Smartphone Accelerometer Breathing Analysis Beyond Rate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breathing analysis techniques require specialized devices and are limited to calculating only breathing rate, lacking the capability for accurate analysis of inhale and exhale stages, and cannot be ubiquitously used for non-invasive monitoring outside clinical settings.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using a personal digital assistant (PDA) to receive acceleration data, process it into acceleration vectors, estimate parameters, label inhale and exhale phases, and analyze breathing cycles to determine exhale and inhale periods, breathing rate, and type of breathing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If specialized devices are used to collect and infer breathing signals, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by enabling a personal digital assistant (smartphone) to perform breathing analysis functions. The mobile device uses its existing accelerometer sensor to collect acceleration data during phone calls, transforming a common communication device into a breathing monitoring tool. This eliminates the need for specialized breathing analysis devices while maintaining measurement capability through multi-functional use of the smartphone.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies self-service by utilizing the accelerometer data that is already being collected by the smartphone for its normal operation during phone calls. The breathing analysis is performed using data that the device is already gathering for communication purposes, without requiring additional sensors or specialized hardware setup. The smartphone serves both its primary communication function and the secondary breathing monitoring function simultaneously.
2Measurement precision
If chest wearable or impedance pneumography is used to extract inhale and exhale details, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables a personal digital assistant to perform detailed breathing phase analysis by processing acceleration data in three dimensions. The system extracts inhale and exhale phase information from the acceleration vector components (ax, ay, az) without requiring specialized chest wearables or impedance pneumography equipment. This allows detailed breathing monitoring using a universally available mobile device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical chest wearables and impedance pneumography systems with a computational approach using the smartphone's accelerometer. Instead of using mechanical sensors placed on the chest or electrical impedance measurements, the system uses acceleration data processing with vector decomposition and phase detection algorithms to identify inhale and exhale phases, substituting a mechanical measurement system with a computational one.
3Ease of operation
If portable solutions like mobile phones are used for breathing analysis, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates when limited to breathing rate calculation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by utilizing the three-dimensional acceleration data (ax, ay, az) from the smartphone accelerometer to extract detailed breathing phase information. Instead of relying on a single measurement dimension, the system processes acceleration vectors in three-dimensional space, computing phase angles and detecting inhale/exhale transitions through multi-dimensional data analysis. This enables detailed breathing analysis comparable to specialized devices while maintaining the convenience of portable smartphone use.
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
Enables accurate and non-invasive breathing analysis, allowing early detection of diseases, reducing resource and treatment costs by utilizing a widely deployable personal digital assistant.
Implementation Method 1
receive an acceleration data from a subject, via one or more hardware processors, using the personal digital assistant
Data Source
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AI summary
This disclosure relates generally to breathing analysis of a subject. Breathing analysis on a regular basis allows early detection for the onset of diseases, thus saving resources and cost in treatments. The existing state of art techniques require specialized devices to collect-infer the breathing and are mostly limited to analyzing breathing rate. The disclosure enables breathing analysis using a personal digital assistant (PDA). The breathing analysis includes (a) estimating exhale period-inhale period, (b) estimating the breathing rate and (c) determining the type of breathing. A PDA such as a smartphone is used receive accelerometer data from a subject. The received data is preprocessed in several steps including estimating a plurality of parameters, identifying a plurality of breathing cycles. The breathing cycles of the subject are further analyzed at real time based on the plurality of parameters to provide the breathing analysis of a subj ect.