# US 12,109,044 B2 · Bio-signal measurement means and bio-signal monitoring system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,044 B2 - Document ID: US12109044B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/018,568 - Filed: 2020-09-11 - Published: 2021-01-07 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-20 - Assignees: Huinno Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huinno Co., Ltd - Inventors: Yeong Joon Gil; Sung Hoon Jung - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109044B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/6817: {Ear canal} - A61B 5/02055: {Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature} - A61B 5/14552: {Details of sensors specially adapted therefor} - A61B 5/318: Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG] - A61B 5/332: Portable devices specially adapted therefor - A61B 5/6815: {Ear} - H04R 1/1091: {Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083} - A61B 5/01: Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20) - A61B 5/02416: {using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation (A61B5/14552 takes precedence)} - A61B 5/02438: {with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient} - A61B 5/0245: by using sensing means generating electric signals, {i.e. ECG signals} - A61B 5/14551: {for measuring blood gases} - A61B 5/6824: {Arm or wrist} - A61B 2562/06: Arrangements of multiple sensors of different types - A61B 2562/227: Sensors with electrical connectors - H04R 1/1016: {Earpieces of the intra-aural type} - H04R 1/105: {Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks (for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335)} - H04R 3/00: Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) - H04R 2420/07: Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract Earphones comprise a first earphone for collecting a first biosignal and a second earphone for collecting a second biosignal. The second earphone is wirelessly connected to the first earphone and configured to quantize the second biosignal into a second digital signal and transmit the second digital signal to the first earphone together with a set of marker bits representing a time at which the second biosignal is collected. The first earphone includes a biosignal processor configured to quantize the first biosignal into a first digital signal and synchronize the first and second digital signals with reference to the set of marker bits to generate an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal; and a transmitter configured to transmit the ECG signal to a digital device wirelessly connected to the first earphone. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Earphones comprising: a first earphone having a first sensor disposed around an audio output of the first earphone, the first sensor having a first biosignal electrode for collecting a first biosignal; and a second earphone having a second sensor disposed around an audio output of the second earphone, the second sensor having a second biosignal electrode for collecting a second biosignal, wherein the second earphone is wirelessly connected to the first earphone and configured to quantize the second biosignal into a second digital signal and transmit the second digital signal to the first earphone together with a set of marker bits representing a time at which the second biosignal is collected, wherein the first earphone includes: a biosignal processor configured to quantize the first biosignal into a first digital signal and synchronize the first and second digital signals with reference to the set of marker bits to generate an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal; and a transmitter configured to transmit the ECG signal to a digital device wirelessly connected to the first earphone, and wherein values of the set of marker bits are determined based on a bit-length of the set of marker bits and a number of sampling intervals between the time at which the second biosignal is collected and a predetermined reference time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The earphones of claim 1, wherein the biosignal processor is configured to synchronize the first and second digital signals by correcting at least one of times of the first and second digital signals on the basis of a time error specified from the set of marker bits. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The earphones of claim 2, wherein the biosignal processor is configured to correct at least one of times of the first and second digital signals on the further basis of sampling rates of the first and second digital signals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The earphones of claim 1, wherein the biosignal processor is configured to perform differential amplification on the synchronized digital signals to generate the ECG signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The earphones of claim 1, wherein the second earphone is configured to combine data bits corresponding to the second digital signal with the set of marker bits and transmit the combined bits to the first earphone. ### Claim 6 A biosignal monitoring system, comprising: earphones including: a first earphone having a first sensor disposed around an audio output of the first earphone, the first sensor having a first biosignal electrode for collecting a first biosignal, and a second earphone having a second sensor disposed around an audio output of the second earphone, the second sensor having a second biosignal electrode for collecting a second biosignal; and a digital device wirelessly connected to the first earphone, wherein the first earphone includes: a biosignal processor configured to quantize the first biosignal into a first digital signal and synchronize the first and second digital signals with reference to the set of marker bits to generate an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal; and a transmitter configured to transmit the ECG signal to the digital device, wherein the digital device is configured to store and manage information on the transmitted ECG signal, and wherein values of the set of marker bits are determined based on a bit-length of the set of marker bits and a number of sampling intervals between the time at which the second biosignal is collected and a predetermined reference time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The biosignal monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the biosignal processor is configured to synchronize the first and second digital signals by correcting at least one of times of the first and second digital signals on the basis of a time error specified from the set of marker bits. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The biosignal monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the biosignal processor is configured to correct at least one of times of the first and second digital signals on the further basis of sampling rates of the first and second digital signals. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The biosignal monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the biosignal processor is configured to perform differential amplification on the synchronized digital signals to generate the ECG signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The biosignal monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the second earphone is configured to combine data bits corresponding to the second digital signal with the set of marker bits and transmit the combined bits to the first earphone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The biosignal monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the digital device is configured to determine whether the information on the ECG signal falls within a preliminary emergency range and transmit the information on the ECG signal to an external server when it is determined that the information on the ECG signal falls within the preliminary emergency range, and wherein the external server is configured to recognize an emergency situation in view of the transmitted information on the ECG signal and transmit a warning signal to the digital device when the emergency situation is recognized. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The biosignal monitoring system of claim 11, wherein the digital device includes a GPS module configured to calculate GPS coordinates thereof, and wherein the digital device is configured to transmit GPS information acquired from the GPS module to the external server when the digital device receives the warning signal.