WO2019037875A1

WO2019037875A1 - Mobile device having a sensor

Info

Publication number: WO2019037875A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/071452
Authority: WO
Inventors: Raino Petricevic; Clemens Launer
Original assignee: iNDTact GmbH
Priority date: 2017-08-25
Filing date: 2017-08-25
Publication date: 2019-02-28
Also published as: CN111108413A; JP2020531832A; DE112017007977A5; JP6908777B2; KR20200044858A

Abstract

Mobile device (1, 7, 9, 11) having a sensor which is accommodated in a housing (2), is in the form of a strain and/or bending sensor (3) and, together with a seismic mass, forms an acceleration sensor for detecting structure-borne sound waves and/or accelerations, wherein at least one part of the mass of the mobile device (1, 7, 9, 11) forms the seismic mass.

Description

Mobile device with a sensor

The invention relates to a mobile device with a sensor received in a housing.

Mobile devices (mobile communication devices) such as smartphones, tablet computers, notebooks and the like today include sensor units such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), which are required for different applications. Examples include capturing the location of the mobile device and detecting movements that a user makes. It has already been proposed to make the sensors already present in a mobile device, in particular acceleration sensors, usable for seismic monitoring. For example, in WO 2017/083556 A1 an early warning system for detecting earthquakes is proposed in which mobile phones are used. For this purpose, acceleration data are detected by means of an acceleration sensor which is integrated in the mobile telephone. These acceleration data are compared with empirical values in order then to decide whether an acquired acceleration is an earthquake result. When such an earthquake event has been detected, a communication link is established with a server. The server can communicate with a variety of such mobile phones and performs a plausibility check to estimate whether an actual earthquake is taking place. In this case, an earthquake warning is issued to mobile phones in the vicinity of the earthquake result so that the receivers can move to safety.

A similar early warning system for detecting an earthquake event is described in US 2015/0195693 A1.

These known systems and methods rely on detecting an earthquake event with conventional sensors present in a mobile phone. In order to ensure a sufficient pre-warning time before the occurrence of an earthquake, it is necessary to detect an approaching earthquake that causes ground vibrations or seismic waves as early as possible. However, conventional mobile-mounted sensors are not intended for this task. In particular, it is not possible to detect weak seismic activities sufficiently early. However, early detection is a prerequisite for a sufficient early warning time. In order to allow better protection and a sufficient early warning time, it is therefore necessary to be able to detect even weak seismic activities in good time.

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide a mobile phone that is able to detect weak seismic activity.

To solve this problem is provided according to the invention in a mobile device of the type mentioned that the sensor is designed as a strain and / or bending sensor and forms an acceleration sensor for detecting structure-borne sound waves and / or accelerations together with a seismic mass, wherein at least a portion of Mass of the mobile device forms the seismic mass.

The invention is based on the recognition that the sensitivity to accelerations, in particular to seismic shocks, can be substantially increased by a special arrangement of the expansion and / or bending sensor in the housing of the mobile device. This effect is achieved in that the expansion and / or bending sensor cooperates with a seismic mass, which is excited to vibrate under the influence of accelerations. These vibrations can be detected by means of the expansion and / or bending sensor. By means of the expansion and / or bending sensor accelerations acting on the seismic mass can be significantly increased, so that even the smallest accelerations that occur in the early stages of an emerging earthquake, can be detected. By means of the invention Thus, seismic vibrations and structure-borne sound waves can be detected early, whereby a considerably extended pre-warning time can be achieved before the occurrence of an earthquake event in comparison to conventional systems. Prolonged pre-warning time increases the likelihood that those in the earthquake-prone area will be safe in time.

Preferably, the expansion and / or bending sensor is attached to an elastically mounted portion of the seismic mass. The part of the mobile device, on or in which the strain and / or bending sensor is located, z. B. as a bending spring to be elastically mounted, with a majority of the mass of the mobile device acts as a seismic mass.

In the mobile device according to the invention, it is preferred that the expansion and / or bending sensor is a piezoelectric sensor. Such sensors are characterized by high accuracy, compact dimensions and cost-effective production. Accordingly, such a piezoelectric sensor can be relatively easily integrated into a mobile device. By way of example, the expansion and / or bending sensor proposed in the publication DE 10 2012 222 239 A1, which originates from the Applicant, can be used. The entire content of DE 10 2012 222 239 A1 is incorporated by reference in the present application.

It is particularly preferred in the mobile device according to the invention that the expansion and / or bending sensor is at least indirectly designed to measure minimum accelerations of less than 1 mg, preferably less than 100 g. The expansion and / or bending sensor provides strain and / or bending measurements, from which accelerations can be derived and calculated. In comparison, acceleration sensors of conventional mobile devices are designed to detect larger accelerations, typically between 10 mg and 100 mg. The sensitivity of the mobile device according to the invention The set elongation and / or bending sensor is thus one or more orders of magnitude above the sensitivity of conventional acceleration sensors, which are integrated in mobile devices. With particular advantage, it can be provided in the mobile device according to the invention that the acceleration sensor is arranged on or on a component of the mobile device designed as a plate or bar. By such an arrangement, the component formed as a plate or bar acts as a seismic mass which can be set into vibration by accelerations. A plate can be stored at several points (bearings) or linear. A beam can be mounted on one side or on two sides.

According to one development of the mobile device according to the invention, it can be provided that the housing has two, three, four or more than four bearing points for placement on a substrate. If the mobile device according to the invention is placed on a base, it can register the smallest vibrations, in particular in the form of structure-borne noise, as well as accelerations, in particular the smallest seismic movements. On a decoupled foundation or on a decoupled surface seismic waves (seismic waves) can be detected isolated from vibrations originating from other sources.

With regard to the bearing points, it can be provided that a bearing point is arranged in a corner region of the housing or in the region of an edge of the housing. Preferably, a plurality of bearings are arranged distributed on a surface, in particular on the underside of the housing.

A storage location of the mobile device according to the invention may be punctiform, linear, arcuate or planar. Preferably, a bearing point is on the underside of the housing. By providing the plurality of bearing points, a defined contact between the mobile device according to the invention and a substrate is produced, which enables an accurate detection of structure-borne sound waves. It is particularly preferred in the mobile device according to the invention that the expansion and / or bending sensor is arranged at least in the vicinity of the center of the mobile device. Such an arrangement causes virtually the entire mass of the mobile device to act as a seismic mass.

The mobile device according to the invention may have a control device which is designed to evaluate the vibrations detected by the expansion and / or bending sensor and to send a signal to an external device in the event of a detected event. In particular, the control device is designed to determine by evaluating the oscillations whether an earthquake event is present.

The mobile device according to the invention can in particular be a smartphone, a tablet computer or a notebook.

According to a variant of the invention, the mobile device may be designed as an early warning system for detecting earthquakes or as part of such an early warning system. Such an early warning system can consist of a multiplicity of such mobile devices which can establish a communication connection with a central server.

An alternative embodiment of the mobile device according to the invention provides that it is designed as a heart rate monitor. By holding or fixing the mobile device to the arm or neck, the pulse, i. H. the heartbeat, be detected.

Another alternative embodiment of the mobile device according to the invention provides that it is designed as a monitoring device that is able to detect a fall of a person who is staying in a room. The fall causes structure-borne noise, which can be detected by the mobile device. In this way can the mobile device z. B. used for space monitoring or for monitoring senior citizens. If the mobile device detects a person falling, it can automatically trigger an alarm or call for help. Surprisingly, the mobile device according to the invention can also be used as a directional microphone for airborne sound. By means of the mobile device, the direction of a sound source from which an acoustic signal is received can be determined. As a result, for example, the quality of telephone calls in a noisy environment can be improved.

The invention will be explained below with reference to embodiments with reference to the drawings. The drawings are schematic representations and show: FIG. 1 a mobile device according to the invention in a perspective view, FIG.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the mobile device of FIG. 1; FIG.

3 shows a further embodiment of a mobile device according to the invention in a side view,

4 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a mobile device according to the invention in a side view, and FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of a mobile device according to the invention in a side view.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a mobile device 1 with a housing 2 in which a strain and / or bending sensor 3 is accommodated. The arranged in the interior of the housing 2 expansion and / or bending sensor 3 is shown in phantom in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows the mobile device 1 in an inverted position, ie with the top visible bottom 4. Located in the corners a total of four bearings 5, which are cylindrical and project from the bottom 4 of the housing 2.

The expansion and / or bending sensor 3 is embodied as a piezoelectric sensor and capable of detecting strains and / or accelerations. Based on these recorded measured values, accelerations of less than 100 g can be derived and determined. The mobile device 1 is formed in this embodiment as a smartphone and part of an early warning system for detecting earthquakes.

When the mobile device 1 is placed with its bearings 5 on a pad, the strain and / or bending sensor 3 can be excited by seismic waves to vibrate. The mass of the mobile device 1 acts as a seismic mass, so that external accelerations, in particular seismic waves, can be amplified and detected by the expansion and / or bending sensor 3 with high accuracy. The mobile device 1 further comprises a control device 6 shown schematically in FIG. 1, which is connected to the expansion and / or bending sensor 3 and which evaluates the acceleration data detected by the expansion and / or bending sensor 3. Through the evaluation, it can be determined whether the detected vibrations and / or accelerations have been generated by an earthquake event or another cause. Earthquake events are characterized by typical low-frequency accelerations, so that it can be determined by evaluating and classifying whether the cause of the accelerations is an earthquake or not.

When the controller 6 detects an earthquake event, it sends an alarm signal to another device, such as a central server. The transmission of the alarm signal takes place via a conventional mobile communication connection. The central server evaluates a large number of such messages, at the same time enabling a plausibility check of the alarm signals. The plausibility check can prevent false alarms. If the individual mobile devices also tell the server their position, more can be added Information about the earthquake event, such as the epicenter from which the earthquake event originates, a propagation direction, a propagation velocity and the like. FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1. In Fig. 2 it can be seen that the strain and / or bending sensor 3 is arranged in the interior of the mobile device 1. In this embodiment, the expansion and / or bending sensor 3 is arranged both from the bottom 4 and from the opposite top 12 spaced.

Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of a mobile device 7. The mobile device 7 is shown in a sectional view. Inside the housing 2 is a circuit board 8 with electronic components (not shown). On the board 8, a strain and / or bending sensor 3 is arranged. Under the influence of accelerations, the board 8 is at least slightly elastically deformable. In Fig. 3 it can be seen that the board 8 is mounted on the left and the right side of the mobile device 7 and thus can be deflected at least minimally vertically. The expansion and / or bending sensor 3 is thus mounted bendable or stretchable and registers the smallest vibrations, as they typically occur in seismic events.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 and shows a further embodiment of a mobile device 9. In the housing 2, the expansion and / or bending sensor 3 is located on a support designed as a cantilever 10. The cantilever 10 carrying the expansion and / or bending sensor 3 is fastened to the right-hand side in FIG. The left end of the cantilever 10 may be vibrated by shocks, accelerations or seismic waves detected by the expansion and / or bending sensor 3. The mass of the mobile device 9 acts as a seismic mass and amplifies the accelerations acting on the mobile device 9. Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of a mobile device 1 1 in a sectional view. The expansion and / or bending sensor 3 is arranged in this embodiment in the interior of the housing 2 on the upper side 12 of the housing 2. When accelerations occur, the plate-shaped upper side 12 is set in vibrations that can be detected by the expansion and / or bending sensor 3. The mass of the further components 13, which are not shown in detail in the interior of the mobile device 1 1, acts like a seismic mass, whereby the deflections acting on the expansion and / or bending sensor 3 are amplified.

The mobile devices 1, 7, 9, 1 1 can also be used as a heart rate monitor. To do this, the user holds the mobile device to a body part or fixes it to it, where the pulse is clearly noticeable. For example, the arm or the neck is suitable for this purpose. The pulse produced by the heartbeat triggers structure-borne noise, which can be detected and measured by the extension and / or bending sensor 3 of the mobile device. An appropriate software application (app) allows the readings to be viewed and stored on a display area of the mobile device. The described mobile devices 1, 7, 9, 1 1 are also suitable for monitoring rooms. A mobile device can be used to monitor the room and trigger an alarm if a person who is in a room has fallen. A falling person creates structure-borne noise, which is transmitted via the ground and other objects to the mobile device that is in the room. The structure-borne sound waves produced during a fall are characteristic; the control device 6 can distinguish these from other sources, for example from seismic accelerations. When a person falls, the mobile device triggers an alarm. As a further alternative, the mobile device 1, 7, 9, 1 1 can also be used as a directional microphone for airborne sound. When the mobile device passes a sound source is guided, results in a highly directional characteristic. Surprisingly, the expansion and / or bending sensor 3 is not only able to directly detect accelerations and / or structure-borne noise, but it can also indirectly detect airborne sound. In this way, z. B. the quality of phone calls in a noisy environment can be improved.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 mobile device

2 housings

3 strain and / or bending sensor

4 bottom

5 bearing point

6 control device

7 mobile device

8 plate

9 mobile device

10 cantilever beams

1 1 mobile device

12 top

13 component

Claims

claims

1 . Mobile device (1, 7, 9, 1 1) with a in a housing (2) recorded sensor, characterized in that the sensor is designed as a strain and / or bending sensor (3) and together with a seismic mass an acceleration sensor for detecting structure-borne sound waves and / or accelerations, wherein at least part of the mass of the mobile device (1, 7, 9, 11) forms the seismic mass.

2. Mobile device according to claim 1, characterized in that the strain and / or bending sensor (3) is attached to an elastically mounted portion of the seismic mass.

3. Mobile device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the expansion and / or bending sensor (3) is a piezoelectric sensor.

4. Mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expansion and / or bending sensor (3) is designed for measuring accelerations that are less than 1 mg, preferably less than 100 [ig] are.

5. Mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expansion and / or bending sensor (3) on or on a plate (8) or as a beam (10) formed component of the mobile device (1, 7, 9, 1 1) is arranged.

6. Mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (2) has two, three, four or more than four bearing points (5) for placement on a substrate.

7. Mobile device according to claim 6, characterized in that a bearing point (5) in a corner region of the housing (2) or in the region of an edge of the housing (2) is arranged.

8. Mobile device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that a bearing point (5) is punctiform, linear, arcuate or planar and preferably on the underside of the housing (2) protrudes.

9. Mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expansion and / or bending sensor (3) at least in the vicinity of the center of the mobile device (1, 7, 9, 1 1) is arranged.

10. Mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a control device (6) for evaluating the detected by the strain and / or bending sensor (3) vibrations and sending a signal to an external device at a detected Event, especially in a detected seismic event is formed.

1 1. Mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as a smartphone, tablet computer or notebook.

12. Mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as an early warning system for detecting earthquakes.

13. Mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as a heart rate monitor.

14. Mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as a monitoring device which is able to detect a fall of a person in a room.

15. Mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as a directional microphone for airborne sound.