MULTIMODAL SYSTEM FOR ESTIMATING THE VOLUME AND DENSITY OF A BODY

Abstract

The present invention consists of a system for estimating the volume and density of a body by using multiple sensors and technologies. The system comprises a control unit in charge of driving, controlling, synchronizing, acquiring, processing, displaying and communicating with the other modules of the system; a platform for measuring the weight of the user, such as a personal scale or balance; at least a pair of sensor array control units; a sensor array connected to each controller and which in turn is made up of capacitive sensors and optical sensors, and a mobile unit or device. The system allows the volume of the body to be estimated by areas, as well as an estimation of the general density, in a simple and non-obtrusive way. The information of the volume, weight and density of the user is displayable in a mobile unit and stored in remote servers, which allows the user to monitor the evolution of these physiological variables.

Claims

1. A non-invasive system for estimating the volume and density of a body, wherein the information is duly controlled and viewed by the user, the system comprising: a control unit that controls the operation of the system and the measurement of the weight of the user; a weight-measuring platform, on which the user is placed and the activation of the system when said user is on the same; a mobile unit or device for configuring and viewing the operation of the system and the results of the measurement, directly manipulated by the user; a main structure, which houses the control unit and the weight-measuring platform; at least one sensor array made up of a plurality of capacitive sensors and a plurality of optical sensors; and at least one sensor array controller that controls and acquires the signals of at least a sensor array.

2. The estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is made up of a main controller, a wireless interface, a memory module, a network interface and a battery system.

3. The estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the main structure is connected to the controllers of the sensor arrays by means of a connection mechanism, such as cables.

4. The estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor array is made up of a series of rectangular electrodes arranged in an array and separated from one another by a space, wherein said rectangular electrodes correspond to capacitive sensors.

5. The estimation system according to claim 4, wherein the space between the electrodes is less than 2 millimeters.

6. The estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the optical sensors are located on each side of the sensor array, wherein each arrangement of optical sensors consists of a row of photoemitters and photoreceptors.

7. The estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor array has a depth that is variable and is in the range of a few millimeters.

8. The estimation system according to claim 2, wherein the main controller is connected by a wired or wireless connection to the weight sensor located on the weight-measuring platform, through which it detects the presence of the user and measures the weight of the same.

9. The estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor array controller is made up of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a signal conditioning module, a multiplexer, a sensor array control unit, a driver circuit, a battery system, and a network interface.

10. The estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit simultaneously controls two or more sensor array controllers, managing the drive of two emitters or sensors of a sensor array and the reception of others in one or several sensor arrays.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0036] The present invention may be understood more clearly based on the following figures wherein the different components, parts or steps associated with the present device, apparatus, system or method are shown, as well as the novel elements with respect to the state of the art, wherein the figures do not aim to limit the scope of the invention, which is only determined by the attached claims, wherein:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a general view of the system object of the present invention, wherein all of the elements that make up the same are included.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the sensor array and the sensor array control unit of the system of FIG. 1.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a detailed block diagram of the control unit and the sensor array controller.

[0040] FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the system of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] The previous figures are not shown to scale. The current dimensions of each of the components of the device can vary according to the user's needs. The most significant details of the device are highlighted, with the aim of describing the concepts and functions of the elements that make up the system object of the invention.

[0042] The present invention aims to provide a system that allows an estimation of the volume and density of a body to be obtained, wherein said estimation is done in a non-invasive way and with the aim of being able to monitor the evolution of the morphology and body composition estimated, wherein the information is duly controlled and viewed by the user, as can be determined based on the following detailed description of said device.

[0043] The system of the present invention comprises the following components and/or parts, wherein the function and interaction of each one of the same is defined below: [0044] A control unit 1 made up of a main controller 14, a wireless interface 15, a memory module 16, a network interface 17, and a battery system 18; [0045] A weight-measuring platform 3; [0046] A mobile device or unit 4; [0047] A main structure 5 for taking measurements and for the placement of the weighted element; [0048] At least one sensor array controller 6 made up of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 21, a signal conditioning module 22, a multiplexer 23, a sensor array control unit 24, a driver circuit 25, a battery system 26, and a network interface 27; and [0049] At least one sensor array 8 made up of a plurality of capacitive sensors 9 and a plurality of optical sensors 10.

[0050] Thus, FIG. 1 shows a general view of the system object of the present invention, in which all of the elements that make up the same are included, wherein the control unit 1, which, as indicated by its name, is in charge of controlling the entire system. Moreover, said control unit 1 also detects the presence of the user 2 when they are on the weight-measuring platform 3 and thus, the information of the volume and density of the user is wirelessly transmitted to the mobile unit or device 4, which displays the data measured and in turn allows the user to configure the system 2. The control unit 1 and the weight-measuring platform 3 are located in the same structure 5, which in turn is connected to the sensor array controllers 6 by means of a connection mechanism, such as cables 7. However, it is important to note that the present invention is not only limited to the wired connection of these elements, but rather it is envisaged that this connection can be wireless without affecting the operation of the system.

[0051] The sensor array controller 6, as indicated by the name, controls and acquires the signals of the sensors of the sensor array 8, which is made up of a series of capacitive sensors 9 and at least an arrangement of optical sensors 10, wherein said sensor array 8 is connected by means of a cable 11 to the sensor array controller 6. In the same way as the previously defined connection between the main structure 5 and the sensor array controller 6, the connection between the sensor array 8 and said sensor array controller 6 can be made through cables (through the cable 11) or can be made wirelessly, without affecting the general operation of the system.

[0052] Now, FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the sensor array 8 and the sensor array controller 6, wherein said sensor array 8 is made up of a series of rectangular electrodes 9 arranged in an array and separated from one another by a space 13, wherein said rectangular electrodes correspond to capacitive sensors 9, previously defined, and wherein said space 13 between electrodes is variable, but preferably is not greater than 2 millimeters. On each side of the sensor array 8, an arrangement of optical sensors 10 is placed, which consists of a row of photoemitters and photoreceptors. All of these sensors, both capacitive and optical 9 and 10 are connected by means of a cable 11 to the sensor array controller 6, but the option of wireless communication between the sensors and the controller 6 is also envisaged, as previously defined. Additionally, the sensor array 8 has a depth 12 that is variable up to a few millimeters.

[0053] In relation to FIG. 3, said figure shows a detailed block diagram of the control unit 1 and the sensor array controller 6. Thus, the control unit 1 is made up of a main controller 14 in charge of controlling the operation of said unit, a network interface 17 which allows for communication with the sensor array controller 6 through a similar network interface 27 located in said controller, a memory module 16 for storing data, a wireless network interface 15 which allows for communication with the mobile device 4, as will be defined in greater detail below, and a battery management system 18 for supplying electric current to all of the elements of said control unit 1. Thus, the main controller is connected by a wired or wireless connection 29 to the weight sensor 20 located on the weight-measuring platform 3, through which it detects the presence of the user 2 and measures the weight of the same. Once the presence of the user 2 is detected, instructions or control commands are sent by means of the network interface 17 to the network interface 27 of the sensor array controller 6 so as to be able to initiate the display process of the sensors following a predetermined sensor measuring sequence by the main controller 14.

[0054] The sensor array controller 6 is in turn made up of a sensor array control unit 24 which controls the operation of the sensors only when a person or user 2 is detected on the weight-measuring platform 3, a network interface 27 which receives the network interface signal 17 of the control unit 1, an analog-to-digital convertor (ADC) 21, a signal conditioning circuit 22, a multiplexed system 23, a driver circuit 25 and a battery management system 26. Once the sensor array control unit 24 has received the order from the network interface 27 to take the measurement of a sensor, the same is ordered to activate the driver circuit 25, and activate the multiplexed system 23 to select the specific sensor element indicated by the control unit 6. The signal received by the specific sensor from the sensor array 8 through a cable that interconnects said sensor array 8 and the sensor array controller 6 is conditioned by the conditioning circuit 22 and then digitalized by the analog-to-digital converter 21 for the subsequent sending of the same. This already digitalized measurement value is newly transmitted though the interface by the sensor array control unit 24 using the network interface 27 to the control unit 1 of the system of the present invention, which receives the data of the measurements through the network interface 17 thereof, and is processed and stored in the memory 16 by the main controller 14. Once the data is processed, they are wirelessly transmitted to the mobile unit or device 4 and to the remote servers (not shown) by wireless communication means 28.

[0055] The process is repeated with each one of the sensor elements of the sensor array 8 of the system of the invention. Thus the sensors work together, and for that reason the control unit 1 simultaneously controls two or more sensor array controllers 6, managing the drive of two emitters or sensors of a sensor array 8 and the reception of others in one or several sensor arrays 8.

[0056] Both the control unit 1 and the sensor array controller 6 are elements powered by batteries and have a battery management system 18 and 26, respectively, which powers all of the elements of the system. Likewise, the sensor array 8 is also powered by the battery management system 26, just like the elements that form part of the sensor array controller 6 (Elements with the following numbering: 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 27, and previously defined). The battery management system 18 powers the elements that form part of the control unit 1 (Elements with the following numbering: 14, 15, 16, 17 and 21, and previously defined).

[0057] Now, FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the system object of the present invention and how the elements are interconnected, with the aim of taking the measurements for the estimation of the volume and density of the user's 2 body. Thus, the control unit 1 controls two or more sensor array controllers 6 and is connected to them preferably by means of a cable 19, although, as envisaged within the scope of the invention, said connection can also be wireless. Each sensor array controller 6 is connected to a sensor array 8, and likewise the connection between these units (controller 6 and sensor array 8) is, preferably, but not limited to, by means of a multicore cable 11 through which the array is powered 8 from the controller 6 and the driver signals, and the measurements taken by the sensor elements are transmitted. The weight sensor 20 is connected by means of a cable 29 to the control unit 1, wherein by said cable 29 the weight sensor 20 is powered by the control unit 1, and the weight signal is transmitted from the sensor 20 to the control unit 1.