Biosignal measurement apparatus

Abstract

A biosignal measurement apparatus of the present invention comprises: a housing comprising a base plate and a column that is coupled to the base plate in a z-axis direction, is formed with an empty interior space, and has one curve-shaped surface; a power supply unit that is provided on one side of the housing and supplies power; a control unit that receives power from the power supply unit and controls operations; an image processing unit that pre-processes and post-processes images; an image determination unit that determines the quality of images; and a control box that is coupled to the other side of the housing, receives power from the power supply unit, and is operated under the control of the control unit, wherein the control box further comprises a plurality of sensor units for measuring biosignals of a user, a display unit that displays biometric measurement data from the sensor units, a data input unit that acquires image or audio data of the user, an illumination unit of which operation is controlled by the control unit, and a light output unit that irradiates the user with light of a specific wavelength. According to these characteristics, the height of a terminal may be adjusted to fit the height of each individual user to reduce errors caused by the angle of image data collection, thereby increasing the reliability of result values.

Description

biosignal measuring device

[0001] The present invention relates to a biosignal measuring device, and more specifically, to a biosignal measuring device capable of moving a module according to the user's position, height, angle, etc., in order to acquire the user's biosignal.

[0002]

[0003] The most common technique for measuring photoplethysmography (PPG) using light involves analyzing the amount of transmitted light relative to light irradiated onto the human body, and this is explained by the Beer-Lambert law, which states that absorbance is proportional to the concentration of the absorbing substance and the thickness of the absorption layer. According to this law, since a change in transmitted light results in a signal proportional to the change in the volume of the transmitted substance, PPG can be used to assess conditions such as the heart even when the absorbance of the substance is unknown.

[0004] Recently, technologies utilizing rPPG (remote photoplethysmography) have emerged, taking PPG technology a step further. While the most popular method for detecting heartbeat signals using PPG involves placing a device—such as a smartphone—in close contact with the human body to irradiate light and immediately measure transmitted light to acquire PPG, rPPG technology—which identifies changes in blood vessel volume from signals obtained from images captured by a camera—is currently being continuously researched and developed.

[0005] In that technology using rPPG does not require contact between the object and the measuring equipment, it can be applied in various ways in devices and locations equipped with cameras, such as airport immigration offices and telemedicine.

[0006] However, rPPG technology faces the problem that noise generated by ambient light and the movement of the subject during the process of capturing the subject with a camera has a significant impact on the signal, and there is a need for the product to be easily movable and its settings to suit user convenience.

[0007]

[0008] The objective of the present invention, which aims to solve the aforementioned problems, is to provide a biosignal measuring device that automatically adjusts the height according to the user's height so that the face can be positioned in the center of the image capturing unit.

[0009] The invention provides a biosignal measuring device capable of automatic angle control and illumination control of the image capturing unit and the lighting unit by analyzing the influence of the surrounding environment when acquiring a source image, depending on the influence of the surrounding environment.

[0010] In addition, the invention provides a biosignal measuring device that irradiates an infrared wavelength laser and an RGB camera onto a user, captures an image of the reflected R value and changes in the infrared wavelength laser, and measures the user's biosignal by analyzing the image.

[0011]

[0012] A biosignal measuring device of the present invention for achieving the above objective comprises: a base plate; a housing including a column that is coupled to the base plate in the z-axis direction, formed as an internal empty space, and has one surface in the shape of a curved surface; a power supply unit provided on one side of the housing and supplying power; a control unit provided on one side of the housing and receiving power from the power supply unit to control operation; an image processing unit connected to the control unit and performing pre-processing and post-processing of an image; an image judgment unit that judges the quality of an image processed by the image processing unit; and a control box provided coupled to the other side of the housing, receiving power from the power supply unit and operating under the control of the control unit; wherein the control box may further comprise a plurality of sensor units for measuring a user's biosignal, a display unit for displaying biosignal measurement data from the sensor units, a data input unit for acquiring video or voice data of the user, a lighting unit whose operation is controlled by the control of the control unit, and a light output unit for irradiating light of a specific wavelength to the user.

[0013]

[0014] According to these features, the present invention can increase the reliability of the result value by adjusting the height of the terminal to match the height of each individual user, thereby reducing errors due to the image data collection angle.

[0015] In addition, by analyzing the influence of the surrounding environment, it is effective to acquire source images through automatic angle control and illumination control of the image capturing unit and the lighting unit.

[0016] In addition, since it measures and analyzes biosignals by determining changes in near-infrared values ​​and RGB R values ​​acquired from video data, it has the effect of obtaining more reliable results.

[0017]

[0018] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram of a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020]

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. However, the present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, in order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts unrelated to the explanation have been omitted, and similar parts throughout the specification are denoted by similar reference numerals.

[0022] Throughout the specification, when it is stated that a part is "connected (connected, in contact, combined)" with another part, this includes not only cases where they are "directly connected," but also cases where they are "indirectly connected" with other members in between. Furthermore, when it is stated that a part "includes" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but rather allows for the inclusion of additional components.

[0023] The terms used in this specification are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to indicate the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0024] Then, a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram of a biosignal measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the biosignal measuring device comprises a base plate (11), a housing (10) including a column (12) that is coupled to the base plate in the z-axis direction, is formed as an internal empty space, and has one side in the shape of a curved surface,

[0027] A moving line is provided inside the above column (12), and in the present invention, the moving line is preferably a rail, but is not limited thereto.

[0028] The device is configured to include a power supply unit (20) provided on one side of the housing (10) and supplying power, a control unit (30) provided on one side of the housing (10) and receiving power from the power supply unit (20) to control operation, an image processing unit (40) connected to the control unit (30) and performing pre-processing and post-processing of an image, an image judgment unit (50) that judges the quality of an image processed by the image processing unit (40), and a control box (60) coupled to the other side of the housing (10), receiving power from the power supply unit (20), and operating under the control of the control unit (30).

[0029] The above moving line is characterized by receiving power from the above power supply unit (20) and further including a coupling member that is controlled by the operation control of the control unit (30) and coupled with the above control box (60).

[0030] One side of the above-mentioned coupling member is coupled to and fixed to a moving line, and the other side of the coupling member is coupled to one side of a control box (60), so that the control box (60) moves together with the movement of the moving line.

[0031] The above control box (60) is,

[0032] It is further configured to include a plurality of sensor units (61) for measuring the user's biosignals, a display unit (62) for displaying biometric measurement data of the sensor units (61), a data input unit (63) for acquiring the user's video or voice data, a lighting unit (66) whose operation is controlled by the control of the control unit (30), and a light output unit (67) for irradiating light of a specific wavelength to the user.

[0033] At this time, the wavelength of the light irradiated from the light output unit (67) is characterized as being at least one of 660 nm and 940 nm, but is not limited thereto.

[0034] The sensor unit (61) is characterized by including at least one of a plurality of light sensors that detect the amount of light in the surrounding environment, a position sensor that detects the position of the control box (60), an angle sensor that detects the angle of the control box (60), an impact sensor that detects a collision with the control box (60), a recognition sensor that can identify the user's unique recognition information, and an iris recognition sensor that recognizes the user's iris.

[0035] The above control box (60) is configured to be detachably attached to the inside of the data input unit (63) and is characterized by further including an angle adjustment unit that enables angle adjustment by the control of the control unit (30). In addition, the data input unit (63) is coupled with the angle adjustment unit and is characterized by further including an image capture unit (64) for acquiring a user's video image and a voice input unit (65) for acquiring the user's voice data.

[0036] The above image camera (64) captures an image of a user, and after light is irradiated from the light output unit (67), it captures an image including the area of ​​the user to be captured, and the angle of the image camera (64) is controlled so that the image approximates the brightness, saturation, luminance, and illuminance values ​​pre-set in the image judgment unit (50).

[0037] That is, first, an image of the user is captured and acquired by the image camera (64), and the image judgment unit (50) analyzes the brightness, saturation, luminance, and illuminance of the image to determine whether it is similar to the preset values ​​of brightness, saturation, luminance, and illuminance. Then, the angle of the image camera (64) is adjusted to acquire the image with the closest values.

[0038] The lighting unit (66) is configured to be detachably attached to one side of the image camera (64), and is characterized by the angle being controlled together with the angle control of the image camera (64) when the angle of the image camera (64) is controlled by the angle control of the angle adjustment unit as described above.

[0039] At this time, the plurality of light sensors that detect the amount of light in the surrounding environment of the sensor unit (61) are characterized by controlling the lighting of the lighting unit (66) to illuminate the user when the average sensing value is <600 Lux.

[0040] Referring to FIGS. 2 (a) to (d),

[0041] First, in Figure (a), when the user is standing facing forward, the control box (60) is located in the direction of the user's front as shown in the figure, and in Figure (b), when the user is sitting, the control box (60) is likewise located in the direction of the user's front.

[0042] On the other hand, as in (c), when the user is sitting and looking downward rather than forward, the control box (60) faces the user's front direction, and the image camera (64), which was facing in the c-1 direction, is angle-adjusted to the c-2 direction by the control of the angle adjustment unit.

[0043] That is, the control box (60) is positioned in front of the user along the movement line and controls the angle of the image camera (64) in the direction of the user's shooting area. At this time, the control box (60) first moves along the movement line and continuously captures the user's video image with the image camera (64), and the image judgment unit (50) determines whether this video image is the user's biosignal shooting area. In the present invention, the biosignal shooting area is preferably the face, but is not limited thereto.

[0044] In other words, the control box (60) moves along the moving line while continuously capturing a video image of the user with an image camera (64), and the image judgment unit (50) continuously determines whether the video image is a face image of the user, and when it is determined to be a face image, the movement of the moving line stops and the control box (60) stops.

[0045] Additionally, as shown in (d), when the user's surrounding environment is dark and the user is looking downward, when the average sensing value of the multiple illuminance sensors of the sensor unit (61) is <600 Lux, the lighting of the lighting unit (66) is directed forward, and the control box (60) is directed toward the user's front direction, and the image judgment unit (50) calculates the area determined to be the user's face from the image of the user captured by the image camera (64) of the control box (60), and the control box (60) moves along a moving line by the control unit (30) so as to be positioned at the location where the area determined to be the user's face is the largest.

[0046] That is, in order to determine if the surrounding environment is dark, when the average value of the illuminance sensors of the sensor unit (61) is <600 Lux, the light is directed forward, and

[0047] Since the area of ​​the biosignal measurement area may decrease depending on the angle at which the user gazes, the control box (60) is moved along the moving line to infer the user's gaze direction, and

[0048] As the control box (60) moves along the moving line, the image judgment unit (50) continuously calculates the face area of ​​the user's video image being captured, and the control box (60) is positioned at the location where the face area is judged to be the widest.

[0049] It is characterized by adjusting the angle of the image camera (64), which was facing in the d-1 direction, to the d-2 direction by controlling the angle adjustment unit so as to correspond to the user's gaze direction.

[0050] At this time, the lighting unit (66) is also angle-shifted along with the angle-shifting of the image camera (64) and is characterized by being directed toward the front of the user.

[0051] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention as defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0052] Explanation of the symbols

[0053] 10: Housing 20: Power supply

[0054] 30: Control unit 40: Image processing unit

[0055] 50: Image judgment unit 60: Control box

[0056] 61: Sensor unit 62: Display unit

[0057] 63: Data input section 64: Image capture device

[0058] 65: Voice input device 66: Lighting unit

[0059] 67: Optical output device

Claims

1. Bottom plate, A housing comprising a column that is coupled to the above-mentioned base plate in the z-axis direction, is formed as an internal empty space, and has one surface in the shape of a curved surface; A power supply unit provided on one side of the above housing and supplying power; A control unit provided on one side of the above housing and controlling operation by receiving power from the above power supply unit; An image processing unit connected to the above-mentioned control unit and performing image preprocessing and postprocessing; An image judgment unit that determines the quality of the image processed by the above image processing unit; A control box coupled to and provided on the other side of the above housing, receiving power from the power supply unit and operating under the control of the control unit; comprising, The above control box is, Multiple sensor units for measuring the user's biosignals, A display unit that displays biometric data of the sensor unit, A data input unit for acquiring video or audio data of a user, A lighting unit whose operation is controlled by the control of the above-mentioned control unit and A biosignal measuring device characterized by further comprising a light output unit that irradiates light of a specific wavelength to a user.

2. In Paragraph 1, A biosignal measuring device characterized in that a moving line is provided inside the above-mentioned column, wherein the moving line is a rail.

3. In Paragraph 2, A biosignal measuring device characterized in that the above-described moving line operates by receiving power from the above-described power supply unit, is controlled by the operation control of the above-described control unit, and further includes a coupling member coupled to the above-described control box.

4. In Paragraph 3, A biosignal measuring device characterized in that one side of the coupling member is coupled to and fixed to the moving line, and the other side of the coupling member is coupled to one side of the control box so that the control box moves together with the movement of the moving line.

5. In Paragraph 1, A biosignal measuring device characterized in that the wavelength of light irradiated from the light output unit is at least one of 660 nm and 940 nm.

6. In Paragraph 1, The above sensor unit comprises a plurality of light sensors that detect the amount of light in the surrounding environment, A position detection sensor that detects the position of the above control box, An angle detection sensor that detects the angle of the above control box, Impact detection sensor that detects collision of the above control box, A recognition sensor capable of identifying the user's unique recognition information and A biosignal measuring device characterized by including at least one iris recognition sensor that recognizes a user's iris.

7. In Paragraph 1, A biosignal measuring device characterized in that the control box is configured to be detachably attached to the inside of the data input unit and further includes an angle adjustment unit that enables angle adjustment by the control of the control unit.

8. In Paragraph 7, A biosignal measuring device characterized by the above data input unit being combined with the above angle adjustment unit and further comprising an image camera for acquiring a user's video image and a voice input unit for acquiring a user's voice data.

9. In Paragraph 8, A biosignal measuring device characterized in that the above image camera captures an image of a user, captures an image including the user's shooting area after light is irradiated from the light output unit, and controls the angle of the image camera so as to approximate the brightness, saturation, luminance, and illuminance values ​​preset in the image judgment unit.

10. In Paragraph 1, A biosignal measuring device characterized in that the above-mentioned lighting unit is configured to be detachably attached to one side of the above-mentioned image camera, and the angle is controlled together with the angle when the angle of the image camera is controlled by the angle control of the above-mentioned angle adjustment unit.

11. In Paragraph 10, A biosignal measuring device characterized by the fact that the plurality of illuminance sensors detecting the amount of light in the surrounding environment of the sensor unit control the illumination of the lighting unit to illuminate the user when the average sensing value is <600 Lux.

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