NETWORKED SYMBIOTIC EDGE USER INFRASTRUCTURE

• US 20100234695A1
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Morris, Timothy R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,596,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• 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 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A networked symbiotic assistive user system is presented. The architecture of the system allows devices worn by medical first responders such as medics or EMTs, to connect wirelessly to devices coupled to patients, devices worn by other medical first responders and adapter devices (such as those that may be located in air and/or land evacuation vehicles) that connect to a legacy infrastructure. Using a variety of medical first responder oriented communications protocols and applications, the devices can exchange information with all of the other devices in a manner that assists the medical first responders as well as personnel associated with the legacy infrastructure (e.g., tactical command operations personnel, first aid station personnel, or other medical facilities personnel).

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one first user component configured to be coupled to a first user;

second user components worn by a second user and connected to a first personal area network; and

wherein at least one of the second user components and the at least one first user component are configured to establish communications through a first wireless network when the at least one first user component is coupled to the first user.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

third user components worn by a third user who is a peer of the second user, and connected to a second personal area network; and

wherein the first personal area network and the second personal area network are configured to establish communications with each other through a second wireless network.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

a communications adapter configured to establish communications with each of the second and third user components through a third wireless network; and

wherein the communications adapter is further configured to connect to a legacy infrastructure and provide for flow of information between each of the second and third user components and the legacy infrastructure.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the first user is a patient, and the second and third users are medical first responders.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the at least one first user component comprises a sensor device configured to capture physiological information through contact with the patient and transmit that physiological information to the at least one of the second user components.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the at least one first user component further comprises a smart tag to maintain an electronic patient record for the patient to whom the smart tag has been coupled, the smart tag being configured to provide and receive information updates for the electronic patient record when the smart tag is in communication with the at least one of the second user components.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein when the second user approaches the first user, each first user component and the at least one of the second user devices automatically sense each other and begin information exchanges via the first wireless network based upon communications range capabilities.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein a connection is formed between each first user component and the at least one of the second user components based on the information exchanges.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the information exchanges comprise a mutual negotiation according to communication protocols supported by the system.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein, in response to the second user moving away from the first user toward a third user, the at least one of the second user components automatically disconnects from each of the first user components based upon the communications range capabilities.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the first user is a first patient, the second user is a medic, and the at least one first user component includes sensors, and wherein as the medic moves away from the first patient toward a second patient, the at least one of the second user components on the medic adds connections to one or more sensors on the second patient such that as the medic moves from the first patient to the second patient, patient information is automatically transferred from the one or more sensors of the second patient to the at least one of the second user components of the medic.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein as the medic moves away from the first patient toward the second patient one or more ad-hoc networks are formed.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the second user components comprises an arm-worn intelligent associate.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the second user components comprises two arm-worn intelligent associates and wherein one is configured to interact with the at least one first user component and the other is configured to interact with other second user components of the first personal area network.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the second user components further include a headset assembly.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the second user components further include one or more sensors to monitor the health of the second user.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the second user components further include environment sensors.

18. The system of claim 3 wherein the at least one of the second user components comprises an intelligent associate that is configured to receive information from the legacy infrastructure via the communications adapter.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the information comprises information obtained as a result of the communications adapter performing a data mining operation to access data sources from facilities within the legacy infrastructure.

20. A system for use by a medic, the system comprising:

a headset assembly; and

one or more wearable intelligent associates;

wherein the headset assembly and one or more wearable intelligent associates are configured for wireless communications.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

one or more wireless body sensors and tags to be carried by the medic and applied to patients.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

one or more haptic gloves.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the headset assembly comprises:

one or more cameras;

a head-mounted ballistic see-through display; and

one or more audio devices including at least one input device and at least one output device.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein the one or more intelligent associates include a first intelligent associate and a second intelligent associate, the first intelligent associate being configured to connect to wireless devices coupled to patients and the second intelligent associate being configured to connect to devices that allow a flow of information between the second intelligent associate and legacy systems.

25. The system of claim 20 wherein the one or more intelligent associates are configured to share processing activities.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the one or more intelligent associates are connected to the headset assembly in a personal area network.

27. The system of claim 20, further comprising one or more sensors to monitor vital signs of the medic.

28. The system of claim 20, further comprising one or more environment sensors.

29. A wearable computer device, for use by a medic, comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

software stored in the memory and executable by the processor;

a wireless interface to connect wirelessly to devices worn by patients, other medics and at least one adapter that connects to a legacy infrastructure; and

wherein the software includes communications protocols software and applications that, in conjunction with the wireless interface, enable the wearable computer device to exchange information with all of the devices in a manner that assists the medic as well as other medics and personnel associated with the legacy infrastructure.

30. A method comprising:

establishing communication between at least one first user component configured to be coupled to by a first user and at least one second user component configured to be worn by a second user through a first wireless network;

establishing communication between the at least one second user component and at least one third user component configured to be coupled to a third user through a second wireless network; and

automatically transmitting information between the at least one first, second and third user components through the first and second wireless networks.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the second and third users each corresponds to first and second medical service providers and the first user corresponds to a patient, and wherein transmitting information between the at least one first, second and third user components through the first and second wireless networks comprises:

transmitting information from a user component on the patient to a user component on the first medical service provider through the first wireless network; and

transmitting information from the user component on the first medical service provider to a user component on the second medical service provider through the second wireless network environment.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the at least one second user component comprises second user components of a second personal area network, the at least one third user component comprises third user components of a third personal area network, and the at least one first user component comprises first user components of a third personal area network, and wherein information is allowed to be exchanged between any two or more of the first, second, and third user components through a combination of networks including the first, second and third personal area networks and the first and second wireless networks.