Fall-sensing systems, hip protector systems, and other protective systems

• US 20060049950A1
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
• Inventors: Lockhart, Thurman E.
• Application Number:
  US11/202,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20060049950A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait

Abstract

Fall-sensing systems are provided which do not generate false alarms for a non-falling event. Inventive fall-sensing systems may be magnetometer-free. Thin-profile (less than ½ inch, pre-inflation) wearable systems are provided. By removing the problem of false alarms and by slimming the pre-inflation profile, a practically useable wearable protection solution may be provided for an individual prone to falling. The number and severity of hip fractures in the elderly may be reduction. The inventive product actively assesses fall accidents and triggers an inflatable airbag protection device. The problem of non-compliance in wearing hip protectors that has previously limited the effectiveness of other hip protectors also has been solved.

Claims

1. A fall-sensing system for automatically detecting when an individual is falling, comprising:

computer-based testing of actual patterns of motion of the individual against two or more permitted patterns of motion, including automated testing for presence or absence of a first permitted pattern of motion based on determination of whether an expected peak of acceleration according to the first permitted pattern is detected or not detected.

2. The fall-sensing system of claim 1, wherein when an expected peak of acceleration according to the first permitted pattern is not detected, then automated testing is performed for presence or absence of at least one second permitted pattern of motion.

3. The fall-sensing system of claim 1, wherein the first permitted pattern of motion is a walking pattern with expected peaks of acceleration occurring at 400-450 milliseconds and the automated testing makes a determination of whether an expected peak of acceleration is occurring or is failing to occur.

4. The fall-sensing system of claim 1, wherein the permitted patterns of motion include a permitted walking pattern and at least one other permitted pattern in which whole body center of mass is lowered.

5. The fall-sensing system of claim 4, wherein the at least one other permitted pattern in which whole body center of mass is lowered is selected from the group consisting of:

a stooping pattern and a sitting pattern.

6. A fall-sensing system for automatically detecting when an individual is falling, comprising:

computer-based testing of actual patterns of motion of the individual against one or more permitted patterns of motion, wherein the computer-based testing is applied to computer-readable data derived from measured acceleration but is not raw acceleration data.

7. The fall-sensing system of claim 6, wherein the one or more permitted patterns of motion include a permitted pattern associated with performing a sport.

8. The fall-sensing system of claim 6, wherein a false alarm for a non-falling event is not generated.

9. The fall-sensing system of claim 6, wherein the computer-based comparison is made using other than absolute value of acceleration measured for actual motion of the individual.

10. The fall-sensing system of claim 6, including computer-based transformation of raw acceleration data measured for the individual into transformed acceleration data and wherein the computer-based testing is of the transformed acceleration data against the one or more permitted patterns of motion.

11. The fall-sensing system of claim 10, wherein the computer-based transformation comprises a geometrical transformation.

12. The fall-sensing system of claim 6, wherein the system is magnetometer-free.

13. The fall-sensing system of claim 6, wherein the computer-based testing comprises a first computer-based operation in which a comparison is made against a permitted activity pattern and actual motion is determined to be outside the permitted activity pattern, followed by a second computer-based operation in which a comparison is made against a second permitted pattern.

14. The fall-sensing system of claim 13, wherein the permitted activity pattern under comparison in the first computer-based operation is a permitted walking pattern.

15. The fall-sensing system of claim 6, wherein the system is wearable by the individual.

16. A protection system comprising:

a fall-sensing system and a solution system activated when the fall-sensing system senses a fall.

17. The protection system of claim 16, wherein the solution system ameliorates the fall by preventing impact injury to a wearer.

18. The protection system of claim 16, wherein the solution system is a hip protection system.

19. The protection system of claim 16, wherein the solution system prevents the fall.

20. The protection system of claim 16, wherein the solution system activates stimulation of at least one muscle of a wearer.

21. The protection system of claim 16, wherein the solution system is an up-thrust parachute.

22. The protection system of claim 16, including powering a device by bio-electricity.

23. The protection system of claim 16, wherein a sensor is embedded in a muscle of a person to be protected by the protection system, and the muscle is used to generate power for a device powered by bio-electricity.

24. A wearable protection system comprising a fall-sensing system that automatically detects when a wearer is falling and at least one protective component that is automatically deployed before completion of a fall, wherein the protective component comprises a manifold design.

25. The protection system of claim 24, wherein the protective component has at least two inflatable compartments configured to inflate simultaneously via an inlayed tubing system when automatically triggered.

26. A wearable body-part protection system comprising:

at least one inflatable protective component positioned that, when inflated, the inflated protective component is adjacent to a body part being protected and provides a protective barrier extending beyond the protected body part;

a fall sensing system that automatically detects whether the wearer is falling without generating a false-alarm for non-falling motion;

a triggering mechanism that (i) through an electrical connection receives data from the fall sensing system and (ii) controls inflation of the at least one inflatable protective component, wherein the inflatable protective component automatically inflates before a falling wearer reaches the ground and wherein the triggering mechanism is set to automatically inflate the inflatable protective component upon predetermined data from the fall sensing system.

27. The protection system of claim 26, wherein inflation control includes a manifold with a hose or an inlaid tube system.

28. The protection system of claim 26, wherein the inflatable protective component is inflated all-at-once rather than inflated by gradual filling, further including an air vent system to release air as the wearer contacts the ground.

29. The protection system of claim 26, wherein the fall sensing system comprises at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope and excludes a magnetometer.

30. The protection system of claim 26, wherein the triggering mechanism comprises a puncturable gas-containing canister that releases a gas into the inflatable protective component.

31. The protection system of claim 26, wherein the fall-sensing system includes computer-based comparison of measured motion against a normal defined range of peaks of acceleration of less than 5 m/sec² downward acceleration, followed by at least one subsequent computer-based comparison.

32. The protection system of claim 31, wherein when downward acceleration exceeds 8 m/sec², the at least one subsequent computer-based comparison is performed before any triggering mechanism is triggered.

33. The protection system of claim 26, wherein the triggering mechanism automatically inflates the inflatable protective component when the fall sensing system measures backwards rotation exceeding zero degrees.

34. The protection system of claim 26, comprising firmware, inertial sensors and at least one puncturable canister filled with gas releasable into the at least one inflatable protective component.

35. The protection system of claim 26 wherein a total pre-inflation profile of all components of the wearable system before being inflated is less than about ½

inch.