Electronic assistant incorporated in personal objects

• US 20030001742A1
• Filed: 06/30/2001
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Gutta, Srinivas, Eshelman, Larry J., Strubbe, Hugo J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,774,795 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/00 Sticks combined with other objects
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/04 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/321 combined with other articles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/08 Elderly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0462 Apparatus with built-in sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/00 Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about apparatus for helping babies to walk A47D13/04; orthopaedic devices for correcting deformities of, or supporting, limbs A61F5/0102; exercising apparatus for the feet or toes A63B23/10; stairways or ramps E04F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/00 Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means synchronisation G04C11/00

Abstract

An electronic assistant, incorporates electronic functions in a personal object that the user finds indispensable. Examples of personal objects include a cane, a walking stick, a walker, a wheelchair, a personal transportation vehicle, a purse, a key holder, a watch, a pendant, a hearing aid, an eyeglass frame, or a crutch. Electronics may include a PDA, a cell phone, a navigation module, a biosensor module, and an emergency alert module. The navigation module might include a GPS, an altimeter, an electronic compass, and/or a stored map. Biosensors may be directly incorporated into the personal device or communicate with a receiver therein if the biosensor is required to be attached directly to the user'"'"'s body or surgically implanted. The emergency alert module may include an emergency button, and an emergency notification sequence stored in the electronic assistant capable of calling for assistance through the cell phone.

Claims

1. An electronic assistant, comprising:

a non-electronic personal object with an electronic module incorporated therein, said personal object having utility beyond that of the electronic module incorporated therein;

said at least one electronic module includes at least one of a PDA, a cell phone, a navigation module generating navigation data, a biosensor module generating physical user state data, and an emergency alert module generating a local and/or remote alarm signal.

2. The electronic assistant of claim 1 wherein said personal object is one of a cane, a walking stick, a walker, a wheelchair, a personal transportation vehicle, and a crutch.

3. The electronic assistant of claim 1 wherein said personal object is one of a cane and a walking stick.

4. The electronic assistant of claim 1 wherein said PDA includes at least one biosensor and is programmed to classify user status responsively to a signal therefrom.

5. The electronic assistant of claim 4 wherein said at least one biosensor is at least two biosensors and said PDA is further programmed to combine signals from said at least two biosensors to derive a user state indication responsively to both said signals.

6. The electronic assistant of claim 5 wherein electronic module includes a GPS receiver and said PDA is programmed to generate a user state indication responsively to a location signal from said GPS receiver.

7. The electronic assistant of claim 1 wherein said biosensor module includes:

a receiver configured to receive biosensor signals wirelessly from a sensor.

8. The electronic assistant of claim 7 wherein said sensor includes at least one of a sensor in contact with the body of a user and a sensor surgically implanted in the body of said user.

9. The electronic assistant of claim 1 wherein said emergency alert module includes an emergency button, and an emergency notification sequence stored in said electronic assistant capable of calling for assistance through said cell phone.

10. An electronic assistant, comprising:

non-electronic personal object with an electronic module incorporated therein, said personal object having utility beyond that of the electronic module incorporated therein;

said personal object being one of a cane, a walking stick, a walker, a wheelchair, a personal transportation vehicle, a purse, a key holder, a watch, a pendant, a hearing aid, an eyeglass frame, and a crutch;

said at least one electronic module including at least one of a PDA, a cell phone, a navigation module, a biosensor module, and an emergency alert module;

said navigation module including at least one of a GPS, an altimeter, an electronic compass, and a stored map;

said biosensor module including at least one biosensor, a biosensor information processor, and at least one biosensor communication channel connecting each said at least one biosensor with said biosensor information processor;

each said at least one biosensor being one of a biosensor disposed in a surface of said personal object, a remote biosensor attached to the body of the user, and a remote biosensor surgically implanted in the body of said user;

said biosensor communication channel being at least one of a wire, a radio frequency transmitter and receiver, and an infrared transmitter and receiver; and

said emergency alert module including an emergency button, and an emergency notification sequence stored in said electronic assistant capable of calling for assistance through said cell phone.

11. A method of assisting a user, comprising the steps of:

integrating a digital assistant into a commonly-used personal object that provides utility apart from said digital assistant;

programming said digital assistant to receive and classify at least one biosignal to generate a user state signal;

receiving at least one biosensor signal with said digital assistant;

generating an output with said digital assistant responsively to said biosensor signal.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein said output includes synthetic speech.

13. A method as in claim 11, further comprising the steps of integrating a cell phone in said personal object.

14. A method as in claim 11, wherein said personal object is a orthotic ambulatory device including one of a wheelchair, a cane, and a walking stick.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein said step of integrating includes incorporating a biosensor in a handle of said orthotic ambulatory device such that when a user is using said orthotic ambulatory device, said biosensor is in contact with said user'"'"'s skin.

16. A method as in claim 11, further comprising the step of integrating a cell phone in said personal object and programming said digital assistant to generate a cell phone responsively to said biosensor signal.