PPG-Guided Microphone Activation for Wearable Breathing Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable devices face challenges in efficiently identifying a user's breathing state due to the trade-off between power consumption and accuracy when using PPG sensors or microphones, with PPG sensors having low accuracy and low power consumption, and microphones having high accuracy but high power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A wearable device that includes a PPG sensor to detect biometric data, such as heart rate, and activates a microphone only when an abnormality is detected, allowing for efficient power usage by minimizing microphone usage until needed, thereby improving accuracy and reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a microphone is used to identify breathing state, then measurement precision is improved, but use of energy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The PPG sensor performs preliminary detection of breathing state continuously at low power consumption. When abnormal breathing is detected, the microphone is activated as a backup high-precision sensor, avoiding continuous operation of the power-intensive microphone while maintaining accurate breathing state identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The PPG sensor acts as an intermediary that monitors breathing state and triggers microphone activation only when necessary. This intermediary mechanism allows the system to switch between low-power and high-precision modes based on actual breathing conditions, resolving the contradiction between continuous monitoring and power consumption.
2Use of energy by moving object
If a PPG sensor is used to identify breathing state, then use of energy is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between PPG sensor and microphone based on breathing state. During normal breathing, the low-power PPG sensor is used. When abnormal breathing is detected, the system transitions to using the microphone for more accurate measurement, creating a dynamic adaptation that resolves the static contradiction between power consumption and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters by switching between two different sensing modes: PPG-based optical detection for normal conditions and microphone-based acoustic detection for abnormal conditions. This parameter change allows the system to optimize both power consumption and measurement precision across different operating states.
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 device effectively identifies breathing abnormalities with reduced power consumption by leveraging a PPG sensor for initial detection and activating a microphone only when necessary, enhancing the efficiency of power management and maintaining accurate breathing state identification.
Implementation Method 1
The PPG sensor can emit light into the user's body and receive reflected light of the emitted light, thereby identifying a change in blood vessel volume caused by a user's respiration
Implementation Method 2
A microphone may be positioned around the user's nose to identify audio signals due to vibrations of air flowing through the user's nasal passages
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable device is provided. The wearable device includes a memory configured to store instructions, at least one display having a display area, a frame configured to support the at least one display, the frame including a nose pad in contact with a part of a user's body wearing the wearable device, a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor exposed through at least a portion of the frame in contact with other part of the user's body, at least one microphone disposed in the nose pad, and a processor. The processor, when executing the instructions, is configured to identify a breathing state of the user, based at least in part on first data acquired through the PPG sensor and second data acquired through the at least one microphone.