Multi-user remote health monitoring system with biometrics support

• US 20060285660A1
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1992
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US11/509,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20060285660A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.20
• 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 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients

Abstract

A method for monitoring a physiological condition of a user with an apparatus in a computer network is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) storing authorization information in a nonvolatile condition within the apparatus, the authorization information being suitable for identifying at least one of (i) one or more authorized patients among a plurality of medical patients of a health monitoring service and (ii) one or more authorized types among a plurality of patient types of the health monitoring service, (B) sensing biometric data from the user of the apparatus and (C) identifying the user as a particular patient from at least one of (i) the authorized patients and (ii) the authorized types in response to matching the biometric data to the authorization information.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a-health related condition of a user with a server in a communication network, comprising the steps of:

(A) receiving via said communication network first electronic data representing a voice of said user speaking to an apparatus, wherein said apparatus is (i) connectable to said communication network and (ii) located distant from said server;

(B) identifying said user as at least one of (i) a plurality of authorized patients and (ii) a plurality of patient types of a health monitoring service based on said voice; and

(C) generating one or more scripts corresponding to said particular patient, at least one of said scripts (i) asking a question about health information and (ii) stating a plurality of possible answers.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

transmitting said scripts to said apparatus via said communication network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein (i) said first electronic data comprises a voice print and (ii) the step for identifying said user comprises the sub-step of:

matching said voice print with one sample among a plurality of voice print samples corresponding to said authorized patients stored in said server.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

generating an identification code in response to a voice recognition of a spoken word in said first electronic data, wherein the step of identifying said user comprises the sub-step of;

matching said identification code with one code among a plurality of patient codes corresponding to said patient types stored in said server.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one script comprises second electronic data representing a recorded voice asking said question.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one script comprises a speech synthesis command instructing said apparatus to audibly synthesis said question.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one script comprises a speech recognition command instructing said apparatus to generate a numerical answer indexing one of said possible answers by conducting a voice recognition of a spoken answer to said question.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from said communication network second electronic data representing said voice of said user; and

conducting a voice recognition of a spoken answer to said question in said second electronic data.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating second electronic. data representing a live voice; and

transmitting said second electronic data to said apparatus via said communication network in real time.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a storage medium storing a computer program comprising the steps of claim 1.

11. A method for monitoring a health related condition of a user with an apparatus in a communication network, comprising the steps of:

(A) generating first electronic data representing a voice of said user speaking to said apparatus;

(B) identifying said user from at least one of (i) a plurality of authorized patients and (ii) a plurality of patient types of a health monitoring service based on said first electronic data; and

(C) executing one or more scripts associated with said identified user and received from a server via said communication network, at least one of said scripts (a) asking a question about health information and (b) stating a plurality of possible answers, wherein said server is (i) connectable to said communication network and (ii) located distant from said apparatus.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

transmitting said identification code to said server via said communication network.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein (i) said first electronic data defines a voice print and (ii) the step of generating said identification code comprises the sub-step of:

matching said voice print with one sample among a plurality of voice print samples corresponding to said authorized patients stored in said apparatus.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of generating said identification code comprises the sub-steps of:

identifying a spoken word by conducting a voice recognition of said first electronic data; and

matching said spoken word with one sample among a plurality of word samples corresponding to said patient types stored in said apparatus.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said at least one script comprises second electronic data representing a recorded voice asking said question, the method further comprising the step of:

generating an audible question by playing said recorded voice.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein said at least one script comprises a speech synthesis command for said question, the method further comprising the step of:

generating an audible question by conducting a speech synthesis of said question.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

generating second electronic data representing a spoken answer to said question;

generating a numerical answer indexing one of said possible answers by conducting a voice recognition of said second electronic data; and

transmitting said numerical answer to said server via said communication network.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

generating second electronic data representing a spoken answer to said question;

transmitting said second electronic data to said server via said communication network for voice recognition of said spoken answer at said server.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising a storage medium storing a computer program comprising the steps of claim 11.

20. An apparatus comprising:

an audio input channel configured to generate first electronic data representing a voice of a user speaking to said apparatus;

a microcontroller configured to identify said user from at least one of (i) a plurality of authorized patients and (ii) a plurality of patient types of a health monitoring service based on said first electronic data; and

a modem configured to transmit said identity of said identified user to a server via a communication network, wherein said server is (i) connectable to said communication network and (ii) located distant from said apparatus.