JP2014014423A - Skin characteristic measuring device and mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a skin characteristic measuring device easily connected to various kinds of mobile terminals, and provide a mobile terminal to which the skin characteristic measuring device is connected.SOLUTION: The skin characteristic measuring device includes a measurement part 15 measuring skin characteristic, a detection circuit where electric signals output from the measurement part 15 are input, and a plug terminal 16 serving as an input/output terminal of the detection circuit. The plug terminal 16 is connected to an earphone jack 4. A skin characteristic measuring device 14 can be connected to the existing earphone jack 4, so that the skin characteristic measuring device 14 easily connected to various kinds of mobile terminals 1, and the mobile terminal 1 to which the skin characteristic measuring device 14 is connected, can be provided.

Description

  The present invention relates to a skin characteristic measuring instrument connected to an earphone jack of a portable terminal and a portable terminal.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a portable measuring device provided with a sensor for measuring skin moisture and sebum, and a portable terminal for data communication to which the portable measuring device is connected. The portable measuring device is a device separate from the portable terminal for data communication, and the skin characteristics are measured remotely from the portable terminal for data communication.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a mobile phone provided with a receiving means for receiving user's skin humidity information.

JP 2003-319910 A JP 2003-18250 A

  An object of this invention is to provide the skin characteristic measuring device which can be easily connected to various portable terminals, and the portable terminal which connected this skin characteristic measuring device.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a measurement unit for measuring skin characteristics, a detection circuit connected to the measurement unit, and a plug terminal serving as an input / output terminal of the detection circuit. It was supposed to be connected to the earphone jack.

  Thereby, this invention connects a skin characteristic measuring device to the earphone jack of a portable terminal, and can be easily connected to various portable terminals.

The perspective view of the portable terminal in Embodiment 1 of this invention The block diagram which shows the circuit structure of the portable terminal in Embodiment 1 of this invention. The figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the earphone jack in Embodiment 1 of this invention. The top view of the skin characteristic measuring device in Embodiment 1 of this invention Top view of the earphone microphone plug terminal The block diagram which shows the circuit structure of the moisture sensor in Embodiment 1 of this invention. The circuit diagram which shows a part of circuit of the moisture sensor in Embodiment 1 of this invention The figure which shows the use condition of the portable terminal in Embodiment 1 of this invention Side view of portable terminal according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. (A) Side view of portable terminal in Embodiment 2 of the present invention, (B) Side view Side view of portable terminal according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, a high-function mobile phone called a so-called smartphone will be described as an example of the mobile terminal.

  This portable terminal can be used not only for bidirectional data communication such as telephone communication and mail transmission / reception, but also for applications such as media playback / storage and web browsing. This portable terminal may be compatible with both wireless communication and wired communication. The wireless communication may be based on various communication protocols such as high frequency and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable terminal 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the portable terminal 1 is a plate-like body having a surface 1A, a back surface 1B that is a surface opposite to the surface 1A, and a side surface 1C between the surface 1A and the back surface 1B. . The portable terminal 1 includes a case 2 and a display unit 3 accommodated in the case 2. The shape of the mobile terminal 1 is not limited to a flat plate-like body, and may be a foldable type or various shapes such as a spherical shape.

  Case 2 covers back surface 1B and side surface 1C of the mobile terminal body. A cavity (not shown) is formed inside the case 2. The aforementioned display unit 3 is accommodated in this cavity. An earphone jack 4 is provided on a side surface 1 </ b> C of the main body of the mobile terminal 1. In the present embodiment, the earphone jack 4 is disposed above the display unit 3, but may be disposed below or on the side. Moreover, it can also provide in the back surface 1B of the portable terminal 1 main body.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of the mobile terminal 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the cavity of the case 2, in addition to the display unit 3, the interface unit 5, the memory unit 6, the RF transceiver unit 7, the signal processing unit 8, the operation unit 9, the circuit switching unit 10, and A central processing unit (CPU 24) is provided. A battery (not shown) for driving the mobile terminal 1 is also accommodated in the cavity of the case 2.

  The display unit 3 includes, for example, a touch panel and a display surface (the number 11 in FIG. 1) such as a liquid crystal display or an organic liquid crystal display.

  The opening of the case 2 is covered with a cover 12. The cover 12 disposed on the display surface 11 is a transparent plate made of glass or acrylic. The display surface 11 is exposed to the surface 1 </ b> A of the mobile terminal 1 through the cover 12. That is, the user can see the display surface 11 through the transparent cover 12.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the earphone jack 4 of the mobile terminal 1.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the earphone jack 4 of the portable terminal 1 has a plurality of contacts 13A to 13E. In the present embodiment, three of these contacts are a contact 13A as a voltage portion, a contact 13B as a ground portion, and a contact 13C as a data line portion. The remaining two contacts 13D and 13E were vacant contacts.

  In this embodiment, a plug terminal (number 16 in FIG. 4) of a skin characteristic measuring device (number 14 in FIG. 1) to be described later is connected to the earphone jack 4, but other stereo headphones, earphone microphones, etc. Various plug terminals can be connected.

  On the other hand, the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 includes a measuring unit 15 that measures skin characteristics, a detection circuit that processes a signal from the measuring unit 15, and a plug terminal 16.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the plug terminal 16 has three contact points 17A to 17C, which become a contact point 17A for the voltage part, a contact point 17B for the ground part, and a contact point 17C for the data line part, respectively.

  When the plug terminal 16 is inserted into the earphone jack 4 of the mobile terminal 1 shown in FIG. 3, the contact points 13A and 17A of the voltage part, the contact points 13B and 17B of the ground part, and the data line part of the plug terminal 16 and the earphone jack 4, respectively. The contacts 13C and 17C are electrically connected.

  That is, the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 is mechanically and electrically connected to the portable terminal 1 by inserting the plug terminal 16 into the earphone jack 4. If the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 and the portable terminal 1 are electrically connected, power is supplied from the battery of the portable terminal 1 to the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14. Skin characteristic data can be transmitted and received between the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 and the portable terminal 1.

  The earphone jack 4 is normally connected to a plug terminal of a headphone stereo or an earphone microphone. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the interface unit 5 connected to the earphone jack 4 includes an audio circuit 19 corresponding to the audio signal in addition to the skin characteristic measurement circuit 18 corresponding to the skin characteristic measurement signal.

  When the plug terminal 16 of the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 is inserted into the earphone jack 4 of the portable terminal 1, the circuit switching unit 10 in FIG. 2 detects the insertion, automatically selects the skin characteristic measuring circuit 18 and connects the circuits. Switch.

  When the skin characteristic measurement circuit 18 is selected, the operation buttons and the touch panel that are the operation unit 9 of the mobile terminal 1 function as the operation unit 9 of the skin characteristic measurement device 14. When operating with the touch panel, for example, an operation program (application) of the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 downloaded in advance via the network and stored in the memory unit 6 may be activated. The skin characteristic measurement signal sent from the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 to the portable terminal 1 can be displayed on the display unit 3.

  Whether the plug terminal 16 connected to the earphone jack 4 is of the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 or of a headphone stereo or earphone microphone is determined by, for example, the resistance between the contacts 17A to 17C of each plug terminal 16. It can be detected by measuring.

  For example, the plug terminal 20 of the earphone microphone shown in FIG. 5 has four contacts: a contact 21A serving as a voltage portion, a contact 21B serving as a ground portion, a contact 21C serving as an earphone terminal portion, and a contact 21D serving as a microphone terminal portion.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the plug terminal 16 of the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 is provided with a contact 17C of the data line section at a portion corresponding to the contact 21C of the earphone terminal section and the contact 21D of the microphone terminal section of FIG. It has been. Further, the contacts 17B and 17A of the ground part and the voltage part of the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 shown in FIG. 4 are arranged at the same positions as the ground parts and the contacts 21B and 21A of the voltage part shown in FIG.

  As described above, when the plug terminal 20 of the earphone microphone is inserted, the resistance between the earphone terminal portion and the contacts 21C and 21B between the ground portion and the resistance between the microphone terminal portion and the contacts 21D and 21B between the ground portion are different. On the other hand, the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 measures the resistance between the contact 17C corresponding to the earphone terminal part and the contact 17B of the ground part, and the resistance between the contact 17C corresponding to the microphone terminal part and the contact 17B of the ground part. However, the resistance between the same data line portion and the ground portion is measured, and the same resistance value is detected. When the same resistance value is detected as described above, the connection of the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 can be recognized by causing the circuit switching unit 10 to determine that the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 is connected. There are various other circuit switching algorithms. For example, it may be determined that the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 is connected by setting the resistance between the contacts 17C and 17B of the data line portion and the ground portion to a characteristic value. .

  In the present embodiment, the skin characteristic measuring device 14 will be described by taking a moisture sensor that measures the moisture content of the user's skin as an example. In addition to the moisture sensor, a sensor that measures various characteristics such as skin temperature, amount of sebum, color, and brightness may be used.

  The moisture sensor according to the present embodiment calculates the moisture content of the skin as a capacitance.

  For example, the moisture sensor includes a pair of electrodes 22 and 23 that serve as the measurement unit 15. When the pair of electrodes 22 and 23 is brought into contact with or close to the skin surface, the dielectric constant between the electrodes 22 and 23 changes. A change in dielectric constant between the electrodes 22 and 23 is detected by a change in frequency, and a change in capacitance between the electrodes 22 and 23 is measured.

  The moisture characteristics of the skin are greatly influenced by the moisture content of the stratum corneum of the skin. Therefore, it is preferable to measure the capacitance change in a region having a depth of about 20 μm from the surface of the skin. The measurement depth in the moisture sensor can be adjusted by controlling the pitch between the electrodes 22 and 23, for example.

  By using comb electrodes as the electrodes 22 and 23, the detectable capacitance value is increased and the measurement accuracy is improved. The amount of moisture in the skin may be calculated by resistance, impedance, or the like between the pair of electrodes 22 and 23 in addition to the capacitance.

  The skin brightness, color, temperature, and the like can be measured using, for example, an infrared sensor as the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14. The amount of sebum in the skin can be measured by using, for example, an optical sensor that irradiates light on the oil collecting surface and measures the intensity of reflected light as the skin characteristic measuring device 14.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a capacitance type moisture sensor.

  This moisture sensor includes a capacitance measuring unit that detects the amount of moisture in the skin, and an oscillation circuit A that is connected to the output side of the capacitance measuring unit and detects the capacitance using a frequency. . This capacitance measuring unit corresponds to the measuring unit 15 in FIG.

  FIG. 7 is a specific circuit diagram of the capacitance measuring unit and the oscillation circuit A shown in the block diagram of FIG. The oscillation circuit A is an RC oscillation circuit (oscillation circuit A) that combines a capacitor composed of the above-described pair of electrodes 22 and 23 and a resistor R connected in parallel or in series, and serves as a detection circuit.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in parallel with the capacitance measuring unit, a reference capacitance measuring unit for detecting the temperature and humidity of the external environment and the output side of the reference capacitance measuring unit are connected, and the frequency And an oscillation circuit B that detects the capacitance using the.

  A phase comparator is connected to the output side of the oscillation circuit A and the oscillation circuit B. The phase comparator detects the frequency difference between the oscillation circuit A and the oscillation circuit B. An output terminal is connected to the output side of the phase comparator, and the output terminal is connected to an FV (frequency-voltage) conversion circuit.

  In the FV conversion circuit, the frequency signal is converted into an analog voltage. The voltage signal output from the FV conversion circuit is output to the data line portion of the plug terminal 16. Since the output voltage corresponds to the moisture content of the skin, it can be converted into the moisture content using a predetermined algorithm. By displaying the calculation result of the moisture content of the skin on the display unit 3, the user can know the moisture content of his skin.

  In the moisture sensor of the present embodiment, the DC voltage Vcc supplied from the voltage unit of the plug terminal 16 is input to the oscillation circuit A and the oscillation circuit B that are detection circuits via the FV conversion circuit. A detection signal from the detection circuit is output to the data line portion via the FV conversion circuit. Further, the detection circuit is connected to the ground portion via the FV conversion circuit.

  In the present embodiment, in order to remove the influence of humidity, temperature, etc. of the external environment, these are measured by a reference capacitance measurement unit that is separate from the measurement unit 15 that measures the moisture content of the skin. It is also possible to measure with only the part. In this case, a reference capacitance of the external environment may be detected as an initial value, and a difference from the capacitance via the skin may be taken. When the influence of the external environment is small, the reference capacitance measuring unit, the oscillation circuit B, and the phase comparator are not essential.

  The capacitance type moisture sensor is not limited to the block diagram shown in FIG. For example, in FIG. 6, the capacitance is detected using the oscillation circuit A, but the capacitance may be detected by another amplitude difference. In this case, for example, a lock-in amplifier can be used instead of the oscillation circuit A. In this embodiment, the frequency signal is converted into an analog voltage using the FV conversion circuit, but may be converted into a BUS signal using a frequency counter, for example.

  In addition, when the mobile terminal 1 has a bidirectional communication function, information on skin characteristics such as the amount of moisture and oil content of the skin is transmitted to the server via the network, and the appropriate information according to the user's skin characteristics is transmitted from the server. Beauty information can also be received.

  FIG. 8 shows a state in which the user measures skin characteristics with the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 using the portable terminal 1 of the present embodiment. The user presses or brings the measuring unit 15 of the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 close to the face of his / her face, cheeks, the back side of the upper arm, etc., and measures the skin characteristics.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 is externally attached to mobile terminal 1 via earphone jack 4.

  The user may use the outer periphery of the case 2 by further putting it in a protective case or a design case in order to protect the mobile terminal 1 from an impact or design. In many cases, the protective case and the design case cover almost the entire surface other than the display surface 11, but are generally opened so that the portion of the earphone jack 4 is exposed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 can be attached without removing the protective case or the design case, and quick measurement can be performed.

  Further, since the existing earphone jack 4 can be used, there is no need to provide a new connection terminal on the portable terminal 1 and no new opening for connecting the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 to the protective case or design case. Well, it is highly versatile.

  Furthermore, since the power source of the portable terminal 1 can be used, the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 itself does not require a power source, and can be reduced in size and weight.

  Further, the user can freely remove the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14. Furthermore, in recent years, there is a case where the portable terminal 1 is decorated by inserting a decorative object with high design into the earphone jack 4 according to the user's preference. Therefore, by providing the skin property measuring instrument 14 with design, it can also serve as a decoration.

  In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 is externally attached to the mobile terminal 1, and thus the measuring unit 15 and the display surface 11 can be separated. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the skin is pressed against or brought close to the measurement unit 15, the display surface 11 can be separated from the skin. Therefore, it can suppress that the display surface 11 gets dirty with sebum, cosmetics, etc.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 is attached to the mobile terminal 1 via the earphone jack 4, so that the user can easily attach it. Further, it can be used with almost no change in the mechanism of the portable terminal 1. Further, the display surface 11 and the measurement unit 15 can be separated from each other, and the display surface 11 is hardly contaminated.

(Embodiment 2)
In the present embodiment, the skin characteristic measuring instrument 114 is attached to the side surface 1 </ b> C of the mobile terminal 1 as in the first embodiment. The main difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that the measurement unit 15 of the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 faces the display surface 11 in an oblique direction so as to be away from the display surface 11 of the mobile terminal 1. It is a point.

  FIG. 9 shows a side view of portable terminal 1 in the first embodiment, and FIGS. 10A and 10B show side views of portable terminal 1 in the second embodiment.

  Here, if the measuring unit 15 of the skin characteristic measuring instruments 14 and 114 is directed downward toward the display surface 11, if the skin is pressed against the measuring unit 15, the skin may touch the display surface 11. is there.

  On the other hand, in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the measuring unit 15 of the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 faces outward in the vertical direction so as to be away from the display surface 11. Accordingly, the skin of the measurer is less likely to adhere to the display surface 11, and the display surface 11 can be prevented from being soiled with sebum or makeup. In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 10A as well, since the measurement unit 15 faces obliquely upward so as to be away from the display surface 11, the display surface 11 touches the skin as in the first embodiment. Can be suppressed.

  Further, as shown in the first and second embodiments, when the measurement unit 15 of the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 or 114 is oriented in an oblique direction or a vertical direction with respect to the display surface 11 so as to be away from the display surface 11, Since it suffices to press against the skin in the length direction of the mobile terminal 1, it can be easily pressed against the skin according to the principle of leverage.

  The skin characteristic measuring instrument 114 may be able to rotate in the R direction around the plug terminal 16. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10 (B), the display unit 11 is prevented from touching the skin by using the measurement unit 15 of the skin characteristic measuring instrument 114 facing the back surface 1B side of the portable terminal 1. I can do it.

  In addition, the skin characteristic measuring device 114 is rotated or moved around various axes, and is moved so as to face the display surface 11 in an oblique direction or a vertical direction so as to move away from the display surface 11 of the mobile terminal 1. Also good.

(Embodiment 3)
In the present embodiment, the skin characteristic measuring instrument 214 is attached to the side surface 1 </ b> C of the mobile terminal 1 as in the first embodiment. The main difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that the measurement unit 15 of the skin characteristic measuring instrument 14 is arranged substantially parallel to the display surface 11 of the mobile terminal 1 and faces the display surface 11 in the same direction. It is a point. As shown in FIG. 11, in the present embodiment, the measurement unit 15 protrudes forward from the display surface 11 in the direction from the back surface 1 </ b> B toward the front surface 1 </ b> A. That is, the measurement unit 15 protrudes from the display surface 11 in the arrow P direction.

  The skin characteristic measuring instrument 214 may be movable, rotate in the R direction around the plug terminal 16, face the same direction as the display surface 11, and protrude from the display surface 11 in the direction of arrow P.

  In the third embodiment, the measurement unit 15 and the display surface 11 face in the same direction, but the measurement unit 15 protrudes forward from the display surface 11. Therefore, even if the skin is brought into close contact with or close to the measurement unit 15, it is possible to suppress the skin from touching the display surface 11.

  Further, for example, when the mobile terminal 1 has a call function, the skin characteristic can be measured by simultaneously applying the measurement unit 15 to the skin during a call. During a call, the mouth and ears are put on a microphone or speaker at a fixed position, so that the skin characteristic measuring device 214 can be put on an almost fixed position unconsciously. Therefore, measurement reproducibility can be enhanced without the user being particularly conscious.

  The skin characteristic measuring instrument 214 is rotated or moved around various axes so as to face the same direction as the display surface 11 of the mobile terminal 1 and to protrude from the display surface 11 in the P direction. May be.

  In the first to third embodiments, the skin characteristic measuring instruments 14, 114, and 214 are integrated with the plug terminal 16. However, a cable is connected to the root of the plug terminal 16, and the distance between the measuring unit 15 and the plug terminal 16 is set. May be separated.

  In the first to third embodiments, a high-function mobile phone has been described as an example of the mobile terminal 1, but in addition to the mobile phone, a PHS (Personal Handy-phone System), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a personal computer, Mobile terminals such as mobile tools, electronic dictionaries, calculators, and game machines may be used.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful for realizing a skin characteristic measuring device and a portable terminal that are more user-friendly.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile terminal 1A Front surface 1B Back surface 1C Side surface 2 Case 3 Display part 4 Earphone jack 5 Interface part 6 Memory part 7 RF transmission / reception part 8 Signal processing part 9 Operation part 10 Circuit switching part 11 Display surface 12 Cover 13A-13E Contact 14 Skin characteristic Measuring device 15 Measuring unit 16 Plug terminal 17A-17C contact 18 Skin characteristic measuring circuit 19 Audio circuit 20 Plug terminal 21A-21D Contact 22 Electrode 23 Electrode 24 CPU
114 Skin property measuring device 214 Skin property measuring device

Claims (9)

A measurement unit for measuring skin characteristics, a detection circuit connected to the measurement unit, and a plug terminal serving as an input / output terminal of the detection circuit,
This plug terminal is connected to the earphone jack,
Skin characteristic measuring instrument. The plug terminal is
It has at least a contact that becomes a voltage part, a ground part, and a data line part,
The skin characteristic measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein these contact points are connected to the detection circuit. An earphone jack to which the plug terminal of the skin characteristic measuring instrument is connected;
An audio circuit;
A skin characteristic measuring circuit;
A mobile terminal comprising: a circuit switching unit that selects and switches between the audio circuit and the skin characteristic measurement circuit from an electrical signal input to and output from the earphone jack. The earphone jack is
The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein the mobile terminal has at least a voltage part, a ground part, and a data line part. A skin characteristic measuring instrument having a measurement unit for measuring skin characteristics, a detection circuit connected to the measurement unit, and a plug terminal serving as an input / output terminal of the detection circuit;
The portable terminal according to claim 3, wherein the plug terminal is connected to the earphone jack. The mobile terminal is a plate-like body having a front surface and a back surface, and a side surface between the front surface and the back surface,
Provided with a display surface on the surface,
The skin property measuring instrument is attached to the side surface,
The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein the measurement unit of the skin property measuring instrument is configured to face in an oblique direction or a vertical direction with respect to the display surface so as to be separated from the display surface. The mobile terminal is a plate-like body having a front surface and a back surface, and a side surface between the front surface and the back surface,
Provided with a display surface on the surface,
The skin property measuring instrument is attached to the side surface,
The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein the measurement unit of the skin characteristic measuring instrument is movable in a configuration facing an oblique direction or a vertical direction with respect to the display surface so as to be separated from the display surface. The mobile terminal is a plate-like body having a front surface and a back surface, and a side surface between the front surface and the back surface,
The display surface is provided on the surface,
The skin property measuring instrument is attached to the side surface,
The portable terminal according to claim 3, wherein the measurement unit of the skin characteristic measuring instrument faces in the same direction as the display surface and protrudes in a direction from the display surface toward the back surface from the display surface. The mobile terminal is a plate-like body having a front surface and a back surface, and a side surface between the front surface and the back surface,
The display surface is provided on the surface,
The skin property measuring instrument is attached to the side surface,
The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein the measurement unit of the skin property measuring instrument is movable in a configuration that faces in the same direction as the display surface and protrudes from the display surface toward the surface from the back surface.

Images