Automotive key device, steering wheel docking station, and system including the automotive key device and the steering wheel docking station

Abstract

Provided is an automotive key device connected, in the form of a holder, to a mechanism of opening or shutting an automotive door or merged with the mechanism of opening or shutting the automotive door. The automotive key device includes an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor having a first body signal electrode and a second body signal electrode and a contact terminal electrically connected to the ECG sensor. The contact terminal is configured to serve as a passage for electrical connection with devices within a vehicle. A steering wheel docking station and a system configured to include the steering wheel docking station and the automotive key device are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automotive key device connected, in the form of a holder, to a mechanism of opening or shutting an automotive door or merged with the mechanism of opening or shutting the automotive door, the automotive key device comprising:
 an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor including a first body signal electrode and a second body signal electrode; and   a contact terminal electrically connected to the ECG sensor,   wherein the contact terminal is configured to serve as a passage for electrical connection with devices within a vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The automotive key device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor and a saturation of peripheral oxygen (SpO 2 ) sensor,   wherein the PPG sensor and the SpO 2  sensor are electrically connected to the contact terminal.   
     
     
         3 . The automotive key device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a memory configured to store measured body signals.   
     
     
         4 . A steering wheel docking station to which an automotive key device is connected, wherein the automotive key device is connected, in the form of a holder, to a mechanism of opening or shutting an automotive door or merged with the mechanism of opening or shutting the automotive door and includes an ECG sensor having a first body signal electrode and a second body signal electrode and a contact terminal electrically connected to the ECG sensor, and the steering wheel docking station comprising:
 one or more replacement electrodes configured to replace functions of one or both of the first body signal electrode and the second body signal electrode of the automotive key device,   wherein the contact terminal is configured to serve as a passage for electrical connection with devices within a vehicle, and   wherein the replacement electrodes (i) are configured to transmit signals from a driver's hands on a steering wheel to the automotive key device through the contact terminal such that the driver's ECG information can be obtained and (ii) are disposed at locations where the driver's hands are placed while driving.   
     
     
         5 . The steering wheel docking station of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a receptacle configured to receive the automotive key device,   wherein one or both of the first body signal electrode and the second body signal electrode of the automotive key device are configured to be exposed when the automotive key device is inserted into the receptacle, and   wherein one replacement electrode is configured to obtain body signals in place of one of the first body signal electrode and the second body signal electrode of the automotive key device.   
     
     
         6 . The steering wheel docking station of  claim 5 , wherein all of the first body signal electrode and the second body signal electrode of the automotive key device are exposed, and
 wherein the other body signal electrode whose functions are not replaced by the replacement electrode from among the first body signal electrode and the second body signal electrode of the automotive key device is configured to eliminate a common phase in order to remove noise generated while the vehicle is being driven.   
     
     
         7 . The steering wheel docking station of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a receptacle configured to receive the automotive key device,   wherein none of the first body signal electrode and the second body signal electrode of the automotive key device is exposed when the automotive key device is inserted into the hole, and   wherein two replacement electrodes are configured to obtain body signals in place of the first body signal electrode and the second body signal electrode of the automotive key device, respectively.   
     
     
         8 . The steering wheel docking station of  claim 4 , wherein when the driver's body signal information collected while the automotive key device is connected to the steering wheel docking station is transmitted to the automotive key device via the contact terminal, driving related information measured by sensors within the vehicle or information obtained from sensors installed in the driver's smart phone (i) is configured to be transmitted to the automotive key device via the contact terminal and (ii) is configured to be stored in the automotive key device in association with the driver's body signal information. 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 an automotive key device (i) connected, in the form of a holder, to a mechanism of opening or shutting an automotive door or merged with the mechanism of opening or shutting the automotive door and (ii) including an ECG sensor having:
 a first body signal electrode, 
 a second body signal electrode, and 
 a contact terminal electrically connected to the ECG sensor; 
   a steering wheel docking station including one or more replacement electrodes configured to replace functions of one or both of the first body signal electrode and the second body signal electrode of the automotive key device; and   an automotive navigation device or personal computer (PC) electrically connected to the steering wheel docking station,   wherein the contact terminal is configured to serve as a passage for electrical connection with devices within a vehicle,   wherein the replacement electrodes (i) are configured to transmit signals from a driver's hands on a steering wheel of the vehicle to the automotive key device through the contact terminal such that the driver's ECG information can be obtained and (ii) are disposed at locations where the driver's hands are placed while driving,   wherein the steering wheel docking station is configured to provide body signal information including ECG information obtained by the automotive key device to the automotive navigation device or PC, and   wherein the body signal information is stored in the automotive navigation device or PC or configured to be used as a basis for providing other body signal information through an arithmetic operation.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the automotive key device further includes:
 a PPG sensor; and   a SpO 2  sensor,   wherein the PPG sensor and the SpO 2  sensor are electrically connected to the contact terminal, and   wherein the automotive navigation device or PC is configured to calculate the driver's blood pressure information based on the body signal information including ECG, PPG and SpO 2  information obtained from the automotive key device and is configured to store the calculated blood pressure information.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the automotive navigation device or PC includes a display, and
 wherein the display is configured to display the body signal information obtained from the automotive key device or the blood pressure information calculated based on the body signal information.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a communicator,   wherein the communicator is configured to transmit the body signal information obtained from the automotive key device or the blood pressure information calculated based on the body signal information to an external server.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein when the driver's body signal information collected while the automotive key device is connected to the steering wheel docking station is transmitted to the automotive key device via the contact terminal, driving related information measured by sensors within the vehicle or information obtained from sensors installed in the driver's smart phone is also transmitted to the automotive key device via the contact terminal and stored in the automotive key device in association with the driver's body signal information, and
 wherein when the body signal information obtained from the automotive key device or the blood pressure information calculated based on the body signal information is transmitted to the external server via the communicator, the information stored in association with the body signal information is also transmitted to the external service via the communicator.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the communicator is further configured to receive a feedback signal to the body signal information or the blood pressure information calculated based on the body signal information from the external server,
 wherein the system is configured to alert the driver or to put the vehicle in an emergency driving mode based on the feedback signal, and   wherein the communicator is further configured to transmit the feedback signal to a server of an emergency rescue center together with global positioning system (GPS) information of the vehicle.   
     
     
         15 . The steering wheel docking station of  claim 8 , wherein the driver's body signal information and the driving related information are transmitted simultaneously. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the driver's body signal information collected while the automotive key device is connected to the steering wheel docking station and the driving related information are transmitted simultaneously, and
 wherein the body signal information obtained from the automotive key device or the blood pressure information calculated based on the body signal information and the information stored in association with the body signal are transmitted simultaneously.