UNIVERSAL ACTIGRAPHIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF USE THEREFOR

• US 20120232430A1
• Filed: 03/10/2011
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Centre de Sante et de Services Sociaux-Institut Universitaire de Geriatrie de Sherbrooke, Socpra Sciences Sante et Humaines SEC
• Original Assignee: Socpra Sciences Sante et Humaines SEC
• Inventors: Boissy, Patrick, Hamel, Mathieu, Brière, Simon
• Application Number:
  US13/044,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20120232430A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6894 Wheel chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an actigraphic device based on a universal actigraphic platform. Parameters from a plurality of sensors are acquired and correlated for determining a profile of use of the device. The device may be installed on a vehicle, for example a powered wheelchair, or be worn by a user. Two or more devices may form a network of communicating devices worn by a user. A method of using the actigraphic device for acquiring a profile of use is also provided.

Claims

1. An actigraphic device, comprising:

a motion sensor for detecting a parameter related to a movement of the device;

an environment sensor for detecting a parameter related to an environment of device;

a processor for determining a profile of use of the device by correlating the parameter related to the movement of the device and the parameter related to the environment of the device; and

a memory for recording the profile of use.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is mounted on a vehicle.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of a wheelchair, a mobile robot and an automobile.

4. The device of claim 2, comprising:

a user behavior sensor for detecting a behavioral parameter of a user of the device;

wherein the processor is further for correlating the behavioral parameter with the parameter related to the movement of the device and the parameter related to the environment of the device.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein:

the user behavior sensor is selected from the group consisting of a joystick, a pedal, an actuator, a steering wheel, a force sensing resistor and any combination thereof.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the environment sensor is selected from the group consisting of a sonar, a camera, an accelerometer, a GPS receiver, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a voice activity detector, and any combination thereof.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the motion sensor is selected from the group consisting of a GPS receiver, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and any combination thereof.

8. The device of claim 1, comprising:

a post-processor for determining a user profile for a user of the device based on instances of the profile of use collected over time.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the parameter related to an environment of the device is for indicating a location of the device.

10. The device of claim 1, comprising:

a fusion process for mitigating random variations in the detected parameters.

11. The device of claim 1, comprising:

a communication port for outputting the profile of use, the parameter related to the movement of the device and the parameter related to the environment of the device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein:

the communication port is adapted for wireless communication use.

13. The device of claim 1, comprising:

a communication port for inputting an external sensor parameter;

wherein the processor is further for correlating the external sensor parameter with the parameter related to the movement of the device and the parameter related to the environment of the device.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the parameter related to the movement of the device is determined in a three-dimensional space.

15. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a biometric sensor for detecting a physical parameter of a user;

wherein the processor is further for correlating the physical parameter with the parameter related, to the movement of the device and the parameter related to the environment of the device.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is wearable by a user.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the device is adapted for forming a network with at least another actigraphic device.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the network comprises:

a first actigraphic device comprising an output port for outputting a first profile of use, and

a second actigraphic device comprising an input port for receiving the first profile of use,

wherein the second actigraphic device is further for producing a second profile of use, and

wherein a processor of the second actigraphic device is for determining a combined profile of use by correlating the first profile of use and the second profile of use.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein:

the first and second actigraphic devices are for communicating via a wired link.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein:

the first and second actigraphic devices are for communicating via a wireless link.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein:

the first and second actigraphic devices are for positioning on two distinct body segments of the user.

22. A method of acquiring a profile of use of an actigraphic device, comprising:

detecting a parameter related to a movement of the device;

detecting a parameter related to an environment of the device;

determining the profile of use of the device by correlating the parameter related to the movement of the device and the parameter related to the environment of the device; and

storing the profile of use in a memory.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving data from an external sensor at the device;

correlating the received data with the parameter related to the movement of the device and the parameter related to the environment of the device.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein:

at least one of the parameters is detected by an element selected from the group consisting of a GPS receiver, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and any combination thereof.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

outputting the profile of use towards a post-processing device.

26. The method of claim 22, comprising:

determining a user profile of a user of the device based on instances of the profile of use collected over time.