APPARATUS FOR DETECTING SURVIVAL STATUS OF LIVING THING AND METHOD USING THE SAME

• US 20110148641A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Dong-Jin, Chae, Jong-Suk, Jung, Woo-Sug, Jun, Jong-Arm
• Application Number:
  US12/972,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20110148641A1
• 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 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1101 Detecting tremor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level

Abstract

Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method for detecting the survival status of a living thing. The apparatus for detecting the survival status of a living thing includes a tilt sensor, a determination unit, and a communication unit. The tilt sensor is attached to a target living thing, and detects minute vibrations generated by the motion of the target living thing. The determination unit determines the survival status of the target living thing for a preset update period based on the minute vibrations. The communication unit sends an update packet including determination results of the determination unit to an outside.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting survival status of a living thing, comprising:

a tilt sensor attached to a target living thing and configured to detect minute vibrations generated by motion of the target living thing;

a determination unit configured to determine survival status of the target living thing for a preset update period based on the minute vibrations; and

a communication unit configured to send an update packet including determination results of the determination unit to an outside.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the update packet comprises:

a survival information field indicating survival status for the update period; and

a death count field indicating the number of successive update periods for which the motion of the target living thing was not detected.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the update period is determined depending on the target living thing.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the determination unit activates a motion detection signal indicating survival of the target living thing for the update period if the minute vibrations were detected in the update period.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the tilt sensor activates a vibration detection signal while the vibrations of the target living thing are being detected, and the determination unit activates the motion detection signal at an edge at which the vibration detection signal is activated.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the communication unit creates a value of the survival information field using the motion detection signal.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the update packet is sent to the outside within an update interval which is a preset interval within the update period.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a location determination unit to for creating information about a location of the target living thing.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein the update packet further comprises a location information field indicating the information about the location.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein the location determination unit creates the information about the location of the target living thing using a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

11. A method of detecting survival status of a living thing, comprising:

detecting, by a tilt sensor attached to a target living thing, minute vibrations generated by motion of the target living thing;

determining survival status of the target living thing for a preset update period based on the minute vibrations; and

sending an update packet including determination results of the determination unit to an outside.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the update packet comprises:

a survival information field indicating survival status for the update period; and

a death count field indicating the number of successive update periods for which the motion of the target living thing was not detected.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the determining survival status of the target living thing comprises activating a motion detection signal indicating survival of the target living thing for the update period if the minute vibrations were detected in the update period.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the sending the update packet including determination results of the determination unit to an outside comprises creating a value of the survival information field using the motion detection signal.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the update packet is sent to the outside within an update interval which is a preset interval within the update period.

16. The method as set forth in claim 12, further comprising creating information about a location of the target living thing.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the update packet further comprises a location information field indicating the information about the location.