Dual Processing Unit for Pulse Oximeter Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pulse oximeters require high-performance CPUs to eliminate body motion noise, leading to increased power consumption and reduced battery life, especially in portable devices.
Innovation Solution
A dual-processing unit system where a first calculation processing unit determines when to engage a second, specialized unit, such as an FPGA, for noise elimination processes, reducing overall calculation load and power consumption by activating the second unit only when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a high-performance CPU is used to eliminate body motion noise, then noise elimination performance is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the calculation processing unit into a first calculation processing unit (CPU) and a second calculation processing unit (FPGA or other co-processor). The first unit handles basic oxygen saturation calculations, while the second unit specifically handles noise elimination tasks. This segmentation allows each unit to be optimized for its specific function, enabling the system to maintain high noise elimination performance while reducing overall power consumption by using a lower-power second unit for the most computationally intensive tasks.
2Speed
If a high-performance CPU is mounted to perform noise elimination, then processing speed is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the processing functions between a general-purpose first calculation processing unit and a specialized second calculation processing unit. The second unit is specifically configured for noise elimination algorithms, allowing it to perform these tasks more efficiently than a general-purpose CPU while having a simpler, more dedicated architecture. This specialization reduces the overall device complexity compared to using a high-performance general-purpose CPU for all tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control unit that acts as an intermediary between the first and second calculation processing units. This control unit manages the distribution of computational tasks, determining when to use the second unit for noise elimination and when to rely on the first unit. This intermediary layer simplifies the system architecture by providing clear task management and coordination between the two processing units.
3Reliability
If the second calculation processing unit is always active, then noise elimination performance is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the second calculation processing unit through a control unit that monitors signal quality indicators. The second unit is activated only when noise levels exceed a threshold or when signal quality deteriorates, and deactivated when conditions are good. This dynamic operation allows the system to maintain noise elimination performance when needed while minimizing power consumption during normal operation, directly resolving the contradiction between continuous performance and power savings.
Data Source
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AI summary
The calculation amount of the whole can be reduced. A biological signal measuring apparatus includes a biological signal measuring unit which measures a biological signal; and a calculation processing unit which performs calculation processes on the measured biological signal, wherein the calculation processing unit has: a first calculation processing unit which performs calculation processes required for calculating the biological signal, and which is independently controllable; and a second calculation processing unit which performs a specific calculation process, and which is independently controllable, and, when the first calculation processing unit satisfies given conditions, the second calculation processing unit is caused to perform the specific calculation process.