Wearable computing device
A wearable device to wear on a head of a user includes a flexible band generally shaped to correspond to the user's head, the band having at least a front portion to contact at least part of a frontal region of the user's head, a rear portion to contact at least part of an occipital region of the user's head, and at least one side portion extending between the front portion and the rear portion to contact at least part of an auricular region of the user's head. A deformable earpiece is connected to the at least one side portion, the deformable earpiece including conductive material to provide at least one bio-signal sensor to contact at least part of the auricular region of the user's head. At least one additional bio-signal sensor is disposed on the band to receive bio-signals from the user.
1. A wearable device to wear on a head of a user, the device comprising:
a flexible band shaped to correspond to the user's head, the flexible band including a front portion configured to contact at least part of a frontal region of the user's head, a rear portion configured to contact at least part of an occipital region of the user's head, and at least one side portion extending between the front portion and the rear portion configured to contact at least part of a posterior auricular region of the user's head;
a flexible electroencephalography (EEG) bio-signal sensor disposed on the flexible band to receive EEG bio-signals from the user; and
a deformable above-ear electrode disposed in the at least one side portion of the flexible band, the deformable above-ear electrode comprising flexible conductive material as part of an additional bio-signal sensor configured to contact at least part of an upper and rear surface of an ear of the user, wherein the front portion and the rear portion are joined at the at least one side portion, and wherein when the wearable device is configured to be placed on the head of the user, downward pressure is distributed along the length of the flexible conductive material to contour the flexible conductive material to the upper and rear surface of the ear of the user and to collapse the flexible conductive material upwards;
wherein at least one portion of the flexible band includes an elastic substrate that elongates to a stretched state when worn; and
wherein the flexible conductive material is formed from a conductive layer applied to a substrate.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible EEG bio-signal sensor is disposed on the front portion of the flexible band.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible EEG bio-signal sensor includes a flexible printed circuit board.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible EEG bio-signal sensor includes a silver ink conductive material configured to contact a forehead of the user.
5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a flexible luminescence array disposed on the front portion of the flexible band,
wherein the front portion is extendable to cover eyes of the user such that the flexible luminescence array is adjacent to the eyes of the user to provide light to the user.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible band includes a deformable fabric.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the deformable above-ear electrode is configured to contact at least part of a mastoid bone region of the user.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible conductive material is a conductive rubber.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the additional bio-signal sensor is an electrophysiological sensor.
10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an electronics module in communication with the flexible EEG bio-signal sensor for receiving the EEG bio-signals from the flexible EEG bio-signal sensor.
11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the electronics module is disposed on the flexible band.
12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the electronics module is selectively mountable to the flexible band.
13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the electronics module includes a computing device configured to receive the EEG signals from the flexible EEG bio-signal sensor and to process the EEG bio-signals.
14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the computing device is configured to process the EEG bio-signals to obtain bio-signal data during sleep.
15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the computing device is configured to compare the bio-signal data to a baseline to establish a sleep score based on a deviation of the bio-signal data from the baseline.
16. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a hair-penetrating sensor disposed on the flexible band.
17. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary sensor comprising at least one of an optical heart rate sensor, a pulse oximeter sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a breath sensor, or a microphone.
18. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an inner-ear sensor configured to contact an ear canal of the user.
19. The device of claim 18 , further comprising a speaker disposed adjacent to the inner-ear sensor.
20. The device of claim 1 wherein:
the deformable above-ear electrode is disposed on a lower section of the side portion; and
the upper and rear surface of the ear of the user comprises a top of an auricular sulcus of the user.
21. The device of claim 1 wherein:
the deformable above-ear electrode is disposed on a lower section of the side portion; and
the upper and rear surface of the ear of the user comprises a region between an ear tip and the head of the user.
22. The device of claim 1 , wherein the above-ear electrode comprises an open aperture in an inner region of the above-ear electrode and the flexible conductive material can collapse into the open aperture when worn.
23. The device of claim 1 , wherein the above-ear electrode comprises a surface of compressible foam on which the flexible conductive material is disposed and the flexible conductive material can collapse into the surface of the compressible foam when worn.