KR102816607B1 - Massage apparatus with measuring heart rate and method for measuring heart rate - Google Patents

Abstract

A massage device capable of measuring a heart rate is provided. A massage device capable of measuring a heart rate according to one aspect of the present invention may include: a frame disposed on a floor; a vibration detection sensor provided on the frame so as to detect vibration transmitted from the floor to the frame; a massage module including a support unit installed on the frame and a massage unit provided on the support unit so as to provide a massage to a user's body; a heart rate detection sensor provided on the massage module so as to detect a heart rate transmitted from a user's body seated on the massage unit; and a processor for calculating a heart rate of the user based on a first signal acquired from the heart rate detection sensor and a second signal acquired from the vibration detection sensor.

Description

{Massage apparatus with measuring heart rate and method for measuring heart rate}

The present invention relates to a massage device capable of measuring heart rate and a method for measuring heart rate, and more specifically, to a massage device capable of measuring a user's heart rate more accurately and a method for measuring heart rate.

In general, heart rate variability (HRV) provides quantitative indicators for evaluating pathological and physiological conditions in the cardiovascular system, and is influenced by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, so it is used as a quantitative indicator of the autonomic nervous system involved in stress-related diseases. Accordingly, products that are driven by heartbeats, such as health devices, massage devices, and thermal therapy devices, are emerging.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2014218 of Seragem Co., Ltd. discloses a control device for a conventional thermal therapy device with a heart rate measurement function. The control device calculates a heart rate from a ballistic cardiogram signal detected by a weight detection sensor, and is configured to provide the thermal therapy device with an appropriate massage mode for the user based on the calculated heart rate.

These control devices disclose a configuration for preprocessing to remove power noise, weight signal noise, etc. from the ballistic heart signal extracted from the weight detection sensor. However, these conventional control devices have a problem in that they do not present a specific technical method for removing noise generated by vibration of the floor on which the thermal therapy device is placed.

Therefore, there has been an urgent need to develop a massage device that can more accurately calculate and utilize the user's heart rate by removing noise signals resulting from floor vibration.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2014218

The present invention has been conceived in consideration of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a massage device capable of accurately measuring a user's heart rate.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a massage device that can display a measured heart rate and provide it to a user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a massage device capable of providing a user with various massage modes by utilizing measured heart rate.

The tasks of the present invention are not limited to the tasks mentioned above, and other tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a massage device capable of measuring a heart rate is provided, comprising: a frame disposed on a floor; a vibration detection sensor provided on the frame so as to detect vibration transmitted from the floor to the frame; a massage module including a support member installed on the frame and a massage member provided on the support member so as to provide a massage to a user's body; a heart rate detection sensor provided on the massage module so as to detect a heartbeat transmitted from a user's body seated on the massage member; and a processor for calculating a heart rate of the user based on a first signal acquired from the heart rate detection sensor and a second signal acquired from the vibration detection sensor.

At this time, the first signal includes a heartbeat signal including information about the user's heartbeat and a noise signal other than the heartbeat signal, and the processor can correct the first signal based on the second signal so that the noise signal can be removed.

At this time, the noise signal may include a vibration noise signal caused by vibration transmitted from the floor to the massage module.

At this time, the processor can calculate a correction signal based on the second signal to correct the first signal, and calculate the user's heart rate based on the first signal and the correction signal.

At this time, the processor can generate the correction signal based on the second signal and the correction coefficient.

At this time, the processor can modify the correction coefficient so that the noise signal of the first signal and the correction signal can become identical.

At this time, the processor may use an adaptive filter algorithm to modify the correction coefficient.

At this time, the adaptive filter algorithm may include at least one of an LMS (Least Mean Square) filter algorithm, an NLMS (Normalized Least Mean Square) filter algorithm, and an RLS (Recursive Least Square) filter algorithm.

At this time, the processor can amplify and filter at least one of the first signal and the second signal, and calculate the user's heart rate based on the amplified and filtered signal.

At this time, the heart rate detection sensor may be formed of a weight detection sensor capable of detecting the weight of a body placed on the massage unit.

At this time, the heart rate detection sensor may be placed on one side of the support member.

At this time, the massage unit may include a thermal therapy ceramic rotatably coupled to the support unit so as to provide thermal therapy to the user.

At this time, the thermal therapy ceramics and the heart rate detection sensors are provided in multiple units, and the multiple thermal therapy ceramics include a first thermal therapy ceramic and a second thermal therapy ceramic arranged along a first row parallel to the user's elongation direction, and a third thermal therapy ceramic and a fourth thermal therapy ceramic arranged along a second row parallel to the first row, and the multiple heart rate detection sensors may include a first heart rate detection sensor arranged on the first row and a second heart rate detection sensor arranged on the second row.

At this time, the first column and the second column can be arranged symmetrically around the user's body.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for measuring a heart rate of a user receiving a massage from a massage device including a frame disposed on the floor and a massage module installed on the frame so as to provide a massage is provided, the method comprising: obtaining a first signal from a heart rate detection sensor provided on the massage module; obtaining a second signal from a vibration detection sensor provided on the frame; and calculating the heart rate of the user based on the first signal and the second signal.

At this time, the first signal includes a heart rate signal detected by the user's heartbeat and a noise signal other than the heart rate signal, and the step of calculating the heart rate may include a step of correcting the first signal based on the second signal so that the noise signal can be removed.

At this time, the step of correcting the first signal may include a step of calculating a correction signal based on the second signal and the correction coefficient; and a step of calculating a heart rate based on the first signal and the correction signal.

At this time, the step of correcting the first signal may include a step of modifying the correction coefficient so that the noise signal of the first signal and the correction signal can become identical.

At this time, an adaptive filter algorithm may be used in the step of modifying the above correction coefficient.

At this time, a step of amplifying and filtering at least one of the first signal and the second signal may be further included.

A massage device capable of measuring a heart rate and a method for measuring a heart rate according to an embodiment of the present invention can obtain a first signal from a heart rate detection sensor that detects vibration of a user's body, and calculate the user's heart rate based on the obtained first signal.

In addition, a massage device capable of measuring heart rate and a method for measuring heart rate according to an embodiment of the present invention can accurately calculate a user's heart rate by obtaining a second signal from a vibration detection sensor that detects vibration transmitted from the floor and correcting a first signal based on the obtained second signal.

In addition, the massage device capable of measuring heart rate and the method for measuring heart rate according to an embodiment of the present invention can calculate the user's heart rate more accurately by calculating a correction signal based on a second signal and a correction coefficient and correcting the first signal based on the calculated correction signal.

In addition, the massage device capable of measuring heart rate and the method for measuring heart rate according to an embodiment of the present invention can more accurately calculate the user's heart rate by modifying a correction coefficient using an adaptive filter algorithm and correcting a first signal based on the modified correction coefficient to precisely remove a noise signal caused by floor vibration from the first signal.

In addition, a massage device capable of measuring heart rate according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a memory for storing data regarding a calculated heart rate and an interface capable of displaying the calculated heart rate, thereby accumulating data regarding a heart rate measured according to a massage and also providing the same to a user.

In addition, a massage device capable of measuring heart rate according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a controller capable of determining a massage mode based on the calculated heart rate and controlling a massage module according to the determined massage mode, thereby providing a massage appropriately set according to the heart rate.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from this specification and the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above of a massage device capable of measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a massage module and a heart rate detection sensor of a massage device capable of measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a heart rate detection sensor, a vibration detection sensor, a processor, a memory, an interface, and a controller of a massage device capable of measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a processor of a massage device capable of measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a flow chart of a heart rate measurement method according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating in detail the steps for calculating a heart rate in a heart rate measuring method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The words and terms used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as having meanings and concepts consistent with the technical idea of the present invention, in accordance with the principles by which the inventor can define terms and concepts in order to best describe his or her invention.

In this specification, it should be understood that terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to describe the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

When a component is said to be "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" another component, unless there are special circumstances, it includes not only being positioned "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" the other component in direct contact with it, but also cases where there are other components intervening therebetween. Furthermore, when a component is said to be "connected" to another component, unless there are special circumstances, it includes cases where they are indirectly connected to each other as well as cases where they are directly connected to each other.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure may be represented by functional block configurations and various processing steps. Some or all of these functional blocks may be implemented by various numbers of hardware and/or software configurations that perform specific functions. For example, the functional blocks of the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more microprocessors, or may be implemented by circuit configurations for a given function. Also, for example, the functional blocks of the present disclosure may be implemented by various programming or scripting languages. The functional blocks may be implemented by algorithms that are executed on one or more processors. In addition, the present disclosure may employ conventional techniques for electronic environment settings, signal processing, and/or data processing. Terms such as “mechanism,” “element,” “means,” and “configuration” may be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical and physical configurations.

The term 'module' or 'part' used in the specification means a software or hardware component, and the 'module' or 'part' performs certain roles. However, the 'module' or 'part' is not limited to software or hardware. The 'module' or 'part' may be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium and may be configured to execute one or more processors. Thus, as an example, the 'module' or 'part' may include at least one of components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, and processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, or variables. The components and 'modules' or 'parts' may be combined into a smaller number of components and 'modules' or 'parts', or may be further separated into additional components and 'modules' or 'parts'.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a 'module' or 'unit' may be implemented as a processor and a memory. 'Processor' should be broadly construed to include a general purpose processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, and the like. In some circumstances, a 'processor' may also refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and the like. A 'processor' may also refer to a combination of processing devices, such as, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such combination of configurations. In addition, 'memory' should be broadly construed to include any electronic component capable of storing electronic information. 'Memory' may also refer to various types of processor-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable-programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), flash memory, magnetic or optical data storage, registers, etc. Memory is said to be in electronic communication with the processor if the processor can read information from, and/or write information to, the memory. Memory integrated in a processor is in electronic communication with the processor.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a massage device capable of measuring a heart rate according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a massage module and a heart rate detection sensor of a massage device capable of measuring a heart rate according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below. FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a heart rate detection sensor, a vibration detection sensor, a processor, a memory, an interface, and a controller of a massage device capable of measuring a heart rate according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a processor of a massage device capable of measuring a heart rate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a massage device (1) capable of measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention may include lower and upper frames (10, 20), a vibration detection sensor (30), a massage module (40), and a heart rate detection sensor (50).

As shown in Fig. 1, the lower and upper frames (10, 20) are configured to allow a user to lie down or place a part of the body on them, and the lower and upper frames (10, 20) can be placed on the floor surface.

In addition, the lower and upper frames (10, 20) can provide a base on which a massage module (40) is installed. The massage module (40) provided on the upper side of the lower and upper frames (10, 20) provides a massage to the body of a user mounted on the lower and upper frames (10, 20).

The massage module (40) is equipped with a heart rate detection sensor (50) that can detect heartbeats transmitted from the user's body and convert them into electrical signals. Hereinafter, the signal is referred to as a first signal.

The lower frame (10) is equipped with a vibration detection sensor (30) that can detect vibration transmitted from the floor and convert it into an electrical signal. Hereinafter, the signal is referred to as a second signal.

Referring to FIG. 2 together, the processor (60) calculates a heart rate based on the first and second signals. That is, the massage device (1) capable of measuring a heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention can calculate a heart rate more accurately based on signals acquired from a plurality of sensors, and can also use the calculated heart rate to control the massage module (40) or provide it to the user.

Hereinafter, each component of a massage device capable of measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail.

Referring to FIG. 1, the lower and upper frames (10, 20) of a massage device (1) capable of measuring a heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention may be formed of a lower frame (10) supported by a floor surface and an upper frame (20) provided on an upper side of the lower frame (10) and on which at least a part of the user's body is placed. The lower and upper frames (10, 20) may be formed of a material having strong rigidity, such as metal or reinforced plastic material, in order to secure sufficient support force.

In the illustrated embodiment, the lower frame (10) is composed of a first lower frame (12) for supporting an upper frame (20) on which the user's upper body is placed, and a second lower frame (14) for supporting the user's lower body.

The first lower frame (12) is formed as a pair, and the pair of first lower frames (12) can be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the left and right directions. The upper frame (20) described above can be provided between the pair of first lower frames (12).

The upper frame (20) is configured to support the user's upper body with the support force provided by the lower frame (10), and also to provide a base on which a massage module (40) capable of providing a massage to the user is installed.

The upper frame (20) may have a structure to assist the function of the massage module (40). In the illustrated embodiment, the massage module (40) is movably coupled to the upper frame (20) so as to move along the user's stretching direction and provide a massage.

To this end, in this embodiment, the upper frame (20) is composed of a base plate (22) supported by the first lower frame (12), and a rail (24) formed along the user's extension direction on the upper side of the base plate (22). In addition, an actuator (26) is provided on one side of the base plate (22) to provide driving force so that the massage module (40) can move.

However, the shape and structure of the lower and upper frames (10, 20) of the massage device (1) capable of measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention are not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and the shape and structure of the lower and upper frames (10, 20) may be variously modified within a range that does not harm the spirit of the present invention.

For example, the shape and structure of the lower and upper frames (10, 20) can be appropriately configured according to the characteristics of the space in which the massage device (1) is placed, the characteristics of the body part to which the massage is provided, and the function of the massage module (40).

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 1, the lower frame (10) may be equipped with a vibration detection sensor (30) that detects vibration transmitted from the floor surface on which the massage device (1) is placed to the lower and upper frames (10, 20) and converts the detected vibration into the second signal described above.

The vibration detection sensor (30) may be composed of a resistance value variable type vibration detection sensor, a light amount detection type vibration detection sensor, a piezoelectric type vibration detection sensor, etc., but as long as it can detect vibration transmitted from the floor surface to the lower and upper frames (10, 20), its type is not particularly limited.

In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, the vibration detection sensor (30) is installed on the outer side of the first lower frame (12), but its location is not particularly limited as long as it can detect vibrations transmitted from the floor surface to the lower and upper frames (10, 20).

For example, the vibration detection sensor (30) may be mounted inside the first lower frame (12), installed in the second lower frame (14), or installed in the base plate (22).

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, as described above, a massage module (40) is provided on the upper side of the lower and upper frames (10, 20). In this embodiment, the massage module (40) is composed of a transfer portion (42), a support portion (44), and a massage portion (46, 48).

The transfer unit (42) is a box-shaped structure configured to move the massage unit (46, 48) described below along the user's stretching direction. To this end, a roller that is movably coupled to a rail (24) on a base plate (22) may be provided on the side or bottom of the transfer unit (42).

In addition, the transfer unit (42) can be connected to the actuator (26) described above in a predetermined manner so as to receive driving force. Accordingly, the transfer unit (42) can receive driving force and move the support unit (44) and massage unit (46, 48) described below.

A support member (44) can be fixedly connected to the upper side of the transfer member (42). The support member (44) is a plate-shaped member extending in a horizontal direction and is configured to support the massage member (46, 48) described below.

In this embodiment, the massage unit (46, 48) may be composed of a first massage unit (46) and a second massage unit (48) that can provide massage to different parts of the body as illustrated.

The first and second massage sections (46, 48) may be formed of a plurality of thermal therapy ceramics (46, 48) as illustrated. At this time, the plurality of thermal therapy ceramics (46, 48) may be rotatably coupled to the support section (44), respectively.

The first massage unit (46) may be composed of a first thermal therapy ceramic (46a) and a second thermal therapy ceramic (46b) arranged along a first row (L1) parallel to the user's stretching direction, and the second massage unit (48) may be composed of a third thermal therapy ceramic (48a) and a fourth thermal therapy ceramic (48b) arranged along a second row (L2) parallel to the first row (L1) but spaced apart by a predetermined interval.

At this time, the first row (L1) and the second row (L2) can be arranged symmetrically with respect to the user's body as the center. Accordingly, the first massage part (46) and the second massage part (48) can symmetrically support the user's body and provide a massage.

Through this, the load from the user's body can be evenly distributed, thereby increasing the structural stability of the massage module (40), and effectively providing a massage suitable for the body structure.

Meanwhile, in the illustrated embodiment, the massage part (46, 48) is made of a thermal therapy ceramic as described above, but is not limited thereto, and the massage part (46, 48) may be made of various configurations that can move in a predetermined manner and provide a massage to the user.

For example, the massage part (46, 48) may be composed of a massage projection that can apply local pressure to the user's body while moving up and down, a massage roller that can apply gentle pressure to the user's body while moving in a rolling motion, etc.

At this time, referring back to FIG. 2, the massage module (40) may be equipped with a heart rate detection sensor (50). As described above, the heart rate detection sensor (50) is configured to detect the user's body vibration containing information about the heart rate and convert it into a first signal, which is an electrical signal.

The heart rate detection sensor (50) may be composed of various types of sensors capable of detecting body vibrations. In the present embodiment, the heart rate detection sensor (50) is a weight detection sensor composed of a load cell capable of detecting the user's weight.

The weight detection sensor can detect a weight signal including a fine ballistocardiogram signal. Here, the ballistocardiogram signal refers to a signal that detects the body's vibration accompanying the heartbeat.

At this time, the heart rate detection sensor (50) may be provided on one side of the support member (44) that supports the massage member (46, 48), or on the lower side of the support member (44) based on Fig. 2. Through this, the heart rate detection sensor (50) can stably and accurately detect the user's body vibration while being minimally affected by the movement of the massage member (46, 48).

In addition, a plurality of heart rate detection sensors (50) may be provided. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of heart rate detection sensors (50) include a first heart rate detection sensor (52) arranged on a first row (L1) and a second heart rate detection sensor (54) arranged on a second row (L2). Accordingly, the first and second heart rate detection sensors (52, 54) can stably and accurately detect body vibration based on the evenly distributed body weight.

However, the position where the heart rate detection sensor (50) is installed in the massage module (40) is not limited to the support member (44) on the first or second row (L1, L2) as illustrated, and if the heart rate can be measured by detecting the user's body vibration, the position is not particularly limited. That is, if the heart rate detection sensor (50) can stably and accurately measure the heart rate, it may be installed in the massage member (46, 48) that moves in a predetermined manner and directly applies pressure to the user's body.

Meanwhile, the first signal obtained from the heart rate detection sensor (50) may be composed of a heart rate signal (i.e., a ballistic cardiogram signal) containing information about the user's heart rate and a noise signal other than the heart rate signal.

The noise signal interferes with the accurate calculation of the heart rate from the first signal. The noise signal may include a signal resulting from vibration transmitted from the floor through the frame to the massage module (40).

In this embodiment, the vibration detection sensor (30) (illustrated in FIG. 1) described above is introduced to minimize the influence of the noise signal described above. The process of accurately calculating the heart rate by considering the noise signal will be described later together with another method of calculating the heart rate in one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, a massage device (1) capable of measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a processor (60), a memory (70), an interface (80), and a controller (90). The processor (60), the memory (70), the interface (80), and the controller (90) may be installed on one side of the lower and upper frames (10, 20), or may be mounted inside the lower and upper frames (10, 20).

The processor (60) is configured to receive a first signal from a heart rate detection sensor (50) and calculate the user's heart rate based on the first signal.

The processor (60) may be implemented by hardware, software, and/or a combination thereof. For example, the processor (60) may be implemented by using an electrical circuit that processes hardware, or may be implemented by a processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a controller, an arithmetic logic unit, a computational logic circuit, a digital signal processing device, a microcomputer, an FPGA, a system on a chip (SoC), a programmable logic unit, a microprocessor, or any device capable of performing the functions described below.

In addition, the processor (60) may be configured to process instructions of a computer program by performing basic arithmetic, logic, and input/output operations. Instructions may be provided to the processor (60) by a memory (70) or the like, which will be described later. For example, the processor (60) may be configured to execute instructions received according to program code stored in a recording device such as the memory (70).

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the processor (60) may receive a second signal from the vibration detection sensor (30) and correct the first signal based on the received second signal in order to accurately calculate the heart rate from the first signal. To this end, the processor (60) may include a first amplifier unit (61), a pass filter unit (62), a second amplifier unit (63), an adaptive filter unit (64), and a calculation unit (65).

In this way, a massage device capable of measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention can accurately calculate a user's heart rate by correcting a first signal, in which a heart rate signal including information about heartbeats and a noise signal derived from vibration of a floor surface are mixed, based on a second signal acquired by detecting vibration of a floor surface.

The specific functions of the processor (60) and each component constituting the processor (60) and the method for calculating the heart rate based on the first signal and the second signal will be described later together with the method for measuring the heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the processor (60) can transmit data regarding the calculated heart rate to the memory (70). The memory (70) can store the transmitted data. In addition, the memory (70) can provide the stored data to other components of the massage device as needed. For example, the memory (70) can transmit data regarding the heart rate to the interface (80) and/or the controller (90) described below.

The memory (70) may include any non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. According to one embodiment, the memory (70) may include a non-volatile mass storage device such as a ROM, an SSD, a flash memory, a disk drive, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a disk drive, a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, etc. In addition, the memory (70) may store at least one program code (e.g., a code for calculating a heart rate based on the first signal and the second signal) as described above. These software components may be loaded from a computer-readable recording medium separate from the memory (70). This separate computer-readable recording medium may include a recording medium directly connectable to the processor (60) of the present embodiment, and may include, for example, a computer-readable recording medium such as a floppy drive, a disk, a tape, a DVD/CD-ROM drive, a memory card, etc. As another example, software components may be transmitted from outside via a separate communication module rather than a computer-readable recording medium and loaded into memory (70).

Meanwhile, referring back to FIG. 3, the processor (60) can transmit data regarding the calculated heart rate to the interface (80). The interface (80) is configured to interact with a user and transmit information or receive signals. In this embodiment, the user can receive data regarding the calculated heart rate through the interface (80).

To this end, the interface (80) may be configured to input information and/or data into the processor (60) or memory (70), or output information and/or data generated from the processor (60) or memory (70). The interface (80) may be formed of, as an example of an input/output means, a display having a button, a digital signal indicator, or a touch screen.

Additionally, the processor (60) can transmit data regarding the calculated heart rate to the controller (90).

The controller (90) is configured to determine a massage mode based on data on heart rate calculated by the processor (60) and to control the massage unit (46, 48) (illustrated in FIG. 2) and the actuator (26) (illustrated in FIG. 1) to perform the determined massage mode. Of course, the controller (90) may also receive data on heart rate calculated by the processor (60) from the memory (70).

The controller (90) may be implemented using an electrical circuit that is processed by hardware, or may be implemented by a processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a controller, an arithmetic logic unit, a computational logic circuit, a digital signal processing device, a microcomputer, an FPGA, a system on a chip (SoC), a programmable logic unit, a microprocessor, or any device capable of performing the functions described below.

At this time, the controller (90) can determine the massage mode based on the calculated heart rate. In addition, the controller (90) can determine the user's condition based on the heart rate calculated by the processor (60) and automatically set a massage mode that can alleviate the user's condition.

For example, the controller (90) can control the massage mode to be actively performed by automatically setting the massage pattern, massage intensity, and massage temperature of the massage mode to activate the sympathetic nervous system or the parasympathetic nervous system.

For example, the controller (90) can control to perform a parasympathetic stimulation mode that activates the user's parasympathetic nervous system to stabilize the body rhythm when the calculated heart rate exceeds the reference heart rate according to the input user's age and gender. At this time, the reference heart rate can be determined based on data input by the user through the interface (80) and data on resting heart rate according to age and gender.

In addition, the controller (90) can control to perform a sympathetic stimulation mode that activates the user's sympathetic nervous system to activate the body rhythm if the calculated heart rate is lower than the reference heart rate according to the input user's age and gender.

In addition, the controller (90) can control the massage mode to be performed in the standard mode that is set immediately before, if the calculated heart rate is the same as the reference heart rate according to the input user's age and gender.

Here, the massage temperature, massage pattern, and massage intensity for each performance mode can be set according to the massage mode for each state stored in the memory (70). In addition, the massage temperature, massage pattern, and massage intensity for each performance mode can also be directly set by the user through the interface (80).

In this way, according to the present embodiment, the processor (60) accurately calculates the heart rate, and the controller (90) determines the massage mode based on the calculated heart rate and controls the massage unit and actuator, thereby effectively providing a massage mode more suitable to the user's condition.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 3, the controller (90) is illustrated as an element configured separately from the processor (60), but this is not limited to this, and the controller (90) may be configured to be included in the processor (60).

Hereinafter, a method for measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described together with a specific configuration of the aforementioned processor.

To facilitate understanding of the invention, the present disclosure will describe a method for measuring a heart rate by a massage device capable of measuring a heart rate according to an embodiment of the present invention described above.

However, the method for measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention may be applied to other massage devices having a heart rate detection sensor for detecting a user's heartbeat and a vibration detection sensor for detecting vibration of a floor surface, in addition to the massage devices capable of measuring heart rate illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, when measuring heart rate.

Fig. 5 is a flow chart of a heart rate measuring method according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing in detail the steps of calculating a heart rate in a heart rate measuring method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5 together with FIGS. 1 and 2, in a method for measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention, a heart rate detection sensor (50) equipped in a massage module (40) obtains a first signal (S100), and a vibration detection sensor (30) equipped in a lower frame (10) obtains a second signal (S200).

At this time, the order of the step of acquiring the first signal (S100) and the step of acquiring the second signal (S200) is not particularly limited, but since the second signal is a signal for correcting the first signal as described below, it is preferable that the first signal and the second signal be acquired simultaneously.

Referring to FIG. 5 together with FIGS. 3 and 4, in a method for measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention, after obtaining first and second signals (S100, S200), at least one of the first and second signals is amplified and filtered (S300).

More specifically, in the step (S300) of amplifying and filtering a signal according to the present embodiment, a first amplifier unit (61) primarily amplifies a first signal, a pass filter unit (62) filters the primarily amplified first signal, and a second amplifier unit (63) secondarily amplifies the filtered first signal.

In addition, in the step (S300) of amplifying and filtering a signal according to the present embodiment, a pass filter unit (62) filters a second signal, and a second amplifier unit (63) amplifies the filtered second signal.

At this time, the first amplifier unit (61) may be formed as a first-stage amplifier unit, the pass filter unit (62) may be formed as a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter, and the second amplifier unit (63) may be formed as a main amplifier unit.

Accordingly, the first and second signals can be easily processed in subsequent steps and can be preprocessed to accurately calculate the heart rate. Meanwhile, the process of amplifying and filtering the first and second signals is not limited to the above-described process and may be repeatedly performed in various orders.

Referring to FIG. 5 together with FIGS. 3 and 4, in a method for measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention, a processor (60) amplifies and filters the first and second signals (S300), and then calculates the heart rate (S400).

More specifically, referring to FIG. 6 together, in the step (S400) of calculating the heart rate according to the present embodiment, the calculation unit (65) of the processor (60) introduces a correction coefficient (S410) and calculates a correction signal based on the second signal and the correction coefficient (S430). The step (S420) of modifying the correction coefficient illustrated in FIG. 6 will be described later together with the adaptive filter unit (64) illustrated in FIG. 4.

At this time, the correction coefficient and the correction signal can be defined in various ways to effectively correct the first signal based on the second signal. For example, the correction signal can be defined as the product of the second signal and the correction coefficient according to the following [Equation (1)].

[Formula (1)]

Here, in [Formula (1)] means a correction signal, means the second signal, stands for correction factor.

Referring again to FIG. 6 together with FIG. 4, in the step (S400) of calculating a heart rate according to the present embodiment, the calculation unit (65) of the processor (60) calculates a correction signal (S430), and then corrects the first signal based on the correction signal (S440).

As described above, the first signal may include a heart rate signal detected by the user's heartbeat and a noise signal other than the heart rate signal, particularly a noise signal caused by vibration of the floor surface.

At this time, in the step of correcting the first signal (S440), the first signal can be corrected in various ways so that the above noise signal can be effectively removed. For example, the first signal can be corrected by subtracting the correction signal from the first signal according to the following [Formula (2)].

[Formula (2)]

Here, in [Formula (2)] means the corrected first signal, means the first signal. Hereinafter, the corrected first signal is called the output signal.

Referring again to FIG. 6 together with FIG. 4, in the step (S400) of calculating a heart rate according to the present embodiment, a first signal is corrected to calculate an output signal (S440), and then the heart rate is calculated based on the calculated output signal (S450).

At this time, the step (S450) of calculating the heart rate based on the output signal can be performed in various ways. For example, the calculation unit (65) of the processor (60) can detect a peak signal based on the output signal. At this time, the peak signal is a signal corresponding to the heart rate signal. Thereafter, the calculation unit (65) can calculate the heart rate based on the number of peak points of the heart rate signal detected per unit time.

In this way, according to the method for calculating heart rate according to the present embodiment, the first signal is corrected based on the second signal acquired by detecting vibration of the floor surface, so that noise signals caused by vibration of the floor surface can be selectively removed from the first signal, and thus the heart rate can be accurately measured.

Meanwhile, referring again to FIG. 6 together with FIG. 4, in the step (S400) of calculating a heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention, in order to measure the heart rate more accurately, a correction coefficient may be introduced (S410) and then the correction coefficient may be modified (S420).

To this end, in the method for calculating heart rate according to the present embodiment, the adaptive filter unit (64) calculates a corrected correction coefficient using a correction coefficient before correction and an output signal calculated based on the correction coefficient before correction.

In the formula below, means the correction factor before modification, means a modified correction factor. At this time, the modified correction factor can be modified so that the correction signal obtained by multiplying the second signal by the modified correction factor becomes identical to the noise signal caused by the vibration of the floor surface included in the first signal.

To this end, in the step (S420) of modifying the correction coefficient according to the present embodiment, the adaptive filter unit (64) calculates the square error ( according to the following [Formula (3)] ) is produced.

[Formula (3)]

After that, in the step (S420) of modifying the correction coefficient according to the present embodiment, the adaptive filter unit (64) calculates the error of the mean square according to the following [Formula (4)] ) is produced. At this time, stands for the expectation operator.

[Formula (4)]

At this time, the error of the mean square can be expressed as [Equation (5)] below. At this time, am.

[Formula (5)]

After that, in the step (S420) of modifying the correction coefficient according to the present embodiment, the adaptive filter unit (64) adjusts the slope of the mean square error according to the following [Formula (6)]. ) is produced.

[Formula (6)]

At this time, the slope of the mean square error ( or ) can be expressed as in [Formula (7)] below.

[Formula (7)]

Thereafter, in the step (S420) of modifying the correction coefficient according to the present embodiment, the adaptive filter unit (64) calculates a modified correction coefficient that makes the slope of the mean square error 0. At this time, the modified correction coefficient can be expressed as [Formula (8)] below according to the Wiener-Hopf equation.

[Formula (8)]

According to the above-described process, a modified correction coefficient can be calculated. At this time, the step of modifying the correction coefficient (S420) is repeatedly performed while calculating the heart rate, so that the correction coefficient can be continuously modified.

Referring again to FIG. 6 together with FIG. 4, in the step (S400) of calculating a heart rate according to the present embodiment, the adaptive filter unit (64) of the processor (60) modifies a correction coefficient (S420), and then the calculation unit (65) of the processor (60) calculates a correction signal based on the modified correction coefficient (S430), calculates an output signal by correcting a first signal based on the calculated correction signal (S440), and calculates a heart rate based on the output signal (S450).

Accordingly, according to the method for calculating a heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention, since the correction coefficient is modified so that the correction signal becomes identical to the noise signal, the noise signal caused by the vibration of the floor surface can be selectively and accurately removed from the first signal, thereby calculating the heart rate more accurately.

Meanwhile, referring again to Fig. 6 together with Fig. 4, in the step of modifying the correction coefficient (S420), the estimated slope ( ) can be used to modify the correction coefficient. At this time, the estimated slope can be defined as the differentiation of the square error as in [Equation (9)] below.

[Formula (9)]

That is, the adaptive filter unit (64) can calculate a modified correction coefficient using the following [Formula (10)] derived based on the estimated slope and the steepest descent method.

[Formula (10)]

At this time, in [Formula (10)] refers to the step size. If the step size is large, the correction coefficient that is repeatedly modified and calculated will quickly converge to a given value, but it may cause a large error in the steady state or cause it to diverge without finding a solution.

On the contrary, if the step size is small, the correction coefficient that is repeatedly modified and produced converges slowly to a predetermined value, but the error in the steady state can be minimized. For this purpose, the step size can be appropriately adjusted. For example, the step size can be set to 0.1 to 1.

After that, the adaptive filter unit (64) can calculate the estimated slope using the following [Formula (11)].

[Formula (11)]

Thereafter, the adaptive filter unit (64) can derive [Equation (12)] below by merging [Equation (10)] and [Equation (11)], and calculate a modified correction coefficient based on the derived [Equation (12)].

[Formula (12)]

According to the above-described process, the resulting modified correction coefficient can be used to calculate heart rate more accurately.

Meanwhile, referring again to FIG. 6 together with FIG. 4, the step (S420) of modifying the above-described correction coefficient may be performed by the adaptive filter unit (64) of the processor (60) using an adaptive filter algorithm.

At this time, as an adaptive filter algorithm, at least one of an LMS (Least Mean Square) filter algorithm, an NLMS (Normalized Least Mean Square) filter algorithm, and an RLS (Recursive Least Square) filter algorithm can be used.

Preferably, an NLMS filter algorithm can be used that is less sensitive to changes in the distribution of the input signal, is suitable for an unknown non-stationary environment, and can overcome the problem of amplifying gradient noise caused by the weight vector being directly proportional to the power of the tap input.

Meanwhile, the method for measuring heart rate according to one embodiment of the present invention described above may be provided as a computer program stored in a computer-readable recording medium for execution on a computer. The medium may be one that continuously stores a computer-executable program, or one that temporarily stores it for execution or downloading. In addition, the medium may be various recording means or storage means in the form of a single or multiple hardware combined, and is not limited to a medium directly connected to a computer system, and may also be distributed on a network.

Examples of media may include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and ROMs, RAMs, flash memory, etc., configured to store program instructions. In addition, examples of other media may include recording or storage media managed by app stores that distribute applications, sites that supply or distribute various software, servers, etc.

The methods, operations, or techniques of the present disclosure may be implemented by various means. For example, these techniques may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the present disclosure may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both.

To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been generally described above in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software will depend upon the particular application and design requirements imposed on the overall system. It will be appreciated that skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementations should not be construed as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

In a hardware implementation, the processing units utilized to perform the techniques may be implemented within one or more ASICs, DSPs, digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, a computer, or a combination thereof.

Accordingly, the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the present disclosure may be implemented or performed by any combination of a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or those designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

In a firmware and/or software implementation, the techniques may be implemented as instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), flash memory, a compact disc (CD), a magnetic or optical data storage device, etc. The instructions may be executable by one or more processors and may cause the processor(s) to perform certain aspects of the functionality described herein.

While the embodiments described above have been described as utilizing aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter in one or more standalone computer systems, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and may be implemented in conjunction with any computing environment, such as a network or distributed computing environment. Furthermore, aspects of the subject matter in the present disclosure may be implemented in multiple processing chips or devices, and storage may be similarly affected across multiple devices. Such devices may include PCs, network servers, and portable devices.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment presented in this specification, and those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention will be able to easily suggest other embodiments by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components within the scope of the same spirit, but this will also be considered to fall within the spirit of the present invention.

1: Massage device 10: Lower frame
20: Upper frame 30: Vibration sensor
40: Massage module 50: Weight sensor
60: Processor 70: Memory
80: Interface 90: Controller

Claims (18)

A frame placed on the floor;
A vibration detection sensor provided on the frame so as to detect vibration transmitted from the floor to the frame;
A massage module including a support member installed on the above frame and a massage member provided on the support member so as to provide a massage to the user's body;
A heart rate detection sensor provided in the massage module to detect the heart rate transmitted from the body of the user placed in the massage section; and
A processor is included that calculates the user's heart rate based on a first signal obtained from the heart rate detection sensor and a second signal obtained from the vibration detection sensor.
The above frame includes an upper frame on which the massage module is installed, and a lower frame that supports the upper frame so that the upper frame is spaced apart from the floor by a predetermined height in the height direction.
A massage device capable of measuring a heart rate, wherein the vibration detection sensor is arranged on the lower frame so as to be spaced apart in the height direction from the massage module. In paragraph 1,
The first signal includes a heart rate signal including information about the user's heartbeat and a noise signal other than the heart rate signal,
The above processor
A massage device capable of measuring heart rate, wherein the first signal is compensated based on the second signal so that the noise signal can be removed. In the second paragraph,
A massage device capable of measuring heart rate, wherein the noise signal includes a vibration noise signal caused by vibration transmitted from the floor to the massage module. In the second paragraph,
The above processor
In order to compensate for the first signal, a compensation signal is generated based on the second signal,
A massage device capable of measuring heart rate, which calculates the user's heart rate based on the first signal and the correction signal. In paragraph 4,
The above processor
A massage device capable of measuring heart rate, which derives the correction signal based on the second signal and the correction coefficient. In paragraph 5,
The above processor
A massage device capable of measuring heart rate, wherein the correction coefficient is corrected so that the noise signal of the first signal and the correction signal become identical. In paragraph 6,
The above processor
A massage device capable of measuring heart rate, which uses an adaptive filter algorithm to correct the above correction coefficient. In Article 7,
A massage device capable of measuring heart rate, wherein the adaptive filter algorithm includes at least one of an LMS (Least Mean Square) filter algorithm, an NLMS (Normalized Least Mean Square) filter algorithm, and an RLS (Recursive Least Square) filter algorithm. In paragraph 1,
The above processor
A massage device capable of measuring heart rate, which amplifies and filters at least one of the first signal and the second signal, and calculates the user's heart rate based on the amplified and filtered signal. In paragraph 1,
The above heart rate detection sensor
A massage device capable of measuring heart rate, comprising a weight detection sensor capable of detecting the weight of a body placed on a massage part. In paragraph 1,
The above heart rate detection sensor is placed on one side of the support,
A massage device capable of measuring heart rate, wherein the massage unit includes a heat therapy cathode rotatably coupled to the support unit so as to provide heat therapy to the user. In Article 11,
The above thermal therapy ceramics and the above heart rate detection sensors are provided in multiple units,
The above multiple thermal therapy ceramics
It comprises first and second thermotherapy ceramics arranged along a first row parallel to the user's stretching direction, and third and fourth thermotherapy ceramics arranged along a second row parallel to the first row.
The above multiple heart rate detection sensors
A massage device capable of measuring a heart rate, comprising a first heart rate detection sensor disposed on the first row and a second heart rate detection sensor disposed on the second row. A method for measuring the heart rate of a user receiving a massage from a massage device according to claim 1, comprising a frame placed on the floor and a massage module installed on the frame so as to provide a massage,
A step of obtaining a first signal from a heart rate detection sensor provided in the above massage module;
A step of obtaining a second signal from a vibration detection sensor provided in the above frame; and
A method for measuring heart rate, comprising the step of calculating a heart rate of a user based on the first signal and the second signal. In Article 13,
The first signal above is
Contains a heart rate signal detected by the user's heartbeat and a noise signal other than the heart rate signal,
The steps for calculating the above heart rate are
A method for measuring heart rate, comprising the step of correcting the first signal based on the second signal so that the noise signal can be removed. In Article 14,
The step of correcting the above first signal is
A step of generating a correction signal based on the second signal and the correction coefficient; and
A method for measuring heart rate, comprising a step of calculating a heart rate based on the first signal and the correction signal. In Article 15,
The step of correcting the above first signal is
A method for measuring heart rate, comprising the step of modifying the correction coefficient so that the noise signal of the first signal and the correction signal become identical. In Article 16,
A method for measuring heart rate, wherein an adaptive filter algorithm is used in the step of correcting the above correction coefficient. In Article 13,
A method for measuring heart rate, further comprising the step of amplifying and filtering at least one of the first signal and the second signal.

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