JP7481775B1 - Smart Ring - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To realize a smart ring that can operate continuously without external power supply by using a thermoelectric generating element. [Solution] A smart ring that includes a thermoelectric generating element that forms at least a part of the inner circumference of the ring and generates electricity when body heat is transmitted through a contact part that comes into contact with the skin of the wearer's finger, a power storage unit that stores the electricity generated by the thermoelectric generating element, a sensor unit that acquires information on the physical activity of the wearer, a transmission unit that transmits the information acquired by the sensor unit, and a control unit that controls the sensor unit and the transmission unit using the electricity stored in the power storage unit, and the control unit detects when the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit exceeds a predetermined value and operates the sensor unit and the transmission unit. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a finger-shaped smart ring that is worn on the body and has communication capabilities.

Various smart devices have been proposed that are worn on the body to measure the wearer's body temperature, blood oxygen concentration, body movements, etc., and communicate the measurement results to a smartphone or other device. For example, wrist-worn smartwatches with a wide range of functions have been proposed.

On the other hand, one issue with smart devices such as smartwatches is that they require an external power supply. When the smart device is connected to a commercial power source or an external battery to charge, the wearer must remove the smart device from the wearer, and this limits the wearer's range of movement. As one method of solving this issue, a ring-type health monitoring device has been proposed that has a power generation unit that generates electricity using the wearer's heat or movement (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

International Publication No. 2016/123216 International Publication No. 2016/123206 Patent No. 6803076

However, there is a limit to the amount of power that can be generated by the power generation unit installed in a small device such as a ring-type smart ring. As a result, conventional ring-type smart rings have an issue in that the electrical energy required for control and communication of each part is too large compared to the amount of power generated, making it difficult to operate continuously without an external power supply.

Therefore, this invention relates to a technology that uses a thermoelectric generator to create a smart ring that can operate continuously without external power supply.

The smart ring according to the present invention comprises:
a thermoelectric generating element that forms at least a part of the inner circumference of the ring and generates electricity when body heat is transmitted through a contact portion that contacts the skin of the wearer's finger;
a power storage unit that stores electricity generated by the thermoelectric element;
A sensor unit that acquires information regarding the wearer's physical activity;
A transmission unit that transmits information acquired by the sensor unit;
A control unit that controls the sensor unit and the transmission unit using electricity stored in the power storage unit,
The control unit detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit has exceeded a predetermined value, and operates the sensor unit and the transmission unit.

The smart ring of the present invention has a thermoelectric generating element that generates electricity when body heat is transmitted through the contact part, and body heat, which is the heat source, is almost constant, and because it is ring-shaped, the contact area between the skin and the contact part does not change much, and it does not get in the way even if it is worn all the time. Therefore, such a smart ring is capable of continuous and stable power generation. In addition, the control unit of the smart ring detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit exceeds a predetermined value and operates the sensor unit and transmission unit. In such a smart ring, except when the sensor unit and transmission unit are operating, it is sufficient for the control unit to detect the amount of electricity in the power storage unit for the operation of the control unit, communication unit, and sensor unit, so that the electrical energy required for control and communication of each unit can be reduced and it is possible to operate continuously without external power supply.

Also, for example, the transmission unit may only transmit information and not receive it.

The transmitter in a smart ring or the like could conceivably double as a receiver, but by only transmitting information and not receiving it, the circuit configuration can be simplified, making it smaller and less power-consuming. Also, by only performing the transmission function, a smart ring using such a transmitter does not consume power when waiting to receive, and does not require a switch to turn reception waiting on and off, reducing the electrical energy required for operation.

In addition, for example, after the control unit operates the sensor unit and the transmission unit, the control unit may not supply power to the sensor unit and the transmission unit until it detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit has exceeded a predetermined value.

A smart ring with such a control unit can reduce power consumption except when the sensor and transmission units are in operation, and can operate continuously without external power supply.

Also, for example, the power storage unit may be a capacitor.

Using a capacitor such as an electrolytic capacitor, ceramic capacitor, or electric double layer capacitor as the power storage unit is advantageous in terms of making the smart ring smaller and more energy efficient as a whole, compared to using a rechargeable battery that uses chemical changes.

Also, for example, the control unit may detect that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit exceeds a first value that allows a series of operations including the acquisition of information by the sensor unit and the transmission of information by the transmission unit to be performed, and cause the sensor unit and the transmission unit to perform the series of operations.

By having the control unit detect that the amount of electricity has exceeded the first value and perform a series of operations, there is no need to store information within the smart ring, which is advantageous in terms of miniaturization and power saving. In addition, by having the control unit perform detection and control of the sensor unit and transmission unit together, the configuration of the control unit can be simplified.

Also, for example, the sensor unit may have at least one of a body temperature sensor unit that measures body temperature, a body movement sensor unit that measures body movement, and an _SpO2 sensor unit that measures blood oxygen saturation.

The sensor unit of the smart ring is not particularly limited, but a body temperature sensor unit, a body movement sensor unit, and an _SpO2 sensor unit are suitable as sensor units to be mounted on a finger ring-shaped smart ring.

For example, the device may have a voltage conversion unit that converts the electricity generated by the thermoelectric generating element and stored in the power storage unit into a predetermined voltage value, and the voltage conversion unit may have a first voltage conversion unit that outputs a first voltage and a second voltage conversion unit that outputs a second voltage lower than the first voltage.

In such a smart ring, power consumption can be reduced by supplying a first power to parts that require a high voltage and supplying a second voltage to parts that can operate at a lower voltage.

Also, for example, the first IC constituting the control unit may be separate from the second IC constituting the transmission unit.

By making the transmitter and control unit separate ICs, the transmitter and control unit can be made simple and compact, making them easier to store in a ring-shaped case, and by dispersing the heat-generating parts, stable and efficient operation is possible. In addition, having a separate IC for the control unit has the advantage that it is easier to design the control unit as something that comprehensively controls the transmitter, sensor, and power storage units.

FIG. 1 is an external view of a smart ring according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the smart ring shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the smart ring shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a circuit employed in the smart ring shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing a change in the amount of electricity in the power storage unit over time. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a circuit employed in the smart ring according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic external view of a smart ring according to a first modified example, as viewed in the axial direction of the ring. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross section along the radial direction of a smart ring according to a second modified example. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of a substrate used in a smart ring according to a third modified example.

Figure 1 is an external view of a smart ring 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the smart ring 10 has a circular outer shape, and is used by, for example, placing one of the fingers of a person's hand around the inner circumference 10a of the ring. The inner diameter of the ring is approximately 10.0 to 30.0 mm, the width of the ring (axial length) is approximately 2.0 to 20 mm, and the thickness of the ring (radial width) is approximately 1.0 to 8.0 mm.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the smart ring 10 shown in Figure 1. The smart ring 10 has an outer case 12, a substrate 14, a thermoelectric generating element 20, an inner case 18, etc. The outer case 12 of the smart ring 10 has a circular ring shape. The outer case 12 has edges that protrude toward the inner diameter side at both ends in the axial direction so that the substrate 14, the thermoelectric generating element 20, etc. can be stored on the inner circumference side of the outer case 12.

The substrate 14 is composed of a flexible printed circuit board (FPC), a rigid substrate, or the like. In addition to the thermoelectric generating element 20 described below being connected to the substrate 14, the power storage unit 30, the body temperature sensor unit 41 as the sensor unit 40, the control unit 50, the voltage conversion unit 60, and the like are mounted on the substrate 14. It is preferable that the substrate 14 can be mounted on both the front and back sides, for reasons such as miniaturization and the ability to place various ICs on the wearer's skin 72 (see FIG. 3) side and on the outer case 12 side opposite the skin 72 side, but this is not particularly limited.

The thermoelectric generating element 20 generates electricity by transmitting the body heat of the wearer. Examples of the thermoelectric generating element 20 include, but are not limited to, those that use thermally excited charges of semiconductors (also called "semiconductor-sensitized heat-utilizing power generation") and those that use the Seebeck effect of conductors and semiconductors. The thermoelectric generating element 20 generates electricity by transmitting heat through the contact portion 22 that contacts the skin 72 of the wearer's finger. As shown in FIG. 1, the contact portion 22 constitutes at least a part of the ring inner circumference 10a of the smart ring 10 and contacts the skin 72 of the wearer's finger (see FIG. 3). The contact portion 22 can be made of, for example, a metal with good thermal conductivity so that heat can be efficiently transmitted to the semiconductor of the thermoelectric generating element 20.

The inner case 18 has a C-ring-like outer shape and constitutes at least a part of the ring inner circumference 10a of the smart ring 10. The inner case 18 houses the substrate 14 between itself and the outer case 12, and exposes the contact portion 22 from the discontinuous portion of the ring. The inner case 18 also has a through hole that exposes the detection portion 41a of the body temperature sensor portion 41 to the ring inner circumference 10a of the smart ring 10.

However, the inner case 18 is not limited to a C-ring shape as shown in FIG. 2, and may have an annular outer shape similar to the outer case 12. In this case, the inner case 18 itself may be the contact portion 22 of the thermoelectric generating element 20, and such an embodiment is also preferable from the viewpoint of increasing the contact area of the contact portion 22 with the skin 72.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the smart ring 10 shown in Figure 1. Also, Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a circuit used in the smart ring 10 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, the smart ring 10 has a power storage unit 30 that stores electricity generated by the thermoelectric element 20. The electricity generated by the thermoelectric element 20 is sent to the power storage unit 30 and stored in the power storage unit 30. The power storage unit 30 is mounted on the substrate 14 shown in Figure 2.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, the power storage unit 30 is a capacitor, and using a capacitor such as an electrolytic capacitor, a ceramic capacitor, or an electric double layer capacitor as the power storage unit 30 is advantageous in terms of miniaturizing and saving power of the smart ring 10. However, the power storage unit 30 is not limited to a capacitor, and a rechargeable battery that uses chemical changes may also be used.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, the smart ring 10 may have a DC-DC converter or the like (see flyback converter 76, voltage conversion unit 60, etc.) that converts electricity generated by the thermoelectric element 20 to a predetermined voltage when storing the electricity in the power storage unit 30 or when sending the electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 to the control unit 50, etc. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the smart ring 10 is provided with a flyback converter 76 between the thermoelectric element 20 and the power storage unit 30, more specifically, between the thermoelectric element 20 and the voltage conversion unit 60. The flyback converter 76 can boost the electricity generated by the thermoelectric element 20 to a predetermined voltage and send it to the voltage conversion unit 60 or the power storage unit 30.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, the smart ring 10 is provided with a voltage conversion unit 60 between the thermoelectric generating element 20 and the power storage unit 30, more specifically, between the flyback converter 76 and the power storage unit 30. The voltage conversion unit 60 converts the electricity generated by the thermoelectric generating element 20 and stored in the power storage unit 30 to a predetermined voltage value. As shown in FIG. 4, the voltage conversion unit 60 converts the electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 to a predetermined voltage value (VSYS) and outputs it. The electricity of the predetermined voltage value (VSYS) output by the voltage conversion unit 60 is used for the operation of the control unit 50, the transmission unit 80, and the body temperature sensor unit 41.

The sensor unit 40 shown in FIG. 3 operates under the control of the control unit 50 described below, and acquires information 78 regarding the physical activity of the wearer of the smart ring 10. The control unit 50 can, for example, operate the sensor unit 40 by supplying power to the sensor unit 40, and can also prevent the sensor unit 40 from operating by stopping the supply of power to the sensor unit 40.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, the sensor unit 40 has a body temperature sensor unit 41 that measures the body temperature of the wearer. The body temperature sensor unit 41 may, for example, have a thermistor that detects the surface temperature of the skin by resistance changes, or may detect the temperature by collecting infrared rays generated from the skin surface. When power is supplied from the control unit 50, the sensor unit 40 obtains information 78 relating to the body temperature of the wearer and transmits the obtained information 78 to the transmission unit 80 directly or via the control unit 50.

The sensor unit 40 of the smart ring 10 is not limited to the body temperature sensor unit 41 shown in Fig. 4, but may be a sensor capable of acquiring various types of information related to the physical activity of the wearer, such as a body movement sensor unit that measures body movement and an _SpO2 sensor unit that measures blood oxygen saturation (see Fig. 6). The sensor unit 40 may acquire one type of information related to the physical activity of the wearer, or may be a combination of multiple sensor units that can acquire multiple types of information related to the physical activity of the wearer.

The transmission unit 80 shown in FIG. 3 operates under the control of the control unit 50 described below, and transmits information 78 acquired by the sensor unit 40. The transmission unit 80 is, for example, composed of a BLE module or the like. The control unit 50 can, for example, operate the transmission unit 80 by supplying power to the transmission unit 80, and can also prevent the transmission unit 80 from operating by stopping the supply of power to the transmission unit 80.

The transmitting unit 80, for example, establishes a predetermined communication protocol for an external device to which the information 78 is to be transmitted, converts the information 78 acquired by the sensor unit 40 into a signal of a predetermined frequency band, and transmits the information 78 to the external device. Examples of external devices to which the smart ring 10 transmits the information 78 include, but are not limited to, portable information terminals such as smartphones, personal computers, and receiving terminals dedicated to smart rings. Examples of the transmitting unit 80 include, but are not limited to, those that transmit the information 78 in the 2.4 GHz band standardized as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or those that transmit the information 78 in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, or 60 GHz band standardized as Wi-fi (registered trademark).

As shown in FIG. 2, the first IC constituting the control unit 50 and the second IC constituting the transmission unit 80 are separate and are mounted separately on the substrate 14. That is, the control unit 50 that controls the transmission unit 80 is an IC separate from the transmission unit 80 itself. This configuration allows the transmission unit 80 and the control unit 50 to have a simple and small configuration, making it easy to store in a ring-shaped case, and dispersing the heat-generating parts, enabling stable and efficient operation. Furthermore, by separating the IC of the control unit 50 from the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80, a control unit 50 that comprehensively and efficiently controls the transmission unit 80, the sensor unit 40, and the power storage unit 30 can be realized.

In addition, it is preferable that the transmitting unit 80 only transmits information 74, and that the transmitting unit 80 and other parts of the smart ring 10 do not receive information via wireless communication, from the viewpoint of reducing the power consumption of the smart ring 10 and reducing the amount of power generation that enables continuous operation. However, the transmitting unit 80 may have the function of transmitting and receiving information. Note that the control unit 50, the transmitting unit 80, and the sensor unit 40 may be modularized.

The control unit 50 shown in FIG. 3 controls the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80 using electricity stored in the power storage unit 30. The control unit 50 is composed of a control circuit such as a microcontroller. The control unit 50 can detect when the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 exceeds a predetermined value and operate the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80.

As shown in FIG. 4, the electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 is converted to a predetermined voltage value VSYS by the voltage conversion unit 60 and supplied to the control unit 50, the sensor unit 40 (body temperature sensor unit 41), and the transmission unit 80. However, the control unit 50 controls the switching between supplying power to the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80 and stopping the supply of power.

For example, after operating the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80, the control unit 50 can control the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80 so as not to supply power to them until it detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 has exceeded a predetermined value. Figure 5 shows an example of control by the control unit 50 in the smart ring 10, and is a graph showing the change over time in the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30.

During the periods t0 to t1, t2 to t3, and t4 to t5 shown in FIG. 5, the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 shown in FIG. 3 does not exceed a predetermined value Q1. During this period, the control unit 50 shown in FIG. 4 stops supplying power to the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80, so that the sensor unit 40 does not perform a detection operation, and the transmission unit 80 does not transmit information. The control unit 50 can detect the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 from the voltage (potential difference) VSTRG of the capacitor that constitutes the power storage unit 30 shown in FIG. 4, etc.

In addition, in the smart ring 10, body temperature, which is the heat source, is almost constant, and because it is a ring, the contact area between the skin and the contact portion 22 does not change much, so the amount of electricity generated per unit time by the thermoelectric element 20 is almost constant. Also, as described above, power consumption in the smart ring 10 is kept low by the control unit 50. Therefore, during the periods t0 to t1, t2 to t3, and t4 to t5, the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 increases at a nearly constant pace (power storage time).

Next, when the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 increases and exceeds a predetermined value Q1, the control unit 50 detects this from a change in the capacitor voltage VSTRG (t1, t3, t5 in FIG. 5). When the control unit 50 detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 has exceeded the predetermined value Q1, it starts supplying power to the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80, causes the sensor unit 40 to acquire information regarding the wearer's physical activity, and further causes the transmission unit 80 to transmit the acquired information.

When the sensor unit 40 finishes acquiring information and the transmission unit 80 finishes transmitting information, the control unit 50 stops supplying power to the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80 (t2, t4, and t6 in FIG. 5). During the periods t1 to t2, t3 to t4, and t5 to t6 when the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80 are operating, the amount of electricity in the power storage unit 30 decreases as it is consumed by these operations (detection and transmission times).

Here, the amount of electricity (Q1-Q0 in FIG. 5) required for the sensor unit 40 to acquire information and for the transmission unit 80 to transmit information can be known in advance. Therefore, the predetermined value Q1 detected by the control unit 50 can be the first value (Q1-Q0 in FIG. 5) at which the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 can perform a series of operations including the acquisition of information by the sensor unit 40 and the transmission of information by the transmission unit 80.

In this way, the control unit 50 controls the series of operations, including the acquisition of information by the sensor unit 40 and the transmission of information by the transmission unit 80, to be performed continuously, which is advantageous in terms of miniaturization and power saving, since there is no need to store information within the smart ring 10. Furthermore, with the configuration shown in FIG. 4, the predetermined value Q1 detected by the control unit 50 is sufficient as one value for continuously performing the series of operations of the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80, and one pattern of control after detection is also sufficient, so the circuit of the control unit 50 can be simplified.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 50 can periodically perform a series of operations by the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80 each time it detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 has exceeded a predetermined value Q1, even if it does not acquire information related to time. Therefore, in such a smart ring 10, even if a vibration element capable of acquiring time information is not operated all the time, the amount of electricity in the power storage unit 30 increases approximately in proportion to time due to power generation by the thermoelectric element, and periodic information acquisition and transmission can be performed, which is effective in terms of reducing power consumption and miniaturization. However, the control unit 50 of the smart ring 10 may be operated using a timer capable of acquiring time information.

As described above, the smart ring 10 has a thermoelectric generating element 20 that generates electricity when body heat is transmitted through the contact portion 22. Body heat, which is the heat source, is almost constant, and because it is ring-shaped, the contact area between the skin 72 and the contact portion 22 does not change, and it does not get in the way even if it is worn all the time. In addition, the control unit 50 of the smart ring 10 detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 30 exceeds a predetermined value Q1 and operates the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80. In such a smart ring 10, it is sufficient for the control unit 50 to detect the amount of electricity in the power storage unit 30 except when the sensor unit 40 and the transmission unit 80 are operating, so the electrical energy required for control and communication of each unit can be reduced, and it is possible to operate continuously without external power supply.

In addition, the smart ring 10 can be made smaller and consume less power by simplifying the configuration of the control unit 50 and the transmission unit 80 in particular, by omitting the time measurement element and the receiving unit.

Fig. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a circuit employed in a smart ring 110 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The smart ring 110 according to the second embodiment differs from the smart ring 10 shown in Fig. 4 in that the sensor unit 140 has a body motion sensor unit 142 and an _SpO2 sensor unit 143 in addition to the body temperature sensor unit 41, and the voltage conversion unit 160 has a first voltage conversion unit 161 and a second voltage conversion unit 162, but is otherwise similar to the smart ring 10. The explanation of the smart ring 110 will focus on the differences from the smart ring 10, and the explanation of the commonalities with the smart ring 10 will be omitted.

6, the smart ring 110 has a sensor unit 140 that includes a body temperature sensor unit 41 similar to that of FIG. 4, as well as a body movement sensor unit 142 and an _SpO2 sensor unit 143. Like the body temperature sensor unit 41, the body movement sensor unit 142 and the _SpO2 sensor unit 143 are also controlled by the control unit 50 by switching between power supply and power supply stop.

The body motion sensor unit 142 has a gyro sensor or the like and detects the body motion of the wearer. The _SpO2 sensor unit 143 has an LED light emitting unit and a photoelectric conversion element or the like and detects the blood oxygen saturation ( _SpO2 ) of the wearer. Various information related to the wearer's physical activity acquired by the body motion sensor unit 142 and the _SpO2 sensor unit 143 is transmitted to the transmission unit 80 in the same manner as the information 78 (see FIG. 3) acquired by the body temperature sensor unit 41. The transmission unit 80 is controlled by the control unit 50 in the same manner as the transmission unit 80 shown in FIG. 4 and transmits the information acquired by each part of the sensor unit 140 to an external device.

As shown in FIG. 6, the power storage unit 130 of the smart ring 110 is composed of multiple capacitors (three in FIG. 6) connected in parallel. The number of capacitors constituting the power storage unit 130 and the capacitance of the power storage unit 130 can be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the sensor unit 140, etc.

The voltage conversion unit 160 of the smart ring 110 has a first voltage conversion unit 161 and a second voltage conversion unit 162. Similar to the voltage conversion unit 60 shown in FIG. 4, the voltage conversion unit 160 converts the electricity generated by the thermoelectric generation element 20 and stored in the power storage unit 130 into a predetermined voltage value. As shown in FIG. 6, the first voltage conversion unit 161 of the voltage conversion unit 160 outputs a first voltage VSYS, and the second voltage conversion unit 162 outputs a second voltage 1V8 that is lower than the first voltage VSYS. The first voltage conversion unit 161 and the second voltage conversion unit 162 are composed of a DC-DC converter or the like.

The first voltage VSYS is used for the operation of parts of the control unit 50, the transmission unit 80, and the _SpO2 sensor unit 143 that require a relatively high voltage, and the second voltage 1V8 is used for the operation of other parts of the body temperature sensor unit 41, the body movement sensor unit 142, and the _SpO2 sensor unit 143 that operate at a relatively low voltage. The control unit 50 of the smart ring 110, like the control unit 50 shown in FIG. 4, can detect that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 130 has exceeded a predetermined value, and can operate the sensor unit 140 including the body temperature sensor unit 41, the body movement sensor unit 142, and the _SpO2 sensor unit 153, and the transmission unit 80.

The control unit 50 detects, for example, that an amount of electricity sufficient to perform all of the operations of acquiring a plurality of different pieces of information by the body temperature sensor unit 41, the body movement sensor unit 142, and the _SpO2 sensor unit 143, and the operation of transmitting this plurality of different pieces of information by the transmission unit 80 has been stored in the power storage unit 130. Furthermore, after detecting that a predetermined amount of electricity has been stored in the power storage unit 130, the control unit 50 controls the sensor unit 140, the transmission unit 80, etc., so that the operation of acquiring information by the sensor unit 140 and the operation of transmitting the acquired information by the transmission unit 80 are performed continuously.

The smart ring 110 shown in FIG. 6 operates by supplying a first voltage VSYS to parts that require a high voltage, and supplies a second voltage 1V8 to parts that can operate at a low voltage, thereby reducing power consumption when different voltages are required for different parts of the sensor unit 140. In addition, the smart ring 110 has similar effects to the smart ring 10 in terms of the points in common with the smart ring 10.

As described above, the smart rings 10 and 110 according to the present invention have been described using multiple embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and it goes without saying that many other embodiments and variations are included in the technical scope of the present invention. For example, the smart ring according to the present invention may be one that covers all of the power consumed only through power generation by the thermoelectric element 20, but it may also be configured to use other power generation elements such as solar cells or rechargeable batteries in combination. Even when other batteries are used in combination, the smart ring according to the present invention has the effect of reducing the frequency of battery charging and replacement, and further, due to the stable power generation by the thermoelectric element 20, it can continue to operate at a certain level or above even if power from other batteries is cut off.

For example, the size of the thermoelectric element 20 shown in FIG. 2 is not particularly limited, but it may be arranged in a larger angular range than that of the smart ring 10. FIG. 7 is a schematic external view of the smart ring 210 according to the first modified example, as viewed from the axial direction of the ring. As shown in FIG. 7, the thermoelectric element 220 and the contact portion 222 of the smart ring 210 are arranged in a range of angle θ in the circumferential direction of the smart ring 210. From the viewpoint of increasing the power generation amount of the thermoelectric element 220, it is preferable that the angular range θ in which the thermoelectric element 220 or the contact portion 222 is arranged is 180 to 360 degrees. However, in cases where it is desired to secure a large space for arranging the substrate 214, the angular range θ in which the thermoelectric element 220 or the contact portion 222 is arranged may be less than 180 degrees (see FIG. 2). Note that in FIG. 7, the case and the like are not shown.

Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross section in the radial direction of the smart ring 310 according to the second modified example. The smart ring 310 has a solid heat insulating material part 396 that covers at least a part of the outer periphery of the substrate (see Figure 2) on which the sensor part and the like are mounted, the thermoelectric generating element 320, and the like. As shown in Figure 8, the solid heat insulating material part 396 is filled between the outer case 12 and the thermoelectric generating element 320 so as to cover the outer periphery surface facing the opposite side to the contact part 322 in the thermoelectric generating element 320. The solid heat insulating material part 396 is not particularly limited as long as it has a thermal conductivity of less than 0.1 W/(m·K), and examples thereof include a solid heat insulating material part in which hollow microbeads are dispersed in an insulating matrix (base material). In the smart ring 310 as shown in Figure 8, it is possible to prevent the heat used for power generation from dissipating from the smart ring 310, and it is possible to increase the amount of power generation in the thermoelectric generating element 320. The solid heat insulating material part 396 may be in a gel form. In addition, it is also preferable that the solid heat insulating section 396 covers the outer periphery of the substrate on which the sensor section and the like are mounted, thereby preventing the problem of the detection value of the sensor section being affected by heat from the outside. The solid heat insulating section 396 may directly cover the substrate and the thermoelectric generating element 320, but may also be in a form that covers the outside of the substrate and the thermoelectric generating element 320 with another member such as the outer case 12 or a space in between.

9 is a schematic diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of the substrate 414 used in the smart ring according to the third modification. Although not shown in FIG. 9, at least a control unit and a transmission unit (see FIG. 2) are mounted on the substrate 414. The substrate 414 has a multilayer structure of three or more layers overlapping in the radial direction of the ring. The substrate 414 has an intermediate layer 414c sandwiched between the outermost layer 414a located on the outermost side and the innermost layer 414b located on the innermost side, and a capacitor constituting the power storage unit 430 is formed in the intermediate layer 414c. In such a smart ring, a capacitor constituting the power storage unit 430 is disposed between the outermost layer 414a and the innermost layer 414b of the substrate 414, and the substrate 414 is configured to incorporate the power storage unit 430. In such a smart ring, the power storage unit 430 can be made thin, so that the maximum thickness of the substrate 414 in the radial direction when considering including the mounted element can be reduced compared to when a capacitor or the like is mounted on the outer surface or inner surface of the substrate.

10, 110: Smart ring 10a: Inner circumference of ring 12: Outer case 14: Substrate 18: Inner case 20: Thermoelectric generating element 22: Contact section 30, 130: Power storage section 40, 140: Sensor section 41: Body temperature sensor section 41a: Detection section 80: Transmitter section 50: Control section 60, 160: Voltage conversion section 161: First voltage conversion section 162: Second voltage conversion section 72: Skin 78: Information 76: Flyback converter 142: Body movement sensor section 143: _SpO2 sensor section

Claims (10)

a thermoelectric generating element which forms at least a part of the inner circumference of the ring, and which generates electricity by semiconductor sensitized thermoelectric generation using thermally excited charges of a semiconductor by transmitting body heat through a contact part which contacts the skin of the finger of the wearer, and which generates a substantially constant amount of electricity per unit time ;
a power storage unit that stores electricity generated by the thermoelectric element;
A sensor unit that acquires information regarding the wearer's physical activity;
A transmission unit that transmits information acquired by the sensor unit;
A control unit that controls the sensor unit and the transmission unit using electricity stored in the power storage unit,
The control unit of the smart ring detects when the amount of electricity stored in the storage unit exceeds a predetermined value, and periodically operates the sensor unit and the transmission unit. The smart ring of claim 1, wherein the transmitter only transmits information and does not receive information. The smart ring according to claim 1, wherein the control unit does not supply power to the sensor unit and the transmission unit until it detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit has exceeded a predetermined value after operating the sensor unit and the transmission unit. The smart ring according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is a capacitor. The smart ring according to claim 1, wherein the control unit detects that the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit exceeds a first value that allows a series of operations including the acquisition of information by the sensor unit and the transmission of information by the transmission unit to be performed, and causes the sensor unit and the transmission unit to perform the series of operations. The smart ring according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit has at least one of a body temperature sensor unit that measures body temperature, a body movement sensor unit that measures body movement, and an _SpO2 sensor unit that measures blood oxygen saturation. The smart ring according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage conversion unit that converts the electricity generated by the thermoelectric generating element and stored in the power storage unit into a predetermined voltage value, the voltage conversion unit comprising a first voltage conversion unit that outputs a first voltage, and a second voltage conversion unit that outputs a second voltage that is lower than the first voltage. The smart ring according to claim 1, wherein the first IC constituting the control unit is separate from the second IC constituting the transmission unit. The smart ring of claim 1 further comprises a solid heat insulating material portion that covers at least a portion of the outer periphery of the thermoelectric generator and the substrate on which the sensor portion is mounted. a substrate on which at least the control unit and the transmission unit are mounted, the substrate having a multi-layer structure of three or more layers overlapping in a radial direction;
The smart ring according to claim 1 , wherein the power storage unit is disposed between an outermost layer located on the outermost side of the substrate and an innermost layer located on the innermost side of the substrate.