Systems And Methods For Communicating With Patients

• US 20140096170A1
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Innovatient Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innovatient Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Emerson, William, Caruso, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US14/035,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20140096170A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/98
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/238 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

Methods and systems for communicating with a patient through a television in the patient'"'"'s hospital room are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods and systems include the following: a television signal gateway module for receiving televisions signals and encoding the signals as Ethernet-based Internet protocol signals; an application and media server including a first sub-system for storing and processing the signals and data according to instructions and generating, sending, and receiving application and media signals; and an interactive set-top-box including a second sub-system for storing and processing instructions and processing the Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signals and the application and media signals to produce television display signals, the set-top-box communicating the television display signals for display on the patient'"'"'s television. In some embodiments, a whiteboard module that acts as a home page for patients as they navigate the interactive system is included in the application and media server.

Claims

1. An interactive system for communicating with a patient through a television in the patient'"'"'s hospital room, said system comprising:

a television signal gateway module for receiving a television signal and encoding said signal as an Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signal;

an application and media server including a first information processing sub-system and application modules, said first information processing sub-system being configured to store and process said signal and data according to particular instructions included in said application modules, said information processing sub-system being configured to generate, send, and receive an Ethernet-based Internet protocol application and media signal, said application modules including a whiteboard module that acts as a home page for patients as they navigate the interactive system; and

an interactive set-top-box including a second information processing sub-system and a browser application module, said second information processing sub-system being configured to store and process instructions included in said browser application module, said browser application module being configured to process said Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signal and said Ethernet-based Internet protocol application and media signal to produce a television display signal, said browser application module being configured to receive and process instructions from the patient and communicate said instructions from the patient to said application and media server, said set-top-box being configured to communicate said television display signal for display on the television in the patient'"'"'s hospital room; and

.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a coax conversion router for converting said Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signal and said Ethernet-based Internet protocol application and media signal to a coax signal, and for converting said coax signal to said Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signal and said Ethernet-based Internet protocol application and media signal; and

an Internet protocol modem in communication with said coax conversion router and said set-top-box, said Internet protocol modem being configured to convert said coax signal to an Ethernet-based Internet protocol signal for communication to said set-top-box and configured to convert Ethernet-based Internet protocol signal to said coax signal for communication across said coax network to said coax conversion router.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said whiteboard module includes a Room &

Care Team section, a Schedule section, and a Goals section.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said application modules include a patient video monitoring application module, said patient video monitoring module comprising:

a motion sensor positioned in the patient'"'"'s room for sensing when the patient moves; and

a network enable camera configured to provide two way communications over a standard Internet protocol network, wherein said camera is activated either manually, according to a schedule, automatically in response to a signal from said motion sensor, or a combination thereof; and

wherein a patient must give their permission for the camera to be activated by setting a value accessible only though the television in their hospital room.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said application modules include a sleep mode module configured to display a black background on the patient'"'"'s television while allowing messages to be displayed on the television.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said set-top-box includes a television control module for recording and playback of live television and movies.

7. A method for interactively communicating with a patient through a television in the patient'"'"'s hospital room, said method comprising:

receiving televisions signals and encoding said signals as Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signals;

providing an application and media server including an information processing sub-system, application modules including a whiteboard module that acts as a home page for patients as they navigate the interactive system, and a database;

storing and processing said Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signals and data according to particular instructions included in said application modules, said signals being processed by said information processing sub-system and said data being stored in said database;

generating, sending, and receiving Ethernet-based Internet protocol application and media signals; and

processing said Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signals and said Ethernet-based Internet protocol application and media signals to produce television display signals; and

displaying said television display signals on the television in the patient'"'"'s hospital room.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising receiving and processing input from the patient.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein said whiteboard module includes a Room &

Care Team section, a Schedule section, and a Goals section.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

converting said Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signals and said Ethernet-based Internet protocol application and media signals to coax signals, which are configured to travel across a coax network;

converting said coax signals to said Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signals and said Ethernet-based Internet protocol application and media signals, which are configured to travel across an Ethernet network;

converting said coax signals to Ethernet-based Internet protocol signals; and

converting Ethernet-based Internet protocol signals to said coax signals for communication across said coax network.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein said application modules include a sleep mode module configured to display a black background on the patient'"'"'s television while allowing messages to be displayed on the television.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein said application modules include a patient video monitoring application module, said patient video monitoring module having instructions comprising:

sensing in a patient'"'"'s room when the patient moves; and

activating either manually, according to a schedule, automatically in response to sensing when the patient moves, or a combination thereof, a network enable camera configured to provide two way communications over a standard Internet protocol network;

wherein a patient must give their permission for the camera to be activated by setting a value accessible only though the television in their hospital room.

13. An interactive system for communicating with a patient through a television in the patient'"'"'s hospital room, said system comprising:

a television signal gateway module for receiving televisions signals and encoding said signals as Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signals;

an application and media server including a first information processing sub-system, application modules, and a database, said first information processing sub-system being configured to store and process said signals and data according to particular instructions included in said application modules, said information processing sub-system being configured to generate, send, and receive Ethernet-based Internet protocol application and media signals, said application modules including a whiteboard module that acts as a home page for patients as they navigate the interactive system;

a coax conversion router for converting said Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signals and said Ethernet-based Internet protocol application and media signals to coax signals, which are configured to travel across a coax network, and for converting said coax signals to said Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signals and said Ethernet-based Internet protocol application and media signals, which are configured to travel across an Ethernet network;

an Internet protocol modem in communication with said coax conversion router via a coaxial cable, said Internet protocol modem being configured to convert said coax signals to Ethernet-based Internet protocol signals including said Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signals and said Ethernet-based Internet protocol application and media signals and configured to convert Ethernet-based Internet protocol signals to said coax signals for communication across said coax network to said coax conversion router; and

an interactive set-top-box in communication with said Internet protocol modem via an Ethernet cable, said interactive set-top-box including a second information processing sub-system and a browser application module, said second information processing sub-system being configured to store and process instructions included in said browser application module, said browser application module being configured to process said Ethernet-based Internet protocol television signals and said Ethernet-based Internet protocol application and media signals to produce television display signals, said browser application module being configured to receive and process instructions from the patient and communicate said instructions from the patient to said application and media server, said set-top-box being configured to communicate said television display signals for display on the television in the patient'"'"'s hospital room.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said whiteboard module includes a Room &

Care Team section, a Schedule section, and a Goals section.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein said application modules include a sleep mode module configured to display a black background on the patient'"'"'s television while allowing messages to be displayed on the television.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein said application modules include a patient video monitoring application module, said patient video monitoring module comprising:

a motion sensor positioned in the patient'"'"'s room for sensing when the patient moves; and

a network enable camera configured to provide two way communications over a standard Internet protocol network, wherein said camera is activated either manually, according to a schedule, automatically in response to a signal from said motion sensor, or a combination thereof

wherein a patient must give their permission for the camera to be activated by setting a value accessible only though the television in their hospital room.