KR20160045429A - Mobile measuring devices for animals - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile measuring device for a pet. An objective of the present invention is to provide a wearable measuring device which can reduce the size thereof to fit a feature of a pet. The mobile measuring device comprises: a main body having a wearing means connected thereto, which can be worn on a pet; a first measuring module capable of measuring a body condition; and a communication module which is connected to the main body via the wearing means, and transmits measurement data measured by the first measuring module to the outside. According to the present invention, specific functional modules are added to the mobile measuring device to diversify utility of the device and extend functionality. Even if the specific functional modules are added, the size of the mobile measuring device is not increased to provide the pet with portability and convenience.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mobile measuring device for animals,

The present invention relates to a mobile measurement device for companion animals.

As the population of companion animals increases and the companion animals become another family, the necessity of a biometric device that can check the companion health condition has emerged. These companion animal health measuring devices can measure the momentum, barking status, etc. and judge the health status of the companion animals based on the measured data. However, due to the physical characteristics of the companion animal, it is necessary to carry the companion animal in order to use it. Therefore, miniaturization of the measuring device has become an essential task. In recent years, with the remarkable development of information communication and electronic devices, the biometrics device is gradually miniaturized, and the biometrics device is developing into a wearable form that can be worn on the body from a potable. In other words, it can be worn on the part of the companion body in the form of a necklace to check the health condition of the companion animal.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem [8] The present invention provides a wearable measuring device capable of reducing the size of a wearable animal in accordance with characteristics of a companion animal.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wearable measurement apparatus comprising a main body to which wearable means worn by a companion animal is connected, a first measurement module capable of measuring a living body state, And a communication module connected to the main body and transmitting the measurement data measured by the first measurement module to the outside.

As described above, according to the present invention, the use of the wearable measuring apparatus can be diversified and the functionality can be further extended by adding a specific function module to the wearable measuring apparatus. Particularly, even if a specific function module is added, the size of the wearable measuring device does not increase, so that it is possible to provide portability and convenience to the companion animal.

1A is a schematic diagram of a wearable measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
1B is a schematic view of a wearable measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2A is a schematic diagram of a wearable measuring apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
2B is a schematic view of a wearable measuring apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
3A is a schematic diagram of a wearable measuring apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
3B is a schematic view of a wearable measuring apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3c is a schematic diagram of the coupling module shown in Figure 3b.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention.

Hereinafter, a wearable measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a wearable measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a schematic view of a wearable measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1A, a wearable measurement apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 110, a band 120, and a first power source unit 122. [

The body 110 may be made of plastic, metal, or the like. In addition, the main body 110 is formed in a flat shape with a small size and weight so as to be easily worn by a user. At both ends of the main body 110, a band 120 is connected in a watch-like fashion. Here, the main body 110 and the band 120 may be connected to each other through connection rings formed at both ends of the main body 110.

The band 120 may be made of leather, synthetic resin, rubber, metal or the like so that the wearable measuring device is brought into close contact with the body of the companion animal. In addition, coupling means may be provided at both ends of the band 120 so that the wearable measuring apparatus can be fixed to the body of the companion animal, but is not limited thereto.

The band 120 can be divided into a plurality of portions and the first power supply portion 122 can be detachably coupled to the groove portion of the segmented band 120 120). ≪ / RTI > The auxiliary member 123 having the substantially same shape and size as the first power source unit 122 may be coupled to the groove of the band 120 to which the first power source unit 122 is not coupled. The auxiliary member 123 may be coupled to the band 120 instead of the first power supply unit 122 when the first power supply unit 122 is separated from the band 120. [

A pair of power lines 124a and 124b are provided on the upper or lower end of the band 120 and the power lines 124a and 124b are connected to the main body 110. [ When the first power source unit 122 is coupled to the band 120, the first power source unit 122 and the power lines 124a and 124b are connected to each other, and the first power source unit 122 is connected to the power source voltage 124a and 124b through the power lines 124a and 124b. Vp) and the ground voltage (Vg) to the main body 110.

1B, the main body 110 includes a display unit 111, an input unit 112, a measurement module 113, a control unit 114, and a second power source unit 115.

The display unit 111 may be an LCD, an OLED, or the like, and occupies a large portion of the surface of the main body 110, and is disposed so that the user can easily visually confirm the display. The display unit 111 displays not only measurement data measured by the measurement module 113 but also texts, images, etc. related to time, start and end of measurement, and measurement progress. The amount of remaining battery remaining is graphically displayed.

The input unit 112 receives signals necessary for biometric measurement, for example, a reset signal, a stop signal, a storage signal, and the like from the user, and transfers the signals to the controller 114. The reset signal is a signal for the user to initialize the measurement module 113 for biometric measurement, and the stop signal is a signal for terminating the operation of the measurement module 113 after a lapse of a predetermined time.

And the storage signal is a signal for storing the measured data in an internal memory (not shown).

Here, the input unit 112 may be a keypad type having a plurality of key buttons on the front or side of the main body 110, and a touch panel may be attached to the display unit 111 to form a touch screen. The measurement module 113 senses basic physical quantities such as current, voltage, and resistance that contain biometric information such as pulse rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), and converts the basic physical quantities into desired data. The measurement module 113 includes a corresponding measurement sensor according to the type of the object to be measured.

For example, if the measurement module 113 is for measuring pulses, the measurement module 113 may comprise a pressure sensor, an impedance sensor, or an optical sensor, and may sense pulses delivered from the user ' Signal.

That is, when the wearable measuring device is worn on the wrist, the measurement module 113 counts the pulse rate by sensing shrinkage and expansion of the radial artery located on the wrist, measures the optical signal varying with contraction and expansion, do.

The control unit 114 controls the display unit 111, the input unit 112, and the measurement module 113. When a signal necessary for biometric measurement is input from the input unit 112, the control unit 114 transmits a measurement command signal to the measurement module 113 to perform measurement. When the measurement is completed, the measurement unit 113 transmits measurement data to the display unit 111, To be displayed. Also, the remaining battery capacity of the second power supply unit 115 is checked and displayed on the display unit 111.

The second power supply unit 115 supplies power to the display unit 111, the input unit 112, the measurement module 113 and the control unit 114 of the main body 110. However, the second power source unit 115 may be omitted if necessary, and the first power source unit 122 supplies power to the main body 110 at this time.

The first power supply unit 122 may be configured such that an outer case is coupled to a battery cell. Here, the battery cell may be a rechargeable battery cell, such as a lithium ion battery or a lithium polymer battery. The first power supply unit 122 may be charged while being placed in an external charger (not shown), or may be charged in a state of being close to the charger in a non-contact manner.

Although the first power supply unit 122 is shown coupled to the band 120 connected to the right side of the main body 110 in FIG. 1A, the first power supply unit 122 may be coupled to the band 120 connected to the left side of the main body 110 . The wearable measuring apparatus of the present embodiment may include a plurality of first power supply units 122 and a plurality of first power supply units 122 may be coupled to the band 120 instead of the auxiliary member 123 to be connected in series or in parallel have. The plurality of first power supply units 122 can supply power to the main body 110 with a larger capacity.

The size of the main body 110 can be reduced by disposing the first power source unit 122 outside the main body 110 and detachably coupling the first power source unit 122 with the band 120 But can improve the portability and convenience of the user.

Hereinafter, a wearable measuring apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B.

FIG. 2A is a schematic view of a wearable measuring apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a schematic view of a wearable measuring apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

2A, a wearable measurement apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 210, a first band 220, a second band 230, a first power source 222, and a communication module 232, . For convenience of explanation, a band connected to the left side of the main body 210 is referred to as a first band 220, and a band connected to the right side of the main body 210 is referred to as a second band 230 in FIG. However, the first band 220 and the second band 230 are not separated into two, but may be formed into one ring depending on the type of the band.

The first power supply unit 222 may be detachably coupled to the first band 220 as shown in the previous embodiment (the first power supply unit 222 is shown separated from the first band 220 in FIG. 2A) ). A pair of power lines 224a and 224b are provided at the upper end or lower end of the first band 220 and the power lines 224a and 224b are connected to the main body 210. [ When the first power supply unit 222 is coupled to the first band 220, the first power supply unit 222 is connected to the power lines 224a and 224b and is connected to the main body 210 through the power lines 224a and 224b. And a ground voltage Vg.

Since the first power source unit 222 of this embodiment is substantially the same as the first power source unit 122 of the previous embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The second band 230 may be segmented into a plurality of portions as in the first band 220 and the communication module 232 may be detachably coupled Band 230).

A pair of power lines 234a and 234b may be provided on the upper end of the second band 230. [ When the communication module 232 is coupled to the second band 230, the communication module 232 and the power lines 234a and 234b are connected. The power lines 224a and 224b and the power lines 234a and 234b may be connected to each other within the main body 210 and the communication module 232 may be connected to the second power source unit 215 and the first power source unit 222 of the main body 210 And power is supplied through the power lines 234a and 234b. Here, the power line 234a carries the power source voltage Vp, and the power line 234b carries the ground voltage Vg.

A pair of signal lines 236a and 236b may be provided at the lower end of the second band 230. [ Of course, the signal lines 236a and 236b may be provided at the upper end of the second band 230 together with the power lines 234a and 234b.

When the communication module 232 is coupled to the second band 230, the communication module 232 and the signal lines 236a and 236b are connected and the control unit 214 and the communication module 232 of the main body 210 are connected to the signal line 236a , 236b. At this time, the signal line 236a carries the signal voltage Vs, and the signal line 236b carries the reference voltage Vsg.

2A, the first power supply unit 222 and the communication module 232 are coupled to the first band 220 and the second band 230, respectively. However, the first band 220 and the second band 230 may be connected to each other. The first power supply unit 222 and the communication module 232 may be disposed side by side in one of the bands 230. [ When the first power supply unit 222 and the communication module 232 are disposed together in one band, the power lines 234a and 234b and the signal lines 236a and 236b may be disposed at the upper and lower ends of the band, They can be arranged on one side.

Although the power lines 234a and 234b and the signal lines 236a and 236b are formed as two lines in the present embodiment, the power lines 234a and 234b and the signal lines 236a and 236b may be formed of three or more lines as necessary.

2B, the main body 210 includes a display unit 211, an input unit 212, a measurement module 213, a control unit 214, and a second power source unit 215. The display unit 211, the input unit 212, the measurement module 213, the control unit 214 and the second power source unit 215 shown in FIG. 2B correspond to the display unit 111, the input unit 112, The measurement module 113, the control unit 114, and the second power supply unit 115, the description of the same parts will be omitted and the difference will be described.

The control unit 214 transmits measurement information data including the biometric data measured by the measurement module 216, the measurement time, the identification code of the wearable measurement device, and the like to the communication module 232. The control unit 214 can receive various kinds of information received from the outside by the communication module 232, for example, a biorhythm of the current user or whether or not the user can exercise, from the communication module 232, And the received information can be displayed on the display unit 211. [

The communication module 232 transmits the measurement information data transmitted from the main body 210 to an external terminal (not shown) or an external server (not shown) through wireless communication in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. The communication module 232 can transmit measurement information data to an external terminal or an external server at a time set by the user or at regular intervals.

The communication module 232 may transmit the measurement information data to an external terminal 220 using a Bluetooth communication, a wireless local area network (LAN) communication, a simple RF communication, a short distance communication method such as IrDA (Infrared Data Association) Lt; / RTI > Or the communication module 232 may transmit measurement information data to an external server using a remote communication method such as CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) communication or GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) communication.

An external terminal is a terminal installed in a close vicinity, for example, a user's home. The terminal displays and stores measurement information data received from the communication module 232 so that the user can directly confirm the change in the biometric information, It can be periodically transmitted to the hospital's medical care server.

The external server is mainly a server installed at a remote place, for example, in a hospital or a public health center, and processes the measurement information data received from the communication module 232 and analyzes the processed data. As a result of the analysis, if it is determined that the situation is an emergency, the user who has transmitted the measurement information data can take emergency measures. Also, the external server can remotely check the health status of the user by receiving the measurement information data for the user from the external terminal in real time or at regular intervals. When the current state of the user is recognized, the external server transmits a message indicating that the biorhythm state message of the user, a message that the blood pressure is excessive if the blood pressure is too high, a message that the blood pressure is too high, Module 232, as shown in FIG.

The communication module 232 may be replaced with another function module such as a GPS module, an altimeter measurement module, a pedometer, a biometric module Or the like.

Of course, these functional modules may be added together with the communication module 232 to be combined.

The measuring module 213 is included in the main body 210. The measuring module 213 may be partly or wholly of a module type such as the first power source unit 222 or the communication module 232. However, To the first band 220 or to the second band 230. As shown in FIG.

For example, when the measurement module 213 is for measuring pulses, the measurement module 113 may include an optical sensor, including an emitter and a light receiver, an AMP, a filter, an A / D converter and a signal processor have. In the case of the transmission type pulse measurement sensor, the light emitting portion irradiates light to the human body, and the light receiving portion receives light transmitted through the human body from the light emitting portion and converts the light into an electric signal. The instantaneous density difference of the red blood cells in the capillary or the color changes the degree of the light passing through, thus changing the size of the electrical signal. The AMP, the filter, the A / D converter and the signal processing section measure the pulse of the human body by appropriately processing the electrical signal from the light receiving section. Therefore, it is preferable that the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are located symmetrically with respect to the human body. If the light emitting unit is located in the first band 220, the light receiving unit is located in the second band 230, and vice versa. Also, when the light receiving portion is located in the body 210, the light emitting portion is located in the opposite first band 220 or second band 230. At this time, it is preferable that the AMP, the filter, the A / D converter, and the signal processing section are located together with the light receiving section, thereby reducing the distortion of the electrical signal from the light receiving section.

When the measurement module 213 is coupled to the first band 220 or the second band 230 in addition to the first power source 222 or the communication module 232 in this way, the power lines 234a and 234b and the signal line 236a, 236b may extend to the measuring module 213 and be connected.

This type of pulse gauge can also be applied to a ring form. In this case, the first and second bands 220 and 230 described above can be applied to a wearing means made of a ring.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, by disposing the first power source unit 222 and the communication module 232 outside the main body 210, it is possible to reduce the size of the main body 210 and perform additional functions such as a communication function . In addition, the first power source unit 222 supplies the power consumed by the communication module 232, thereby reducing the capacity and size of the second power source unit 215 of the main body 210.

3A to 3C, a wearable measuring apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of a wearable measuring apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3B is a schematic view of a wearable measuring apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3C is a schematic view of a combining module shown in FIG. .

3A, a wearable measurement apparatus 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 310, a band 320, and a coupling module 322. [

The band 320 can be segmented into a plurality of portions as in the previously described embodiment and the coupling module 322 can be detachably coupled (Figure 3A, where the coupling module 322 is coupled to the band 320) ).

A pair of signal lines 334a and 334b are provided at an upper end of the band 320 and signal lines 334a and 334b are connected to the main body 310. [ When the coupling module 322 is coupled to the band 320, the coupling module 322 is connected to the signal lines 334a and 334b and the control unit 314 and the coupling module 322 of the main body 310 are connected to the signal lines 334a, 334b. At this time, the signal line 334a carries the signal voltage Vs and the signal line 334b carries the reference voltage Vsg.

A pair of power lines 336a and 336b are provided at a lower end of the band 320 and power lines 336a and 336b are connected to the main body 310. [ When the coupling module 322 is coupled to the band 320, the coupling module 322 is connected to the power lines 336a and 336b and the coupling module 322 is connected to the main body 310 via the power lines 336a and 336b, And supplies the voltage Vp and the ground voltage Vg.

As described in the previous embodiment, the positions of the signal lines 334a and 334b and the power lines 336a and 336b may be exchanged with each other or may be collectively disposed on either side of the band 320. [

3B, the main body 310 includes a display portion 311, an input portion 312, a measurement module 313, a control portion 314, and a second power portion 315, which are the same in the previous embodiment And the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Hereinafter, the combining module 322 will be described with reference to FIG. 3C. The coupling module 322 includes a communication module 324, a coil 326, and a first power supply 328. [ The communication module 324 includes a high pass filter (HPF), and transmits the measurement information data transmitted from the main body 310 to a terminal or an external server at an external radio frequency.

One end of the coil 326 is connected to the communication module 324 and the other end of the coil 326 is opened to operate as an antenna for the communication module 324. The coil 326 may be annular or spiral, and may have a high conductivity to increase the resonant frequency.

The coil 326 is connected to the first power source unit 328 at a point on the outer side and a point on the inner side so that the first power source unit 328 operates as a charging coil for non-contact charging. When the user places the coupling module 322 near an external charger (not shown), an induced electromotive force is generated between the coil (not shown) and the coil 326 included in the charger. At this time, the charger coil operates as a primary coil, the coil 326 operates as a secondary coil, the AC induction electromotive force is transmitted from the primary coil of the charger to the secondary coil of the coupling module 322, (328).

The first power supply unit 328 includes a charging module 329 and a battery cell 330. The charging module 329 includes a low pass filter (LPF), a rectifier, and a charging circuit (not shown). The low pass filter (LPF) removes the high frequency component from the AC signal transmitted from the coil 326, and the rectifier converts the AC voltage of the low frequency component into the DC voltage.

The charging circuit converts the DC voltage generated by the rectifier into a charging voltage of a level suitable for the battery cell 330. [ The charging circuit may consist of a constant voltage / constant current circuit for appropriately adjusting the level of the rectified DC voltage to charge the lithium secondary battery in the constant voltage mode or the constant current mode. The charging circuit transfers the generated DC voltage to the battery cell 330 to charge it. Here, the battery cell 330 may be a rechargeable battery cell such as a lithium ion battery or a lithium polymer battery.

Although not shown in FIG. 3C, a signal line is connected between the communication module 324 and the control unit 314 to perform communication, and the first power unit 328, the main body 310, the first power unit 328, and the communication module 324 The first power supply unit 328 supplies power to the main body 310 and the communication module 324. [

3C illustrates that the first power source unit 326 is charged using the coil 324 serving as an antenna of the communication module 324. In the case of the communication module not using the antenna, May be omitted. In this case, the first power source unit 328 may include a charging contact terminal and may be charged from an external charger.

A function module other than the coupling module 322, for example, a GPS module, an altimeter module, a pedometer, and a biometric module may be detachably coupled to the band 320.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the volume occupied by the coupling module 322 can be reduced by sharing the coil 326 with the communication module 324 and the first power source unit 328. Also, since the first power source unit 326 can be charged in a non-contact manner using the coil 326, the user can easily charge the first power source unit 328.

Meanwhile, in the embodiment of the present invention, in the case where the communication module and the coupling module are not coupled to the band, the auxiliary member such as the communication module and the coupling module, which are substantially the same size and shape as the coupling module, 123 to the groove portion of the band. The auxiliary member 123 can be detachably coupled to the band and fixed to the band.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the first power source unit, the communication module, and the coupling module are described as detachable, but they may be fixed in the band. The present invention can also be applied using a wearing means such as a necklace string or a ring of rings in addition to a band-shaped band that can be worn on an arm, a wrist or an ankle.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, Of the right.

100: wearable measuring device
110:
120: Band
122:

Claims (5)

A main body to which a wearing means which can be worn on the human body is connected,
And a communication module connected to the main body via the wearer means and transmitting measurement data measured by the first measurement module to the outside through the wearer. The wearable measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a first power source connected to the main body through the wearer and supplying power to the communication module. The wearable measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the main body includes a second power supply unit for supplying power to the main body. The wearable measuring device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first power source unit and the communication module is detachable to the wearing means. The wearable measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the first power supply unit supplies power to the main body.

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