Remote homecare monitoring system and method thereof

• US 20080143538A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Yang-Ming University
• Original Assignee: National Yang-Ming University
• Inventors: Tseng, Yin-Jiun, Chu, Woei-Chyn, Lee, Chung-Wang, Young, Shuenn-Tsong
• Granted Patent: US 7,532,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0476 Cameras to detect unsafe condition, e.g. video cameras

Abstract

The present invention discloses a remote homecare monitoring system that includes a behavior detector, an image capture device, and a gateway. The behavior detector detects an abnormal activity behavior, and the image capture device captures image data of a user'"'"'s condition, and the gateway transmits the images to a computer of a related unit or a telephone of a related contact person, so that the related unit or contact person can know about the user'"'"'s activity behavior within a time before or after the occurrence of the abnormal behavior quickly from the image data, and medical professional can timely provide appropriate medical treatments.

Claims

1. A remote homecare monitoring system, comprising:

at least one behavior detector, having a source identification code stored in said behavior detector, for detecting a user'"'"'s activity behavior, and producing a behavior parameter and a behavior time corresponding to said behavior parameter, and packing said source identification code, behavior parameter and behavior time into wireless information, and sending said wireless information to an external monitoring environment of said behavior detector;

at least one image capture device, having an imaging apparatus number stored in said capturing apparatus, and said capturing apparatus being installed at different monitoring areas in said monitoring environment, for capturing an image data of a scene in said monitoring area, and producing a shooting time of said image data, packing said imaging apparatus number, said image data and said shooting time into video information, and sending said video information to said monitoring environment; and

a gateway, installed in said monitoring environment, and having a network apparatus number, a monitoring range threshold value, a filter time and a plurality of location data corresponding to each source identification code stored in said gateway, for continuously receiving said video information sent from said image capture device, and saving said video information into a first storage area in said gateway, and continuously receiving wireless information from said behavior detector, such that if said behavior parameter contained in said wireless information does not lie within said monitoring range threshold value, said filter time bases on said behavior time corresponding to said behavior parameter as a center to calculate a filter starting time, a filter ending time and all image data in said first storage area and corresponding to said video information in the time from said filter starting time to said filter ending time, and saves said image data within said filter time into a second storage area of said gateway, and calculates a location data corresponding to said source identification code in said wireless information, and packs said corresponding location data, said source identification code and said network apparatus number in said wireless information into a warning message, and sends said warning message to a management server corresponding to said location data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said behavior detector comprises:

a detection unit, for detecting said user'"'"'s activity behavior and producing said behavior parameter;

a first storage unit, for storing said source identification code;

a first processor, connected to said detection unit and said first storage unit, for receiving said behavior parameter and said source identification code, and producing a behavior time corresponding to said behavior parameter, and sending out said behavior parameter, said source identification code and said behavior time; and

a first wireless transceiver, connected to said first processor, for receiving said behavior parameter, said source identification code and said behavior time from said first processor, and packing said behavior parameter, said source identification code and said behavior time into said wireless information, and sending said wireless information to said monitoring environment.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said image capture device comprises:

a capture unit, for capturing said image data of a scene in said monitoring area;

a second storage unit, for storing said imaging apparatus number;

a second processor, connected to said capture unit and said second storage unit for receiving said image data and said imaging apparatus number, and producing a shooting time of said image data, and sending said image data, said imaging apparatus number and said shooting time; and

a video transmission unit, connected to said second processor, for receiving said image data, said imaging apparatus number and said shooting time from said second processor, and packing said image data, said imaging apparatus number and said shooting time into an image content, and sending said image content to said monitoring environment.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said gateway comprises:

a second wireless transmitter, for receiving said wireless information;

a monitoring unit, for storing said monitoring range threshold value;

a third storage unit, for storing said network apparatus number;

a video receiver, for receiving said video information;

an image storage unit, comprised of said first storage area and said second storage area;

an image filter, having said filter time;

a report unit, for storing said each location data;

a third processor, connected to said second wireless transmitter, said monitoring unit, said third storage unit, said video receiver, said image storage unit, said image filter and said report unit, such that if said behavior parameter in said wireless information is determined to be not failing within said monitoring range threshold value, the third processor will retrieve said behavior time in said wireless information, and said filter time will base on said behavior time corresponding to said behavior parameter as a center to calculate a filter starting time, a filter ending time, and all image data in said video information and corresponding to said filter time from said filter starting time to said filter ending time, and saves said image data in said filter time into said second storage area, and said report unit finds a location data corresponding to said source identification code in said wireless information and sends out said source identification code and said the network apparatus number in said wireless information; and

an information transmitter, connected to said third processor for receiving said location data, said source identification code and said network apparatus number in said wireless information, and packing said source identification code and said network apparatus number in said wireless information as said warning message, and sending said warning message to a management server corresponding to said location data.

5. A remote homecare monitoring method, which is applied in a remote homecare monitoring system, and said system comprises a behavior detector worn by user within a monitoring environment, a plurality of image capture devices installed at different monitoring areas in said monitoring environment and a gateway installed in said monitoring environment, said method comprising the steps of:

said behavior detector outputting wireless information, and sending said wireless information to said gateway;

said image capture device outputting video information, and sending said video information to said gateway;

said gateway receiving said wireless information and said video information, and saving said video information in a first storage area, and determining whether or not said behavior parameter in said wireless information lies within a monitoring range threshold value;

said gateway retrieving a behavior time contained in said wireless information, if said gateway determines that said behavior parameter in said wireless information does not lie within said monitoring range threshold value;

a filter time of said gateway using a behavior time corresponding to said behavior parameter as a center to calculate a filter starting time and a filter ending time;

said gateway further calculating a shooting time in said first storage area and an image contained in said video information within said filter time, and saving said image data within said filter time in a second storage area of said gateway;

said gateway finding a location data stored in a management server of said gateway, and said location data corresponding to a source identification code in said wireless information; and

said gateway producing a warning message based on a location data, a source identification code in said wireless information and a network apparatus number stored in said gateway, and sending said warning message to a management server corresponding to said location data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said behavior detector saves said user'"'"'s behavior parameter corresponding to a detected user'"'"'s activity behavior, and packs a source identification code stored in said behavior detector and a behavior time corresponding to said behavior parameter into said wireless information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said image capture device captures an image data of a scene in said monitoring area, and produces a shooting time corresponding to said image data, and saves said image data, and packs said imaging apparatus number and said shooting time stored in said image capture device into said video information.