JPH04242031A - Human body contact type apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent consumption of a cell by automatically turning off power supply a fixed time after an apparatus itself is separated from a human body after its use. CONSTITUTION:When a pedometer is in contact with a human body, a signal having a low wave height value can be obtained from a nontouch switch 1. When the pedometer is separated from the human body, a signal having a high wave height value is outputted from the nontouch switch 1. A power supply circuit 21 reads this difference and formally judges that the pedometer is separated from the human body a fixed time after the wave height value is increased so that the power supply of a battery 23 is automatically cut off.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to human body contact devices such as pedometers and blood pressure monitors.

0002

[Prior Art] In recent years, pedometers that are used in contact with the human body,
Progress is being made in digitizing blood pressure monitors and other types of health donations.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, there is a problem in that it is often forgotten to turn off the power after using the main body of the device, and as a result, the battery is rapidly consumed. The present invention has been provided in view of the above-mentioned points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a human body contact type device that automatically turns off the power after a certain period of time when the device body is separated from the human body after use. This is the purpose.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention has a human body detection sensor provided on the side of the instrument body that comes into contact with the human body, and a signal received from the human body detection sensor that is output when the instrument body is separated from the human body. A control means for turning off the power after a certain period of time is provided.

[0005]

[Operation]The control means receives the signal output from the human body detection sensor when the instrument body is separated from the human body,
The control means automatically turns off the power after a certain period of time.

[0006]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present invention, a flat plate capacitor is used as a human body detection sensor for detecting the presence or absence of human contact, and a non-touch switch is used to detect a change in the capacitance of the flat plate capacitor. An electronic pedometer will be explained as an example of a device to be attached to the human body, and the power of this pedometer is automatically turned off in response to a signal from a human body detection sensor.

First, the non-touch switch will be explained. The basic patent for this non-touch switch is owned by Intellect Electronics Limited of Australia. The patent number is PCT/AU
It is 86/00043. Next, the configuration and basic operation of this non-touch switch will be explained. As shown in FIG. 6, the non-touch switch 1 is a flat plate capacitor composed of an outer electrode plate 2 and a central electrode plate 4 disposed inside the outer electrode plate 2 with an insulator 3 interposed therebetween, which is indicated by diagonal lines. It is formed by

As shown in FIG. 7, a square wave is input as a drive signal to the outer electrode plate 2, and a detection transistor Q1 is connected to the center electrode plate 4. FIG. 9(a) shows the charge distribution state of a flat plate capacitor, and FIG. 9(b) shows the charge distribution state when a fingertip approaches the capacitor. That is, when a fingertip approaches the switch surface of the non-touch switch 1, the finger acts as a third electrode, and in addition to the capacitor between the outer electrode plate 2 and the center electrode plate 4, the capacitor between the outer electrode plate 2 and the fingertip and the center electrode plate 4 and a capacitor between the fingertip will be formed.

For this reason, the electric charge between the electrodes is divided, and the capacitance between the electrode plates 2 and 4 is reduced compared to the normal state. As for the output waveform, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the current flowing through the transistor Q1 decreases, and the output pulse changes. This change is detected to determine whether the non-touch switch 1 is on or off.

On the other hand, to determine whether the non-touch switch 1 is on or off, a reference value created from the peak value of the detection pulse when the power is turned on is stored, and successive comparisons are made with the peak value of the detection pulse signal to determine the reference value. (threshold level), the non-touch switch 1 is determined to be on. Detection pulses are extracted at regular intervals and comparison and judgment are repeated.

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram showing the signal system of the non-touch switch 1. As shown in FIG. A square wave key scan drive signal is scanned and inputted to each non-touch switch 1 from the arithmetic control circuit 10 consisting of a microcomputer as described above. and,
The output of the non-touch switch 1 is detected by a transistor Q1, and the DC component of the output of this transistor Q1 is removed by a DC component removal circuit 11.

[0012] Then, the output signal amplified by the amplifier circuit 12 is peak-held by the peak-hold circuit 13, and further,
The comparator 14 compares the output with a reference value from the arithmetic control circuit 10 and inputs the output to the arithmetic control circuit 10. Also,
The light emitting diode 7 receives the output of the comparator 14 and is controlled by an on/off control signal by the arithmetic control circuit 10.
Further, the light emitting diode 7 is dynamically illuminated by an LED scan signal.

In order to clarify the on/off state of the non-touch switch 1, as shown in FIG. The light emitting diode 7 mentioned above is arranged. FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a pedometer 20 as a device main body, and the non-touch switch 1 is provided on one surface of the pedometer 20, which is a surface that comes into contact with the human body. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the pedometer 20, which includes a signal processing circuit 22 that detects vibration signals and measures the number of steps, a non-touch switch 1, a power supply circuit 21, and a battery 2 that supplies power to each part.
It is made up of 3rd grade.

Here, the power supply circuit 21 supplies power to the non-touch switch 1, and also supplies power to the non-touch switch 1.
The power supply to the battery 23 is automatically turned off based on this detection signal. Note that this power supply circuit 21 constitutes a control means. When the power of the pedometer 20 is turned on, the above-described drive signal shown in FIG. 4(a) is input to the non-touch switch 1 at regular intervals. Figure 3
When the pedometer 20 is in contact with the human body as shown in FIG. 4, a signal with a low peak value relative to the drive signal is obtained from the non-touch switch 1 as shown in FIG. 4(b).

However, when the pedometer 20 is removed from the human body, a signal with a high peak value is output from the non-touch switch 1, as shown in FIG. 4(b). The power supply circuit 21 reads this difference, and after a certain period of time when the peak value becomes large, officially determines that the pedometer 20 has left the human body, and automatically turns off the power to the battery 23. Therefore, even if the pedometer 20 is left unused without turning off the power using the switch, the power can be automatically turned off after a certain period of time to prevent the battery 23 from being depleted.

[0016] When using the non-touch switch 1,
It does not come into direct contact with the human body and reacts even if there is clothing in between. Further, although a pedometer is taken as an example here, it is of course applicable to electronic blood pressure monitors, electronic thermometers, and other electronic health appliances.

[0017]

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention receives signals from the human body detection sensor provided on the side of the instrument body that comes into contact with the human body and the human body detection sensor that is output when the instrument body is separated from the human body. Since the control means is provided with a control means that turns off the power after a certain period of time, the control means receives a signal output from the human body detection sensor when the main body of the device is separated from the human body, and the control means automatically turns off the power after a certain period of time. Therefore, it is possible to prevent battery consumption due to forgetting to turn off the power to the main body of the device.

Furthermore, by configuring the human body detection sensor with a non-touch switch that detects a change in capacitance and outputs a signal, battery consumption can be prevented with a simple configuration.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pedometer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state of use.

FIG. 4 is an operation waveform diagram.

FIG. 5 is an overall block diagram.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the non-touch switch.

FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of a non-touch switch.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an output waveform of a non-touch switch.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a non-touch switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Non-touch switch 23 Batteries

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: Control that turns off the power after a certain period of time in response to signals from a human body detection sensor provided on the side of the instrument body that comes in contact with the human body, and a signal from the human body detection sensor that is output when the instrument body is separated from the human body. A human body contact type device characterized by being provided with means. 2. The human body contact type device according to claim 1, wherein the human body detection sensor is constituted by a non-touch switch that detects a change in capacitance and outputs a signal.