SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING THE GAIT CHARACTERISTICS OF A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS

• US 20110152726A1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Cuddihy, Paul Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,460,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/25 Recognition of walking or running movements, e.g. gait recognition

Abstract

A system is provided for monitoring gait characteristics of a group of enrollees in a monitoring region of a public area. The system includes an identifying device to enroll the group of enrollees into the system by measuring identifying information. The system further includes a gait monitoring device to measure a sample gait characteristic during an enrollment phase, and to measure a gait characteristic of each enrollee subsequent to the enrollment phase. The system further includes an alerting device to receive an alert signal from the gait monitoring device, when the measured gait characteristic of a respective enrollee exceeds a safety threshold. The system further includes a display device to issue a trend report of the measured gait characteristic of a selectable enrollee for a selectable time period.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring gait characteristics of a group of enrollees in a monitoring region of a public area, said system comprising:

an identifying device configured to acquire identifying information of each enrollee during an enrollment phase and to acquire identifying information of an individual having entered the monitoring region during a monitoring phase subsequent to the enrollment phase;

a processor configured to compare the acquired identifying information of the individual with the acquired identifying information of each enrollee during the enrollment phase, to determine if the individual is an enrollee; and

a gait monitoring device configured to measure a sample gait characteristic of each enrollee during the enrollment phase;

said gait monitoring device being further configured to measure a gait characteristic of each enrollee during the monitoring phase, based on said processor having determined that said individual is an enrollee;

wherein said processor is further configured to compare the measured gait characteristic of the enrollee with at least one of a previously-measured gait characteristic and the sample gait characteristic, to determine if the measured gait characteristic exceeds a safety threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an alerting device configured to receive an alert signal from said gait monitoring device, said alert signal based on the measured gait characteristic of a respective enrollee having exceeded the safety threshold; and

a display device configured to receive and store said measured gait characteristic data and the respective enrollee identifying information of said measured gait characteristic from said gait monitoring device;

said display device further configured to issue a trend report of the measured gait characteristic of a selectable enrollee for a selectable time period.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the identifying device includes a video camera;

wherein during said enrollment phase, said enrollee is prompted to position the face in a field of view of the video camera to capture an image of the face as said identifying information;

wherein said identifying information is stored in a memory of said processor.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said gait monitoring device comprises a sensing component, said sensing component being configured to detect the gait characteristic of the individual;

said enrollee is prompted to move within the monitoring area, to measure said sample gait characteristic;

wherein said sample gait characteristic for each respective enrollee is stored within a memory of said processor.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein upon an individual having entered the monitoring area, said video camera is configured to capture an image of the face of the individual, and is configured to compare the captured face image with the stored face images of the enrollees in the memory of the first processor;

said identifying device is configured to transmit an activate signal to the gait monitoring device, based on the captured face image corresponding to a stored face image of an enrollee, such that upon receiving the activate signal, said gait monitoring device is configured to measure and store a gait characteristic of the individual moving through the monitoring area, and transmit the measured gait characteristic and identifying information to the display device, and transmit an alert signal to the alert device, in the event that the measured gait characteristic exceeds the safety threshold.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said identifying device is configured to take no action, based on the captured face image not corresponding to a stored face image of an enrollee, and thus the gait monitoring device does not measure the gait characteristic of the individual moving through the monitoring area.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said sensing component incorporates at least one of LIDAR, video, radar, active infrared, and smart floor technology.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said identifying device is configured to prompt the enrollee to provide a consent to be included in the system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein based on the received alert signal at the alerting device, including a measured gait characteristic exceeding the safety threshold and the respective enrollee, the display device is configured to output the trend report of the measured gait characteristics for the respective enrollee for a selectable time period, to diagnose any future complications of the enrollee.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring area of the public area is a hallway where said enrollees frequently pass through for reasons other than said system

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring area of the public area is a hallway in a senior assisted-living facility;

and wherein said alert signal and trend reports are utilized to forecast an oncoming risk of falling

12. The system of claim 1, wherein an existing video camera is provided in the public area, such that the identifying device is a redundant video camera in the public area

13. A system for monitoring gait characteristics of a group of enrollees, said system comprising:

an identifying device positioned in a monitoring region of a public area, said identifying device configured to capture facial recognition data of an individual having entered the monitoring region of the public area;

a processor configured to compare the captured facial recognition data with a predetermined set of facial recognition data for the group of enrollees, to determine if the individual is an enrollee;

a gait monitoring device positioned in the monitoring area of the public area, said gait monitoring area configured to measure a gait characteristic of the enrollee, based on the processor having determined that the individual is an enrollee;

said processor being further configured to compare the measured gait characteristic with at least one of a previously-measured gait characteristic and a predetermined set of sample gait characteristic for each enrollee, to determine if the measured gait characteristic exceeds a safety threshold.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

an alerting device positioned in the monitoring area of the public area, said alerting device configured to receive an alert signal from said gait monitoring device, said alert signal being indicative of the measured gait characteristic of a respective enrollee having exceeded the safety threshold; and

a display device positioned in the monitoring area of the public area, said display device configured to receive and store said measured gait characteristic data for each enrollee, said display device further configured to issue a trend report of the measured gait characteristic of a selectable enrollee for a selectable time period.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said monitoring area in the public area is a hallway of a medical treatment facility, through which the enrollees pass through for purposes other than said system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said monitoring area in the public area is a hallway in a senior assisted-living facility, through which the enrollees pass through on a routine basis;

and wherein said alert signal and trend report are utilized to reduce a future likelihood of falling of the enrollees within the senior assisted living facility.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said identifying device includes a video camera and a processor;

wherein during an enrollment phase, said predetermined set of facial recognition data for the group of enrollees is captured by the video camera based on each enrollee being prompted to position the face in a field of view of the video camera to capture the facial recognition data;

wherein said facial recognition data of each enrollee is stored in a memory of said processor.

18. A method for monitoring gait characteristics of a group of enrollees in a monitoring region of a public area, said method comprising:

enrolling said group of enrollees, said enrolling including measuring identifying information of each enrollee during an enrollment phase and measuring a sample gait characteristic of each enrollee during the enrollment phase;

monitoring said group of enrollees, including measuring a gait characteristic of each enrollee having entered the monitoring region of the public area;

alerting that the measured gait characteristic of a respective enrollee has exceeded a safety threshold; and

displaying a trend report of the measured gait characteristic of a selectable enrollee for a selectable time period.