Personal stress level monitor and systems and methods for using same

• US 20050154264A1
• Filed: 01/08/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mishra, Rahul, Lecompte, Kellie Michelle, Milman, Ivan Matthew, Ramamoorthy, Karthikeyan
• Application Number:
  US10/753,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154264A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• 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 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• 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 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4884 inducing physiological or psychological stress, e.g. applications for stress testing

Abstract

A mechanism to monitor an individual'"'"'s level of stress in his or her home or workplace is provided. Unobtrusive physiologic stress senses are used in combination with a wireless link and a personal computer or other intelligent device to monitor the user'"'"'s stress level. Based on a user profile and the user'"'"'s baseline stress indicators, one or more stress-reducing activities are presented to the user. Additionally, if a user is in a stress-sensitive population, for example, persons with a pre-existing hypertension, the user may selectively enable additional alerts.

Claims

1. A method for personal stress monitoring comprising:

(a) receiving one or more physiologic indicators;

(b) comparing values of the one or more physiologic indicators to corresponding baseline values;

(c) determining if, in response to step (b) if the one or more physiologic indicators equals or exceeds at least one preselected threshold condition relative to baseline values; and

(d) if at least one threshold condition is equaled or exceeded in step (c), emitting a remedial action corresponding to a highest level threshold condition equaled or exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one threshold condition comprises user profile data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one threshold condition comprises a condition relative to a single physiologic indicator value or a condition relative to a composite of physiologic indicator values.

4. The method of claim 1 further wherein the one or more physiologic indicators are received via a wireless network device from one or more sensors for sensing the user'"'"'s corresponding physiologic indicator.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a first set of baseline values are generated by training on a set of physiologic indicator values for the user.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein a second set of baseline values comprise a set of nominal values for a population based on one or more factors including height, weight and gender.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the user profile includes values of the one or more factors.

8. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium for personal stress monitoring comprising programming instructions for:

(a) receiving one or more physiologic indicators;

(b) comparing values of the one or more physiologic indicators to corresponding baseline values;

(c) determining if, in response to step (b) if the one or more physiologic indicators equals or exceeds at least one preselected threshold condition relative to baseline values; and

(d) if at least one threshold condition is equaled or exceeded in step (c), emitting a remedial action corresponding to a highest level threshold condition equaled or exceeded.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising programming instructions for determining if a remedial action is manually selected;

and retrieving a user selection for said remedial action.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the at least one threshold condition comprises a condition relative to a single physiologic indicator value or a condition relative to a composite of physiologic indicator values.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 further wherein the one or more physiologic indicators are received via a wireless network device from one or more sensors for sensing the user'"'"'s corresponding physiologic indicator.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein a first set of baseline values are generated by training on a set of physiologic indicator values for the user.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein a second set of baseline values comprise a set of nominal values for a population based on one or more factors including height, weight and gender.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein each threshold condition is associated with a remedial action, and wherein the programming instructions further include instructions for selectably overriding a remedial action.

15. A data processing system comprising:

(a) circuitry operable for receiving one or more physiologic indicators;

(b) circuitry operable for comparing values of the one or more physiologic indicators to corresponding baseline values;

(c) circuitry operable for determining if, in response to step (b) if the one or more physiologic indicators equals or exceeds at least one preselected threshold condition of a plurality of threshold conditions relative to baseline values; and

(d) circuitry operable for, if at least one threshold condition is equaled or exceeded in step (c), emitting a remedial action corresponding to a highest level threshold condition equaled or exceeded.

16. The data processing system of claim 15 wherein the at least one threshold condition comprises user profile data.

17. The data processing system of claim 15 wherein the at least one threshold condition comprises a condition relative to a single physiologic indicator value or a condition relative to a composite of physiologic indicator values.

18. The data processing system of claim 15 further wherein the one or more physiologic indicators are received via a wireless network device from one or more sensors for sensing the user'"'"'s corresponding physiologic indicator.

19. The data processing system of claim 15 wherein a first set of baseline values are generated by training on a set of physiologic indicator values for the user.

20. The data processing system of claim 16 wherein user profile data further comprises one or more remedial actions associated with a corresponding one of the one or more threshold conditions, the data processing system further including circuitry operable for selectably overriding a remedial action in the user profile.