Contactless Biometric Sensing in Head-Mounted Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies for sensing biological signals in virtual reality environments are cumbersome, limited by the need for direct contact with the skin, and restricted by spatial limitations, making it difficult to accurately measure a user's physiological and emotional states without additional equipment.
Innovation Solution
A contactless sensing apparatus integrated with a head-mounted display (HMD) that uses RGB, NIR, and thermal IR sensors to obtain video data from specific regions of the user's face, such as the cheeks, ears, and forehead, to estimate biological activity, including heart rate and emotional states, without the need for direct skin contact or additional sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If contactless sensing is implemented using integrated sensors in HMD, then ease of operation and user comfort are improved, but device complexity increases due to integration of multiple sensor types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensor types (RGB camera, NIR sensor, thermal IR sensor) into a single integrated sensing apparatus within the HMD device. This merging approach enables contactless biological signal sensing while maintaining user comfort, as the integrated design eliminates the need for separate contact-based sensors and reduces overall system complexity despite incorporating multiple sensing modalities.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing apparatus is designed with multi-functional capabilities by integrating different sensor types that can detect various biological signals (blood flow, temperature, oxygen saturation) through a single contactless system. This universal design allows the device to perform multiple sensing functions simultaneously, improving ease of operation while managing device complexity through unified architecture.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensor types (RGB, NIR, thermal IR) are integrated, then measurement precision of biological signals is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sensing functions by assigning specific sensor types (RGB, NIR, thermal IR) to detect specific biological parameters (blood flow, temperature, oxygen saturation). This segmentation allows each sensor to optimize its measurement for particular biological signals, improving overall measurement precision while managing device complexity through functional specialization within the integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing apparatus employs a composite sensing system that integrates multiple sensor technologies (RGB camera, NIR sensor, thermal IR sensor) into a unified device. This composite approach leverages the complementary strengths of different sensor types to achieve high measurement precision for various biological signals while consolidating them into a single integrated apparatus that manages complexity.
3Ease of operation
If contactless sensing method is used, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision may be affected by spatial limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses light as an intermediary medium to transmit biological information from the user's body to the sensors. The RGB, NIR, and thermal IR sensors detect light interactions with biological tissues (blood flow, temperature, oxygen saturation) without direct contact. This intermediary approach maintains ease of operation through contactless sensing while improving measurement precision by utilizing multiple light wavelengths to penetrate and interact with different tissue layers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables the collection of biological signals in real-time, enhancing user immersion and presence in virtual environments by simplifying data preprocessing, reducing the need for additional equipment, and allowing for accurate estimation of physiological and emotional states.
Implementation Method 1
obtain video data from the contactless sensing apparatus
Implementation Method 2
thermal IR sensors to obtain video data
Implementation Method 3
estimating information about biological activity by analyzing the region of interest
Implementation Method 4
thermal IR sensors to obtain video data from specific regions of the user's face
Data Source
AI summary
Proposed is an apparatus and method for contactlessly sensing a biological signal and recognizing a user's physiological information using same. The operating method of the sensing apparatus for contactlessly sensing biological signals may include a process of performing an initial setting in a contactless sensing apparatus, a process of obtaining video data from the contactless sensing apparatus, a process of removing noise from the video data, a process of extracting only a region of interest from the video data, and a process of estimating information on biological activity by analyzing the region of interest.