KR102023362B1 - External force detecting system and driving method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an external force detecting system and a method for driving an external force detecting system. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the external force detecting system comprises: a body unit including a plurality of the same air bags inside; a driving unit separated from the body unit and including a connector in which a plurality of penetrating holes with the same number of the air bags are formed in one side; and a plurality of ventilation paths provided with the same number of the air bags, allowing one end unit to be individually connected to each air bag of the body unit and the other end unit to be connected to each penetrating hole of the driving unit. The driving unit includes: an electric pump which expands the air bags by injecting air or contracts the air bags by discharging air through the other end unit; an air pressure sensing unit which measures air pressure for each air bag where the air of the same amount is successively injected; and a processor which controls an operation of the electric pump and detects the air bags pressed by external force applied to the body unit by comparing each measured air pressure. The present invention does not disturb a sleep state of a user.

Description

External force detecting system and driving method

The present invention relates to an external force detection system and a driving method of the external force detection system.

Recently, the Internet of Things, which refers to a technology or an environment that transmits data to the Internet in real time by attaching a sensor to an object, is drawing attention.

There are no particular restrictions on the types of things to which the Internet of Things is applied, and one of those things has been proposed, such as intelligent pillows and smart pads, which alleviate symptoms of sleep disorders and help sleep.

In the case of Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2008-0075263 (name of the invention: a height adjusting device of a pillow using an air cell), an air cell is installed inside a pillow, and a plurality of body pressure measuring sensors are attached to an outer surface of the pillow. It is characterized in that the air pressure of the air cell is automatically adjusted according to the shape of the head and neck and its pressing force.

In addition, in the case of Patent No. 10-0788715 (name of the invention: a pillow that automatically adjusts the height), the sensing unit for detecting the user's sleeping posture is installed on the outer surface of the pillow body and the electrical signal when the human skin is conductive Characterized in that it is a generated touch switch.

However, if the body pressure sensor or the sensing unit is installed on the outer cover of the pillow may cause discomfort in the head and face cutting rather than interfere with the user's sleep, such a body pressure sensor is not easy to buy in the market, even if made directly There is a disadvantage in that the price of the product increases the unit price.

In addition, Patent Publication No. 10-2010-0124613 (name of the invention: pillow for preventing snoring) is provided at each of the left and right ends of the pillow body is provided with a signal sensing unit for detecting the snoring sound, the signal by the detected signal It is characterized by preventing the snoring by moving the user's head by injecting more air into the air bag on the strong side.

However, it is not realistically easy to detect the sound intensity of snoring by right and left, and when the user's snoring proceeds while lying directly on a pillow, there is a problem that it is not easy to move the user's head only by the left and right air pockets.

In addition, in the case of Patent No. 10-0758780 (name of the invention: a pillow with a built-in speaker), the speaker is embedded in the pillow itself, which causes an inconvenience of cutting when the user is lying down, and may lose its original meaning.

As described above, the pillow or pad according to the related art can alleviate the symptom of sleep disorder and automatically adjust the height. For this purpose, the pillow or the pad must first be able to detect the position of the user's head or an external force.

In order to realize this position detection, a plurality of sensing means or electronic parts are arranged on the pillow itself, which may cause a malfunction or breakage and inferior detection accuracy. In addition, the sensitive user may feel uncomfortable due to foreign body, noise, vibration, etc., the user's body may be exposed to electromagnetic waves as it is.

Some embodiments of the present invention can be configured as simple as possible to the part of the user's head to solve the risk of damage or malfunction, and the external force detection system that can more accurately detect the position where the external force acts without the problem of misjudgment And a driving method of the external force detection system.

In addition, some embodiments of the present invention has another object to provide an external force detection system and a driving method of the external force detection system that can alleviate problems such as snoring during sleep, teething during sleep or sleep apnea.

However, the technical problem to be achieved by the present embodiment is not limited to the technical problem as described above, and other technical problems may exist.

As a technical means for achieving the above-described technical problem, an external force detection system according to some embodiments, the body portion having a plurality of the same air bag therein; A driving unit separately formed from the body unit and having a connector having one side of the same number of through holes as the air bag; And a plurality of air passages having the same number as the air pockets, one end of which is individually connected to each air bag, and the other end of which is connected to each through hole of the driving unit.

In this case, the driving unit is an electric pump for inflating the air bag by injecting air through the other end or by discharging the air to shrink the air bag; An air pressure sensing unit for measuring air pressure for each air bag in which the same amount of air is sequentially injected; And a processor for controlling the operation of the electric pump and comparing the measured air pressures to detect an air bag pressurized by an external force applied to the body part.

In addition, the processor obtains a maximum air pressure and a minimum air pressure of each of the measured air pressures, and compares the difference value between the maximum air pressure and the minimum air pressure and a predetermined threshold value to press the detected air bag by the user's head It may be characterized by determining whether or not.

The driving unit may further include a sound receiver configured to receive a sound generated from the surroundings, and the processor may be configured to allow the user to snor, sleep, or sleep apnea based on an analysis result of the received sound. It may be characterized by determining whether or not in an abnormal state.

In addition, the processor may control to inject a larger amount of air than the same amount of air to the detected air bag when the user is in an abnormal state.

In addition, the body portion is made of a memory foam to support the user's head, the surface of the body portion may be characterized in that the engraved in a lattice pattern.

The connector may further include a connection terminal for power supply that is distinguished from the through hole, and the driving unit may automatically perform a predetermined series of driving processes when power is applied from the connection terminal.

The driving unit may include a main air passage connected to the electric pump; A plurality of sub air passages branched from the main air passages and correspondingly connected to the other end in one-to-one correspondence; And a valve group installed between the electric pump and the through hole to block or open the flow of air, wherein the processor is included in the valve group such that the same amount of air is sequentially injected to each air bag. It may be characterized by controlling the operation of the individual valves.

In addition, according to an embodiment, the air pressure sensing unit includes a plurality of air pressure sensors disposed in each sub air passage, the valve group is disposed in each of the sub air passages, between each air pressure sensor and the main air passage It may be characterized in that it comprises a plurality of valves disposed in.

According to another exemplary embodiment, the air pressure sensing unit may include a main air pressure sensor disposed in the main air passage, and the valve group may include a plurality of valves disposed in each sub air passage; And a main valve disposed in the main air passage and disposed between the main air pressure sensor and the electric pump.

As a technical means for achieving the above-described technical problem, the driving method of the external force detection system according to some embodiments, the processor, the step of sequentially injecting the same amount of air to each air bag in the initial state; An air pressure sensing unit measuring air pressure for each air bag into which the same amount of air is injected; And comparing, by the processor, each of the measured air pressures, and detecting an air bag pressurized by an external force applied to the body part from a plurality of identical air bags provided in the body part.

In this case, the driving unit separately configured from the body portion includes the air pressure sensing unit, the processor, and an electric pump for injecting or discharging air through a plurality of air passages that are individually connected to each air bag.

Further, according to some embodiments, the processor further comprises: acquiring a maximum air pressure and a minimum air pressure from each of the measured air pressures; Determining, by the processor, whether the detected air bag is pressurized by the user's head by comparing a difference value between the maximum air pressure and the minimum air pressure with a preset threshold value; And when the processor determines that the external force is caused by the head of the user, controlling the processor to inject a larger amount of air into the detected air bag than the same amount of air.

In addition, according to some embodiments, the driving unit further includes a sound receiving device for receiving a sound generated in the surroundings, the processor based on the analysis result of the received sound before the step of injecting the user Determining whether the snoring during sleep, a thigh during sleep, or a sleep apnea is in an abnormal state; And when the processor determines that the user is in an abnormal state, controlling the air to be sequentially injected with the same amount of air into each air bag.

In addition, according to some embodiments, the driving unit may include a main air passage connected to the electric pump, a plurality of sub air passages branched from the main air passage and connected in one-to-one correspondence with the aeration passage, and the electric pump and the A valve group is installed between the air passages to block or open the flow of air, and the injecting step is included in the valve group such that the same amount of air is sequentially injected to each air bag in the initial state. It can be characterized by controlling the operation of the individual valve and the electric pump.

In addition, in some embodiments, the injecting, measuring and detecting may be automatically performed as a predetermined series of driving processes when power is applied to the driving unit.

Since the external force detection system according to some embodiments does not include any sensing means or electronic components in the body portion, it is possible to minimize the problem of damage or malfunction and to significantly reduce the risk of damage caused by electromagnetic waves.

In addition, the body portion of the external force detection system has a very simple structure, even if the user's head is placed on top of the body portion does not interfere with the user's sleep.

In addition, the drive unit of the external force detection system injects a minimum of air for air pressure measurement, thereby accurately detecting the position of the user's head without disturbing the user who is sleeping.

In addition, the air pressure sensing unit of the external force detection system does not need to be very sensitive to the sensing, which may be advantageous in terms of price as compared to other sensing means.

The external force detection system and the driving method of the external force detection system according to some embodiments can quickly and accurately detect the position at which the external force is applied to the body part through a simple method of measuring the air pressure, and the user during sleep using the detected position information. The abnormal state of may be alleviated or eliminated.

In addition, even if the user's head and the user's hands are placed at different positions of the body at the same time, the system and method can accurately detect the position of the user's head by using the maximum air pressure and the minimum air pressure.

In addition, even if other items are placed in the body, the above system and method can prevent misoperation of other items into the user's head by contrasting the difference value between the maximum air pressure and the minimum air pressure and a predetermined threshold value.

In addition, through a dedicated application, by providing a user-specific analysis report on the abnormal state during sleep and the history information of the operation of the system to improve the abnormal state during sleep, the user's satisfaction can be increased.

Also, by removing a separate power on / off button, it may mean that the power supply itself is in a state of starting driving or in a state of waiting for a start signal. Connect, press the on button) can be simplified in one step, and user convenience can be increased.

1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of an external force detection system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
2 is a block diagram of a processor referred to in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
3 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of the driving unit and each connection relationship according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of driving an external force detection system according to an exemplary embodiment.
5 is a flowchart illustrating an external force detection method of an external force detection system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
6 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating an influence on a user as the external force detection system is driven according to an exemplary embodiment.
7 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a driving unit and each connection relationship according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of driving an external force detection system according to another exemplary embodiment.
9 is a diagram illustrating a main configuration of an external force detection system in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly describe the present invention.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, it is not only "directly connected" but also "electrically connected" with another element in between, and "communication". Including "connected to make it possible". In addition, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, which means that it may further include other components, except to exclude other components unless otherwise stated.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a configuration of an external force detection system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a main configuration of an external force detection system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

The external force detection system includes a body part 100 and a driving part 300 connected to the body part 100 by an aeration passage 200.

Body portion 100 has a plurality of the same air bag 110 therein, the air bag 110 may be expanded or contracted.

Here, the air bag 110 is "same" means that characteristics such as size, shape, material, expansion coefficient, and maximum air capacity are substantially the same. In addition, it is shown in Figure 1 that the four rectangular air bags in the body portion 100 are arranged side by side at a predetermined interval in the left and right direction, as shown in the number, shape, arrangement interval, arrangement form, etc. It is not limited.

In addition, initially, the air bag 110 may be in a flat state in which no air is injected. When air is injected into any air bag, a process may be performed to return the air bag to its initial state, that is, the state where air is not substantially injected.

In addition, the body portion 100 is disposed at the bottom of the user's head is configured to accommodate at least the user's head, for example, may be implemented as a pillow, pad or cushion. Therefore, at least the user's head may press the specific position of the body portion 100 in the vertical direction when the user is sleeping.

As shown in FIG. 9, the body part 100 may be made of a memory foam or an elastic material to stably support the user's head, and the surface of the body part 100 may be engraved in a lattice pattern. The intaglio processing portion 120 may induce a natural deformation of the body portion 100 when the user's head is placed on the upper surface of the body portion 100, and may provide a more comfortable feeling to the user.

The body part 100 does not include any sensing means or electronic components, and thus the problem of damage or malfunction can be solved, and the risk of damage caused by electromagnetic waves can be significantly reduced. In addition, the above-described body portion 100 is made of a very simple structure, thereby providing an environment in which the user can feel free from being disturbed or disturbed by water due to the internal configuration of the body portion 100.

The air passage 200 is configured in the same number as the air bag 110, one end of each air passage 200 is individually connected to each air bag (1: 1 correspondence), the other end is the driving unit as described later It is connected to each through hole 302 of (300).

The plurality of vents 201, 202, 203, 204 may be covered and secured by the integral tube or fixing means shown in FIG. 9 to prevent twisting or tangling. The other end of the vent 200 may be implemented with an adapter of the male and female coupling method.

Throughout the specification, for convenience of description, the first air bag 111, the second air bag 112, the third air bag 113, and the fourth air bag 114 are referred to from the left side. The first air passage 111, the second air passage 202, the third air passage 203, and the fourth air passage 204 are respectively the first air bag 111, the second air bag 112, Three air bags 113 and the fourth air bag 114 is connected in a one-to-one correspondence.

The driving unit 300 is physically separated from the body 100 and is configured separately, and is connected to each of the air passages 200. The driving unit 300 is preferably disposed at a predetermined distance from the user's body in order to reduce electromagnetic waves or noise problems.

In addition, the driving unit 300 includes a connector 301 having the same number of through holes 302 as the air bag 110 on one side thereof.

In detail, the driving unit 300 includes an electric pump 310, an air pressure sensing unit 320, a processor 330, a sound receiver 340, and a valve group 350. In other words, unlike the body part 100, the driving part 300 includes a sensing means or an electronic component.

As shown in FIG. 9, the driving unit 300 may be implemented as a case of a box type having a predetermined space therein.

One surface of the case may include a connector 301 having a plurality of through holes 302 and a connection terminal 303 for supplying power. In addition, a sound receiver 340 may be formed on the other side of the case.

The other end of each of the air passages 200 from the outside of the case correspond to the one-to-one correspondence to the plurality of through holes 302, and a plurality of air passages connected to the electric pump 310 from the inside of the case correspond to the one-to-one correspondence. Can be.

The electric pump 310 may inflate the air bag 110 by injecting air into the air bag 110 through the other end of the air passage 200, and discharges the air injected into the air bag 110. It is also possible to shrink the pocket 110.

The air pressure sensing unit 320 may be disposed between the electric pump 310 and the other end of the air passage 200 to measure the air pressure for each air bag 110 in which the same amount of air is sequentially injected. have.

"Equal amount of air" here can generally be determined within the range of 0.5% to 15% of the maximum air capacity. If the same amount of air is less than 0.5% of the maximum air capacity, the accuracy of the air pressure measurement is about 90%. In addition, when the same amount of air is more than 15% of the maximum air capacity, the user may feel the expansion or contraction of the air bag in the process of injecting and discharging the air for measuring the air pressure may cause discomfort.

Therefore, the same amount of air is most preferably determined within the range of 0.5% to 2% of the maximum air capacity. For example, as a result of injecting 1% of the maximum air capacity into each airbag in the same manner, the air pressure measurement accuracy is 99.9%, and the time taken to inflate one airbag takes 0.7 seconds. In the process, the user did not feel any change in the air bag. The same amount of air can be determined in consideration of the accuracy of the air pressure measurement (more than 99.9%), the time required for the air pressure measurement process (within a few seconds), whether the user is sensed.

In addition, the same amount of air is injected into each of the empty air pockets 110 before the air pressure sensing unit 320 measures the air pressure, and this air injection process is performed sequentially. For example, the same amount of air is provided in each air bag 110 in the order of the first air bag 111, the third air bag 113, the fourth air bag 114, and the second air bag 112. May be injected.

In addition, according to an embodiment, the air pressure sensing unit 320 may include a single air pressure sensor (main air pressure sensor). In this case, the air pressure measurement process may be sequentially performed as in the air injection process. For example, the air pressure for each air bag 110 is measured in the order of the first air bag 111, the third air bag 113, the fourth air bag 114, the second air bag 112, respectively. Can be. After the air pressure measurement process, the air injected into each air bag 110 is discharged by the electric pump 310.

In addition, the air pressure sensing unit 320 may include a plurality of air pressure sensors according to another embodiment. In this case, the air pressure measuring process may be performed at the same time. For example, the air pressure for the first air bag 111 may be measured by the first air pressure sensor, and the air pressure for the second air bag 112 may be measured by the second air pressure sensor. After the air pressure measurement process, the air injected into each air bag 110 is discharged by the electric pump 310.

One or more processors 330 control the operation of other components of the electric pump 310 and the drive unit 300. The processor 330 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processor unit (MPU), a micro controller unit (MCU), or any type of processor generally known in the art.

Also, the processor 330 may perform an operation on at least one application or program for executing a driving method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

In addition, the processor 330 may detect at least one air bag pressurized by an external force applied to the body part 100 by comparing the respective air pressures measured by the air pressure sensing unit 320.

A more detailed description of the processor 330 will be described later with reference to FIG. 2.

The sound receiver 340 may receive sound generated from the surroundings, generate an electrical signal corresponding to the received sound, and transmit the electrical signal to the processor 330.

In addition, the sound receiving apparatus 340 may receive a sound generated by the user who is sleeping, and the processor 330 may analyze the received sound to determine the current state of the user.

The sound receiver 340 may be implemented by, for example, a microphone.

The valve group 350 is installed between the electric pump 310 and the other end of the air passage 200 or between the through holes of the connector 301 and blocks or opens the flow of air according to a control signal of the processor 330. You can.

In addition, as described above, the driving unit 300 may include a connector 301, and the connector 301 may further include a power supply connection terminal 303 which is distinguished from the through hole 302.

At this time, when the power supply connection terminal 303 and the power supply line 400 are connected to each other and the power is applied from the connection terminal 303, the driving unit 300 receives a sound and determines a user state as predetermined without a separate operation by a user. In addition, a series of driving processes such as sequential injection of the same amount of air, air pressure measurement, external force detection, and the like can be automatically performed. The driving process may be repeated periodically.

The driver 300 may be configured such that there is no power on / off button separately. By removing the power on / off button as described above, it may mean that the connection between the connection terminal 303 and the power supply line 400 itself is in a state of starting driving or in a state of waiting for a start signal (for example, sound reception). This can increase the user convenience and satisfaction by simplifying the two steps (connecting the power supply line, pressing the on button) to start the operation of the typical wired electronics in one step.

Additionally, the driver 300 may further include a memory (not shown) and a network interface (not shown) that store various data, some commands, and / or information.

The memory may be, for example, RAM, and may be generally known in the art, such as SRAM, DRAM, PSRAM, SDPARM and DDR SDRAM.

The network interface may communicate with a user's communication device, server, or database through a network.

Here, the user's communication device may be implemented as a computer or a portable terminal. The computer includes, for example, a laptop equipped with a web browser, a desktop, a laptop, a tablet PC, a slate PC, a vehicle navigation device, and the like, and the portable terminal is, for example, portable and Wireless communication device with guaranteed mobility: Personal Communication System (PCS), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), Personal Digital Cellular (PDC), Personal Handyphone System (PHS), Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), International Mobile All types of handhelds such as Telecommunication (2000), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) -2000, W-Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), Wireless Broadband Internet (WiBro) terminals, Smart Phones, etc. ) May include a wireless communication device.

The network interface may be implemented with communication modules generally known in the art to support various communication schemes. For example, it may be implemented as a wired / wireless communication module, a network card, or an infrared communication module.

Network interfaces also include Wi-Fi (WIFI), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), and World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX). , Mobile WiMAX, WiBro, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A), Bluetooth, Bluetooth, Infrared (IrDA) Data association (NFC), Near Field Communication (NFC), Zigbee, Local Area Network (LAN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), and Personal Area Network (PAN) technologies can be applied. have.

In addition, when providing a service connected to the Internet may follow the standard protocol TCP / IP for information transmission on the Internet. Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Telnet, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Domain Name System (DNS), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Network File Service (NFS), NIS ( It can mean a global open computer network structure that provides Network Information Service.

The driving unit 300 of the external force detection system may perform communication with the user's communication device, and the user may perform abnormal states during sleep (eg, snoring during sleep, debris during sleep, and sleep through a dedicated application installed in the communication device). Analytical reports for apnea, etc., and history information of the external force detection system may be provided to improve abnormal conditions. In addition, the user may change the driving conditions or setting values of the driving unit 300 to a user-customized application through a dedicated application, and the air bag corresponding to the pressurized position is normally inflated by applying an external force to an arbitrary position of the body unit 100. Can be tested.

2 is a block diagram of a processor referred to in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Although the detailed configuration of the processor in FIG. 2 is shown as a separate configuration, some or all of them may be integrated into one configuration. In addition, the detailed configuration may be implemented in different modules according to a function to be performed, and each coded program may be implemented in a form executed by a processor.

The processor 330 may include an electric pump controller 331, an air pressure analyzer 332, a sound analyzer 333, a valve group controller 334, and an external force detector 335.

The electric pump controller 331 may generate a control signal for controlling the operation of the electric pump 310 to inject air into each air bag 110 or discharge the injected air, and the valve group controller 334. Can be linked with

The air pressure analyzer 332 obtains the maximum air pressure and the minimum air pressure among the measured air pressures, and compares the difference value between the maximum air pressure and the minimum air pressure and a preset threshold value, thereby detecting the detected air bag by the user's head. Can be determined. At this time, the threshold value is adjustable by the user.

The air pressure analyzer 332 may determine that the detected air bag is pressurized by the user's head if the difference value is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value, and the user's head is located on the detected air bag. . In this case, the external force detector 335 may detect that the external force is generated by the user's head with respect to the air bag measured at the maximum air pressure in the body part 100.

In addition, the air pressure analysis unit 332 is a case in which the detected air bag is pressurized by something other than the user's head (for example, the user's mobile phone, tablet PC, books, etc.) if the difference value is smaller than the preset threshold value. Can be determined. In this case, the external force detector 335 may detect that the external force is generated by something other than the user's head with respect to the air bag measured at the maximum air pressure among the body parts 100.

By setting the threshold value as described above, even if other items are placed in the body portion 100, the processor 330 may minimize the operation of misidentifying other items as the user's head. In addition, since the maximum air pressure and the minimum air pressure are used, the processor 330 may detect the position of the user's head quickly and accurately even when the user's head and the user's hand are placed at different positions of the body portion 100 at the same time.

The sound analyzer 333 may determine whether the user is in an abnormal state of snoring during sleep, snoring during sleep, or sleep apnea based on the analysis result of the sound received from the sound receiving device 340. have.

In analyzing the sound, noise may be filtered to extract user sound information, and the sound pattern information and the extracted user sound information may be contrasted with the conventionally known sound pattern information for an abnormal state. In addition, by setting the reference decibel value, the user sound information can be extracted when the maximum value of the sound signal is more than a predetermined decibel.

If the user is in an abnormal state, a process of measuring air pressure for each air bag 110 may be performed.

The valve group controller 334 may generate a control signal for controlling the operation of the individual valves included in the valve group 350 to block or open the flow of air.

In addition, the valve group controller 334 may control the operation of the individual valves and the electric pump 310 together with the electric pump control unit 331 to sequentially inject the same amount of air to each air bag 110.

In addition, the valve group controller 334 may control the operation of the individual valves and the electric pump 310 together with the electric pump controller 331 to sequentially or simultaneously discharge the air injected into each air bag 110. .

The external force detector 335 may detect at least one air bag pressurized by external force in the vertical direction applied to the body part 100 using the analysis result of the air pressure analyzer 332 or each measured air pressure. have.

In addition, the electric pump controller 331 may control to inject a larger amount of air than the same amount of air to the air bag detected by the external force detector 335 if the user is in an abnormal state.

3 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of the driving unit and each connection relationship according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A connector 301 is formed on one surface of the driving unit according to an embodiment, and the connector 301 may include a plurality of through holes 302.

The driving unit according to an embodiment branches from the main air passage 365 and the main air passage 365 connected to the electric pump 310 to correspond one-to-one with the other ends of the respective air passages 201, 202, 203, and 204. It may further include a plurality of sub air passages (361, 362, 363, 364), and a valve group installed between the electric pump 310 and the through hole 302 to block or open the flow of air. .

That is, the first passage 201 and the first sub air passage 361 are connected through the first through hole, and the second passage 202 and the second sub air passage 362 are connected through the second through hole. The third passage 203 and the third sub air passage 363 are connected through the third through hole, and the fourth passage 204 and the fourth sub air passage 364 are connected through the fourth through hole. ) Is connected.

The air pressure sensing unit of the driving unit according to an embodiment may include a main air pressure sensor 325 disposed in the main air passage 365. In addition, the valve group is disposed in the plurality of valves 351, 352, 353, 354, and the main air passage 365 disposed in the respective sub air passages 361, 362, 363, 364, and the main air pressure sensor 325. ) And the main valve 355 disposed between the electric pump 310.

In this case, the processor may control the operation of individual valves included in the valve group such that the same amount of air is sequentially injected to each air bag 110.

First, the first valve 351 and the main valve 355 are turned on and the remaining valves 352, 353, and 354 are turned off, and then V air is supplied to the first air bag 111. Inject After the air injection by V, the air pressure with respect to the first air bag 111 is measured in the state in which the main valve 355 is turned off. After measuring the air pressure with respect to the first air bag 111, the air injected into the first air bag 111 is discharged.

Next, after the second valve 352 and the main valve 355 are controlled on and the remaining valves 351, 353, and 354 are controlled off, the first air is supplied to the second air bag 112. The air is injected by V in the same manner as the bag 111. After the air injection by V, the air pressure with respect to the second air bag 112 is measured in the state in which the main valve 355 is turned off. After measuring the air pressure with respect to the second air bag 112, the air injected into the second air bag 112 is discharged.

Next, the air pressure is measured one by one in the same manner as above for each of the third air bag 113 and the fourth air bag 114.

Thus, the driving unit according to an embodiment controls the operation of the individual valve included in the electric pump 310 and the valve group by using the main air pressure sensor 325 under the same conditions to the air pressure for each air bag 110 It can be measured.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of driving an external force detection system according to an exemplary embodiment. An external force detection system shown in FIG. 1 and a detailed description of a driving unit according to an exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3 will be described.

As described above, the drive unit 300 separately configured from the body unit 110 includes a plurality of air passages individually connected to the air pressure sensing unit 320, the processor 330, and each air bag 110 ( An electric pump 310 that injects or discharges air through 200 is included.

First, the processor 330 sequentially injects the same amount of air to each air bag 110 in an initial state. That is, each air bag 110 before the air injection is substantially the same state.

If air is injected into a specific air bag unlike the other air bags, a separate operation for discharging the air injected into the specific air bag may be performed.

Next, the air pressure sensing units 320 and 325 measure the air pressure for each air bag 110 into which the same amount of air is injected.

In more detail, in step S410, as much as x is injected into the n-th air bag by the operations of the individual valves 351 to 355 included in the processor 330, the electric pump 310, and the valve group 350. In the pneumatic pressure for the n-th air bag is measured by the air pressure sensing unit 320, 325, in step S430 the individual valves 351 to 355 included in the processor 330, the electric pump 310, the valve group 350 The air injected into the n-th air bag may be discharged by the operation of the).

Here, the n value is increased from 1 to 1, and steps S410 to S430 are repeatedly performed as many as the number of air bags.

More specifically, the driving unit 300 branches from the main air passage 365 and the main air passage 365 connected to the electric pump 310 and the plurality of sub air passages 361 connected in correspondence with the aeration passage 200 in one-to-one correspondence. 364, and a valve group 350 installed between the electric pump 310 and the aeration passage 200 to block or open the flow of air.

At this time, in the air sequential injection process, the operation of the individual valves (351 to 355) and the electric pump 310 included in the valve group 350 to sequentially inject the same amount of air x for each air bag in the initial state Can be controlled.

In the step S440 if the current n value is less than or equal to the number of air bags to perform the step S410 by increasing the current n value by 1, and performs a step S450 when the n value is greater than the number of air bags.

Next, in step S450, the processor 330 compares the measured air pressures, and in step S460, the processor 330 includes the body part 100 among a plurality of identical air bags 110 provided in the body part 100. An air bag pressurized by an external force applied to the air bag is detected.

Referring to FIG. 5, steps S450 and S460 of FIG. 4 will be described in more detail. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an external force detection method of an external force detection system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

In operation S510, the processor 330 obtains a maximum air pressure and a minimum air pressure among the measured air pressures.

In operation S520, the processor 330 calculates a difference value between the maximum air pressure and the minimum air pressure. In operation S530, the detected air bag is detected by the user's head by comparing the calculated difference value with a preset threshold value. It can be determined whether or not it is pressurized.

In step S530, the processor 330 performs step S540 when the difference value is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value, and otherwise performs step S550.

In operation S540, the processor 330 may detect the air bag measured at the maximum air pressure, and determine that the user's head is located on the detected air bag.

In operation S550, the processor 330 may detect the air bag measured at the maximum air pressure, and determine that an item other than the user's head is located on the detected air bag.

6 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating an influence on a user as the external force detection system is driven according to an exemplary embodiment.

Four air bags 110 are arranged side by side in the body portion 100, the user's head (H) is located on the fourth air bag (114).

The driver 300 may further include a sound receiver 340 for receiving a sound generated from the surroundings.

Before the air sequential injection process, the processor 330 may determine whether the user is in an abnormal state of snoring during sleep, snoring during sleep, or sleep apnea based on an analysis result of the received sound.

In addition, when the processor 330 determines that the user is in an abnormal state, it may be controlled to sequentially inject the same amount of air into each air bag 110.

Afterwards, the processor 330 may detect the fourth air pocket 114 to which an external force is applied through the process described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

In addition, when the processor 330 determines that the user's head H is positioned on the fourth air bag 114 such that an external force is applied to the air bag 114, the fourth air bag 114 is applied to the fourth air bag 114. Can be controlled to inject more air than the same amount of air.

As air is injected into the fourth air bag 114, the user's head H moves, and the abnormal state of the user who is sleeping may be alleviated or eliminated due to the movement of the head position.

In this way, the external force detection system malfunctions by using information on the abnormal state of the user extracted and analyzed from the ambient sound and location information applied by the external force detected by comparing the detected air pressure for each airbag. Minimize the number of steps, and follow-up measures for the movement of the head can be performed to the head position accurately identified when the user needs to alleviate the abnormal state.

In addition, after performing a series of follow-up actions, the external force detection system can monitor whether or not the abnormal state of the sleeping user is improved by extracting and analyzing the sound by the user in real time. If the improvement is not made, the position of the user's head may be detected again, and air may be injected into the air bag corresponding to the newly detected position. After the user's head is moved, the air injected into the air bag may be completely discharged, and the air bag may be restored to an initial state.

On the other hand, Figure 7 is a view showing the detailed configuration and each connection relationship of the drive unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The connector 3010 may be formed on one surface of the driving unit according to another embodiment, and the connector 3010 may include a plurality of through holes 3020 and a connection terminal 3030 for supplying power.

The driving unit according to another embodiment branches from the main air passage 3650 and the main air passage 3650 connected to the electric pump 3100 to correspond one-to-one with the other ends of the respective air passages 201, 202, 203, and 204. And a plurality of sub air passages 3610, 3620, 3630, and 3640 connected to each other, and a valve group installed between the electric pump 3100 and the through hole 3020 to block or open the flow of air. .

According to another exemplary embodiment, the air pressure sensing unit of the driving unit may include a plurality of air pressure sensors 3210, 3220, 3230, and 3240 disposed in the respective sub air passages 3610, 3620, 3630, and 3640. In addition, the valve group is disposed in each sub air passage (3610, 3620, 3630, 3640), a plurality of valves disposed between each air pressure sensor (3210, 3220, 3230, 3240) and the main air passage (3650) 3510, 3520, 3530, 3540.

In this case, the processor may control the operation of individual valves included in the valve group such that the same amount of air is sequentially injected to each air bag 110.

First, the first valve 3510 is turned on and the remaining valves 3520, 3530, and 3540 are turned off, and then V air is injected into the first air bag 111. The first air pressure sensor 3210 measures the air pressure with respect to the first air bag 111 in a state in which the first valve 3510 is turned off after air injection by V.

Next, after controlling the second valve 3520 and turning off the remaining valves 3510, 3530, and 3540, the second air bag 112 is the same as the first air bag 111. Inject V as much air as possible. The second air pressure sensor 3220 measures the air pressure with respect to the second air bag 112 in a state in which the second valve 3520 is turned off after the air injection by V.

Next, the air pressure is measured one by one in the same manner as above for each of the third air bag 113 and the fourth air bag 114.

The air injected into each air bag 110 may be sequentially discharged after individual air pressure measurement or may be simultaneously discharged after all air pressure measurement.

As such, the driving unit according to another embodiment controls the operation of the individual pumps included in the electric pump 310 and the valve group, and each air bag under the same conditions by using the plurality of air pressure sensors 3210, 3220, 3230, and 3240. The air pressure for 110 can be measured.

While the driving unit according to the above-described embodiment measures the air pressure for all the air bags 110 using the main air pressure sensor 325, the driving unit according to another embodiment of the plurality of air pressure sensors 3210, 3220, 3230 3240) to measure the air pressure of one air bag in one air pressure sensor.

Accordingly, the driving unit according to an embodiment may reduce the number of expensive air pressure sensors, but the driving procedure is somewhat complicated. The driving unit according to another embodiment has a cost increase issue due to the number of air pressure sensors, but the time for measuring air pressure may be reduced by simplifying the driving procedure.

However, according to any exemplary embodiment, the body part and the driving part may be separately configured to minimize the problem of breakage or malfunction of the detailed configuration of the driving part, and the fear of damage caused by electromagnetic waves may be significantly reduced. In addition, the position of the user's head can be accurately detected without disturbing the user who is sleeping, and the detected position information can be used to alleviate or eliminate the abnormal state of the user who is sleeping.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of driving an external force detection system according to another exemplary embodiment. A detailed description will be given with reference to an external force detection system shown in FIG. 1 and a detailed description of a driving unit according to another exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7.

As described above, the drive unit 300 separately configured from the body unit 110 includes a plurality of air passages individually connected to the air pressure sensing unit 320, the processor 330, and each air bag 110 ( Electric pump 3100 for injecting or discharging air through 200 is included.

First, the air pressure sensing units 3210, 3220, 3230, and 3240 respectively measure the air pressure for each air bag 110 in which the same amount of air is sequentially injected.

In detail, in operation S610, x amount of air is injected into the n-th airbag by the operation of the individual valves 3510, 3520, 3530, and 3540 included in the processor 330, the electric pump 3100, and the valve group 350. do.

In this case, the n value is increased from 1 to 1, and step S610 is repeatedly performed by the number of air bags.

More specifically, the driving unit 300 branches from the main air passage 3650 and the main air passage 3650 connected to the electric pump 3100, and the plurality of sub air passages 3610 connected in correspondence with the aeration passage 200 in one-to-one correspondence. 3620, 3630, and 3640 may further include a valve group 350 installed between the electric pump 3100 and the vent 200 to block or open the flow of air.

In this case, the processor 330 may include the individual valves 3510, 3520, 3530, and 3540 included in the valve group 350 so as to sequentially inject x amount of air, which is the same amount for each air bag, before the air pressure measurement process. The operation of the electric pump 3100 may be controlled.

In the step S620, if the current n value is less than or equal to the number of air bags, the current n value is increased by 1, and if the n value is greater than the number of air bags, the step S620 is performed.

In step S620, the air pressure for the n-th air bag is measured by the plurality of air pressure sensors 3210, 3220, 3230, and 3240, and in step S630, the air pressure for the n-th air bag is included in the processor 330, the electric pump 3100, and the valve group 350. By the operation of the individual valves 3510, 3520, 3530, and 3540, the air injected into the n-th air bag may be discharged.

Next, in step S650, the processor 330 compares the measured air pressures, and in step S660, the processor 330 is arranged in the body part 100, and the body part 100 is included in the body bag 100. The air bag pressurized by the external force applied to the up and down direction is detected.

5 and 6 can be equally applicable to a method of driving an external force detection system according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Each step of the driving method of the external force detection system described so far may be automatically performed as a predetermined series of driving processes without a separate operation by the user when power is applied to the driving unit. The driving process may be repeated periodically.

That is, the power supply to the driving unit may mean that the driving has been started or in a state of waiting for a start signal (for example, sound reception, etc.), which means that the second stage (power supply line connection) for starting driving of a typical wired electronic product is performed. , Press the on button) can be simplified in one step to increase user convenience and satisfaction.

Meanwhile, some embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in the form of a computer readable recording medium storing a program for executing instructions executable by a computer or a program for executing at least one of the above-described driving methods. have. Computer-readable recording media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. The computer readable recording medium can also include a computer storage medium, which is volatile implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. And nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media.

While the methods and systems of the present invention have been described with reference to specific embodiments, some or all of their components or operations may be implemented using a computer system having a general hardware architecture.

The foregoing description of the present invention is intended for illustration, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be easily modified in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. will be. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is shown by the following claims rather than the above description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

Claims (14)

In the external force detection system,
A body part having a plurality of identical air bags therein;
A driving unit separately formed from the body unit and having a connector having one side of the same number of through holes as the air bag; And
Comprising the same number as the air bag, one end is individually connected to each air bag, and the other end includes a plurality of passages connected to each through hole of the drive unit,
The driving unit
An electric pump for injecting air through the other end to expand the air bag or to discharge the air to constrict the air bag;
An air pressure sensing unit for measuring air pressure for each air bag in which the same amount of air is sequentially injected; And
A processor for controlling the operation of the electric pump and comparing the measured respective air pressures to detect an air bag pressurized by an external force applied to the body part,
The processor acquires a maximum air pressure and a minimum air pressure among the measured air pressures, and compares the difference value between the maximum air pressure and the minimum air pressure with a preset threshold value and the detected air bag when the difference value is larger than the set threshold value. System that determines that it is pressurized by the user's head.
delete The method of claim 1,
The driving unit further includes a sound receiving device for receiving a sound generated in the surroundings,
And the processor determines whether the user is in an abnormal state of snoring during sleep, snoring during sleep, or sleep apnea based on the analysis result of the received sound.
The method of claim 3, wherein
And the processor controls to inject more air than the same amount of air to the detected airbag when the user is in an abnormal state.
The method of claim 1,
The body portion is made of a memory foam to support the user's head,
And the surface of the body is engraved in a lattice pattern.
The method of claim 1,
The connector further includes a power supply connecting terminal that is distinguished from the through hole,
And the driving unit automatically performs a predetermined series of driving processes when power is applied from the connection terminal.
The method of claim 1,
The driving unit
A main air passage connected to the electric pump;
A plurality of sub air passages branched from the main air passages and correspondingly connected to the other end in one-to-one correspondence; And
And a valve group installed between the electric pump and the through hole to block or open the flow of air.
And the processor controls the operation of the individual valves included in the valve group such that the same amount of air is sequentially injected for each air bag.
The method of claim 7, wherein
The air pressure sensing unit includes a plurality of air pressure sensors disposed in each sub air passage,
And the valve group includes a plurality of valves disposed in each of the sub air passages and disposed between each air pressure sensor and the main air passage.
The method of claim 7, wherein
The air pressure sensing unit includes a main air pressure sensor disposed in the main air passage,
The valve group is
A plurality of valves disposed in each sub air passage; And
And a main valve disposed in said main air passage, said main valve disposed between said main air pressure sensor and said electric pump.
In the driving method of the external force detection system,
The processor sequentially injecting an equal amount of air for each air pocket in its initial state;
An air pressure sensing unit measuring air pressure for each air bag into which the same amount of air is injected;
Comparing, by the processor, each measured air pressure to detect an air bag pressurized by an external force applied to the body part from a plurality of identical air bags provided in the body part;
Acquiring, by the processor, a maximum air pressure and a minimum air pressure from each of the measured air pressures; And
Comparing, by the processor, a difference between the maximum air pressure and the minimum air pressure and a predetermined threshold value to determine whether the detected air bag is pressurized by the user's head,
The driving unit separately configured from the body portion includes the air pressure sensing unit, the processor, and an electric pump for injecting or discharging air through a plurality of air passages individually connected to the air bags. .
The method of claim 10,
And if the processor determines that the external force is due to the head of the user, controlling the processor to inject more air than the same amount of air into the detected air bag.
The method of claim 10,
The driving unit further includes a sound receiving device for receiving a sound generated in the vicinity,
Determining, by the processor, whether the user is in an abnormal state of snoring during sleep, snoring during sleep, or sleep apnea based on an analysis result of the received sound before the injecting step; And
And if the processor determines that the user is in an abnormal state, controlling the air to be sequentially injected with the same amount of air into each air bag.
The method of claim 10,
The driving unit may include a main air passage connected to the electric pump, a plurality of sub air passages branched from the main air passage and connected in one-to-one correspondence with the aeration passage, and between the electric pump and the aeration passage. It further includes a valve group for blocking or opening the,
The injecting step is characterized by controlling the operation of the individual valve and the electric pump included in the valve group to sequentially inject the same amount of air for each air bag in the initial state.
The method of claim 10,
Wherein said injecting, measuring and detecting are automatically performed as a predetermined series of driving processes when power is applied to said drive unit.

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