Living Body Orientation Estimation Using Multi-Antenna Signal Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices are unable to estimate the orientation of a living body with sufficient resolution and accuracy, particularly in detecting fine direction changes, such as those associated with bed leaving motions necessary in nursing care, using electromagnetic waves.
Innovation Solution
An estimation device with multiple transmitters and receivers arranged around a living body to transmit and receive signals, calculating characteristic quantities based on the amplitude and regularity of reflected waveforms to identify the direction the front side of the body faces, improving resolution and accuracy by comparing values from multiple transmission antenna elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single transmitter and receiver are used to estimate living body orientation, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision and resolution are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the orientation estimation task into multiple independent measurements by using multiple transmitters and receivers. Each transmitter-receiver pair provides an independent measurement of the reflected signal characteristics, and the final orientation is determined by综合分析 these segmented measurements, thereby improving precision without requiring a single complex measurement system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from single-point measurement to multi-dimensional spatial measurement by arranging multiple transmitters and receivers in three-dimensional space around the living body. This spatial dimensionality enables the system to capture orientation information from multiple angles simultaneously, significantly improving measurement precision and resolution
2Measurement precision
If electromagnetic waves are emitted to detect reflected signals, then non-contact measurement is achieved, but the resolution for detecting fine direction changes is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system analyzes the local characteristics of reflected waveforms from different transmitter-receiver pairs to determine orientation. By examining the amplitude and phase characteristics of signals reflected from specific local areas of the living body, the system can detect fine direction changes with high resolution while maintaining non-contact measurement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical measurement systems with electromagnetic wave-based optical measurement. By using reflected electromagnetic signals and analyzing their waveform characteristics rather than physical contact sensors, the system achieves non-contact orientation estimation with sufficient resolution for detecting subtle direction changes
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
Enhances the resolution and accuracy of estimating the living body orientation by using multiple antennas to capture more characteristics of the reflected waveforms, allowing for precise determination of the direction the front side of the body faces without the need for user experience-based interpretation.
Implementation Method 1
M transmitters that transmit M transmission signals to a predetermined range including the living body using M transmission antenna elements arranged to surround the predetermined range
Implementation Method 2
receive N reception signals for a predetermined period using respective receiving antenna elements included in the N receivers, the receiving signals including signals in which the M transmission signals have been reflected, transmitted, or scattered by the living body
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an estimation device that estimates a living body orientation. The estimation device includes: transceivers that transmit transmission signals using M transmission antenna elements arranged to surround a predetermined range including a living body, and receive reception signals using N receiving antenna elements; and a circuit that, for each of M sets of N reception signals corresponding to transmitted M transmission signals, performs calculation of a characteristic quantity based on the N reception signals included in the set, the characteristic quantity with a greater value indicating a waveform having a larger amplitude and higher regularity, identifies a first transmission antenna element corresponding to a first characteristic quantity having a greatest value among M characteristic quantities by comparing the M characteristic quantities obtained by the calculation with each other, and estimates the living body orientation to indicate a predetermined direction based on the first transmission antenna element identified.