SECURITY MONITOR METHOD UTILIZING A RFID TAG AND THE MONITOR APPARATUS FOR THE SAME

• US 20110148638A1
• Filed: 12/17/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Champtek Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Champtek Incorporated
• Inventors: Pang, Li-Dar, Wang, Cheng-Yi
• Application Number:
  US12/640,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20110148638A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0223 Magnetic field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor

Abstract

A security monitor method and monitor apparatus utilizing a RFID tag. A wearer wears a RFID tag having an acceleration sensor and a magnetic field sensor. The status of the wearer is determined by an acceleration variation and an angle variation of an included angle with the terrestrial magnetism on X axis, Y axis and Z axis detected and calculated by the acceleration sensor and the magnetic field sensor. If the status determined is abnormal, the monitor apparatus transmits wireless warning signals to monitor ends such as a hospital or a home for the aged.

Claims

1. A security monitor method utilizing an RFID tag (10) with an acceleration sensor (102) and a magnetic field sensor (104) as a monitor apparatus (1) for sensing status of a wearer of the monitor apparatus (1), the status of the wearer is determined by the sense results and transmitted to a monitor end (2) via signals, the method comprising:

a) sensing and outputting signals of acceleration on three axes of the wearer by the acceleration sensor (102);

b) sensing and outputting signals of terrestrial magnetism intensity on three axes of the wearer and an included angle with the terrestrial magnetism of the wearer by the magnetic field sensor (104);

c) calculating an acceleration variation according to the acceleration signals;

d) calculating an angle variation according to the angle signals;

e) comparing the acceleration variation and the angle variation with threshold values;

f) determining the status abnormal if the angle variation and the acceleration variation exceed the threshold values following step e;

g) transmitting a warning signal, an ID signal of the wearer and a wireless position location ID signal of the monitor apparatus (1) to the monitor end (2) by the monitor apparatus (1) following step f;

h) determining the status normal if the angle variation and the acceleration variation do not exceed the threshold values following step e; and

i) transmitting a status normal signal to the monitor end (2) by the monitor apparatus (1) following step h.

2. The security monitor method of claim 1, wherein the three axes are X axis, Y axis and Z axis in step a and step b.

3. The security monitor method of claim 2, wherein the acceleration variation is calculated by a micro controller (106) of the monitor apparatus (1) in step c and is used for determining the instantaneous applied force on the wearer.

4. The security monitor method of claim 3, wherein one out of three axes is parallel to the spine of the wearer, and the angle variation is calculated by the micro controller (106) in step d is used for determining a spine angle of the wearer.

5. The security monitor method of claim 1, wherein the status abnormal in the step f refers to that the wearer falls.

6. The security monitor method of claim 5, wherein the status normal in the step h refers to that the wearer acts normal or is in sleep.

7. A security monitor apparatus (1) utilizing a RFID tag (10), the monitored person wearing the security monitor apparatus (1), a status of the wearer being determined by sensing actions of the wearer, and signals being transmitted to a monitor end (2), the monitor apparatus (1) comprising:

a casing (11);

a acceleration sensor (102) installed in the casing (11) and used for sensing and outputting signals of acceleration on three axes of the wearer;

a magnetic field sensor (104) installed in the casing (11) and used for sensing and outputting signals of terrestrial magnetism intensity on three axes of the wearer and an included angle with the terrestrial magnetism of the wearer;

a micro controller (106) installed in the casing (11), electrically coupled to the acceleration sensor (102) and the magnetic field sensor (104), and used for receiving the acceleration signals and the angle signals and calculating a acceleration variation and a angle variation;

a memory (108) installed in the casing (11), electrically coupled to the micro controller (106), and used for saving threshold values of acceleration variation and angle variation;

a radio frequency module (110) installed in the casing (11), electrically coupled to the micro controller (106), and is used for receiving and coding signals generated by the micro controller (106); and

a radio frequency antenna (120) installed in the casing (11), electrically coupled to the frequency module (110), and used for receiving signals and wireless transmitting signals coded by the radio frequency module (110) to the monitor end (2);

wherein, the micro controller (106) compares the acceleration variation and the angle variation with the threshold value, and transmits signals to the monitor end (2) according to the comparing result.

8. The monitor apparatus (1) of claim 7, wherein the monitor apparatus (1) further comprises a battery (112) electrically coupled to the micro controller (106) providing power to the monitor apparatus (1).

9. The monitor apparatus (1) of claim 7, wherein the three axes are X axis, Y axis and Z axis in step a and step b.

10. The monitor apparatus (1) of claim 7, wherein one out of three axes is parallel to the spine of the wearer, and the angle variation is calculated by the micro controller (106) in step d is used for determining a spine angle of the wearer.

11. The monitor apparatus (1) of claim 10, wherein the magnetic field sensor (104) is a Hall sensor based on Hall effect.

12. The monitor apparatus (1) of claim 10, wherein the wearer carries a carrying belt (12) connected to the casing (11) to assure the monitor apparatus (1) is positioned on the wearer.

13. The monitor apparatus (1) of claim 12 wherein the carrying belt (12) is made of flexible plastic or rubber to allow the wearer to wear the monitor apparatus (1) on wrist, waist or neck.

14. The monitor apparatus (1) of claim 7, wherein the monitor end (2) refers to a hospital, a sanatorium, a residence of the wearer, and a service station or a medical station in the neighboring area of wear'"'"'s residence.