US-12616406-B2 - Electronic apparatus, bio-signal measurement system and bio-signal coupling method

US12616406B2US 12616406 B2US12616406 B2US 12616406B2US-12616406-B2

Abstract

A first electric connector arrangement of an electronic apparatus that is repeatedly connectable with and releasable from a first electric counter-connector arrangement of a bio-signal data processing apparatus. A second electric connector arrangement of the electronic apparatus is connectable with a second electric counter-connector arrangement of the bio-signal electrode arrangement in a releasable manner. A battery provides electric power for operation of the bio-signal data processing apparatus in response to an electric connection through the first electric connector arrangement between the electronic apparatus and the bio-signal data processing apparatus. The first electric connector arrangement includes separate electric connectors, which have multiple pins. The pins are for electric power supply and data transfer. The separate electric connectors and their counter-connectors of the bio-signal data processing apparatus have structural shapes matched with each other for attaching them together based on contact friction in the releasable manner.

Inventors

Juha MYLLYKANGAS
Aki Tiihonen
Mikko MÄÄTÄNNIEMI

Assignees

BITTIUM BIOSIGNALS OY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220207

Claims (16)

1 . An electronic apparatus of a bio-signal measurement system, wherein the electronic apparatus comprises: a. a first electric connector arrangement comprising at least two separate electric connectors configured to releasably connect to corresponding ones of at least two electric counter-connectors of a first electric counter-connector arrangement of a bio-signal data processing apparatus, the at least two separate electric connectors being configured to engage the at least two electric counter-connectors with a friction fit that maintains a releasable connection during use between the at least two separate electric connectors and the at least two electric counter-connectors, each of the at least two separate electric connectors comprising a plurality of pins configured to supply electric power and transfer data, and the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement comprising male universal serial bus connectors or quick-release electric connectors; b. a second electric connector arrangement configured to releasably connect to a second electric counter-connector arrangement of a bio-signal electrode arrangement; c. wherein the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement are configured to transfer the transferred data, comprising at least a bio-signal acquired by the bio-signal electrode arrangement, between the electronic apparatus and the bio-signal processing apparatus; d. a battery configured to provide electric power to the bio-signal data processing apparatus when the electronic apparatus is electrically connected to the bio-signal data processing apparatus through the first electric connector arrangement; e. wherein the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement are configured to each releasably connect to a corresponding counter-connector of a counter-connector arrangement of a recharger for recharging the battery included in the electronic apparatus; and f. at least two seal units, each of the at least two seal units being positioned around a corresponding one of at least two separate electric connectors to form a water tight seal with a surface of the bio-signal data processing apparatus when the electronic apparatus is connected to the bio-signal data processing apparatus.
2 . The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement comprise male universal serial bus connectors.
3 . The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement comprise quick-release electric connectors.
4 . The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the number of the at least two seal units is the same as the number of the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement.
5 . The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement are configured to self-align with the at least two electric counter-connectors of the bio-signal data processing apparatus.
6 . The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least two seal units are distributed to the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement such that one seal unit of the at least two seals units is round one of the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement and each of the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement is encircled by one seal unit in meeting with the IP67 specification.
7 . The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the structural shapes of the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement are unique for preventing or reducing a possibility to have an undesired connection.
8 . The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement are configured to be inserted into the at least two electric counter-connectors of the bio-signal data processing apparatus with the friction fit.
9 . The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement and the at least two seal units are positioned on a first surface of the electronic apparatus.
10 . The electronic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first surface of the electronic apparatus is recessed relative to a second surface of the electronic apparatus.
11 . A bio-signal measurement system comprising a bio-signal data processing apparatus and an electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus comprising: g. a first electric connector arrangement comprising at least two separate electric connectors configured to releasably connect to corresponding ones of at least two electric counter-connectors of a first electric counter-connector arrangement of the bio-signal data processing apparatus, the at least two separate electric connectors being configured to engage the at least two electric counter-connectors with a friction fit that maintains a releasable connection during use between the at least two separate electric connectors and the at least two electric counter-connectors, each of the at least two separate electric connectors comprising a plurality of pins configured to supply electric power and transfer data, and the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement comprising male universal serial bus connectors or quick-release electric connectors; h. a second electric connector arrangement configured to releasably connect to a second electric counter-connector arrangement of a bio-signal electrode arrangement; i. wherein the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement are configured to transfer the transferred data, comprising at least a bio-signal acquired by the bio-signal electrode arrangement, between the electronic apparatus and the bio-signal processing apparatus; j. a battery configured to provide electric power to the bio-signal data processing apparatus when the electronic apparatus is electrically connected to the bio-signal data processing apparatus through the first electric connector arrangement; k. wherein the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement are configured to each releasably connect to a corresponding counter-connector of a counter-connector arrangement of a recharger for recharging the battery included in the electronic apparatus; and l. at least two seal units, each of the at least two seal units being positioned around a corresponding one of at least two separate electric connectors to form a water tight seal a surface of the bio-signal data processing apparatus when the electronic apparatus is connected to the bio-signal data processing apparatus.
12 . The bio-signal measurement system of claim 11 , wherein at least two separate electric connectors of the second electric connector arrangement comprise quick-release electric connectors.
13 . The bio-signal measurement system of claim 11 , wherein the structural shapes of the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement are unique for preventing or reducing a possibility to have an undesired connection.
14 . The bio-signal measurement system of claim 11 , wherein the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement are configured to be inserted into the at least two electric counter-connectors of the bio-signal data processing apparatus with the friction fit.
15 . A bio-signal coupling method, the method comprising: m. simultaneously and releasably connecting: i. at least two separate electric connectors of a first electric connector arrangement of an electronic apparatus to corresponding ones of at least two electric counter-connectors of a first electric counter-connector arrangement of a bio-signal data processing apparatus, the at least two separate electric connectors being configured to engage the at least two electric counter-connectors with a friction fit that maintains a releasable connection during use between the at least two separate electric connectors and the at least two electric counter-connectors, and the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement comprising male universal serial bus connectors or quick-release electric connectors; ii. a second electric connector arrangement of the electronic apparatus to a second electric counter-connector arrangement of a bio-signal electrode arrangement; n. providing, by a battery of the electronic apparatus, electric power for operation of the bio-signal data processing apparatus when the electronic apparatus is electrically connected to the bio-signal data processing apparatus through the first electric connector arrangement; o. supplying electric power and transferring data through a plurality of pins of each of the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement; iii. wherein the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement transfer the transferred data, comprising at least a bio-signal acquired by the bio-signal electrode arrangement, between the electronic apparatus and the bio-signal processing apparatus; d. recharging the battery of the electronic apparatus by releasably connecting the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement to a corresponding counter-connector of a counter-connector arrangement of a recharger for recharging the battery included in the electronic apparatus; and e. sealing with at least two seal units positioned around corresponding ones of at least two separate electric connectors to form a water tight seal with a surface of the bio-signal data processing apparatus when the electronic apparatus is connected to the bio-signal data processing apparatus.
16 . The bio-signal coupling method of claim 15 , wherein the structural shapes of the at least two separate electric connectors of the first electric connector arrangement are unique for preventing or reducing a possibility to have an undesired connection.

Description

FIELD The invention relates to an electronic apparatus, a bio-signal measurement system and a bio-signal coupling method. BACKGROUND In a long-term bio-signal measurement operation time of a battery limits the overall measurement time. In other words, the battery of the bio-signal device needs to be recharged from time to time in order to achieve the needed overall measurement time. The recharging time is typically measured in hours. This is a substantial drawback. Instead of recharging, the bio-signal device, with which the measurement stated, could be replaced by a second bio-signal device with a fresh battery in order to continue the measurement. Because of the long recharging time, it may be necessary to have even a third bio-signal device available to continue the recording of the bio-signal measurement. To have a plurality of bio-signal devices for a single measurement is unpractical, uneconomical and may even be unreliable because of possible failures in connections and handlings. Additionally, releasing one bio-signal device and applying another in its place is also cumbersome. Furthermore, in order to form results from the whole bio-signal measurement it has to be gathered from recordings made by different bio-signal devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION The present invention seeks to provide an improvement for the bio-signal measurements. The invention is defined by the independent claims. Embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. If one or more of the embodiments is considered not to fall under the scope of the independent claims, such an embodiment is or such embodiments are still useful for understanding features of the invention. LIST OF DRAWINGS Example embodiments of the present invention are described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded-view drawing of an example an electronic apparatus; FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrates an example of the electronic apparatus being connected with or separated from a bio-signal data processing apparatus; FIG. 4 illustrates an example of the electronic apparatus being in connection with a bio-signal data processing apparatus; FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a second electric connector arrangement of the electronic apparatus for connecting with a bio-signal electrode structure; FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a side view of the electronic apparatus being connected with or separated from a bio-signal data processing apparatus; FIG. 7 illustrates an example of connecting counter-connectors of a electric counter-connector arrangement of the bio-signal data processing apparatus and electric connectors of the electronic apparatus with each other, or separating them; FIG. 8 illustrates an example of at least two separate electric connectors of the electronic apparatus; FIG. 9 illustrates an example where the bio-signal processing device has at least one processor and at least one memory; FIG. 10 illustrates an example of recharging a battery of the electronic apparatus; and FIG. 11 illustrates of an example of a flow chart of a measuring method. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS The following embodiments are only examples. Although the specification may refer to “an” embodiment in several locations, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference is to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature only applies to a single embodiment. The articles “a” and “an” give a general sense of entities, structures, components, compositions, operations, functions, connections or the like in this document. Note also that singular terms may include pluralities. Single features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments. Furthermore, words “comprising” and “including” should be understood as not limiting the described embodiments to consist of only those features that have been mentioned and such embodiments may also contain features/structures that have not been specifically mentioned. All combinations of the embodiments are considered possible if their combination does not lead to structural or logical contradiction. The term “about” means that quantities or any numeric values are not exact and typically need not be exact. The reason may be tolerance, resolution, measurement error, rounding off or the like, or a fact that the feature of the solution in this document only requires that the quantity or numeric value is approximately that large. A certain tolerance is always included in real life quantities and numeric values. It should be noted that while Figures illustrate various embodiments, they are simplified diagrams that only show some structures and/or functional entities. The connections shown in the Figures may refer to logical or physical connections. It is apparent to a person skilled in the art that the described apparatus may also comprise other functions and structures than those described in Figures and text. It should be appreciated that details of some functions,