Head Posture Monitoring for Angle- and Health-Based Fatigue Alerts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing neck pain alerting systems fail to consider the impact of different head bowing angles and individual user health statuses, using a single threshold for head bowing detection and failing to adjust alert timing based on cervical spine fatigue, leading to inadequate and uniform alerting mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

A fatigue alerting method that determines cervical spine fatigue index based on head bowing time, angle, and personal indicators, adjusting alert timing and providing multi-level alerts tailored to individual health statuses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single threshold is used for head bowing detection, then the alerting mechanism is simple to implement, but it fails to account for varying head bowing angles and individual health statuses, reducing alerting accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealerting mechanism complexityVSAvoidalerting accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by transitioning from a uniform alerting threshold to differentiated thresholds tailored to individual users. Each user receives customized alerting parameters based on their specific health status, cervical spine condition, and head bowing characteristics, thereby improving alerting accuracy without significantly increasing system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by making alerting thresholds adaptive rather than static. The system dynamically adjusts alerting parameters based on real-time detection of head bowing angles, duration, and user-specific factors, enabling the alerting mechanism to respond flexibly to varying conditions while maintaining scientific rigor

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If uniform alerting is applied to all users, then the system is easy to operate, but it does not address individual cervical spine fatigue levels, reducing effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem operation simplicityVSAvoidalerting effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying alerting thresholds based on user-specific parameters such as age, gender, cervical spine health status, and head bowing characteristics. The system collects and analyzes these parameters to dynamically adjust alerting sensitivity, thereby improving effectiveness while maintaining ease of operation through automated parameter management

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If alert timing is not adjusted based on cervical spine fatigue, then the alerting system requires minimal processing, but it provides inadequate timing for effective intervention

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing complexityVSAvoidintervention timing accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by proactively detecting cervical spine fatigue indicators and issuing alerts before significant damage occurs. The system continuously monitors head bowing parameters and predicts fatigue development, enabling timely intervention while maintaining efficient processing through predictive algorithms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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

The method provides scientifically grounded alerts that address cervical spine fatigue by considering varying angles and health statuses, ensuring timely and appropriate notifications.

Implementation Method 1

The electronic device includes a head-wearable device worn by the user, and the head-wearable device includes an inertial sensor. The detecting a current head posture angle of a user includes: obtaining inertial sensor data and determining the current head posture angle of the user based on the inertial sensor data.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInertial sensing: Accelerometer

Implementation Method 2

The detecting a current head posture angle of a user includes: obtaining data of a user head image photographed by a camera, where the camera is disposed in the electronic device, or the camera is communicatively connected to the electronic device; and determining the current head posture angle of the user based on the data of the user head image.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectImage capture and processing: Photography

Data Source

PatentEP4600927A1Fatigue reminding method and apparatus, and electronic device
Publication Date: 2025.08.13 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4600927A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4600927A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4600927A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A fatigue alerting method and apparatus, and an electronic device are provided. The fatigue alerting method includes: An electronic device detects a current head posture angle of a user, and obtains duration in which the user is at the current head posture angle (S201); calculates a current cervical spine fatigue index of the user based on a calculation parameter (S202); and gives a fatigue alert to the user based on the cervical spine fatigue index (S203). According to the fatigue alerting method, the head posture angle of the user can be detected, the cervical spine fatigue index of the user can be determined with reference to the duration in which the user is at the current head posture angle, and then the fatigue alert can be given to the user based on the cervical spine fatigue index of the user, so that fatigue alerting is triggered more scientifically.