FALL DETECTION SYSTEM

• US 20090174565A1
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aviton Care Limited
• Original Assignee: Aviton Care Limited
• Inventors: Cheung, Ching Ching, Chan, Chung Man, Fan, Ka Lun, Tse, Hung Keung
• Application Number:
  US11/969,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20090174565A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/669
• 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 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A fall detection system a first fall sensing module and a notifying module. The first fall sensing module has a rotational portion and a sensing portion. The sensing portion monitors movement of the rotational portion. The notifying module is capable of emitting a sound, emitting a light, transmitting a message, initial a call or combination thereof to indicate that the first fall sensing module has been activated.

Claims

1. A fall detection system comprising:

a first fall sensing module having a rotational portion and a sensing portion, wherein the sensing portion monitors movement of the rotational portion; and

a notifying module that is capable of emitting a sound, emitting a light, transmitting a message, initial a call or combination thereof to indicate that the first fall sensing module has been activated.

2. The fall detection system of claim 1, and further a second fall sensing module, wherein the first fall sensing module and the second fall sensing modules are oriented to sense motion along different axes.

3. The fall detection system of claim 1, wherein the rotational portion comprises a disk having a plurality of apertures formed therein.

4. The fall detection system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of apertures have an approximately equal size, are spaced at an approximately equal distance, or combination thereof.

5. The fall detection system of claim 3, wherein the rotational portion further comprises a weighted mass having a weight that is greater than the weight of the rotational portion.

6. The fall detection system of claim 1, wherein the sensing portion comprises an infrared sensor, a tilt sensor or combination thereof

7. The fall detection system of claim 1, and further comprising:

an alarm button for activating the notifying module; and

a stop button for deactivating the notifying module.

8. The fall detection system of claim 1, and further comprising a location determining module having GPS capabilities.

9. The fall detection system of claim 1, and further comprising a communication module that is capable of transmitting a signal over at least one communication protocol, wherein the signal contains details regarding activation of the fall detection system, a location of the fall detection system when activated, a time at which the fall detection system was activated, a date on which the fall detection system was activated or combination thereof.

10. The fall detection system of claim 1, and further comprising a clip, a belt or a string attached thereto.

11. A method of detecting when a person has fallen, wherein the method comprises:

monitoring movement of a person using a first fall sensing module having a rotational portion and a sensing portion, wherein the sensing portion monitors movement of the rotational portion and activates the first fall sensing module when selected parameters exist; and

emitting a sound, emitting a light, transmitting a message, initial a call or combination thereof from a notifying module to indicate that the first fall sensing module has been activated.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the fall detection system is activatable in a fall mode or a panic mode, wherein the fall mode is activated with the first fall sensing module, and wherein the panic mode is activated by pressing an alarm button.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the fall detection system is activatable in a first activation mode and a second activation mode, wherein the fall detection system is initially activated in the first activation mode, and wherein the second activation mode is activated if the first activation mode is not canceled within a first time period.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first fall sensing module monitors movement of the person along a first axis, wherein the method further comprises monitoring movement of the person along a second axis using a second fall sensing module, and wherein the first axis is oriented differently than the second axis.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the rotational portion comprises a disk having a plurality of apertures formed therein, and wherein the plurality of apertures have an approximately equal size, are spaced at an approximately equal distance, or combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, and further comprising attaching a weighted mass to the rotational portion, wherein the weighted mass has a weight that is greater than the weight of the rotational portion.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein monitoring the movement of the rotational portion utilizes an infrared sensor.

18. The method of claim 11, and further comprising:

activating the notifying module with an alarm button; and

deactivating the notifying module with a stop button.

19. The method of claim 11, and further comprising determining a location of the fall detection system when activated with a location determining module having GPS capabilities.

20. The method of claim 11, and further comprising transmitting a signal over at least one communication protocol from a communication module, wherein the signal contains details regarding activation of the fall detection system, a location of the fall detection system when activated, a time at which the fall detection system was activated, a date on which the fall detection system was activated or combination thereof.

21. The method of claim 11, and further comprising attaching a clip, a belt or a string to the fall detection system.