METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING A FALL OF A USER

• US 20120029392A1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Jin, Sheng, Chen, Ningjiang
• Application Number:
  US13/260,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029392A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• 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 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait

Abstract

This invention relates to a system and method for detecting a fall of a user. The system comprises at least one sensor, a determining unit and a processor. The at least one sensor worn on the body of the user generates sensor data relating to the fall, and the determining unit determines a sensor position of the at least one sensor. The processor adjusts the fall detection algorithm according to the sensor position, and performs an analysis based on the sensor data to determine whether a fall is occurring or not. In this way, fall detection is performed with high detection accuracy even if the sensor position changes, and the user feels good by wearing the sensors in their preferred way.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a fall of a user, the system comprising:

at least one sensor (101) intended to be worn on the body of the user and configured to generate sensor data relating to the fall;

a determining unit (102) configured to determine a sensor position of the at least one sensor (101); and

a processor (103) configured to perform an analysis based on the sensor data and the sensor position to determine whether a fall is occurring or not.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining unit (102) comprises:

an interface configured to enable the user to select the sensor position from a plurality of predefined sensor positions.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining unit (102) comprises:

a first circuit configured to detect the length of a band (240) for wearing the at least one sensor (101) on the body, the length of the band (240) corresponding to the sensor position among a plurality of predefined sensor positions.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining unit (102) comprises:

a plurality of contacts (210) configured to fasten a band (240) for wearing the at least one sensor (101) on the body; and

a second circuit (220) configured to detect a contact combination among the plurality of contacts (210), the contact combination corresponding to the sensor position among a plurality of predefined sensor positions.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the contact combination is detected based on the contact number and/or contact distribution of the contact combination.

6. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the contact (210) comprises a jack (260) configured to mesh with a plug (250) situated on the band (240), and the second circuit (220) is configured to detect whether the jack (260) and the plug (250) are meshed.

7. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the determining unit (102) is further configured to estimate a reference sensor position based on the sensor data and determine whether the sensor position is correct or not by comparing the sensor position with the reference sensor position, the sensor data being any one of, or a combination of, the following data:

altitude, acceleration, gravity, temperature and time.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an output configured to output a notifying message when the sensor position is not correct and/or output a warning message indicating a wrong contact combination when the sensor position determined by the contact combination is not a real sensor position.

9. A method of detecting a fall of a user, the method comprising the steps of:

generating (310) sensor data relating to the fall by at least one sensor (101) intended to be worn on the body of the user;

determining (320) a sensor position of the at least one sensor (101) by a determining unit (102); and

performing (330) an analysis based on the sensor data and the sensor position to determine whether a fall is occurring or not by means of a processor (103).

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of determining (320) comprises a sub-step of:

enabling the user to select the sensor position from a plurality of predefined sensor positions by means of an interface.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of determining (320) comprises a sub-step of:

detecting the length of a band (240) for wearing the at least one sensor (101) on the body by means of a first circuit (321), the length of the band (240) corresponding to the sensor position among a plurality of predefined sensor positions.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of determining (320) comprises a sub-step of:

detecting a contact combination among a plurality of contacts (210) by means of a second circuit (220), the contact combination corresponding to the sensor position among a plurality of predefined sensor positions, and the plurality of contacts (210) being configured to fasten a band (240) for wearing the at least one sensor (101) on the body.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of determining (320) comprises a sub-step of:

estimating a reference sensor position based on the sensor data and determining whether the sensor position is correct or not by comparing the sensor position with the reference sensor position by means of the determining unit (102), the sensor data being any one of, or a combination of, the following data;

altitude, acceleration, gravity, temperature, and time.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a step of:

outputting a notifying message by an output when the sensor position is not correct and/or outputting a warning message indicating a wrong contact combination by the output when the sensor position determined by the contact combination is not a real sensor position.