Medical Data Acquisition and Provision

• US 20120171982A1
• Filed: 01/03/2011
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Schunder, Mark, Prasad, Krishnaswamy Venkatesh
• Granted Patent: US 9,122,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes determining a user account associated with a vehicle occupant. The method also includes detecting the presence of at least one active monitoring device. The method further includes determining an association between the active monitoring device and the user account and periodically downloading device information from the active monitoring device to a vehicle computing system. Finally, the method includes storing downloaded device information in association with the user account.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, via a vehicle computing system (VCS), a user account associated with a vehicle occupant;

detecting, via the VCS, the presence of at least one active monitoring device;

determining, via the VCS, an association between the active monitoring device and the user account;

periodically downloading device information from the active monitoring device to the VCS; and

storing downloaded device information in association with the user account in a storage device for subsequent wireless retrieval by a healthcare provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises determining a user account associated with a wireless device present in a vehicle, the wireless device corresponding to a user for whom the user account was created.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless device is the at least one active monitoring device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one active monitoring device includes a monitoring device provided as part of a vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one active monitoring device is a heart rate monitor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the heart rate monitor is provided as part of a steering wheel.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the heart rate monitor is provided as part of a vehicle seat.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one active monitoring device includes a weight sensor.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, wirelessly relaying stored downloaded device information to a remote healthcare provider system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a remote user medical profile to download user medical information;

updating the user account with the downloaded user medical information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

wirelessly uploading downloaded device information to the remote user medical profile.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

uploading downloaded device information to the wireless device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the periodically downloading further comprises downloading at least when a signal from the active device indicates that a parameter measured by the active device exceeds a threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a warning in response the signal from the active device indicating that the parameter measured by the active device exceeds the threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing emergency assistance information when the signal from the active device indicating that the parameter measured by the active device exceeds the threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the emergency assistance information includes an option to immediately dial an emergency operator through the VCS.

17. A vehicle computing apparatus (VCA) comprising:

a processor operable to execute one or more logical processes; and

a memory in communication with the processor, storing a plurality of logical processes and operable to relay instructions contained in the logical processes to the processor for processing, wherein the plurality of logical processes include;

one or more account determining processes to determine a user account associated with a wireless device present in a vehicle, the wireless device corresponding to a user for whom the user account was created;

one or more detecting processes to detect the presence of at least one active monitoring device;

one or more association determining processes to determine an association between the active monitoring device and the user account;

one or more downloading processes to periodically download device information from the active monitoring device to the VCA;

one or more storing processes to store downloaded device information in association with the user account;

one or more accessing processes to access a remote user medical profile to download user medical information;

one or more updating processes to update the user account with the downloaded user medical information; and

one or more uploading processes to upload downloaded device information to the remote user medical profile.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the wireless device is the at least one active monitoring device.

19. A computer readable storage medium, storing instructions that, when executed, cause a vehicle computing system to perform the method comprising:

determining a user account associated with a wireless device present in a vehicle, the wireless device corresponding to a user for whom the user account was created;

detecting the presence of at least one active monitoring device;

determining an association between the active monitoring device and the user account;

periodically downloading device information from the active monitoring device to the VCA;

storing downloaded device information in association with the user account;

accessing a remote user medical profile to download user medical information;

updating the user account with the downloaded user medical information; and

uploading downloaded device information to the remote user medical profile to update the profile.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the wireless device is the at least one active monitoring device.