Abstract:
Provided is a method of measuring heartbeats without contact and wirelessly. The method includes searching for a sport point on which heartbeats are measured; imaging a found spot point through a thermal graphic camera and obtaining temperature related data wirelessly; and analyzing the obtained temperature related data and calculating heartbeats.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This U.S. non-provisional patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2013-0037474, filed on Apr. 5, 2013, and 10-2013-0131372, filed on Oct. 31, 2013, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention disclosed herein relates to a method of measuring heartbeats wirelessly, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for measuring the heartbeats of a subject without contact and wirelessly by measuring the temperature of skin in which an artery/ vein lies, by using a thermal graphic camera. 
         [0003]    With the recent developments of imaging devices, smart phones and wireless communication technologies, apparatuses that have been typically connected in a wired manner are being connected wirelessly. 
         [0004]    In general, since e.g., a biological signal is weak, it is difficult to measure the signal wirelessly. 
         [0005]    On the other hand, when the biological signal is measured in a wired manner, a subject needs to be in an awkward state and thus experiences inconvenience. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention provides a method of measuring heartbeats wirelessly. 
         [0007]    The present invention also provides an apparatus and method that may continue to image a part of a body by using a thermal graphic camera and may thus measure heartbeats wirelessly, without measuring heartbeat signals in a wired manner. 
         [0008]    Embodiments of the present invention provide methods of measuring heartbeats without contact and wirelessly, the method including searching for a spot point on which heartbeats are measured; imaging a found spot point through a thermal graphic camera and obtaining temperature related data wirelessly; and analyzing the obtained temperature related data to calculate heartbeats. 
         [0009]    In some embodiments, the spot point may be a point on which a carotid artery or a jugular vein lies. 
         [0010]    In other embodiments, the calculating of the heartbeats may be performed by counting how many times the skin temperature varies for a preset time. 
         [0011]    In still other embodiments, the spot point may be a part distant by 3 Cm to 5 Cm inwards from the edge of a neck and a part distant by 2 Cm to 3 Cm downwards from a chin. 
         [0012]    In other embodiments of the present invention, apparatuses for measuring heartbeats without contact and wirelessly include a thermal graphic camera imaging a spot point found from a subject, the thermal graphic camera obtaining temperature related data wirelessly; and a computer analyzing the obtained temperature related data and measuring heartbeats. 
         [0013]    In some embodiments, the computer may include a measurement controlling unit receiving data on skin temperature varying whenever heart of the subject pounds, the measurement controlling unit counting how many times the skin temperature varies for a preset time; and a memory storing the data on the skin temperature and the count result. 
         [0014]    In still other embodiments of the present invention, apparatuses for measuring heartbeats without contact and wirelessly include a thermal graphic sensing unit imaging a spot point found from a subject, the thermal graphic camera obtaining thermal graphic sensed data wirelessly; a camera control unit allowing the thermal graphic sensing unit to sense the spot point and converting the thermal graphic sensed data into temperature related data; a communication interface outputting the temperature related data and receiving control data; and a measurement controlling unit analyzing the temperature related data and measuring heartbeats. 
         [0015]    In even other embodiments of the present invention, methods of measuring heartbeats of an animal without contact and wirelessly include searching for a sport point on which heartbeats are measured; imaging a found spot point through a thermal graphic camera and obtaining temperature related data wirelessly; and counting, from the obtained temperature related data, a number of variations in skin temperature varying whenever the heart of the animal pounds, and measuring the heartbeats of the animal. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain principles of the present invention. In the drawings: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for measuring heartbeats according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a method of measuring heartbeats by using  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a circuit block diagram of a thermal graphic camera in  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a circuit block diagram of a computer in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    The above objectives, other objectives, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be easily understood through the following embodiments to be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited embodiments to be described below but may be implemented in other forms. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art, for the purpose of providing only the convenience of understanding. 
         [0022]    In the specification, when some elements or lines are referred to as being connected to a target element block, it should be understood that the former can be directly connected to the latter, or indirectly connected to the latter via another element. 
         [0023]    Moreover, the same or like reference numerals in each of the drawings represent the same or like components if possible. In some drawings, the connection of elements and lines is just represented to effectively explain technical content and may further include other elements or circuit blocks. 
         [0024]    An embodiment described and exemplified herein includes a complementary embodiment thereof, and it should be noted that details of fundamental processing on image data and internal software are not described in order not to obscure the subject matter of the present invention. 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a system for measuring heartbeats according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0026]    A thermal graphic camera  101  is a thermal infrared camera, images a spot point found from a subject, and obtains temperature related data wirelessly. 
         [0027]    A computer  103  analyzes the temperature relayed data and measures heartbeats. 
         [0028]    The thermal graphic image  101  focuses on the external carotid artery P 1  or the internal jugular vein P 2  of a neck  102  of a patient and measures the temperature of skin. In this case, in order to measure heartbeats for a certain time, imaging is performed without departing from the spot point for the certain time (such as one minute). 
         [0029]    An obtained video image is the temperature related data and is transmitted to the computer  103 . The computer  103  analyzes how many times the temperature of skin varies per minute, by using the obtained video image. 
         [0030]    The temperature of blood spouted from the heart of an animal or a human being is different from that of capillary in general skin. That is, whenever heart pounds, the temperature of skin in which arterial blood flows rises. Thus, when continuing to image an artery part as the spot point, it is seen that the temperature of skin slightly rises if heart pounds. Thus, if counting how many times the temperature of the spot point varies per minute, it is possible to know heartbeats per minute. In this example, the one minute is only exemplary and the time may vary.  FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a method of measuring heartbeats by using  FIG. 1 . 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , in order to perform the method of measuring the heartbeats wirelessly, the thermal graphic camera  101  needs to search for carotid artery and jugular vein spot points. The spot points of the carotid artery and the jugular vein may be generally a part distant by 3 Cm to 5 Cm inwards from the edge of a neck and a part distant by 2 Cm to 4 Cm downwards from a chin. When the thermal graphic camera focuses on the spot point, it is possible to see through the system for measuring the heartbeats that the temperature of skin varies whenever heart pounds. 
         [0032]    In step S 104 , when the spot point is found, the thermal graphic camera  101  starts imaging the spot point in step S 105 . 
         [0033]    In this case, when there is a change in the spot point due to the motion of a subject in step S 110  while imaging, the automatic search and tracking of the carotid artery and the jugular vein are performed. The automatic search and tracking of the carotid artery and the jugular vein are performed when the spot points depart by a certain value from a part distant by 3 Cm to 5 Cm inwards from the edge of a neck and a part distant by 2 Cm to 4 Cm downwards from a chin. As a result, when there is a change in the spot point due to motion, the spot points of the carotid artery and the jugular vein are again searched through steps S 201  to S 203  and heartbeats are accurately measured. 
         [0034]    In step S 202 , when the spot point departs by a value equal to or larger than ±2 Cm from an initial spot point on which imaging has been performed, automatic search and tracking start. A distance is calculated by using the infrared ray of the thermal graphic camera  101 . As a result, when the spot point departs by a value equal to or larger than ±2 Cm from an initial spot point, the initial spot point is tracked by a backward search using the value ±2 Cm in step  5203 . After step  5203 , step S 105  is again performed. 
         [0035]    Automatic tracking on the spot point is performed by using such a principle so that imaging is performed on a constant spot point. 
         [0036]    The thermal graphic camera  101  determines whether imaging is performed for a certain time in step  5106 . If negative, the thermal graphic camera  101  continues to image, and if positive, it ends imaging. 
         [0037]    In step  5107 , information imaged by the thermal graphic camera, namely, the temperature related data is saved as a file and transmitted to the computer  103 . 
         [0038]    In step  5108 , the computer  103  opens the file transmitted from the thermal graphic camera and counts how many times the temperature of skin in the image varies for a certain time (such as one minute). 
         [0039]    As such, when the counted number of variations in the temperature of skin is associated with one minute, it becomes the final measurement result of heartbeats per minute. 
         [0040]    On the other hand, when an image obtained for a time shorter than or equal to one minute, for example, when the number of variations in the temperature of skin is counted for ten seconds, six is multiplied to know heartbeats per minute. As a result, since six is multiplied, heartbeats per minute are obtained through step S 109 . It should be noted that although the present invention describes that heartbeats are measured for one minute, a measuring time period is not limited thereto and may increase or decrease. 
         [0041]      FIG. 3  is a circuit block diagram of a thermal graphic camera in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0042]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the thermal graphic camera includes a camera control unit  11 , a thermal graphic sensing unit  13 , a memory  15 , and a communication interface  17 . 
         [0043]    The thermal graphic camera  13  images the spot point found from a subject and obtains thermal graphic sensing data wirelessly. 
         [0044]    The camera control unit  11  controls a line L 2  so that the thermal graphic sensing unit senses the spot point, receives the thermal graphic sensing data through a line L 1 , and converts the received data into temperature related data. 
         [0045]    The communication interface  17  outputs, through a line L 4 , the temperature related data received through a line L 3  and receives control data applied through the line L 4 . 
         [0046]    The communication interface  17  may be configured to communicate with an internal or external device through at least one of various interface protocols such as a universal serial bus (USB) protocol, a multimedia card (MMC) protocol, a peripheral component interconnection (PCI) protocol, a PCI-express (PCI-E) protocol, an advanced technology attachment (ATA) protocol, a serial-ATA protocol, a parallel-ATA protocol, a small computer small interface (SCSI) protocol, an enhanced small disk interface (ESDI) protocol, and an integrated drive electronics (IDE) protocol. 
         [0047]    The memory  15  is connected to the camera control unit  11  though a line L 5  and stores image data. The memory  15  may be a video RAM. 
         [0048]      FIG. 4  is a circuit block diagram of a computer in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0049]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the computer  103  includes a measurement control unit  21 , a memory  23 , and a communication interface  25 . 
         [0050]    The measurement control unit that may be implemented in a micro processor receives, through the communication interface  25  connected to a line L 20 , data on skin temperature varying whenever the heart of the subject pounds, and counts how many times the skin temperature varies for a preset time. 
         [0051]    The memory  23  connected to the measurement control unit  21  through a line L 10  stores data on the skin temperature and a count result. 
         [0052]    The memory  23  may be implemented in a volatile semiconductor memory device such as a DRAM or an SRAM, or a non-volatile semiconductor memory device. 
         [0053]    The non-volatile semiconductor memory device may be implemented in an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, a magnetic RAM (MRAM), a spin-transfer torque MRAM, a conductive bridging RAM (CBRAM), a ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), a phase change RAM (PRAM) referred to also as an ovonic unified memory (OUM), a resistive RAM (RRAM or ReRAM), a nanotube RRAM, a polymer RAM (PoRAM), a nano floating gate memory (NFGM), a holographic memory, a molecular electronics memory device), or an insulator resistance change memory, for example. In an embodiment of the present invention, the computer  103  may be one of an ultra mobile PC (UMPC), a workstation, a net-book, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, a web tablet, and a tablet computer. 
         [0054]    Since wireless heartbeat measurement according to the present invention adopts a technique of wirelessly measuring a variation in skin temperature unlike a typical technique of measuring pulses on a finger, there is no need to attach a measurement element to a body. 
         [0055]    As a result, it is possible to measure heartbeats by imaging a spot point, so heartbeats are measured without contact and awkwardness. Thus, when measuring heartbeats, user convenience increases and it is possible to measure heartbeats easily and conveniently in daily life or in a hospital. 
         [0056]    As described above, while particular embodiments have been described in the detailed description of the present invention, several variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments but be defined by the following claims and equivalents thereof. 
         [0057]    For example, also when measuring heartbeats of an animal in stead of a human being, it is possible to vary a spot point. Also, the functions of the computer may be implemented by incorporating a circuit for measuring heartbeats into the thermal graphic camera. 
         [0058]    Also, by employing a wireless interface in the thermal graphic camera, it is also possible to transmit heartbeats data to other electronic devices connected to the internet through WiFi or other communication networks. 
         [0059]    According to the heartbeats measurement of the present invention, it is possible to wirelessly measure heartbeats through imaging without measuring a biological signal in a contact technique. Thus, since the heartbeats of a subject are measured without contact and awkwardness, use convenience increases. Therefore, it is easy and convenient to measure heartbeats even without significantly limiting the movement of a subject when the subject is in daily life or in a hospitable. 
         [0060]    Also, since it is possible to measure the heartbeats of an animal by only imaging without attaching equipment to the body of the animal that is difficult to measure heartbeats, the present invention may be used in various fields such as veterinary medicine.