# US 2023/0404433 A1 · Neck movement measuring device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0404433 A1 - Document ID: US20230404433A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/314,303 - Filed: 2023-05-09 - Published: 2023-12-21 - Earliest claimed: 2022-05-23 - Assignees: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tomoki OUCHI; Toru YABE; Koji TANAKA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230404433A1 ## CPC - A61B 5/11: Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb {(A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721)} - A61B 5/1107: {Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ or muscle} - A61B 5/4205: {Evaluating swallowing} - A61B 5/6822: {Neck} - A61B 5/6833: {Adhesive patches} - A61B 5/228: {of masticatory organs, e.g. detecting dental force} - A61B 2562/02: Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements - A61B 2562/0261: Strain gauges - A61B 2562/043: in a linear array - A61B 2562/164: the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A neck movement measuring device is provided that includes displacement sensors and a controller. The displacement sensors are formed as sheets attachable to the neck skin of a subject and measure the deformation amount. The controller receives measured values of the displacement sensors and sets a reference value based on measured values of the displacement sensor. In addition, the controller outputs the displacement amount relative to the reference value as a measurement result. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A neck movement measuring device comprising: a displacement sensor configured to be attached to a neck of a subject; and a controller configured to: set a reference value based on a measured value of the displacement sensor, and output a displacement amount relative to the reference value as a measurement result of the displacement sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to set the reference value after a set time period elapses since a power supply of the neck movement measuring device is turned on. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a switch operable by a user that activates the controller to set the reference value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to set the reference value when a measured value of the displacement sensor indicates a deformation greater than or equal to a predetermined value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the reference value is an average value of measured values of the displacement sensor measured during a predetermined time period. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the reference value is a greatest value of measured values of the displacement sensor measured during a predetermined time period. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the reference value is a smallest value of measured values of the displacement sensor measured during a predetermined time period. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein, when a difference between a greatest value and a smallest value of measured values of the displacement sensor measured during a predetermined time period is a predetermined value or smaller, one value selected from the measured values measured by the displacement sensor in the predetermined time period is set as the reference value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to output the displacement amount, which indicates one of a masticatory movement, a swallowing movement, and a neck flexion movement as neck movement of the subject wearing the neck movement measuring device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to detect the masticatory movement as the neck movement when an absolute value of the displacement amount relative to the reference value is greater than or equal to a predetermined first threshold and smaller than a predetermined second threshold that is greater than the first threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to detect the swallowing movement as the neck movement when the absolute value is greater than or equal to the second threshold and smaller than a predetermined third threshold that is greater than the second threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to detect the neck flexion movement as the neck movement when the absolute value is greater than or equal to the third threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor sheet, with the displacement sensor being disposed on the sensor sheet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 13, wherein the displacement sensor comprises a plurality of displacement sensors that each are electrical conductors formed of a material with a resistance configured to change as each respective displacement sensor expands and contracts. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of displacement sensors comprises an elongated sensing portion that extends in a direction parallel to a long axis of the sensor sheet, such that the respective elongated sensing portions are arranged parallel to each other. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 15, wherein the sensor sheet has a plurality of slits arranged on both sides of each of the elongated sensing portions and extending in a direction perpendicular to the long axis. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the displacement sensor is a capacitive sensor that includes a pair of electrodes and a dielectric layer interposed therebetween, such that the displacement amount is based on a sensed changed in a electrostatic capacity of the capacitive sensor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the displacement sensor comprises a piezoelectric film. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a memory and a central processing unit configured to execute software on the memory to set the reference value and output the displacement amount relative to the reference value as the measurement result of the displacement sensor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The neck movement measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a strip-shaped connector that connects the displacement sensor to the controller for providing the measured value of the displacement sensor to the controller.