Respiration measurement device

Abstract

Disclosed is a respiration measurement device. A respiration measurement device according to one embodiment comprises: a printed circuit board (PCB) on which a measurement circuit of the respiration measurement device is formed; a sensor pattern formed on the PCB; a chip formed on the PCB; and a first ground for the measurement circuit formed on the PCB. In this case, the respiration measurement device may control a nominal capacity of a capacitor of the sensor pattern according to at least one of whether a second ground for the sensor pattern exists or whether the first ground and the second ground are separated.

Description

Breathalyzer

[0001] The description below is about the breathalyzer.

[0002] With growing interest in health, research into healthcare using electronic devices is actively underway. For example, sensors embedded in electronic devices can collect information about the device itself, its external environment, or the user. However, continuously measuring biosignals is crucial for users to monitor their health. In response to this growing demand for technologies that can monitor a user's exercise status or abnormalities, electronic devices that provide the ability to monitor a user's biosignals are being developed.

[0003] A method and device for measuring respiration of a subject are provided, which can continuously measure the respiration of a subject by continuously measuring changes according to the subject's respiratory activity using a sensor attached to the subject.

[0004] A respiration measurement device is provided in which the nominal capacity of a capacitor is controlled depending on the presence or absence of a first ground for a sensor pattern and / or separation of the first ground and a second ground for a processing circuit.

[0005] To eliminate the use of vias, a respiration measurement device is provided in which a sensor pattern and a processing circuit chip are arranged on the same surface of a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0006] A respiration measurement device is provided comprising n or more layers including a PCB layer for ground and a PCB layer for power (Vcc) to reduce noise.

[0007] In a respiration measurement device, a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) on which a measurement circuit of the respiration measurement device is formed; a sensor pattern formed on the PCB; a chip formed on the PCB; and a first ground for the measurement circuit formed on the PCB are provided, and a respiration measurement device is provided characterized in that a nominal capacity of a capacitor of the sensor pattern is controlled according to at least one of the presence or absence of a second ground for the sensor pattern and the separation of the first ground and the second ground.

[0008] According to one aspect, the respiration measurement device may further include a second ground for the sensor pattern, and the first ground and the second ground may be separated from each other.

[0009] According to another aspect, the sensor pattern and the chip may be characterized in that they are formed on the same first surface of the PCB.

[0010] According to another aspect, the respiration measurement device may further include a plurality of conductors connecting the sensor pattern and the chip on the same first surface.

[0011] According to another aspect, the PCB may be characterized in that it includes at least n layers including a first PCB layer in which the first ground is formed and a second PCB layer in which a power supply circuit is formed, wherein n is a natural number of 2 or greater.

[0012] According to another aspect, the PCB may further include a third PCB layer for the second ground and a fourth PCB layer on which the sensor pattern and the chip are formed.

[0013] According to another aspect, the respiration measurement device may be characterized by being attached to a subject and measuring information about the subject's respiration.

[0014] According to another aspect, the sensor pattern may be characterized by generating a fringing field, and the measuring circuit may include a circuit that continuously measures changes in the fringing field according to the respiratory activity of the subject based on changes in a resonant frequency generated through an oscillator or repeated charging and discharging of the sensor pattern.

[0015] According to another aspect, the chip may be characterized in that it controls the measurement circuit and provides information on the continuously measured changes to the outside so that information on the breathing of the subject can be determined through the continuously measured changes.

[0016] According to another aspect, the sensor pattern may include at least two electrodes spaced horizontally with respect to the surface of the object, and the fringing field may be generated through a voltage applied to the at least two electrodes.

[0017] A method and device for measuring respiration can be provided that can continuously measure the respiration of a subject by continuously measuring changes according to the subject's respiratory activity using a sensor attached to the subject.

[0018] The nominal capacity of the capacitor can be controlled depending on the presence or absence of a first ground for the sensor pattern of the respiration measurement device and / or the separation of the first ground and the second ground for the processing circuit.

[0019] The use of vias can be eliminated through a respiration measurement device in which the sensor pattern and processing circuit chip are placed on the same surface of the PCB (Printed Circuit Board).

[0020] Noise can be reduced by using a respiration measurement device that includes n or more layers, including a PCB layer for ground and a PCB layer for power (Vcc).

[0021] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing an example of a change in a sensor according to a respiratory activity of a subject in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an example of the internal configuration of a respiration measurement system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a respiration measurement method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an example of a fringing field in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a measurement circuit unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of a clock counter in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of a measurement circuit unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of an ADC in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIGS. 9 and 10 are drawings showing an example of a general appearance of a measuring circuit of a respiration measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 11 is a graph showing an example of measuring changes in respiration according to inhalation and exhalation using a respiration measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 12 is a graph showing an example of changes in signal and noise in the signal-to-noise ratio in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of displaying changes in respiration measured through a respiration measurement app according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the embodiments may be modified in various ways, and the scope of the claims of the patent application is not limited or restricted by these embodiments. It should be understood that all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives to the embodiments are encompassed by the claims.

[0034] The terms used in the examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood to not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments pertain. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0036] In addition, when describing with reference to the attached drawings, identical components will be assigned the same reference numerals regardless of the drawing numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. When describing embodiments, if a detailed description of a related known technology is judged to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the embodiment, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0037] Additionally, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used to describe components of the embodiments. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms. When a component is described as being "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but another component may also be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" between each component.

[0038] Components included in one embodiment and components with common functions will be described using the same names in other embodiments. Unless otherwise stated, the descriptions given in one embodiment apply to other embodiments, and detailed descriptions will be omitted to the extent of overlap.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of changes in a sensor according to the respiratory activity of a subject according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a sensor (120) attached to a subject (110), such as a human or animal, performing respiratory activity. A region of the subject (110), such as the thorax, experiences movement as its volume changes according to the respiratory activity of the subject (110).

[0040] The sensor (120) may be attached to a specific part of the object (110). At this time, the sensor (120) may be attached so as not to be in complete contact with the outer surface of the object (110). For example, in the case of the human body, the sensor (120) may be attached so that only a portion of one side of the sensor (120) is attached to the human skin, thereby preventing the entire corresponding side of the sensor (120) from being in contact with the human skin.

[0041] When the subject (110) performs breathing activities, movement occurs as the volume of the thorax changes, and depending on this movement, the degree of contact between the sensor (120) and the external surface of the subject (110) continuously changes, inducing a certain change. Fig. 1 shows that the degree of contact between the sensor (120) and the subject (110) changes when the subject (110) inhales and exhales.

[0042] The respiration measurement system according to embodiments of the present invention can measure information about respiration, such as the respiration pattern and / or respiration cycle of the subject (110), by continuously measuring changes according to the respiratory activity of the subject (110).

[0043] In one embodiment, the respiration measurement system may use two or more electrodes via the sensor (120) to form a fringing field that penetrates into the surface of the subject (110). Depending on the embodiment, the fringing field may be formed to reach at least the surface of the subject (110). At this time, the respiration measurement system may obtain information on the respiration of the subject (110) by measuring changes in the fringing field according to the respiratory activity of the subject (110). At this time, repetitive charging and discharging of the oscillator and / or the sensor (120) may be utilized as a method of measuring changes in the fringing field according to the respiratory activity of the subject (110).

[0044] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of a respiration measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The respiration measurement system (200) according to the embodiment of FIG. 2 can be primarily used for the purpose of determining whether breathing is normal during sleep and diagnosing sleep apnea, and further, can be used to determine the quality of breathing and sleep, but is not limited thereto.

[0045] This respiration measurement system (200) may include a respiration measurement device (210) and a display device (220). In the embodiment of FIG. 2, an example is described in which the respiration measurement device (210) and the display device (220) are each implemented as separate physical devices, but depending on the embodiment, the respiration measurement device (210) and the display device (220) may be implemented as a single physical device.

[0046] The respiration measurement device (210) may include a sensor unit (211), a measurement circuit unit (212), a control unit (213), and a communication unit (214).

[0047] The sensor unit (211) may be a respiration measurement sensor based on a change in a fringing field, and the measuring circuit unit (212) may include a measuring circuit that reads sensor data (or sensing data) through the sensor unit (211). The control unit (213) may control the operation of the measuring circuit unit (212) and control the communication unit (214) to transmit the measured data to the display device (220). The communication unit (214) may include a communication module for wired or wireless connection with the display device (220). Data communication between the communication unit (214) and the display device (220) may be performed using at least one of various communication protocols that are already well known, such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), NFC (Near Field Communication), WiFi, etc.

[0048] The display device (220) may be a user's terminal, such as a smartphone or a smart watch. The display device (220) may display data (e.g., waveform data) measured by the respiration measurement device (210) and may display the respiratory rate, respiratory quality, sleep quality, etc. of the subject (110) determined through the measured data. To this end, an algorithm for determining the respiratory rate, respiratory quality, sleep quality, etc. may be driven in the respiration measurement device (210) or the display device (220). When the algorithm is driven in the respiration measurement device (210), the respiration measurement device (210) may further transmit information on the respiratory rate, respiratory quality, sleep quality, etc. of the subject (110) determined using the measured data, in addition to the measured data, to the display device (220).

[0049] Depending on the embodiment, additional sensors, such as a motion sensor, may be included in the respiration measurement device (210) to determine sleep quality, etc.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a respiration measurement method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The respiration measurement method according to the present embodiment can be performed by a fringing field-based respiration measurement device (210). In one embodiment, the control unit (213) of the respiration measurement device (210) can include at least one processor and memory. At this time, the operation of the respiration measurement device (210) can be interpreted as being implemented by the processor of the control unit (213) controlling the measurement circuit unit (212) and the communication unit (214) included in the respiration measurement device (210) according to the code of the computer program stored in the memory of the control unit (213).

[0051] In step (310), the respiration measurement device (210) can continuously measure changes in the fringing field formed by the sensor attached to the object according to the object's respiratory activity based on changes in the resonant frequency generated by the oscillator or repeated charging and discharging of the sensor. Here, the sensor attached to the object may correspond to the sensor (120) described in FIG. 1 or the sensor unit (211) described in FIG. 2.

[0052] The sensor may include at least two electrodes spaced horizontally relative to the surface of the object. In this case, the respiration measurement device (210) may apply a voltage to the at least two electrodes in step (310) to form a fringing field. The fringing field may be formed to penetrate into the surface of the object, or may be formed to reach at least the surface of the object. Thereafter, the respiration measurement device (210) may measure changes in the fringing field based on repeated charging and discharging of the oscillator or sensor.

[0053] In one embodiment, the respiration measurement device (210) can measure changes in the resonance frequency of an oscillator as the fringing field changes according to the respiratory activity of the subject. For example, the fringing field can be formed inside the subject or on the surface of the subject. At this time, in order to measure the change in the fringing field according to the respiratory activity of the subject through the change in the resonance frequency of the oscillator, the respiration measurement device (210) can count the cycle of the output signal of the oscillator using a clock counter and measure the change in the counted value.

[0054] At this time, the clock counter can count the cycle of the output signal during the reference time generated by the reference time generation unit. The higher the frequency of the output signal, the more cycles can be counted by the clock counter during the reference time.

[0055] In other words, changes in the resonant frequency generated by the oscillator can be identified by changes in the values ​​counted by the clock counter, which can imply that changes in the fringing field due to the subject's respiratory activity can be identified. In this way, by continuously measuring changes in the values ​​counted by the clock counter, information about the subject's respiration can be obtained.

[0056] In another embodiment, the respiration measurement device (210) can repeatedly charge and discharge a sensor attached to a subject. For example, the measuring circuit unit (212) included in the respiration measurement device (210) can use a control signal of a reference time interval generated by a reference time generator to connect and disconnect a sensor (for example, a capacitive sensor) to a current source through a charging switch to charge and discharge the sensor at a reference time interval. Thereafter, the respiration measurement device (210) can measure a change in the degree to which the sensor is charged as a fringing field changes according to the respiratory activity of the subject. For example, the respiration measurement device (210) can change the fringing field according to a change in electrostatic capacity as a result of changes in the respiratory activity of the subject. At this time, this change in electrostatic capacity can be measured through a change in the degree to which the sensor is charged. In this case, the measuring circuit unit (212) included in the respiration measurement device (210) can convert the input terminal voltage of the sensor into a digital code using an ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter). At this time, the measurement circuit unit (212) can measure the change in the degree to which the sensor is charged through the change in the output value of the ADC at the point when charging of the sensor is completed.

[0057] In other words, the change in the fringing field according to the respiratory activity of the subject can be reflected in the change in the degree of charging of the sensor, and the measuring circuit unit (212) can continuously measure the change in the output value at the point in time when charging of the sensor ends (for example, the point in time when the charging switch disconnects the sensor from the current source) each time the sensor is charged and discharged. Therefore, information on the subject's breathing can be obtained through the change in the output value of the ADC.

[0058] In step (320), the respiration measurement device (210) can provide information on continuously measured changes so that information on the subject's respiration can be determined through continuously measured changes (changes in the fringing field). Information on the subject's respiration can include information on the respiratory rate, respiration quality, sleep quality, etc. described above.

[0059] In one embodiment, when the respiration measurement device (210) determines such information about respiration, the respiration measurement device (210) can provide information about continuously measured changes (changes in fringing fields) as inputs to an algorithm driven by the control unit (213). In practice, the continuously measured changes can correspond to changes in the resonant frequency generated by the oscillator, and such changes in the resonant frequency can be obtained through changes in the values ​​counted by the clock counter as described above.

[0060] In another embodiment, when information about respiration is determined by an external device of a respiration measurement device (210), such as a display device (220), the respiration measurement device (210) can provide information about continuously measured changes to an external device, such as a display device (220), through a communication unit (214).

[0061] In addition, if it is determined that the subject's breathing has not continued for a preset period of time based on information about the subject's breathing, a notification may be provided. For example, if the respiration measurement device (210) directly determines information about the subject's breathing, the respiration measurement device (210) may monitor whether the subject's breathing has not continued for a preset period of time based on the information about the subject's breathing. In this case, the respiration measurement device (210) may provide a notification to the user in various ways, such as vibration or sound. As another example, the respiration measurement device (210) may also transmit a signal to the display device (220) to cause the display device (220) to provide a notification to the user in various ways, such as vibration or sound. As another example, if the display device (220) directly determines information about the subject's breathing, the display device (220) may monitor whether the subject's breathing has not continued for a preset period of time based on the information about the subject's breathing. In this case, the display device (220) may provide a notification to the user in various ways, such as vibration or sound. As another example, the display device (220) may transmit a signal to the respiration measurement device (210) to cause the respiration measurement device (210) to provide a notification to the user in various ways, such as vibration or sound. Here, the user may be the subject, the subject's guardian, and / or the subject's manager. Additionally, the preset time may be empirically determined, such as, for example, 8 seconds or 10 seconds.

[0062] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a fringing field according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows two electrodes (420, 430) attached to an MUT (410). At this time, when voltage is applied to the two electrodes (420, 430), a fringing field (440) may be formed within the MUT (410) between the two electrodes (420, 430), as illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0063] In Fig. 4, the fringing field (440) is indicated by a dotted ellipse to aid understanding, but in reality, the fringing field (440) can be formed by electromagnetic force lines (e.g., field lines 450 of Fig. 4) between two conductors when biasing voltage on a capacitor.

[0064] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a measurement circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of a clock counter according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] The measuring circuit unit (212) according to the embodiment of FIG. 5 may include an oscillator (520), a buffer (530), a clock counter (540), a reference time generator (550), and an output buffer (560) connected to a sensor (510).

[0066] The sensor (510) may correspond to the sensor (120) or sensor unit (212) described above, and a fringing field may be formed when voltage is applied to at least two electrodes (for example, two electrodes (420, 430)) included in the sensor (510). The oscillator (520) may be an RC (Resistor-Capacitor) oscillator or an LC (Inductor-Capacitor) oscillator. At this time, when the fringing field changes according to breathing, the output frequency (resonant frequency) of the oscillator (520) connected to the sensor (510) may change. In this case, the output signal of the oscillator (520) may be input to the clock counter (540) through the buffer (530).

[0067] The clock counter (540) can count the cycle of the input signal during the reference time of the reference time generation unit (550). As the frequency of the input signal increases, a relatively larger number of cycles can be counted during the reference time, and thus the output value of the clock counter (540) can increase. The reference time generation unit (550) can generate a signal of the reference time at which the clock counter (540) operates.

[0068] The output of the clock counter (540) can be output as sensor data through the output buffer (560).

[0069] In Fig. 6, when the output (signal of resonant frequency) of the oscillator (520) is input to the clock counter (540), the clock counter (540) counts the period of the output of the oscillator (520) according to the output of the reference time generation unit (550) and outputs it as an output value of sensor data.

[0070] In this way, the fringing field formed through the sensor (510) changes according to the breathing of the subject (110), the resonant frequency output by the oscillator (520) changes according to the change in the fringing field, and the output value of the clock counter (540) may change according to the change in the resonant frequency. Therefore, conversely, information on the breathing of the subject (110) can be obtained through the change in the output value of the clock counter (540).

[0071] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of a measurement circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of an ADC according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] The measuring circuit unit (212) according to the embodiment of FIG. 7 may include a charge switch (720), a current source (730), an ADC (740), a reference time generator (750), and an output buffer (760) connected to a sensor (710).

[0073] The sensor (710) may correspond to the sensor (120) or sensor unit (212) described above. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the sensor (710) is shown as being included in the measuring circuit unit (212), but in reality, the sensor (710) may be placed outside the measuring circuit unit (212) so as to be attached to the target object (110).

[0074] The measuring circuit unit (212) can measure the degree of charging by repeatedly charging and discharging the sensor (710) using the charging switch (720). The reference time generation unit (750) can generate a control signal of a reference time interval to operate the charging switch (720). When the charging switch (720) is turned on, the sensor (710) and the current source (730) are connected so that the sensor (710) can be charged, and when the charging switch (720) is turned off, the connection between the sensor (710) and the current source (730) is released so that the sensor (710) can be discharged.

[0075] While the sensor (710) is being charged, the input voltage of the sensor (710) may increase, and the measuring circuit (212) may convert this voltage into a digital code using the ADC (740). At this time, the output value of the ADC (740) at the time when the charging switch (720) is turned off in the reference time generation unit (750) may be output as sensor data through the output buffer (760).

[0076] In Fig. 8, the input and output of the ADC (740) are shown as the charging switch (720) repeats the connection and disconnection between the sensor (710) and the current source (730) according to the output of the reference time generation unit (750). In addition, it is shown that the output value of the ADC (740) at the time when the charging switch (720) is turned off in the reference time generation unit (750) can be output as a sensor data output value.

[0077] In this way, as the fringing field changes according to the breathing of the subject (110), the degree to which the sensor (710) is charged changes, and the output value of the ADC (740) may change according to the change in the degree to which the sensor (710) is charged. Therefore, conversely, information on the breathing of the subject (110) can be obtained through the change in the output value of the ADC (740).

[0078] FIGS. 9 and 10 are drawings illustrating an example of a general appearance of a measuring circuit of a respiration measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is an example that briefly illustrates the front side of the measuring circuit (900) of the respiration measurement device (210) described above, and illustrates a state in which a sensor pattern and a chip (930) are formed on a first surface (for example, the front surface) of a PCB (Printed Circuit Board, 910). The first dotted box (920) includes an area in the PCB (910) in which the sensor pattern is formed. Here, the measuring circuit (900) may correspond to the measuring circuit unit (212) described above, the chip (930) may correspond to the control unit (213), and the sensor pattern may correspond to the sensors (510, 710) described above, respectively. The measuring circuit (900) of FIGS. 9 and 10 has omitted the display of components other than the sensor pattern and the chip (930). At this time, the sensor pattern and the chip (930) may be connected through two wires (941, 942). FIG. 10 is an example that briefly illustrates a second side (for example, a back side) of the measurement circuit (900), in which the second dotted box (1010) may include a region where a first ground (first-Gnd), which is a ground for the sensor pattern, is formed, the second dotted box (1020) may include a region (non-Gnd) where no ground is formed, and the third dotted box (1030) may include a region where a second ground (second-Gnd) is formed for a processing circuit including the chip (930). At this time, the second ground may be necessarily included for the processing circuit, while the first ground may be optionally included. In addition, the first ground and the second ground may be connected to one ground, or, depending on the embodiment, may be separated from each other through a region where no ground is formed, as illustrated in FIG. 10. At this time, the respiration measurement device (210) can control the nominal capacity of the capacitor of the sensor pattern depending on the presence or absence of the first ground and / or the separation between the first ground and the second ground.Here, the nominal capacitance may refer to the capacitance of the sensor pattern, and may be determined based on the dielectric constant of the electrolyte and the distance between the electrodes. For example, when the first ground exists and the first ground and the second ground are connected, the nominal capacitance may have a value of 1 pF or less. In addition, when the first ground exists and the first ground and the second ground are separated, the nominal capacitance may have a value of 2 pF or more. Finally, when the first ground does not exist, the nominal capacitance may have a value of 2 pF or less. In this way, the respiration measurement device (210) can control the nominal capacitance depending on the presence or absence of the first ground and / or the separation between the first ground and the second ground, and preferably, can be implemented to have a nominal capacitance of 2 pF or more by forming the first ground and the second ground in a separated state.

[0079] In addition, as already described, the embodiment of FIG. 9 shows an example in which the chip (930) and the sensor pattern are connected through two wires (941, 942) on the same side of the PCB (910). Conventionally, the sensor pattern is formed on the front side of the PCB (910) and the chip (930) is formed on the back side of the PCB (910), so a via penetrating the PCB (910) is required for connection between the sensor pattern and the chip (930). However, since the chip (930) also has a capacitance component, electromagnetic waves may be radiated in an undesirable direction, which may cause noise. Therefore, by implementing both the sensor pattern and the chip (930) on the front side of the PCB (910) without using a separate via and then directly connecting them with the wires (941, 942), the signal can be reduced and noise can be eliminated.

[0080] In addition, according to an embodiment, the PCB (910) may be formed of multiple layers. For example, the PCB (910) may be composed of a total of four PCB layers: a top layer, a ground (Gnd) layer, a power (Vcc) layer, and a bottom layer. At this time, the sensor pattern and the chip (930), and two conductors (941, 942) may be formed in the bottom layer, and the first ground for the sensor pattern may be formed in the top layer. The second ground for the processing circuit may be formed in the ground layer. In this way, the measuring circuit of the respiration measurement device (210) may be implemented to include n or more layers, including at least a PCB layer in which a ground is formed and a PCB layer in which a power (Vcc) supply circuit is formed.

[0081] FIG. 11 is a graph showing an example of measuring changes in respiration according to inhalation and exhalation using a respiration measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 is a graph showing an example of changes in signal and noise of a signal-to-noise ratio according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of displaying changes in respiration measured through a respiration measurement app according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] In this way, according to embodiments of the present invention, the respiration of a subject can be continuously measured by continuously measuring changes according to the respiratory activity of the subject using a sensor attached to the subject. In addition, the nominal capacity of the capacitor can be controlled depending on the presence or absence of a first ground for the sensor pattern of the respiration measurement device and / or whether the first ground and the second ground for the processing circuit are separated. In addition, the use of vias can be eliminated through a respiration measurement device in which the sensor pattern and the processing circuit chip are arranged on the same surface of the PCB. Noise can be reduced through a respiration measurement device including n or more layers including a PCB layer for ground and a PCB layer for power (Vcc).

[0083] The systems or devices described above may be implemented as hardware components, or a combination of hardware components and software components. For example, the devices and components described in the embodiments may be implemented using one or more general-purpose computers or special-purpose computers, such as, for example, a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic unit (PLU), a microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing instructions and responding to them. The processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications running on the operating system. The processing device may also access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to the execution of the software. For ease of understanding, the processing device is sometimes described as being used alone; however, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the processing device may include multiple processing elements and / or multiple types of processing elements. For example, a processing unit may include multiple processors, or a processor and a controller. Other processing configurations, such as parallel processors, are also possible.

[0084] Software may include a computer program, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of these, which may configure a processing device to perform a desired operation or may independently or collectively command the processing device. The software and / or data may be embodied in any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage medium, or device for interpretation by the processing device or for providing instructions or data to the processing device. The software may also be distributed over networked computer systems and stored or executed in a distributed manner. The software and data may be stored on one or more computer-readable recording media.

[0085] The method according to the embodiment may be implemented in the form of program commands that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, etc., singly or in combination. The medium may continuously store a computer-executable program, or may temporarily store it for execution or download. In addition, the medium may be various recording means or storage means in the form of a single or multiple hardware combinations, and is not limited to a medium directly connected to a computer system, but may also be distributed over a network. Examples of the medium may include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and those configured to store program commands, including ROM, RAM, and flash memory. In addition, examples of other media may include recording media or storage media managed by app stores that distribute applications, sites that supply or distribute various software, servers, etc. Examples of program instructions include machine language code, such as that produced by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc.

[0086] Although the embodiments described above have been described by way of limited examples and drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made based on the above teachings. For example, appropriate results can still be achieved even if the described techniques are performed in a different order than described, and / or components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. are combined or combined in a different manner than described, or are replaced or substituted with other components or equivalents.

[0087] Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims also fall within the scope of the claims set forth below.

Claims

1. In the respiration measurement device, A PCB (Printed Circuit Board) on which a measurement circuit of the above respiration measurement device is formed; A sensor pattern formed on the PCB; A chip formed on the PCB; and A first ground for the measurement circuit formed on the PCB Including, The nominal capacity of the capacitor of the sensor pattern is controlled depending on at least one of the presence or absence of a second ground for the sensor pattern and the separation of the first ground and the second ground. A respiration measuring device characterized by:

2. In paragraph 1, The second ground for the above sensor pattern Including more, The first ground and the second ground are separated from each other A respiration measuring device characterized by:

3. In paragraph 1, A respiration measurement device, characterized in that the sensor pattern and the chip are formed on the same first surface of the PCB.

4. In paragraph 3, A plurality of conductors connecting the sensor pattern and the chip on the same first surface A respiration measuring device further comprising:

5. In paragraph 1, The PCB comprises at least n layers including at least a first PCB layer in which the first ground is formed and a second PCB layer in which a power supply circuit is formed, The above n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2 A respiration measuring device characterized by:

6. In paragraph 5, A respiration measurement device, characterized in that the PCB further includes a third PCB layer for the second ground and a fourth PCB layer on which the sensor pattern and the chip are formed.

7. In paragraph 1, A respiration measurement device characterized by being attached to a subject and measuring information about the subject's respiration.

8. In paragraph 1, The above sensor pattern generates a fringing field, The above measurement circuit includes a circuit that continuously measures changes in the fringing field according to the respiratory activity of the subject based on changes in the resonant frequency generated through an oscillator or repetitive charging and discharging of the sensor pattern. A respiration measuring device characterized by:

9. In paragraph 8, A respiration measurement device characterized in that the chip controls the measurement circuit and provides information on the continuously measured changes to the outside so that information on the respiration of the subject can be determined through the continuously measured changes.

10. In paragraph 8, The sensor pattern comprises at least two electrodes spaced horizontally with respect to the surface of the object, The fringing field is generated through a voltage applied to at least two electrodes. A respiration measuring device characterized by:

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