System and method for monitoring procedure compliance

• US 10,417,896 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Worral, John David, Boling, Shawn Allen, Dearing, Jr., Ronald J., Hale, Gregory Brooks, Rench, Scott William
• Primary Examiner(s): Kholdebarin, Iman K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rice, Elisa M
• Application Number:
  US15/485,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20180301014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

A method of monitoring a user performing a handwashing procedure, including: recognizing a user based upon biometric information obtained at a handwashing station, a user; detecting use of a component of the handwashing station; capturing image data of the user at the handwashing station; capturing data describing components and consumables used at the handwashing station; analyzing, using a processor, the image data; determining compliance with a handwashing procedure based at least in part on the analysis of the image data and the use of the component; and communicating compliance information. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a user performing a handwashing procedure, comprising:

identifying an operational process being performed by a user, wherein the operational process comprises a plurality of tasks to be performed in a predetermined sequence, one of the plurality of tasks comprising a handwashing task to occur before occurrence of another of the plurality of tasks;

for the handwashing task;

recognizing a user based upon biometric information obtained, using a biometric sensor located at a handwashing station that obtains the biometric information from a hand of the user, at the handwashing station;

detecting use of a component of the handwashing station using one or more sensors disposed within the component, wherein the component is a predetermined component specified within the handwashing task;

capturing, using an image sensor, image data of the user at the handwashing station;

capturing data describing components and consumables used at the handwashing station;

analyzing, using a processor, the image data, wherein the analyzing comprises identifying actions taken by the user at the handwashing station and comparing the image data to expected image data of a handwashing technique and computing a compliance score based upon the comparison, wherein the compliance score is further based upon a match between the component and the predetermined component specified within the handwashing task and is further based upon the handwashing task occurring at the sequence point within the predetermined sequence of the plurality of tasks and before the occurrence of another of the plurality of tasks; and

determining compliance with a handwashing procedure based at least in part on the analysis of the image data and the use of the component, wherein the determining compliance comprises determining if the computed compliance score has exceeded a predetermined compliance threshold; and

communicating compliance information based upon the compliance with the handwashing procedure and compliance with the operational process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises using biometric data selected from the group consisting of a fingerprint data, subsurface vein map data, and image data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises detecting water flow.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the detecting water flow comprises detecting water flow for at least a predetermined amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises detecting washing fluid has been dispensed.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising ascertaining a specific task of the handwashing procedure to be performed by the user;

wherein the determining comprises comparing data of the analysis of the image data to expected data for the specific task.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing feedback to the user, wherein the feedback is associated with compliance with a handwashing procedure.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the feedback is provided during performance of the handwashing procedure.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the compliance information is communicated to a mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the handwashing procedure comprises a washing procedure performed by hand selected from the group consisting of:

washing food products, washing dishes, washing medical equipment, washing laboratory equipment, and washing food processing equipment.

11. A system for monitoring a user performing a handwashing procedure, comprising:

a handwashing station;

a biometric sensor that recognizes a user at the handwashing station by capturing biometric information from a hand of the user;

a component of the handwashing station that is required to be used during the handwashing procedure, wherein the component comprises one or more sensors disposed within the component that detect use of the component, wherein the component is a predetermined component specified within a handwashing task of an operational process, wherein the operational process comprises a plurality of tasks to be performed in a predetermined sequence, one of the plurality of tasks comprising a handwashing task to occur before occurrence of another of the plurality of tasks;

an image sensor that captures image data of the user at the handwashing station; and

a processor that;

identifies the operational process being performed by a user;

for the handwashing task;

analyzes the image data, wherein the analyzing comprises identifying actions taken by the user at the handwashing station and comparing the image data to expected image data of a handwashing technique and computing a compliance score based upon the comparison, wherein the compliance score is further based upon a match between the component and the predetermined component specified within the handwashing task and is further based upon the handwashing task occurring at the sequence point within the predetermined sequence of the plurality of tasks and before the occurrence of another of the plurality of tasks; and

determines compliance with a handwashing procedure based at least in part on the analysis of the image data and use of the component, wherein the determining compliance comprises determining if the computed compliance score has exceeded a predetermined compliance threshold; and

thereafter communicates compliance information based upon the compliance with the handwashing procedure and compliance with the operational process.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the biometric sensor is selected from the group consisting of a fingerprint reader and the image sensor.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the component of the handwashing station comprises a faucet.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor determines that water flows from the faucet for at least a predetermined amount of time.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the component of the handwashing station comprises a washing fluid dispenser.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor ascertains a specific task of the handwashing procedure to be performed by the user;

wherein the processor determines compliance by comparing data of the analysis of the image data to expected data for the specific task.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the processor provides feedback to the user, wherein the feedback is associated with compliance with a handwashing procedure.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the feedback is provided during performance of the handwashing procedure.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the feedback is selected from the group consisting of predetermined audio and predetermined video.

20. A method for monitoring a user performing an operational process, comprising:

identifying the user and an operational process being performed by the user, wherein the operational process comprises a plurality of tasks to be performed in a predetermined sequence, one of the plurality of tasks comprising a compliance step to occur before occurrence of another of the plurality of tasks, wherein the identifying the user comprises obtaining biometric information of the user using a biometric sensor located at a handwashing station that obtains the biometric information from a hand of the user;

ascertaining the user is to perform the another of the plurality of tasks; and

determining whether the user has complied with the compliance step before performance of the another of the plurality of tasks, wherein the determining comprises capturing image data of the user performing the compliance step, identifying actions taken by the user during performance of the compliance step, comparing the image data to expected image data of performance of an expected compliance step and computing a compliance score based upon the comparison, and determining if the computed compliance score has exceeded a predetermined compliance threshold, wherein the compliance score is further based upon the compliance step occurring at the sequence point within the predetermined sequence of the plurality of tasks and before the occurrence of the another of the plurality of tasks;

wherein the determining comprises determining whether biometric data from the user has been obtained, wherein the biometric data is obtained using at least one biometric sensor operatively coupled to an object used in completing the compliance step, wherein the object is a predetermined component specified within the compliance step, and wherein the compliance score is further based upon a match between the object and a predetermined object specified within the compliance step.