Portable Anthropometric Data Acquisition Device

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing anthropometric data portable acquisition devices face challenges in collecting accurate data in field conditions due to poor lighting, contrast, and user posture, which increases computational load and raises privacy concerns when sharing images remotely.

Innovation Solution

A portable acquisition device integrated with a smartphone or tablet, equipped with a processing unit, image sensor, and display, performs preliminary image processing for edge detection and contour reconstruction, ensuring accurate data collection while removing personal identity information before sending images to a remote server for further processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If image acquisition is delegated to end users in field conditions, then data collection accessibility is improved, but image quality and measurement precision deteriorate due to poor lighting, contrast, and user posture

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata collection accessibilityVSAvoidimage quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary image processing operations (edge detection, contour extraction, feature point identification) directly on the mobile device before transmission. This preliminary action prepares the images in advance, extracting essential anatomical features while the device is still in field conditions, thereby compensating for poor acquisition conditions and maintaining measurement precision despite user-level data collection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that acts as a mediator between the user-captured images and the remote server analysis. This intermediary performs intelligent image preprocessing, edge detection, and contour reconstruction locally, transforming raw field images into processed data that maintains precision while enabling accessible user-level data collection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If refined processing techniques are applied to compensate for poor field conditions, then measurement precision is improved, but computational load increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata accuracyVSAvoidcomputational load
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and processes only the essential and relevant features from the images (edges, contours, key anatomical points) rather than performing comprehensive full-image processing. This selective extraction approach maintains measurement precision by focusing on critical features while significantly reducing the overall computational load on the mobile device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial processing action by performing only the necessary image processing steps (edge detection, contour extraction, feature identification) locally on the device, while leaving more intensive analysis for the remote server. This partial action approach achieves sufficient precision for field conditions without excessive computational burden on the mobile device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Power

If images are shared with remote sites for analysis, then processing capacity is improved, but privacy and data protection deteriorate due to transmission of sensitive personal information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing capacityVSAvoidprivacy risk
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and transmits only the processed image data and measured anthropometric parameters to the remote server, while retaining the original images and personal identifying information locally on the user's device. This selective extraction approach enables remote processing capacity utilization while minimizing privacy risks by removing sensitive personal information from transmission

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary processing and anonymization of images before transmission to the remote server. By conducting edge detection, contour extraction, and feature identification in advance on the device, the system prepares data for remote analysis while eliminating personal identifying information, thus enabling powerful remote processing while protecting user privacy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3906528B1Anthropometric data portable acquisition device and method of collecting anthropometric data
Publication Date: 2025.02.19 IDEAL SRL
  • EP3906528B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3b
  • EP3906528B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP3906528B1 patent drawingFigure 7~10

AI summary

An anthropometric data portable acquisition device includes an image sensor (7) and a processing unit (5). The processing unit (5) in turn includes: an acquisition module (8), configured to receive first images (IMGB, IMGs) of a person from the image sensor (7); an anonymised image processor (10), configured to provide second images (FIMGB, FIMGS) from respective first images (IMGB, IMGS) by applying edge detection procedure; a communication module (11), configured to send out the second images (FIMGB, FIMGS).