IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,527,510
Granted Patent B2
US 12,527,510 · App. 17/785,654 · Granted Jan 20, 2026

Wearable environmental sensor device

Inventors: Akio Tokura (Tokyo, JP); Kei Kuwabara (Tokyo, JP); Takako Ishihara (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NTT, INC.
A61B5/332G01K1/08G01K1/14G01W1/11
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,527,510
App. No.
17/785,654
Granted
Jan 20, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wearable environmental sensor includes an environmental sensor arranged on a wall surface of a housing including a sealed section, the wall being in contact with an environment, and a protective structure formed around the environmental sensor, wherein the protective structure includes a plurality of ventilating holes, a sensor surface of the environmental sensor is arranged to face an opening of at least one of the ventilating holes, and an attaching part for attaching the environmental sensor to the wall surface comes into contact only with an edge of a sensor substrate of the environmental sensor and with a portion of a back face of the sensor substrate.

Claims (74)

1 . A wearable environmental sensor device comprising:

a housing comprising a sealed section, a protective structure, and a housing wall which separates the sealed section and the protective structure from each other and which is in contact with an environment;

a sensor substrate;

an environmental sensor mounted on a front face of the sensor substrate; and

an attaching part attaching the sensor substrate to the housing wall,

wherein the protective structure is disposed around the environmental sensor,

the environmental sensor and the sensor substrate are arranged within the protective structure,

the protective structure comprises a plurality of ventilating holes,

the environmental sensor is arranged to face an opening of at least one of the plurality of ventilating holes,

the attaching part contacts only an edge and a portion of a back face of the sensor substrate,

the attaching part comprises an L-shaped part and a protruding part,

the L-shaped part contacts only the edge of the sensor substrate, and

the protruding part contacts only the portion of the back face of the sensor substrate.

2 . The wearable environmental sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the environmental sensor comprises a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor.

3 . A wearable environmental sensor device comprising:

a housing comprising a sealed section, a protective structure, and a housing wall which separates the sealed section and the protective structure from each other and which is in contact with an environment;

an environmental sensor mounted on a sensor substrate and arranged on the housing wall; and

an attaching part attaching the sensor substrate to the housing wall,

wherein the protective structure is disposed around the environmental sensor,

the protective structure comprises a plurality of ventilating holes,

the environmental sensor is arranged to face an opening of at least one of the plurality of ventilating holes,

the attaching part contacts only an edge and a portion of a back face of the sensor substrate,

the attaching part comprises an L-shaped part and a protruding part;

the L-shaped part contacts only the edge of the sensor substrate; and

the protruding part contacts only the portion of the back face of the sensor substrate.

4 . The wearable environmental sensor device according to claim 3 , wherein the sensor substrate comprises a guide that contacts the protruding part.

5 . The wearable environmental sensor device according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a rigid substrate configured to mount an electronic circuit, the rigid substrate being arranged in the sealed section; and

a flexible substrate connecting the rigid substrate and the sensor substrate to each other.

6 . The wearable environmental sensor device according to claim 5 , further comprising:

a wireless communication device arranged on the rigid substrate; and

an electrocardiographic waveform sensor or an acceleration and angular velocity sensor arranged on the rigid substrate.

7 . The wearable environmental sensor device according to claim 1 , further comprising a black-bulb temperature sensor arranged on the sealed section.

8 . A method of providing a wearable environmental sensor device, the method comprising:

providing a housing comprising a sealed section, a protective structure, and a housing wall which separates the sealed section and the protective structure from each other and which is in contact with an environment;

mounting an environmental sensor on a front face of a sensor substrate; and

attaching the sensor substrate to the housing wall using an attaching part;

wherein the environmental sensor and the sensor substrate are arranged within the protective structure,

the protective structure comprises a plurality of ventilating holes,

the environmental sensor is arranged to face an opening of at least one of the plurality of ventilating holes,

the attaching part contacts only an edge and a portion of a back face of the sensor substrate,

the attaching part comprises an L-shaped part and a protruding part,

the L-shaped part contacts only the edge of the sensor substrate, and

the protruding part contacts only the portion of the back face of the sensor substrate.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the environmental sensor comprises a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor.

10 . A method of providing a wearable environmental sensor device, the method comprising:

providing a housing comprising a sealed section, a protective structure, and a housing wall which separates the sealed section and the protective structure from each other and which is in contact with an environment;

mounting an environmental sensor on a sensor substrate and on the housing wall; and

attaching the sensor substrate to the housing wall using an attaching part,

wherein the protective structure is disposed around the environmental sensor,

the protective structure comprises a plurality of ventilating holes,

the environmental sensor is arranged to face an opening of at least one of the plurality of ventilating holes,

the attaching part contacts only an edge and a portion of a back face of the sensor substrate,

the attaching part comprises an L-shaped part and a protruding part;

the L-shaped part contacts only the edge of the sensor substrate; and

the protruding part contacts only the portion of the back face of the sensor substrate.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the sensor substrate comprises a guide that contacts the protruding part.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

mounting an electronic circuit on a rigid substrate arranged in the sealed section; and

connecting the rigid substrate and the sensor substrate to each other using a flexible substrate.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

arranging a wireless communication device on the rigid substrate; and

arranging an electrocardiographic waveform sensor or an acceleration and angular velocity sensor on the rigid substrate.

14 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising arranging a black-bulb temperature sensor on the sealed section.

15 . The wearable environmental sensor device according to claim 1 , further comprising a snap button or a clip provided on the housing.

16 . The wearable environmental sensor device according to claim 3 , further comprising a snap button or a clip provided on the housing.

17 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising providing a snap button or a clip on the housing.

18 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising providing a snap button or a clip on the housing.

19 . The wearable environmental sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the sealed section is sealed by a packing, welding, or adhesive.

20 . The wearable environmental sensor device according to claim 3 , wherein the sealed section is sealed by a packing, welding, or adhesive.

21 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the sealed section is sealed by a packing, welding, or adhesive.

22 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the sealed section is sealed by a packing, welding, or adhesive.

23 . The wearable environmental sensor device according to claim 3 , wherein the environmental sensor and the sensor substrate are arranged within the protective structure.

24 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the environmental sensor and the sensor substrate are arranged within the protective structure.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 7, 2025
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AN D TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 073014/0979 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 15, 2022
From: TOKURA, AKIO; KUWABARA, KEI; ISHIHARA, TAKAKO
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060211/0528 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230059323A1 · Feb 23, 2023
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