Mobile monitoring device

• US 10,395,501 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MSA Europe GmbH (MSA Safety, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MSA Europe GmbH (MSA Safety, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Ansgar, Hahne, Marcel, Lopez, Gustavo, Klewer, Rene
• Primary Examiner(s): Mortell, John F
• Application Number:
  US15/123,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20170069193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0492 Sensor dual technology, i.e. two or more technologies collaborate to extract unsafe condition, e.g. video tracking and RFID tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/16 Combustible gas alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile monitoring device, comprising a gas measurement device designed to read a value of a measured gas property of a gas and to provide a gas measurement signal dependent on the read value of the measured gas property; a body measurement device designed to read a value of a measured physical body property of a body of a person wearing the mobile monitoring device and to provide a body measurement signal dependent on the read value of the measured body property; and a control unit designed to receive the gas measurement signal and the body measurement signal and to control the mobile monitoring device dependent on a degree of correlation between a gas signal derived from the gas measurement signal and a body signal derived from the body measurement signal.

Claims

1. A method for operating a mobile monitoring device, comprising:

reading a value of a measured gas property of a gas, the gas being in the environment around the mobile monitoring device, and providing a gas measurement signal dependent on the read value of the measured gas property;

reading a value of a measured physical body property of a body of a person wearing the mobile monitoring device and providing a body measurement signal dependent on the read value of the measured body property;

receiving the gas measurement signal and the body measurement signal by a control unit for controlling the mobile monitoring device;

determining a correlation signal dependent on a degree of correlation between a gas signal derived from the gas measurement signal and a body signal derived from the body measurement signal; and

controlling the mobile monitoring device to (1) generate an alarm signal when the correlation signal indicates that the gas signal or body signal exceeds or drops below a first predetermined threshold value and (2) enter an energy-saving mode when the correlation signal drops below a second predetermined threshold value and the gas signal is below a predetermined threshold value.

2. A mobile monitoring device, comprising:

a first measuring device configured to detect a gas and generate a gas signal based on the detected gas;

a second measuring device configured to detect a physical trait associated with a user of the mobile monitoring device and generate a body signal based on the detected physical trait;

a correlator configured to generate a correlation signal based on the gas signal and the body signal; and

a control unit configured to control the mobile monitoring device to (1) generate an alarm signal when the correlation signal indicates that the gas signal or body signal exceeds or drops below a first predetermined threshold value and (2) enter an energy-saving mode when the correlation signal drops below a second predetermined threshold value and the gas signal is below a predetermined threshold value.

3. The mobile monitoring device of claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to control the mobile monitoring device in response to the correlation signal to perform a task comprising at least one of the following:

generating an alarm, operating in a normal mode, entering a sleep mode, or any combination thereof.

4. The mobile monitoring device of claim 2, wherein the gas signal represents detection of a gas characteristic comprising at least one of the following:

toxicity of the gas, explosiveness of the gas, pressure of the gas, temperature of the gas, oxygen content of the gas, or any combination thereof.

5. The mobile monitoring device of claim 2, wherein the body signal represents detection of a characteristic of a physiological trait comprising at least one of the following:

body acceleration, body speed, relative body position, heart functionality, respiratory functionality, temperature, blood pressure, or any combination thereof.

6. The mobile monitoring device of claim 2, further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit an alarm signal to a central monitoring device.

7. A method, comprising:

detecting, using a gas measurement device of a mobile monitoring device, a gas that surrounds the mobile monitoring device;

generating, using the gas measurement device, at least one gas signal based on the detecting of the gas;

detecting, using a body measurement device of the mobile monitoring device, a physical trait associated with a user of the mobile monitoring device;

generating, using the body measurement device, at least one body signal based on the detecting of the physical trait;

generating, using a correlator of the mobile monitoring device, a correlation signal utilizing the body signal and the gas signal; and

controlling, using the control unit of the mobile monitoring device, the mobile monitoring device to (1) generate an alarm signal when the correlation signal indicates that the gas signal or body signal exceeds or drops below a first predetermined threshold value and (2) enter an energy-saving mode when the correlation signal drops below a second predetermined threshold value and the gas signal is below a predetermined threshold value.