Wearable Jaw Motion Sensor Using Optical Distance and Posture Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable devices are unable to precisely measure predetermined motions such as the number of chews due to individual differences in height, weight, and posture, leading to inaccurate detection results.
Innovation Solution
A wearable measurement device equipped with a mounting part, a variation detection part, a posture detection part, and a measurement part that adjusts thresholds based on detected posture to accurately count predetermined motions by using a distance sensor and an acceleration sensor to differentiate between chewing and other human body motions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a microphone is used to detect sound generated by jaw movement, then the device can detect chewing motions, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to individual differences in height, weight, and age
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the detection parameter from acoustic (microphone detecting sound) to optical (distance sensor detecting distance variation). This parameter change eliminates the influence of individual differences in height, weight, and age on measurement accuracy, as the optical detection method directly measures the physical displacement of the jaw joint without being affected by anatomical variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the acoustic detection system (microphone) with an optical detection system (distance sensor). This substitution allows for more precise measurement of jaw movement by directly detecting distance changes rather than inferring motion from sound, thereby improving measurement precision while maintaining ease of operation.
2Productivity
If a fixed threshold is used to count predetermined motions, then the device can measure chewing motions, but reliability deteriorates due to individual differences in posture and body motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dynamic threshold adjustment mechanism that adapts to individual differences in posture and body motion. The threshold is no longer fixed but is dynamically determined based on the detected posture and body motion characteristics, thereby improving reliability while maintaining productivity in measuring chewing motions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the detected posture and body motion information is used to adjust the threshold for counting predetermined motions. This feedback loop ensures that the measurement system adapts to individual variations, improving reliability by reducing erroneous counting while maintaining efficient measurement capability.
3Productivity
If the device counts all detected variations, then productivity is high, but reliability decreases due to erroneous counting from body motions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamic threshold adjustment based on detected posture and body motion to differentiate between genuine chewing motions and other body movements. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain high counting efficiency by automatically adapting to different measurement conditions while improving counting accuracy by filtering out erroneous detections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback from posture and body motion detection to adjust the counting criteria in real-time. This feedback mechanism enables the system to maintain high productivity by continuously counting motions while improving reliability by using the feedback information to distinguish valid chewing motions from other body movements, thereby reducing erroneous counting.
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 precise measurement of predetermined motions by accounting for individual differences in posture and human body motions, reducing erroneous counting and providing accurate data on chewing activity.
Implementation Method 1
a variation detection part detecting a variation in distance from a predetermined portion of a human body
Implementation Method 2
a posture detection part detecting a posture of the variation detection part
Data Source
AI summary
The wearable measurement device includes a mounting part for mounting the device to a human body, a variation detection part detecting a variation in distance from a predetermined portion of the human body, a posture detection part detecting a posture of the variation detection part in the case where the device is mounted to the human body through the mounting part, and a measurement part measuring the number of predetermined motions based on the variation detected by the variation detection part and the posture detected by the posture detection part. The variation detection part includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, makes the light emitting unit emit light and the light receiving unit detect reflection light reflected at a predetermined portion, detects a distance from the predetermined portion and outputs an electric signal (voltage or current) in accordance with the detected distance at a predetermined sampling cycle.