Smart monitoring sensor system for monitoring mobility

• US 20140375451A1
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffry Tola, Joel Sterling Douglas
• Original Assignee: Jeffry Tola, Joel Sterling Douglas
• Inventors: Douglas, Joel Sterling, Tola, Jeffry
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The present invention provides devices, systems, and methods for remotely alarming an intelligent hand held device when a sensor on a stair assist device is made thereby signaling an event which is of concern for a patient caregiver. In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a remote transmitter for use with a smart phone or tablet connectable to sensors such as end of travel sensors for a stair climbing assist device or a mat, a photoelectric sensor, toilet or chair sensor and providing that information via wireless peer to peer communication to a smart phone or tablet so that a caregiver can react appropriately to the information. The remote transmitter device contains a conventional switch detection circuit and a peer to peer communications circuit such as Bluetooth.

Claims

1. A stair assist monitoring system comprising of:

a for a stair assist device,

a remote transmitter in communication with a smart phone by means of a peer to peer communication protocol,

a sensor in communication with the remote transmitter,

a timing circuit in communication with the sensor to monitor

the length of time that the monitored the sensor is activated.

2. The remote transmitter of claim 1 comprising of:

a housing;

a signal transmitter coupled to the housing which is designed work with a peer to peer communication protocol and is capable of transmitting or receiving a signal to or from a smart phone via an antenna in communication with the signal transmitter,

a sensor control board coupled to the housing which is in communication to a sensor connector which is in communication with the sensor, capable of changing state so as to monitor the location of the stair assist device,

a battery attached to the sensor control board that is in communication with the signal transmitter,

a timing circuit or software function to monitor the length of time that the monitored condition has changed state.

3. The sensor of claim 2 where the closed state is on.

4. The sensor of claim 2 where the open state is off.

5. A remote transmitter of claim 1 wherein:

said peer to peer communication is Bluetooth Protocol.

6. A remote transmitter of claim 1 wherein:

said peer to peer communication is Near Field Communication Protocol.

7. A remote transmitter of claim 1 wherein a program on a smart phone in communication with the remote sensor by a peer to peer communication protocol displays the state of the connected sensor.

8. The sensor of claim 1 wherein said sensor is a pressure sensor.

9. The sensor of claim 1 wherein said sensor is a motion sensor.

10. The sensor of claim 1 wherein said sensor is a position sensor.

11. The sensor of claim 1 wherein said sensor is an acceleration sensor.

12. The sensor of claim 1 wherein said sensor is a temperature sensor.

13. The sensor of claim 1 wherein said sensor is a dampness sensor.

14. The sensor of claim 1 wherein said sensor a motion sensor.

15. The sensor of claim 2 where the battery is replaced by an energy harvesting device attached to the sensor or switch control board that is in communication with the signal transmitter that controls the sensor signals.

16. Where the smart phone of claim 7 is replaced by a tablet computer.

17. A remote transmitter of claim 1 wherein the connected smart phone communicates with a second smart phone through a messaging protocol, which further comprises an automatic message sender to send a message to the selected telephone when the switch attached is in the signal on position.

18. Where the messaging protocol of claim 17 is Short Message Service

19. A remote transmitter of claim 1 wherein said smart phone is a tablet computer.

20. A system of claim 1 wherein said remote transmitter is activated when said user input is selected from a pressure sensor, stair assist position sensor, stair assist seat sensor, stair assist rate of speed, sensor, temperature sensor or a button sensor.