Networked system for interactive communication and remote monitoring of individuals

• US 20060253574A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,707,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/24 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests monitoring of server performance or load G06F11/34; arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/905 Feedback to patient of biological signal other than brain electric signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A system for remotely monitoring an individual. The system includes a server system for generating a script program from a set of queries. The script program is executable by a remote apparatus that displays information and/or a set of queries to the individual through a user interface. Responses to the queries that are entered through the user interface together with individual identification information are sent from the remote apparatus to the server system across a communication network. The server system also includes an automated answering service for providing a series of questions from a stored set of questions for an individual at the remote apparatus to respond to, storing responses to each provided question in the series of questions and providing a service based on the individual'"'"'s response to the questions.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for communicating with at least one individual, the monitoring system comprising a computer configured to communicate with at least one remotely situated apparatus through at least one communication network, the computer comprising:

a user interface for entering, authoring, selecting, or any combination thereof, a set of queries to be answered by the individual and for entering, authoring, selecting, or any combination thereof, corresponding response choices for each of the queries;

a user script generator connected to the user interface and configured to generate a script program to be executed by the remotely situated apparatus, wherein the script program includes a display command to present the queries and the response choices to the individual and an input command to receive responses to the queries; and

a database accessible by the user script generator and the user interface for storing the script program and the responses received from the remotely situated apparatus.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, further configured to communicate with a plurality of individuals through the at least one communication network using a corresponding plurality of remotely situated apparatus, wherein (i) the database is further configured for storing one or more script programs, (ii) the computer further includes a script assignment unit configured to access the database for assigning to each of the individuals at least one of the script programs, and (iii) the database is further configured for storing a list of the individuals, and for each of the individuals, a respective pointer to the script program assigned to the individual.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a wireless network.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a cellular network.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a telephone network.

6. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a satellite network.

7. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a broadcast network.

8. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a cable network.

9. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a network type or a combination of two or more network types selected from the group consisting of wireless networks, cellular networks, telephone networks, satellite networks, broadcast networks, digital broadcast networks, digital television networks and cable networks.

10. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein communication from the computer to the remotely situated apparatus is transmitted on a first type of network and communication from the remotely situated apparatus to the computer is transmitted on a second type of network.

11. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the response received from the remotely situated apparatus include one or more measurements of a physiological condition of the individual.

12. A method for communicating with at least one individual, the method comprising the steps of:

A) entering queries and corresponding response choices into a computer;

B) generating a script program in the computer using the queries;

C) transmitting the script program to a remotely situated apparatus through at least one communication network, wherein the script program includes a display command to present the queries and the response choices to the individual, an input command to receive responses from the individual and a transmit command to transmit the responses from the apparatus to the computer; and

D) receiving the responses through the at least one communication network and storing the responses in the computer.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the script program further comprises a connection command to link the apparatus and the computer.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the connection command is configured to link the apparatus and the computer at a prescribed connection time.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the connection command is configured to link the apparatus and the computer at a time prescribed by the individual.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the script program is sent via a first communication link to the remotely situated apparatus and the script program comprises network commands for establishing a subsequent communication link from the remotely situated apparatus to the computer to transmit the responses.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

entering in the computer a plurality of sets of queries;

generating in the computer a plurality of script programs such that each of the plurality of script programs corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of sets of queries;

assigning to each of a plurality of individuals at least one of the plurality of script programs;

storing in the computer the plurality of script programs, a list of the plurality of individuals, and for each of the plurality of individuals, a respective pointer to the at least one of the plurality of script programs assigned to each of the plurality of individuals; and

transmitting to each of a plurality of remotely situated apparatus the at least one of the plurality of script programs assigned to each of the plurality of individuals associated with the respective one of the plurality of apparatus based on an identification code associated with each of the plurality of individuals.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a network type or a combination of two or more network types selected from the group consisting of wireless networks, cellular networks, telephone networks, satellite networks, broadcast networks, digital broadcast networks, digital television networks and cable networks.

19. A monitoring system configured to allow at least one individual to communicate with a computer using an apparatus remotely situated from the computer, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a network interface for establishing a communication link between the apparatus and the computer through at least one communication network;

a user interface for presenting queries and response choices provided by a script program received from the computer through the at least one communication network and for receiving responses to the queries from the at least one individual;

a memory for storing the script program and the responses; and

a processor connected to the network interface, the user interface and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the script program to present the queries and the response choices, to receive the responses, to establish the communication link, and to transmit the responses to the computer through the at least one communication network, and wherein the script program further includes a connection command to establish the communication link and a transmit command to transmit the responses from the apparatus to the computer.

20. The monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein the connection command specifies a prescribed connection time for establishing the communication link.

21. The monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein:

the apparatus further comprises a device interface connected to the processor and configured for receiving measurements from at least one monitoring device for producing measurements of a physiological condition of the individual and for transmitting the measurements to the apparatus;

the script program further includes a collect command to collect the measurements from the at least one monitoring device;

the memory is further configured to store the measurements; and

the network interface is further configured to transmit the measurements to the computer system for storage in a database.

22. The monitoring system according to claim 21, wherein the at least one monitoring device connects to the apparatus using a standard connection cable.

23. The monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a wireless network.

24. The monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a cellular network.

25. The monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a telephone network.

26. The monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a satellite network.

27. The monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a broadcast network.

28. The monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a cable network.

29. The monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a network type or a combination of two or more network types selected from the group consisting of wireless networks, cellular networks, telephone networks, satellite networks, broadcast networks, digital broadcast networks, digital television networks and cable networks.

30. The monitoring system according to claim 29, wherein communication from the computer to the remotely situated apparatus is transmitted on a first type of network and communication from the remotely situated apparatus to the computer is transmitted on a second type of network.

31. The monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein the apparatus further comprises a modem configured to couple the apparatus to the at least one communication network.