Fall-Responsive Emergency Device, System, and Method

• US 20130143519A1
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: J&M I.P. Holding Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: J&M I.P. Holding Company, LLC
• Inventors: Doezema, Mary
• Application Number:
  US13/751,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20130143519A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A system comprising a wearable device with a fall sensor responsive to the physical effect of a fall by a user wearing the device to generate a sensed-fall signal; a plurality of local communicators capable of receiving the sensed-fall signal and transmitting a fall alert; a base transmitter comprising a communications portal capable of initiating communication with a remote responder and establishing two-way voice communication between the remote responder and the user of the wearable device via the local communicators; the local communicators capable of establishing a perimeter and sending an alert if the wearable device is not within the perimeter boundary; a charging plate for induction charging the wearable device; and a mobile application adapted for use on a remote responder'"'"'s mobile device, the mobile application capable of being activated by communication from the base transmitter to alert the remote responder of the fall or emergency event.

Claims

1. In a system for sending an alert in response to a fall or emergency event comprising a wearable device comprising a sensor responsive to a physical effect of a fall by a user wearing the device to generate a sensed-fall signal, the wearable device further comprising a wireless transceiver capable of transmitting the sensed-fall signal, the system further comprising a plurality of local communicators capable of receiving the sensed-fall signal from the wearable device and generating a fall alert in response to receipt of the sensed-fall signal and transmitting the fall alert, the system further comprising a base transmitter capable of receiving the fall alert from the local communicators, the base transmitter comprising a communications portal capable of initiating one or more communications to one or more remote responders in response to receipt of the fall alert, the base transmitter is capable of opening up a two-way voice communication between the remote responder and the local communicator closest to the wearable device to allow for voice communication between the remote responder and the user of the wearable device, the improvement comprising:

the plurality of local communicators each comprising a transceiver capable of sending a wireless ping signal to the wearable device and receiving a response signal from the wearable device generated in response to receipt of the ping signal, the system configured to be capable of determining a location of the wearable device by determining which of the local communicators is nearest the wearable device base at least in part upon the ping and response signals.

2. The system of claim 1, the base transmitter comprising a programmable keypad capable of receiving and storing contact information for one or more remote responders and capable of initiating one or more communications to one or more remote responders using the stored contact information.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mobile application adapted for use on a mobile computing platform of a remote responder;

the mobile application capable of being activated upon receipt of a communication from the communication portal of the base transmitter to inform the remote responder of a fall or emergency event.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a web portal capable of being viewed on a computing platform and adapted to display location information for the wearable device.

5. The system of claim 4, the web portal capable of displaying location history information for the wearable device.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a charging plate adapted to charge the wearable device by induction charging.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a wireless charger capable of wirelessly charging the wearable device.

8. The system of claim 1, the plurality of local communicators capable of establishing one or more perimeters;

the local communicators capable of sending a boundary alert signal to the base transmitter if the response signal is not received from the wearable device, the boundary alert signal capable of indicating that the wearable device is not within the perimeters.

9. The system of claim 1, the local communicators capable of generating an alert if the bracelet remains in the same location for a pre-determined period of time.

10. The system of claim 1, the local communicators further comprising a glow unit capable of illuminating.

11. The system of claim 10, the glow unit closest to the wearable device capable of illuminating in response to generation of an alert signal.

12. The system of claim 1, the system capable of tracking movement of the wearable device with regard to the local communicators based upon the ping and response signals from the local communicators and wearable device, the system configured so that the local communicator nearest the wearable device receives the sensed-fall or emergency event signal from the wearable device.

13. The system of claim 1, the wearable device comprising a bracelet.

14. The system of claim 1, the local communicator further comprising a port adapted for plugging a device into the local communicator.

15. The system of claim 1, the local communicators and base transmitter communicate by Bluetooth signals.

16. The system of claim 1, the local communicators and wearable device communicate by Bluetooth or RF radio signals.

17. The system of claim 1, the communications portal of the base transmitter further comprising a wireless gateway.

18. The system of claim 4, the communications portal of the base transmitter capable of communication to a remote database server that is adapted for receiving the wearable device location information from the communications portal, the remote database server capable of remote communication to the computing platform, the location information adapted for being displayed on the web portal.

19. For use in a system comprising a wearable device comprising a sensor responsive to a physical effect of a fall by a user wearing the device to generate a sensed-fall signal, the wearable device further comprising a wireless transceiver capable of transmitting the sensed-fall signal, the system further comprising a plurality of local communicators capable of receiving the sensed-fall signal from the wearable device and generating a fall alert in response to receipt of the sensed-fall signal and transmitting the fall alert, the system further comprising a base transmitter capable of receiving the fall alert from the local communicators, the base transmitter comprising a communications portal capable of initiating one or more communications to one or more remote responders in response to receipt of the fall alert, the base transmitter is capable of opening up a two-way voice communication between the remote responder and the local communicator closest to the wearable device to allow for voice communication between the remote responder and the user of the wearable device, a method comprising:

locating the wearable device within the premises by sending one or more ping signals from the local communicators to the wearable device, the wearable device generating a response signal in response to receipt of the ping signal and transmitting the response signal to the local communicators, the local communicator closest to the wearable device being identified in proximity to the wearable device by receipt of the response signal.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

sending a communication to a mobile application adapted for use on a mobile device of the remote responder;

the mobile application capable of being activated upon receipt of a communication from the communication portal of the base transmitter to inform the remote responder of the fall or emergency event and the location of the wearable device

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

providing a web portal capable of being viewed on a computing platform, the web portal adapted to display the location information for the wearable device.

22. In a system for sending an alert in response to a fall or emergency event comprising a wearable device comprising a sensor responsive to a physical effect of a fall by a user wearing the device to generate a sensed-fall signal, the wearable device further comprising a wireless transceiver capable of transmitting the sensed-fall signal, the system further comprising a local communicator capable of receiving the sensed-fall signal from the wearable device and generating a fall alert in response to receipt of the sensed-fall signal and transmitting the fall alert, the system further comprising a base transmitter capable of receiving the fall alert from the local communicators, the base transmitter comprising a communications portal capable of initiating one or more communications to one or more remote responders in response to receipt of the fall alert, the base transmitter is capable of opening up a two-way voice communication between the remote responder and the local communicator closest to the wearable device to allow for voice communication between the remote responder and the user of the wearable device, the improvement comprising:

the local communicator comprising a glow unit capable of illuminating upon generation of the fall alert;

the base transmitter comprising a programmable keypad capable of receiving and storing contact information for one or more remote responders; and

a charger capable of induction charging the wearable device.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a mobile application adapted for use on a mobile computing platform of a remote responder;

the mobile application capable of being activated upon receipt of a communication from the communication portal of the base transmitter, to inform the remote responder of the fall or emergency event.