Patent ID: 12251240

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The technical terms used in the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing exemplary embodiments, and they are not intended to limit the present invention. Also, unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein should be construed as having the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art, and should not be interpreted as being excessively inclusive or excessively restrictive. In addition, when a technical term used herein is an erroneous technical term that does not accurately represent the idea of the present invention, it should be understood as replacing the term by a technical term which can be properly understood by those skilled in the art.

Additionally, singular expressions used in the present disclosure include plural meaning unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present disclosure, the terms “comprising”, “having”, “including” and the like should not be construed to necessarily include all component elements or steps described in the present disclosure, and it should be interpreted that some component elements or some steps among them may not be included, or other components or steps may be added thereto.

Also, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings are merely illustrated to easily explain the spirit of the invention, and therefore, they should not be construed to limit the spirit of the invention by the accompanying drawings.

FIG.1is a drawing for illustrating a continuous blood glucose measurement system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG.1, a continuous blood glucose measurement device (1) is attached to a skin of a user, and the continuous blood glucose measurement device (1) periodically extracts the body fluid of the user and continuously measures biometrics information of the user (for example, blood glucose) using the extracted body fluid.

The continuous blood glucose measurement device (1) and user terminals (11,13) are connected with each other through short-distance communication, such as Bluetooth communication, NFC communication (Near Field Communication), and so on, and the continuous blood glucose measurement device (1) and the user terminals (11,13) receive and transmit data through the short-distance communication. Accordingly, when both the continuous blood glucose measurement device (1) and the user terminals (11,13) are positioned within the short-distance communication range, the continuous blood glucose measurement device (1) transmits the measured biometrics information of the user to the user terminals (11,13). Examples of the biometrics information measured by the continuous blood glucose measurement device (1) are described below.

More specifically, the user terminals (11,13) may be a smartphone (11) or smart watch (13), when the smartphone (11) or the smart watch (13) is located within a certain distance from the continuous blood glucose measurement device (1), the smartphone (11) or the smart watch (13) initiates the connection process with the continuous blood glucose measurement device (1), and when the connection is completed, the smartphone (11) or the smart watch (13) periodically receives information of blood glucose measured by the continuous blood glucose measurement device (1).

The smartphone (11) or the smart watch (13) displays the most recent received blood glucose information among the glucose information received by the smartphone (11) or the smart watch (13) or sequentially outputs the blood glucose information continuously received for a certain time period according to time flow, and therefore the user can monitor a current blood glucose information of the user or can monitor the changes to the blood glucose information for a certain time period through a display unit of the smartphone (11) or the smart watch (13).

In this embodiment, the user terminal may be a device configured to store or output the blood glucose information of the user received from the continuous blood glucose measurement device (1) to the user so that the user can check the blood glucose information of the user received from the continuous blood glucose measurement device (1), and an application provided for this purpose of managing blood glucose information can be executed at the user terminal.

The user terminal (11,13) is connected with a management server (50) through a network (30). The user terminal (11,13) is configured to transmit the blood glucose information of the user received from the continuous blood glucose measurement device (1) to the management server (50) or transmits sensor use information of the continuous blood glucose measurement device (1) to the management server (50).

Preferably, the user terminal (11,13) identifies a user based on inputted user information, and performs mapping between the blood glucose information and the identified user and registers and stores the blood glucose information mapped to the identified user. Meanwhile, the user terminal (11,13) transmits the blood glucose information or the sensor use information registered and mapped to the user together with the user information to the management server (50).

FIG.2is a functional block diagram for illustrating a user terminal for inquiring blood glucose information of a user according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG.2, a communication unit is communicationally connected with a continuous blood glucose measurement device and transmits/receives data to/from the continuous blood glucose measurement device when the communication unit (110) is located within a certain communication distance from the continuous blood glucose measurement device, and the communication unit (110) may be implemented as a short-distance communication unit for transmitting/receiving data to/from the continuous blood glucose measurement device, for example, a Bluetooth communication unit, NFC communication unit, infrared communication unit, and so on.

When a store controlling unit (130) receives the blood glucose information of the user from the continuous blood glucose measurement device through the communication unit (110), the store controlling unit (130) registers and stores the received blood glucose information to a database unit (150).

Meanwhile, an output controlling unit (170) controls operation of outputting the blood glucose information of the user registered and stored in the database unit (150) on a display unit (180), and the output controlling unit (170) controls to sequentially display the blood glucose information registered and stored in the database unit (150) on the display unit (180) by rotating the blood glucose information registered and stored in the database unit (150) around a reference blood glucose level according to time flow of measurement times of measuring the blood glucose. Specifically, the output controlling unit (170) controls to sequentially display and rotate the blood glucose information, which has been received from the continuous blood glucose measurement device and stored for a unit period (for example, a day, a week and so on), in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction according to time flow of the measurement times of measuring the blood glucose information on the display unit, and the latest measured blood glucose information among the received blood glucose information is located on a reference line and previously measured blood glucose information is controlled to be sequentially displayed by being rotated in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction according to the time flow of the measurement times from the reference line.

A user interface unit (190) is configured to receive a user command, and the user can input the user command for setting a set value of an upper limit blood glucose or a set value of a lower limit blood glucose through the user interface unit (190), or can input the user command for inquiring, checking or searching biometrics information to be outputted on the display unit (180). The output controlling unit (170) controls to display the set value of the upper limit blood glucose or the set value of the lower limit blood glucose together with the blood glucose information on the display unit (180) based on the set value of the upper limit blood glucose or the set value of the lower limit blood glucose, or controls to display the biometrics information by rotating the biometrics information so that specific measurement time that the user intends to inquire, check or search is located on the reference line or controls to display the biometrics information by moving to the unit period of the biometrics information that the user intends to inquire, check or search according to the user command for inquiring, checking or searching the biometrics information.

FIG.3illustrates an exemplary embodiment of blood glucose information displayed on a display unit.

Referring toFIG.3, circles representing sequentially increasing or decreasing blood glucose level around a reference blood glucose level, which may be a center of a circle, is displayed in a radial form or shape, and measurement times are displayed around the outermost circle. When the unit period displaying the blood glucose information on a single display screen is one day, measurement times for 24 hours are displayed around the outermost circle at regular intervals.

Meanwhile, when a set value of an upper limit blood glucose or a set value of a lower limit blood glucose is inputted through a user interface unit, a circle representing the set value of the upper limit blood glucose or the set value of the lower limit blood glucose at a blood glucose level corresponding to the set value of the upper limit blood glucose or the set value of the lower limit blood glucose is displayed. Preferably, the circle representing the set value of the upper limit blood glucose or the set value of the lower limit blood glucose is displayed with a different color from a circle representing a blood glucose level (for example, red or blue).

Accordingly, circles representing blood glucose levels which are sequentially increased or decreased from a reference blood glucose level, which may be a center of a circle, are displayed, and a blood glucose value and a measurement time of the measured blood glucose information are mapped to the blood glucose levels and time of a unit period and are displayed to be sequentially rotatedly moved in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction, and therefore biometrics information of the user is displayed according to sequential time flow so that the user can easily recognize the biometrics information of the user on the display unit with a small size.

FIG.4is a flow chart for illustrating a method for outing blood glucose information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG.4, when a user command for inputting a set value is inputted, the set value is set according to the inputted user command (S110). The set value may be a set value of an upper limit blood glucose or a set value of a lower limit blood glucose to easily detect hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia based on blood glucose information of a user depending on physical conditions of the user. Additionally, the set value may be a unit period set value for changeably setting a unit period to 12 hours, 1 day, 2 days, and so on or a set value for setting the maximum value and the minimum value of the displayed blood glucose level.

When the blood glucose information of the user is received from the continuous blood glucose measurement device for a unit period (S130), the blood glucose information of the user is mapped with a measurement time and a blood glucose level displayed on a display unit and is displayed, and latest measured blood glucose information among measurement times of the blood glucose information is located on a fixed reference line and previously measured blood glucose information is rotated in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction from the refence line according to time flow of the measurement times and is sequentially outputted and displayed (S150).

Whether the blood glucose information for the set unit period is received is determined (S170), and when the reception of the blood glucose information for the unit period is completed, the blood glucose information for the received unit period is registered and stored and blood glucose information received for new unit period is mapped with the measurement time and the blood glucose level displayed on the display unit is displayed (S190).

FIG.5is a flow chart for illustrating a method for displaying blood glucose information on a display unit according to an inquiry command of a user.

Referring toFIG.5, whether a user command for inquiring blood glucose information is inputted is determined (S210). The latest measured blood glucose is located at a reference line and blood glucose information measured at previously measured times is rotated in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction from the reference line and is sequentially outputted according to time flow of the measurement times, and the blood glucose information of the measurement time positioned on the reference line is specifically displayed as an Arabic numeral at one portion of the display unit. The user can input a user commend for inquiring precise blood glucose information of previously measured time by moving blood glucose information measured at the previously measured time to the reference line, or input a user commend for inquiring blood glucose information of a previous unit period. Preferably, the display unit may be a touch screen and the user can touch the display unit or performs touch movement to input the user command.

By determining whether the inputted user command is a user command for rotating in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction the previously measured time to the reference line (220), when the user command is a rotation inquiry command, the displayed blood glucose is rotatedly moved in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction and displayed (S230).

Meanwhile, by determining whether the inputted user command is a user command for inquiring blood glucose information measured at a previous unit period or a following unit period by moving to the previous unit period (S240), when the user command is a movement inquiry command, the blood glucose information of the previous unit period or the following unit period is displayed by being sequentially moved to the previous unit period or the following unit period (S250).

By determining whether a different inquiry command is inputted within a preset threshold time from a rotation inquiry command or a movement inquiry command (S260), if the rotation inquiry command or the movement inquiry command is inputted within the preset threshold time, the blood glucose information of the previously measured time is displayed or the blood glucose information of the previous unit period or the following unit period is displayed according to the rotation inquiry command or the movement inquiry command.

However, if it is determined that the different inquiry command is not inputted within the preset threshold time (S270), the blood glucose information is displayed such that the most recently measured blood glucose information is located and returned to the reference line (S290).

FIGS.6and7illustrate exemplary embodiments of biometric information displayed depending on a shape of a display unit according to a method for displaying blood glucose information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated inFIG.6, when a display unit (D) has a circular shape, on the display unit, measurement times of a unit period are separately disposed at a separation distance and displayed in a radial form in association with blood glucose levels having a shape of circle, and the blood glucose value and the measured time of the measured blood glucose information are mapped to the blood glucose levels and the measurement time of the unit period displayed on the display unit by being sequentially rotatedly moved in a counterclockwise and displayed. And, as illustrated inFIG.7, when a display unit (D) has a square shape, on the display unit, measurement times of a unit period are separately disposed at a separation distance and displayed in a radial form in association with blood glucose levels having a shape of circle, and the blood glucose value and the measured time of the measured blood glucose information are mapped to the blood glucose levels and the measurement time of the unit period displayed on the display unit by being sequentially rotatedly moved in a counterclockwise and displayed.

FIG.8is a drawing for illustrating an exemplary embodiment of blood glucose information displayed by a method for displaying blood glucose information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown inFIG.8(a), a reference blood glucose level (0 mg/DL) is displayed as a center of a circle and circles representing blood glucose levels which sequentially increase at a rate of 50 mg/dL are displayed in a radial form, and measurement times of a unit period are displayed around the outermost circle. For example, in case that the unit period of the blood glucose information displayed on a single display screen is a day, time is displayed at intervals of one hour.

When receiving the blood glucose information of the user, the blood glucose information of the user is displayed by being mapped to unit period measurement times and blood glucose levels, and the most recently measured blood glucose information among measurement times of the blood glucose information is located at a fixed reference line so that the blood glucose information measured at the previously measured times is sequentially outputted and displayed according to time flow of the measurement times by rotating the blood glucose information measured at the previously measured times in a counterclockwise direction from the reference line.

The latest measured blood glucose information is displayed at one portion of the display unit and, preferably, the latest measured blood glucose information is displayed with an Arabic numeral at a center of a circle of the blood glucose level.

Meanwhile, as illustrated inFIG.8(b), when receiving blood glucose information of a user, the blood glucose information of the user is displayed by being mapped to unit period measurement times and blood glucose levels, and the latest measured blood glucose information among measurement times of the blood glucose information is located at a fixed reference line so that the blood glucose information measured at the previously measured times is sequentially outputted and displayed according to time flow of the measurement times by rotating the blood glucose information measured at the previously measured times in a counterclockwise direction from the reference line. In this embodiment, if there is a blood glucose value exceeding an upper limit blood glucose set value among the measured blood glucose information, that blood glucose information exceeding the upper limit blood glucose set value is distinguishably displayed in a different way from blood glucose information which is within between the upper limit blood glucose set value and the lower limit blood glucose set value so that the user can easily recognize blood glucose information, which is greater than the upper limit blood glucose set value or less than the lower limit blood glucose set value, among the blood glucose information of the unit period. Preferably, when a blood glucose value among the measured blood glucose information exceeds an upper limit blood glucose set value, that blood glucose information exceeding the upper limit blood glucose set value is displayed with a different color from blood glucose information which is within between the upper limit blood glucose set value and the lower limit blood glucose set value

FIG.9is a drawing for illustrating an exemplary embodiment displaying blood glucose information according to a movement inquiry command.

As illustrated inFIG.9(b), for example, when in a state that blood glucose information of a unit period of Mar. 19, 2018 is displayed on a display unit a movement inquiry command for inquiring blood glucose information of a previous unit period (e.g. Mar. 18, 2018) is inputted, the blood glucose information of the previous unit period is displayed on the display unit according to the inputted movement inquiry command as illustrated inFIG.9(a).

Meanwhile, when in a state that blood glucose information of a unit period of Mar. 19, 2018 is displayed on the display unit a movement inquiry command for inquiring blood glucose information of a following unit period (e.g. Mar. 20, 2018) is inputted, the blood glucose information of the following unit period is displayed on the display unit according to the inputted movement inquiry command as illustrated inFIG.9(c).

In the exemplary embodiment, the display unit is a touch screen, and the movement inquiry command can be inputted by scrolling the touch screen in a left direction or scrolling the touch screen in a right direction to input the previous inquiry command or the next inquiry command.

Therefore, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure displays biometrics information on a single display screen by sequentially rotating biometrics information by unit period according to measurement times so that the biometrics information by unit period can be easily inquired according to the movement inquiry command.

FIG.10is a drawing for illustrating an exemplary embodiment displaying biometrics information according to a rotation inquiry command.

As illustrated inFIG.10(a), for example, when in a state that blood glucose information of a unit period of Mar. 18, 2018 is displayed on a display unit and measurement time 00:00 is positioned at a reference line a rotation inquiry command for inquiring blood glucose information of measurement time 14:00 is inputted, the blood glucose information of measurement time 14:00 is located at the reference line and the blood glucose information of measurement time 14:00 is displayed with an Arabic numeral according to the inputted rotation inquiry command as shown inFIG.10(b).

Meanwhile, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described above can be implemented through programs executable at computers, and can be operated in a general-purpose digital computer executing the programs using computer readable medium.

The above-referenced computer readable medium comprises storage medium such as magnetic storage media (e.g., ROM, floppy disks, hard disks, etc.), optical recording media (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs, etc.), and carrier waves (e.g., transmission through the Internet).

Although the present disclosure is described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings in order to explain certain principles of the present disclosure by way of example, a person having ordinary skill in the art which the present disclosure relates could make various modifications and equivalent other embodiments. Accordingly, the protection scope of the present disclosure shall be defined by the claims attached hereto and all of their equivalents.