Apparatus and method for estimating body temperature

A method of estimating body temperature by an apparatus, the method comprising:

• measuring a temperature of a heating element by using a first temperature sensor;
• measuring a surface temperature of an object at a surface of the object by using a second temperature sensor when the second temperature sensor is in contact with the object;
• measuring an external temperature by using a third temperature sensor external to the apparatus;
• controlling the heating element to generate a heat flux from the heating element to the surface of the object by a difference between the temperature of the heating element and the surface temperature of the object;
• estimating a core temperature of the object based on the heat flux reaching zero;
• and
• estimating a body temperature of the object by multiplying a predetermined correction coefficient to the external temperature to obtain a corrected external temperature, and adding the corrected external temperature with the estimated core temperature,
• wherein the estimated body temperature satisfies:
• Tc
• =
• (
• Tzhf
• +
• A
• ×
• Ta
• )
• /
• (
• 1
• +
• A
• )
• ,
• where Tc is the estimated body temperature, Tzhf is the estimated core temperature, A is the predetermined correction coefficient, and Ta is the external temperature, and
• wherein the first temperature sensor is disposed between the heating element and the second temperature sensor, the first temperature sensor being on a bottom surface of the heating element.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions, when executed by at least one processor, to perform a method for estimating body temperature, the method comprising:

• measuring a temperature of a heating element by using a first temperature sensor;
• measuring a surface temperature of an object at a surface of the object by using a second temperature sensor when the second temperature sensor is in contact with the object;
• measuring an external temperature by using a third temperature sensor external to the heating element;
• controlling the heating element to generate a heat flux from the heating element to the surface of the object by a difference between the temperature of the heating element and the surface temperature of the object;
• estimating a core temperature of the object based on the heat flux reaching zero;
• and
• estimating a body temperature of the object by multiplying a predetermined correction coefficient to the external temperature to obtain a corrected external temperature, and adding the corrected external temperature with the estimated core temperature,
• wherein the estimated body temperature satisfies:
• Tc
• =
• (
• Tzhf
• +
• A
• ×
• Ta
• )
• /
• (
• 1
• +
• A
• )
• ,
• where Tc is the estimated body temperature, Tzhf is the estimated core temperature, A is the predetermined correction coefficient, and Ta is the external temperature, and
• wherein the first temperature sensor is disposed between the heating element and the second temperature sensor, the first temperature sensor being on a bottom surface of the heating element.