Distress signaling system, a body area network for anabling a distress signaling, method for signaling a condition of a distress and a vehicle arranged witha distress signaling system

• US 20060290516A1
• Filed: 04/29/2004
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Muehlsteff, Jens, Schmidt, Ralf, Perkuhn, Michael, Such, Olaf, Reiter, Harald, Lauter, Josef, Kohler, Fabian, Montvay, Andras
• Application Number:
  US10/555,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20060290516A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• 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 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0265 using electromagnetic means, e.g. electromagnetic flowmeter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00985 Control systems or circuits characterised by display or indicating devices, e.g. voice simulators characterised by the input of sound using a voice synthesizer B60H1/00757; B60H1/00978 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/52 for indicating emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01534 using electromagneticwaves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/00 Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles safety belts or body harnesses in general A62B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

The invention relates to a distress signaling system, a body area network for enabling a distress signaling, a method for signaling a condition of a distress and a vehicle arranged with the distress signaling system. The distress signaling system 10 according to the invention comprises monitoring means 11 arranged in a vehicle in order to monitor a vital sign of a seated passenger by means of a sensor 12 arranged to measure a signal representative to said sign. The monitoring means 11 are preferably arranged to perform a continuous monitoring of the vital sign of the passenger and are further arranged to provide a corresponding signal to the front-end electronics 20 of the system 10. The front-end electronics 20 is arranged to analyze the signal from the monitoring means 11. For that purpose the front-end electronics 20 comprises a data processing means 21 arranged to process the measured signal in order to yield data representative to a condition of the passenger. The data processing means 21 comprises a preamplifier 22, an analogue processing circuit 22 and an ADC unit 23. The data processing means 21 forwards the corresponding data to the data analysis means 25, arranged to analyze said data in order to yield a condition-related parameter. The determined condition-related parameter is written into a first look-up table 25a. The data analysis means 25 is further arranged to compare said condition-related parameter to a preset valid parameter stored in a second look-up table 25b. In case the data analysis means detects that the condition-related parameter exceeds a preset valid parameter, it generates a trigger signal to actuate the indicating means 26. The indicating means 26 receives the trigger signal and generate a suitable feedback to the passenger, preferably by means of a suitable user-interface 27. Additionally, the indicating means 26 can be arranged to control a vehicle control system 29, in order to alter a cabin environment, or to actuate an alarming means of the vehicle, like an acoustic alarm and/or the emergency lights and/or to actuate an engine of the vehicle.

Claims

1. Anordnung A distress signaling system (10) for a seated passenger (P) in a vehicle (V), said system comprising:

monitoring means (11) arranged in said vehicle to monitor a vital sign of the seated passenger by means of a sensor (12) arranged to measure a signal (S) representative of said sign;

analysis means (25) arranged to analyze said signal (S) in order to yield a condition-related parameter (25a), said analysis means being further arranged to derive from said condition-related parameter a trigger signal by comparison with a preset valid parameter.

2. A system according to claim 1 comprising indicating means (26) actuatable by the trigger signal, said indicating means being arranged to generate a feedback to said passenger.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor (12) comprises:

a resonant circuit, said circuit being conceived to induce an oscillating magnetic field in a body volume of the passenger; and

data processing means being arranged to determine an amount of a power loss of said resonant circuit upon interaction of said magnetic field with said body volume.

4. A system according to claim 3, werhein the magnetic means comprises a coil (4) with a loop of a conductor, said loop being integrated into a shoulder portion of a seatbelt (34) of the vehicle.

5. A system according to claim 3, wherein the magnetic means comprises a coil (4) with a loop of a conductor, said loop being integrated into a back support portion of a seat of the vehicle.

6. A system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor comprises an RF-transmitter (38b) unit and an RF-receiver unit (38a), said RF-transmitter unit and said RF-receiver unit being conceived to be arranged under operating conditions in a spatial relation so that the body volume is located substantially therebetween.

7. A system according to claim 2, wherein the indicating means (26) comprises a loudspeaker arranged to generate an audio feedback to the person.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the indicating means (26) is further arranged to control a climate control means of the vehicle upon a receipt of a trigger signal.

9. A system according to claim 2, wherein the indicating means (26) is further arranged to actuate an alarming means (42) of the vehicle upon a receipt of the trigger signal.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the indicating means (26) is further arranged to control an engine (44) of the vehicle upon a receipt of the trigger signal.

22. A vehicle comprising a distress signaling system according to claim 1.

23. A vehicle according to claim 22, wherein said vehicle comprises electronic means arranged to customize a setting of a vehicle in order to yield a preferred setting, said preferred setting being selectable from a plurality of pre-stored valid settings, said electronic means being further arranged to select a valid parameter in accordance with the selected preferred setting.

11. A body area network (50) arranged to enable a distress signaling for a seated passenger in a vehicle, said body area network comprising:

a control unit (52) conceived to be worn by the passenger, said unit arranged to communicate with an ambient sensor (54) integrated into the vehicle;

said sensor being arranged to measure a signal representative of a vital sign of the passenger;

said unit further comprising a first communication means (52a);

said sensor further comprising a second communication means (54a);

said unit further comprising a range detection means (52b) arranged to detect an actuated sensor (54) in a communication range of the unit;

said range detection means (52b) being arranged to actuate the first communication means (52a) in order to establish a communication with the second communication means (54a), the second communication means being arranged to transmit said signal (51) to the control unit upon an establishing of said communication.

12. A body area network according to claim 11, wherein the sensor (54) comprises a resonant circuit being conceived to induce an oscillating magnetic field in a body volume of the passenger.

13. A body area network, according to claim 12, wherein the sensor comprises an RF-transmitter unit and an RF-receiver unit, said RF-transmitter unit and said RF-receiver unit being conceived to be arranged under operating conditions in a spatial relation so that the body volume is located substantially therebetween.

14. A body area network according to claim 12, wherein the control unit further comprises analysis means arranged to analyze said signal in order to yield a condition-related parameter, said analysis means being further arranged to derive from said condition-related parameter a trigger signal comparison with a preset valid parameter.

15. A network according to claim 14, comprising indicating means actuatable by the trigger signal, said indicating means being arranged to generate a feedback to the passenger.

16. A body area network according to claim 11, wherein said vehicle comprises a central processing unit (29,60), said control unit being further arranged to send a control signal (53 to the central processing unit of the vehicle (29,60).

17. A body area network according to claim 16, wherein the control signal (53) is arranged to actuate an alarming means (62) or a motor control means of the vehicle.

18. A body area network unit according to claim 16, wherein the control signal (53) is aranged to actuate a climate control means (66) of the vehicle.

19. A method of signaling a condition of distress of a seated passenger in a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring a vital sign of the seated passenger in said vehicle by means of a sensor integrated in said vehicle, said sensor being arranged to measure a signal representative of said sign;

analyzing said signal in order to yield a condition-related parameter;

comparing said condition-related parameter to a preset valid parameter;

generating a feedback to said passenger upon an event said condition-related parameter deviates from the preset valid parameter with a preset amount.

20. A method according to claim 19, said method further comprising the step of actuating an alarming means of the vehicle.

21. A method according to claim 19, said method further comprising the step of controlling an engine of the vehicle.