Systems and methods for improved assisted or independent living environments

• US 10,573,146 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2015
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Jordan, II, Jackie O., Donovan, John, Turrentine, David, Wollenschlager, Torri, Nussbaum, Bryan R., Stockweather, Deanna, Stoiber, Jeffrey W., Markwardt, Kerstin, Carlson, Gail L., Schiebel, Kyle C., Winslow, Troy, Harr, Joseph P., Wagner, Ellakate, Harris, Jr., Michael, Sun, Jennylind
• Primary Examiner(s): Apple, Kirsten S
• Application Number:
  US14/873,865
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/01 Customer relationship services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/163 Real estate management
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/02 using only mechanical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/22 Electrical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• 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 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/185 Electrical failure alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/062 indicating emergency exits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 : from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 : Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 : Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 : Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

The present embodiments relate to detecting instances of individuals being in peril within an independent or assisted living environment. According to certain aspects, with an individual'"'"'s permission or affirmative consent, a hardware controller (such as a smart or interconnected home controller, or even a mobile device) may receive and analyze sensor data detected within the independent or assisted living environment to determine whether an individual may be in peril. In this circumstance, the hardware controller may generate a notification that indicates the situation and may communicate the notification to a proper individual, such as a family member or care giver, who may be in a position to mitigate or alleviate any risks posed by the situation. The foregoing functionality also may be used by an insurance provider to generate, update, or adjust insurance policies, premiums, rates, or discounts, and/or make recommendations to an insured individual.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of detecting periled individuals within an independent or assisted living environment, the independent or assisted living environment populated with a hardware controller in communication with a plurality of sensors, the method comprising:

receiving, by the hardware controller, sensor data from a wearable device removably secured to an individual and located within the independent or assisted living environment, wherein the sensor data indicates a heart rate of the individual;

analyzing, by one or more processors, the sensor data to determine that the heart rate of the individual exceeds a threshold rate;

receiving, by the hardware controller, updated sensor data from the wearable device, wherein the updated sensor data indicates (i) an updated heart rate of the individual, and (ii) a type of room of the independent or assisted living environment in which the individual is located;

analyzing, by the one or more processors, the updated sensor data to determine that the updated heart rate exceeds the threshold rate;

in response to determining that the updated heart rate exceeds the threshold rate, determining, based on the type of room in which the individual is located, that the individual is in peril;

responsive to determining that the individual is in peril, automatically and without user intervention generating a notification indicating that the individual is in peril; and

communicating the notification to an electronic device of an additional individual to facilitate alleviating a risk associated with the individual being in peril.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the sensor data comprises:

receiving motion data from the wearable device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein analyzing the sensor data comprises:

analyzing the motion data from the wearable device to determine that the individual has experienced a rapid acceleration.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes audio data received from a microphone located within a room of the individual, and wherein analyzing the sensor data comprises:

determining, from the audio data, that the individual has suffered a fall.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the sensor data comprises:

accessing baseline sensor data corresponding to the retrieved sensor data; and

comparing the received sensor data to the baseline sensor data.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein comparing the received sensor data to the baseline sensor data comprises:

determining a level of similarity between the retrieved sensor data and the baseline sensor data, and

determining that the level of similarity meets a threshold value.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein communicating the notification to the electronic device comprises:

identifying a caregiver for the individual; and

communicating the notification to the electronic device of the caregiver.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an insurance-related event associated with the individual being in peril.

9. A hardware controller for detecting periled individuals within an independent or assisted living environment, the hardware controller in communication with a set of sensors populated within the independent or assisted living environment, comprising:

a communication module adapted to interface with the set of sensors populated within the independent or assisted living environment, the set of sensors comprising a wearable device removably secured to an individual and located within the independent or assisted living environment;

a memory adapted to store non-transitory computer executable instructions; and

a processor adapted to interface with the communication module and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to;

receive, via the communication module, sensor data from the wearable device, wherein the sensor data indicates a heart rate of the individual,

analyze the sensor data to determine that the heart rate of the individual exceeds a threshold rate,

receive updated sensor data from the wearable device, wherein the updated sensor data indicates (i) an updated heart rate of the individual, and (ii) a type of room of the independent or assisted living environment in which the individual is located,

analyze the updated sensor data to determine the updated heart rate exceeds the threshold rate,

in response to determining that the updated heart rate exceeds the threshold rate, determine, based on the type of room in which the individual is located, that the individual is in peril,

responsive to determining that the individual is in peril, automatically and without user intervention generate a notification indicating that the individual is in peril, and

communicate, via the communication module, the notification to an electronic device of an additional individual to facilitate alleviating a risk associated with the individual being in peril.

10. The hardware controller of claim 9, wherein the sensor data comprises motion data from the wearable device.

11. The hardware controller of claim 10, wherein to analyze the sensor data, the processor is configured to:

analyze the motion data from the wearable device to determine that the individual has experienced a rapid acceleration.

12. The hardware controller of claim 9, wherein the sensor data includes audio data received from a microphone located within a room of the individual, and wherein to analyze the sensor data, the processor is configured to:

determine, from the audio data, that the individual has suffered a fall.

13. The hardware controller of claim 9, wherein to analyze the sensor data, the processor is configured to:

access baseline sensor data corresponding to the retrieved sensor data, and

compare the received sensor data to the baseline sensor data.

14. The hardware controller of claim 13, wherein to compare the received sensor data to the baseline sensor data, the processor is configured to:

determine a level of similarity between the retrieved sensor data and the baseline sensor data, and

determine that the level of similarity meets a threshold value.

15. The hardware controller of claim 9, wherein to communicate the notification to the electronic device, the processor is configured to:

identify a caregiver for the individual, and

communicate the notification to the electronic device of the caregiver.

16. The hardware controller of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify an insurance-related event associated with the individual being in peril.