Wearable health monitoring system

• US 10,314,489 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2016
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Hisao, Ji, Lusheng, Renger, Bernard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flory, Christopher A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jian, Shirley X
• Application Number:
  US15/145,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20160324419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 463 39
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/07 Home care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4803 Speech analysis specially adapted for diagnostic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4875 Hydration status, fluid retention of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed which relate to remotely monitoring the health of an individual. The individual wears a health monitoring device, with an attached strap, capable of sensing characteristics of the individual. These characteristics may include voice level and tone, movements, blood pressure, temperature, etc. The device allows individuals to constantly monitor their health without having to physically visit a doctor or other health care professional. Wireless communication, for instance with an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) set-top box, allows measurements to be made and evaluated by a computerized healthcare service provider. For a more accurate evaluation, measurements are sent over the INTERNET to a service. The device communicates with services in order to diagnose the individual based upon the characteristics.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

obtaining a baseline health performance sample of a user of the device, wherein the baseline health performance sample comprises a first measurement corresponding to a first movement of the user;

receiving a request for a new health performance sample;

capturing an input representing the new health performance sample according to the request, wherein the input comprises a second measurement corresponding to a second movement of the device relative to a second processor, wherein the second movement is determined according to arrival time data associated with signals that are transmitted according to instructions from the second processor;

comparing the second measurement to the first measurement to determine a difference in user health performance; and

transmitting information associated with the difference in user health performance to the second processor.

2. The device in claim 1, wherein a first signal of the signals originates from the second processor and comprises a data packet, wherein a second signal of the signals comprises an audio tone, and wherein the determining the second movement according to arrival time data comprises determining a distance between the device and the second processor according to a time difference of arrival between the first and second signals at the device.

3. The device in claim 1, further comprising a microphone,

wherein the baseline health performance sample further comprises a first voice sample of the user received via the microphone, and

wherein the input further comprises a second voice sample received via the microphone.

4. The device in claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise:

comparing the second voice sample to the first voice sample to determine the difference in user health performance; and

transmitting information associated with the difference in user health performance, based on the comparing of the second voice sample to the first voice sample, to the second processor.

5. The device in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving another request for a subsequent performance sample of the user from the second processor;

obtaining the subsequent performance sample of the user;

comparing the subsequent performance sample to a downloaded baseline performance sample to determine an updated difference of user performance, wherein the second processor downloads the downloaded baseline from an interactive television network;

determining an updated health condition of the user based on the updated difference in the user health performance; and

transmitting information regarding the updated health condition to the second processor.

6. The device in claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer, and wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining a baseline movement sample of the user by the accelerometer;

capturing an additional movement sample of the user by the accelerometer;

comparing the additional movement sample to the baseline movement sample to determine a movement based difference in user health performance; and

transmitting the movement based difference in user health performance to the second processor.

7. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving a voice sample of a user;

evaluating the voice sample against a voice baseline to identify the user;

requesting a performance sample of the user from a sensor of a health monitoring device, wherein the performance sample comprises a measurement corresponding to a movement of the sensor;

providing two signals to the health monitoring device via a wireless transceiver, wherein the movement is determined according to a time difference of arrival at the sensor between the two signals;

comparing the performance sample to a baseline performance sample to determine a difference of user performance; and

determining a health condition of the user based upon the difference in user performance.

8. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium in claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise uploading the health condition of the user to an interactive television network.

9. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium in claim 7,

wherein a first signal of the two signals comprises a data packet and a second signal of the two signals comprises an audio tone, and wherein a distance between the sensor and a processing system issuing the two signals is determined according to a time difference of arrival between the first and second signals at the sensor.

10. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium in claim 7, wherein the health monitoring device further comprises an accelerometer, wherein the accelerometer measures an additional movement of the user.

11. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium in claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise providing an audio to speaker to present the request for the performance sample to the user.

12. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium in claim 7, wherein the request for the performance sample originates from a doctor via an interactive television network.

13. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium in claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a baseline performance sample from an interactive television network.

14. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium in claim 7, wherein the performance sample comprises a vocal signal.

15. A method, the method comprising:

communicatively connecting, by a processing system comprising a processor, to a health monitoring device;

providing, by the processing system, an instruction to the health monitoring device;

instructing, by the processing system, that a user associated with the health monitoring device perform a physical move;

providing, by the processing system, a first sensor of the health monitoring device to obtain a movement sample, wherein the movement sample is determined relative to a position of the processor, wherein the movement sample is determined according to a time difference of arrival between two signals originating at the processing system;

evaluating, by the processing system, the movement sample against a movement baseline for the user to determine a health condition of the user; and

transmitting, by the processing system, the health condition to an application server.

16. The method in claim 15, wherein the processor comprises a set top box, and

wherein the application server transmits the health condition to a health professional in communication with the application server.

17. The method in claim 16, further comprising receiving a professional evaluation from the health professional via the application server.

18. The method in claim 15, further comprising instructing the user to wear the health monitoring device when outside a range of wireless communications with the processing system.

19. The method in claim 15, further comprising providing a second sensor of the health monitoring device to acquire a health sample from the user, and

wherein a first signal of the two signals comprises a data packet and a second signal of the two signals comprises an audio tone, wherein a distance between the health monitoring device and the processor is determined according to a time difference of arrival between the first and second signals at the health monitoring device.

20. The method in claim 19, wherein the health sample comprises one of a pulse, a blood oxygen level, a breathing pattern, a blood sugar level, or a blood pressure.