided inside the housing 10, and measures the temperature of the ear canal space.
[0033] The temperature sensor 24 is a sensor built into a sensing IC (such as a 9-axis sensor) mounted on the main board 25, and is a sensor disposed in a location that does not contact the housing 10.
[0034] The calculation unit 22 measures the core body temperature of the user based on the output from the thermistor 18 and the output from the temperature sensor 24 .
[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, the calculation unit 22 functionally includes an authentication unit 30, a room temperature estimation unit 32, a core body temperature estimation unit , and a regeneration control unit .
[0036] The authentication unit 30 identifies the user wearing the headset 100 through ear acoustic authentication using the microphone 16 .
[0037] The room temperature estimation unit 32 estimates the room temperature from the outputs of the thermistor 18 and the temperature sensor 24 under predetermined conditions. Specifically, the room temperature estimation unit 32 estimates the temperature T a and the temperature T measured by thermistor 18 b When and are equal, the temperature T a and temperature T b is the housing temperature, and the room temperature T A is determined to be equal to the temperature T a or temperature T b At room temperature T A It is estimated that:
[0038] The core body temperature estimation unit 34 acquires the output of the thermistor 18 and the output of the temperature sensor 24, and estimates the room temperature T A and the temperature T measured from the output of the temperature sensor 24. a The first temperature difference t A , and the temperature T measured from the output of the temperature sensor 24 a and the temperature T measured from the output of thermistor 18 b The second temperature difference t e The user's core body temperature is estimated from this.
[0039] Specifically, after waiting for a predetermined time until the thermistor 18 and the temperature sensor 24 are warmed up, the outputs of the thermistor 18 and the temperature sensor 24 are acquired, and the core body temperature T B Estimate.
[0040] First, room temperature T A If is estimated, the "t e / t A t for B / t e Based on the "distribution of the core body temperature T" according to the following formula: B Estimate.
[0041] JPEG0007728098000001.jpg2375 (1)
[0042] However, f(x) in the above equation can be expressed by the following equation when using measurement data obtained during headset development, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, which show multiple measurement data and their distributions.
[0043] JPEG0007728098000002.jpg9113
[0044] Then, the deep body temperature T calculated above B and the temperature T measured from the output of the thermistor 18. b and the second temperature difference t e Therefore, the thermal resistance ratio R is calculated according to the following formula: B / R e Calculate and record the value.
[0045] JPEG0007728098000003.jpg2659 (2)
[0046] Also, the temperature T a and temperature T b If they are not equal, i.e., if the measurement was started when the enclosure was partially warm, the last recorded R B / R e Using this value, the temperature difference t inside the headset is calculated according to the above formula (2). e to R B / R e The value multiplied by the temperature T b Adding these together, the core body temperature T B Estimate
[0047] The last recorded R B / R e If no value is available, use the R value obtained by pre-measurement. B / R e Just use the value.
[0048] The playback control unit 36 controls the audio signal received from the information processing terminal so that it is output via the playback unit 20 and the driver 14 .
[0049] <Operation of the headset according to the first embodiment of the present invention> When the housing 10 of the headset 100 is worn on the user's ear and an instruction to measure deep body temperature is received via wireless communication from the user's information processing terminal (not shown), the temperature measurement process shown in Figure 7 is executed by the calculation unit 22.
[0050] First, in step S100 , the authentication unit 30 identifies the user wearing the headset 100 through ear acoustic authentication using the microphone 16 .
[0051] In step S102, the room temperature estimation unit 32 calculates the temperature T b , and the temperature T measured by the temperature sensor 24 a Get.
[0052] In step S104, the room temperature estimation unit 32 calculates the temperature T a and the temperature T measured by thermistor 18 b Determine whether the temperature T is equal to the temperature T. a and temperature T b If the temperature T a and temperature T b If the temperature T measured by the temperature sensor 24 is not equal to the temperature T a and the temperature T measured by thermistor 18 b An example of the predetermined condition is that the above expressions are equal to each other.
[0053] In step S106, the room temperature estimation unit 32 calculates the temperature T a or temperature T b At room temperature T A It is estimated that:
[0054] In step S108, the core body temperature estimating unit 34 waits for a predetermined time until the thermistor 18 and the temperature sensor 24 are warmed up.
[0055] In step S110, the core body temperature estimation unit 34 calculates the temperature T measured by the thermistor 18 after a predetermined time has elapsed. b and the temperature T measured by the temperature sensor 24 a Get.
[0056] In step S112, the deep body temperature estimation unit 34 calculates the deep body temperature T B Then, the communication unit 23 estimates the deep body temperature T B The estimation results are sent to the information processing terminal.
[0057] In step S114, the deep body temperature estimation unit 34 calculates the deep body temperature T B and the temperature T measured from the output of the thermistor 18. b and the second temperature difference t e From this, according to the above formula (2), R B / R e The value is calculated and recorded, and the temperature measurement process ends.
[0058] In step S116, the core body temperature estimating section 34 waits for a predetermined time until the thermistor 18 and the temperature sensor 24 are warmed up.
[0059] In step S118, the core body temperature estimation unit 34 calculates the last recorded R B / R e Using this value, the core body temperature T is calculated according to the above formula (2). B Then, the communication unit 23 estimates the deep body temperature T B The estimation result is sent to the information processing terminal, and the temperature measurement process is completed.
[0060] As described above, with the headset according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the body temperature of the user is measured based on the output of the headset thermistor located inside the housing on the ear canal side and the headset temperature sensor located inside the housing on the opposite side to the ear canal side, thereby making it possible to measure body temperature accurately without the need for an additional sensor for measuring body temperature.
[0061] In the above embodiment, the combination of the thermistor and the temperature sensor on the main board is described as an example, but this is not limiting. The core body temperature may be measured using a combination of either the thermistor on the ear canal side or a proximity sensor (described later) with either the temperature sensor on the main board opposite the ear canal side or a touchpad (described later).
[0062] [Second embodiment] Next, a headset according to a second embodiment will be described. Portions having the same configuration as those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.
[0063] The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the core body temperature is estimated using the outputs of four sensors for the headset.
[0064] <Outline of the second embodiment of the present invention> A headset may be equipped with multiple temperature sensing devices. In this embodiment, core body temperature is measured from multiple temperature transmission systems formed using four sensors that serve as temperature sensing devices.
[0065] Here, the thermal resistances and parameter configurations in the multiple heat transfer systems are shown in Fig. 8. Note that explanations of variables that are the same as those in the first embodiment will be omitted.
[0066] The temperature measured by the thermistor is T thm , the temperature measured by the temperature sensor on the main board is T pwb The temperature measured by the proximity sensor is T prox , the temperature measured by the touchpad is T touch Also, room temperature T A and temperature T pwb The temperature difference between Ai , room temperature T A and temperature T touch The temperature difference between Aj , temperature T thm and temperature T pwb The temperature difference between i+t n , temperature T prox , temperature T pwb The temperature difference between i +t m , temperature T thm and temperature T touch The temperature difference between j +t n , temperature T prox and temperature T touch The temperature difference between j +t m , core body temperature T B and temperature T thm The temperature difference between Bn , core body temperature T B and temperature T prox The temperature difference between Bm Let's say.
[0067] Also, the temperature difference t Ai The thermal resistance corresponding to Ai , temperature difference t Aj The thermal resistance corresponding to Aj , temperature difference t i +t n The thermal resistance corresponding to i +R n , temperature difference t i +t m The thermal resistance corresponding to i +R m , temperature difference t j +t n The thermal resistance corresponding to j +R n , temperature difference t j +t m The thermal resistance corresponding to j +R m , temperature difference t Bn The thermal resistance corresponding to Bn , temperature difference t Bm The thermal resistance corresponding to Bm Let's say.
[0068] In addition, the above-mentioned temperature differences and thermal resistances and the temperature difference t A , t e , t B and thermal resistance R A , R e , R BThe correspondence between these is shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 9 shows the parameter components when there are four temperature transfer systems, but this will vary depending on the number of sensors installed.
[0069] Next, we will explain the limitations of each sensor. i ,R j ,R m ,R n ) have the same structure, so there are no differences between products. Also, the thermal resistance R between the headset and the room temperature varies depending on the surrounding air conditioning and sunlight conditions. Ai ,R Aj The thermal resistance R between the headset and the core body temperature varies depending on the user, as the wearing condition differs from one user to another. Bm ,R Bn For this reason, errors will occur when measuring the core body temperature of multiple users using the same device and parameters.
[0070] Therefore, in this embodiment, the core body temperature is measured as follows.
[0071] First, in preparation for the measurement, that is, in creating parameters during headset development, the room temperature T A and core body temperature T B Based on this, t for each of the four temperature transfer systems A ,t e Find the ratio of .
[0072] Then, the core body temperature is measured as follows.
[0073] Here, the thermal resistance R A , R B varies for each measurement. Therefore, the t measured after waiting a certain time for the sensor to warm up is A ,t e Regarding the ratio of t in the four heat transfer systems obtained in advance, A ,t eThe temperature transfer system that is closest to the preparatory conditions is selected by comparing the ratio of the
[0074] And the t of the selected temperature transfer system A ,t e Using the temperature difference t B and core body temperature T B Ask for.
[0075] In addition, room temperature T A Regarding the temperature T pwb ,T thm The temperature at room temperature T A Let's say.
[0076] Locally warmed by body temperature and room temperature T A In the case where the temperature is not available, the core temperature T is calculated using the parameters used in the previous temperature measurement for the given temperature transfer system. B Ask for.
[0077] <Configuration of a headset according to a second embodiment of the present invention> As shown in FIG. 10, a headset 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention has a configuration similar to that of the headset 100 according to the first embodiment, and further includes a proximity sensor 218 for the headset provided inside the housing 10 on the ear canal side, and a touchpad 224 for the headset provided inside the housing 10 on the opposite side to the ear canal side.
[0078] The proximity sensor 218 is a capacitance sensor used to determine whether the device is attached to the ear. Because the sensor output of the proximity sensor 218 and the temperature are linear, the temperature of the proximity sensor 218 can be measured from the output of the proximity sensor 218.
[0079] The touchpad 224 is a capacitance sensor used to detect user operations (play, stop, etc.) In addition, since the sensor output of the touchpad 224 and the temperature are linear, the temperature of the touchpad 224 can be measured from the output of the touchpad 224.
[0080] The calculation unit 22 measures the core body temperature based on the output from the thermistor 18, the output from the temperature sensor 24, the output from the proximity sensor 218, and the output from the touchpad 224.
[0081] Specifically, the calculation unit 22 functionally includes an authentication unit 30, a room temperature estimation unit 32, a system selection unit 233, a core body temperature estimation unit 234, and a regeneration control unit 36, as shown in FIG.
[0082] The system selection unit 233 selects one of four temperature transmission systems consisting of a combination of either the thermistor 18 or the proximity sensor 218 on the ear canal side and either the temperature sensor 24 or the touchpad 224 on the opposite side of the ear canal side.
[0083] Specifically, after waiting for a predetermined time until the thermistor 18 and the temperature sensor 24 are warmed up, the outputs from the thermistor 18, the temperature sensor 24, the proximity sensor 218, and the touchpad 224 are acquired, and the temperature difference t from the room temperature is calculated for each of the four temperature transmission systems. A , and the temperature difference t inside the headset e Then, for each of the four heat transfer systems, the temperature difference t A , and the temperature difference t inside the headset e The ratio of the temperature transfer system that is closest to the ratio calculated in advance is selected.
[0084] The core body temperature estimation unit 234 acquires the sensor output of the selected temperature transmission system and estimates the room temperature T A The first temperature difference t A, and a second temperature difference t inside the headset e The user's core body temperature is estimated from this.
[0085] Specifically, as explained below, the core body temperature T B Estimate.
[0086] First, room temperature T A If is estimated, the "t e / t A t for B / t e Based on the "distribution of the core body temperature T B Estimate.
[0087] At this time, if the selected temperature transmission system is a temperature transmission system consisting of a combination of the thermistor 18 and the temperature sensor 24, the temperature T measured from the output of the thermistor 18 is thm T b and the temperature difference t i +t n A e and the temperature difference t Ai A A The parameters of f(x) are determined using the measurement data of the temperature transfer system.
[0088] In addition, when the selected temperature transmission system is a temperature transmission system consisting of a combination of the thermistor 18 and the touch pad 224, the temperature T measured from the output of the thermistor 18 is thm is Tb, and the temperature difference t j +t n A e and the temperature difference t Aj A A The parameters of f(x) are determined using the measurement data of the temperature transfer system.
[0089] In addition, when the selected temperature transmission system is a temperature transmission system consisting of a combination of the proximity sensor 218 and the touch pad 224, the temperature T measured from the output of the proximity sensor 218 is proxis Tb, and the temperature difference t j +t m A e and the temperature difference t Aj A A The parameters of f(x) are determined using the measurement data of the temperature transfer system.
[0090] In addition, when the selected temperature transmission system is a temperature transmission system consisting of a combination of the proximity sensor 218 and the temperature sensor 24, the temperature T measured from the output of the proximity sensor 218 is prox is Tb, and the temperature difference t i +t m A e and the temperature difference t Ai A A The parameters of f(x) are determined using the measurement data of the temperature transfer system.
[0091] Then, the deep body temperature T calculated above B and the temperature Tb and the second temperature difference t according to the temperature transmission system. e From the above equation (2), R B / R e Calculate the value of R for the selected temperature transfer system B / R e Record the value.
[0092] Also, the temperature T pwb and temperature T thm If they are not equal, i.e., if the measurement is started when the housing is partially warm, the last recorded R B / R e value, the temperature Tb and the second temperature difference t according to the temperature transfer system e and calculate the core body temperature T according to the above formula (2). B Estimate.
[0093] In addition, the last recorded R B / R e If no value is available, use the R value obtained by prior measurement of the temperature transfer system.B / R e Just use the value.
[0094] <Operation of the headset according to the second embodiment of the present invention> When the housing 10 of the headset 200 is worn on the user's ear and an instruction to measure deep body temperature is received via wireless communication from the user's information processing terminal (not shown), the temperature measurement process shown in Figure 12 is executed by the calculation unit 22.
[0095] First, in step S100 , the authentication unit 30 identifies the user wearing the headset 200 through ear acoustic authentication using the microphone 16 .
[0096] In step S102, the room temperature estimation unit 32 calculates the temperature T thm and the temperature T measured by the temperature sensor 24 pwb Get.
[0097] In step S104, the room temperature estimation unit 32 calculates the temperature T pwb and the temperature T measured by thermistor 18 thm Determine whether the temperature T is equal to the temperature T. pwb and temperature T thm If the temperature T pwb and temperature T thm If they are not equal, the process proceeds to step S116.
[0098] In step S106, the room temperature estimation unit 32 calculates the temperature T pwb or temperature T thm At room temperature T A It is estimated that:
[0099] In step S108, the route selection unit 233 waits for a predetermined time until the thermistor 18 and the temperature sensor 24 are warmed up.
[0100] In step S200, the route selection unit 233 selects the temperature T thm , the temperature T measured by the temperature sensor 24 pwb , the temperature T measured by the output from the proximity sensor 218 prox , and T measured by the output from the touchpad 224 touch Get.
[0101] In step S202, the system selection unit 233 selects the temperature difference t A , and the temperature difference t inside the headset e Then, for each of the four heat transfer systems, the system selection unit 233 calculates the temperature difference t A , and the temperature difference t inside the headset e The system selection unit 233 then compares the ratio calculated in advance with the ratio calculated at the current time. Then, the system selection unit 233 selects the heat transfer system that is closest to the ratio calculated in advance.
[0102] In step S204, the core body temperature estimation unit 234 calculates the estimated room temperature T A The first temperature difference t A , and a second temperature difference t inside the headset e Then, according to the above formula (1), the core body temperature T B Then, the communication unit 23 estimates the deep body temperature T B The estimation results are sent to the information processing terminal.
[0103] In step S206, if the selected temperature transmission system is a temperature transmission system consisting of a combination of the thermistor 18 and the temperature sensor 24, the deep body temperature estimation unit 234 calculates the above-obtained deep body temperature T B and the temperature Tb and the second temperature difference t according to the temperature transmission system. e From the above equation (2), R B / R e Calculate the value and R B / R eThe temperature measurement process is completed.
[0104] In step S116, the core body temperature estimator 234 waits for a predetermined time until the thermistor 18 and the temperature sensor 24 are warmed up.
[0105] In step S118, the core body temperature estimation unit 234 calculates the last recorded R B / R e value, the temperature Tb and the second temperature difference t according to the temperature transfer system e and calculate the core body temperature T according to the above formula (2). B Then, the communication unit 23 estimates the deep body temperature T B The estimation result is sent to the information processing terminal, and the temperature measurement process is completed.
[0106] As described above, with the headset according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the user's body temperature is measured based on the output of the headset thermistor and proximity sensor located inside the housing on the ear canal side, and the output of the headset temperature sensor and touchpad located inside the housing on the opposite side of the ear canal, thereby making it possible to measure body temperature accurately without adding any additional sensors for measuring body temperature.
[0107] Furthermore, by selecting one of four temperature transmission systems consisting of a combination of either a thermistor or a proximity sensor, and either a temperature sensor or a touchpad, and measuring the user's body temperature, it is possible to measure body temperature accurately, taking into account differences between measurements and individual differences.
[0108] Furthermore, among the multiple sensors, the room temperature can be estimated using a thermistor that can measure temperature in absolute values and the temperature sensor on the main board.
[0109] Example 1 An example of the headset according to the first embodiment will now be described. As shown in Fig. 13, the housing 10 of the headset according to this example is formed by fitting a main housing 1a and a front housing 1b together.
[0110] The main housing 1a is a hollow member having an overall cylindrical shape, and its rear opening is closed by a cover 2. A main board 25 is disposed inside the main housing 1a, facing the opening. The main board 25 is a board on which electronic components that function as a playback unit 20, a calculation unit 22, and a communication unit 23 are mounted, and a temperature sensor 24 is disposed on the main board 25. In this way, the temperature sensor 24 is disposed in a location that does not directly contact the housing 10 or the cover 2.
[0111] In front of the main board 25, a battery 6 is disposed via a battery cushion 7 and a battery cap 8.
[0112] The outer periphery of the main housing 1a is provided with housing rubber 9. Housing rubber 9 is a cylindrical elastic member fitted to the outer periphery of the main housing 1a, which reduces contact with the ear and prevents water from entering the housing 10.
[0113] The front housing 1b is disposed so as to close the front opening of the cylindrical main housing 1a. The front housing 1b has an oblique truncated cone shape overall, with part of the periphery slightly raised toward the eardrum.
[0114] An ear canal insertion portion 12 is provided in front of the front housing 1b, protruding from the apex of the oblique truncated cone toward the eardrum. The ear canal insertion portion 12 is cylindrical and provided in a portion of the front housing 1b. It is open at both the front and rear, allowing communication between the inside and outside of the front housing 1b. A driver 14 with a cylindrical case is installed inside the ear canal insertion portion 12. A positioning portion 11 for the driver 14 is provided near the front opening of the ear canal insertion portion 12, and the front end of the driver 14 engages with this positioning portion 11, thereby fixing the driver 14 to the inner surface of the ear canal insertion portion 12. The rear end of the driver 14 is positioned near the front end of the front housing 1b. The driver 14 includes a magnetic circuit for generating an output signal, a diaphragm, and other components within the cylindrical case, and an appropriate, well-known structure is used.
[0115] The headset of this embodiment has a microphone 16. The microphone 16 is provided in the front housing 1b near the ear canal insertion portion 12, that is, behind the driver 14.
[0116] The microphone 16 is mounted on a microphone substrate 15. The microphone substrate 15 is fixed to a block 416. The block 416 is a block-shaped member that supports the microphone 16 and the microphone substrate 15. The microphone substrate 15 and the block 416 are provided with openings 15a and 16a so that an acoustic signal from within the ear canal can reach the microphone 16.
[0117] The thermistor 18 is provided to measure the operating temperature during charging and discharging of the battery 6. The thermistor 18 is also placed near the openings 15a and 16a, so that it can measure the temperature in the ear canal space.
[0118] A second hollow portion 16A, which is a groove formed along the axial direction of the ear canal insertion portion 12, is provided on the inner surface of the ear canal insertion portion 12. The second hollow portion 16A is a square groove-shaped space formed between the side surface of the driver 14 and the second hollow portion 16A, and communicates from the front end of the ear canal insertion portion 12 to an opening 16a in a block 416 fixed to the front housing 1b.
[0119] An earpiece 13 is fixed to the outer periphery of the ear canal insertion portion 12. The earpiece 13 is also called an eartip, earpad, or earcap, and is made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber. The earpiece 13 has a cylindrical portion 13b that fits around the outer periphery of the ear canal insertion portion 12, and a hemispherical portion 13a at the tip of the cylindrical portion 13b that fits into the ear canal wall. An earpiece attachment groove 412 is provided on the outer periphery of the ear canal insertion portion 12, and a fitting portion 13c is provided on the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion 13b of the earpiece 13. The fitting portion 13c engages with the earpiece attachment groove 412, thereby fixing the earpiece 13 to the ear canal insertion portion 12.
[0120] <Example 2> An example of the headset according to the second embodiment will be described below. Note that parts having the same configuration as in Example 1 will be given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.
[0121] 14, the proximity sensor 218 is disposed on the microphone board 15 on the opposite side from the microphone 16 so as to be in close contact with the ear. In addition, since the proximity sensor 218 is disposed near the openings 15a and 16a, it can measure the temperature in the ear canal space.
[0122] Furthermore, the touchpad 224 is disposed in a part of the cover 2. Since the touchpad 224 is disposed in the location farthest from the body, it is possible to obtain the temperature change of the cover 2 itself.
[0123] Next, the results of measuring the core body temperature in Example 2 will be described. The core body temperature was estimated using the method (proposed method) described in the second embodiment above for the temperature difference inside the headset and room temperature for each subject, as shown in Figure 15. For comparison, the core body temperature was calculated using the conventional method described above in Equation (2).
[0124] The variance of the error was calculated using the following formula: n is the core body temperature calculated at the nth measurement, T Bn is the target deep body temperature (measured with a dedicated measuring device) for the nth measurement.
[0125] JPEG0007728098000004.jpg3791
[0126] The error variance for the conventional method was 0.367, while the error variance for the proposed method was 0.300. As such, it was found that the proposed method had a smaller error than the conventional method.
[0127] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0128] For example, in the second embodiment described above, an example in which four sensors are used has been described, but this is not limiting. Three sensors may also be used. In this case, body temperature may be measured using two temperature transmission systems consisting of two sensors on the ear canal side and one sensor on the opposite side, or two temperature transmission systems consisting of one sensor on the ear canal side and two sensors on the opposite side. Five or more sensors may also be used. In this case, body temperature may be measured using multiple temperature transmission systems consisting of one or more sensors on the ear canal side and one or more sensors on the opposite side. [Explanation of symbols]
[0129] 10. Housing 12. Ear canal insertion part 14 Drivers 16 microphones 18 Thermistor 20 Playback Department 22 Arithmetic section 23 Communications Department 24 Temperature Sensor 25 Main board 30 Authentication Section 32 Room temperature estimation section 34, 234 Core body temperature estimation section 36 Playback control unit 100, 200 headset 218 Proximity Sensor 224 Touchpad 233 System Selection Unit
Claims
1. a hollow housing that is fitted over a user's ear; a cylindrical ear canal insertion portion provided in a part of the housing on the ear canal side; a first sensor for a headset provided in a space inside the housing on the ear canal side and communicating with the ear canal space; a second sensor for a headset provided inside the housing on a side opposite to the ear canal side and not in contact with the housing; a calculation unit that measures the body temperature of the user based on the output of the first sensor and the output of the second sensor; Including, the calculation unit estimates the temperature as a room temperature, which is a temperature outside the housing, when the temperature measured from the output of the first sensor and the temperature measured from the output of the second sensor are equal; After waiting for a predetermined time, an output of the first sensor and an output of the second sensor are acquired; A headset that measures the user's body temperature from a first temperature difference between the estimated room temperature and the temperature measured from the output of the first sensor, and a second temperature difference between the temperature measured from the output of the second sensor and the temperature measured from the output of the first sensor.
2. A hollow housing that is fitted to the user's ear; a cylindrical ear canal insertion portion provided in a part of the housing on the ear canal side; a first sensor for a headset provided inside the housing on the ear canal side; a second sensor for a headset provided inside the housing on the opposite side to the ear canal side; a calculation unit that measures a body temperature of the user based on an output of the first sensor and an output of the second sensor, the first sensor is a plurality of sensors; the second sensor is a plurality of sensors; the calculation unit selects a combination of any one of the plurality of sensors of the first sensor and any one of the plurality of sensors of the second sensor based on temperatures measured from outputs of the plurality of sensors of the first sensor and temperatures measured from outputs of the plurality of sensors of the second sensor; measuring a body temperature of the user based on a temperature measured from an output of the sensor included in the selected combination; The calculation unit If the temperature measured from the output of the first sensor and the temperature measured from the output of the second sensor are equal, the temperature is estimated as room temperature, which is the temperature outside the housing; After waiting for a predetermined time, an output of the first sensor and an output of the second sensor are acquired; selecting a combination of any one of the plurality of sensors of the first sensors and any one of the plurality of sensors of the second sensors from a ratio of a first temperature difference between the estimated room temperature and a temperature measured from an output of the first sensor and a second temperature difference between the temperature measured from an output of the second sensor and the temperature measured from an output of the first sensor, the ratio being calculated for each combination of the first sensors and any one of the plurality of sensors of the second sensors; A headset that measures the body temperature of the user using a temperature measured from the output of a sensor included in the selected combination and parameters determined in advance for the combination.
3. the first sensor includes a proximity sensor for detecting an attachment state or a thermistor for measuring a temperature inside the housing, 3. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the second sensor includes a sensor mounted on a main board or a touchpad for detecting an operation from the user.
4. 3. The headset according to claim 2, wherein the calculation unit measures the body temperature of the user based on the first temperature difference, the second temperature difference in the selected combination, and the temperature measured from the output of the first sensor.
Citation Information
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