Autonomous Fall Monitor

• US 20140375461A1
• Filed: 06/18/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barron Associates Inc
• Original Assignee: Jr., B. Eugene Parker, Neal T. Richardson
• Inventors: Richardson, Neal T., Parker, B. Eugene Jr., Gressick, William T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,704,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.7
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0257 using atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• 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: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A system, a method and an apparatus for autonomous monitoring, detecting and tracking of at least one of movement and orientation of a body or portion of a body. The apparatus comprises a device configured to monitor the translational movement and/or rotational movement of the body; and an altimeter including at least one pair of opposed high sensitivity sensors configured to measure changes in height of the body. An alert condition is determined based on the translational and/or rotational movement of the body and changes in height of the body or portion of the body. The alert condition may comprise a hard fall event, a soft fall event, a susceptibility to a fall, or a near fall event.

Claims

1. A communicator for autonomous monitoring, detecting and tracking of movement and orientation of a body or portion of a body, comprising:

a device configured to monitor at least one of a translational movement and a rotational movement of the body; and

an altimeter including at least one pair of high sensitivity sensors having opposed sensing ports configured to measure changes in height of the body,

wherein an alert condition is determined based on the at least one of the translational movement and the rotational movement of the body and changes in height of the body or portion of the body.

2. The communicator according to claim 1, wherein the alert condition comprises:

a hard fall event;

a soft fall event;

a susceptibility to a fall;

or a near fall event.

3. The communicator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor configured to monitor biological functions of the body.

4. The communicator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage configured to collect and store data for synchronous communication to a transceiver,

wherein the data comprises any one or more of a date data, a time data, a location data, a biometric data and an alert condition data.

5. The communicator according to claim 1, wherein the device configured to monitor the at least one of the translational movement and the rotational movement of the body, or portion of a body, comprises one or more triaxial accelerometers and wherein the one or more altimeters comprises a high sensitivity pressure sensor.

6. The communicator according to claim 1, further comprising:

one or more actuators configured to be actuated by a user to enable or disable an alert call,

wherein the one or more actuators are configured to attach to the body.

7. The communicator according to claim 4, further comprising:

a transceiver unit configured to convey the data stored in the storage to a transceiver,

wherein the transceiver is configured to provide notification of alert events to one or more recipients.

8. A system that includes the communicator according to claim 7, wherein the system further includes the transceiver, the transceiver comprising:

a communications device configured to record, log and track the data conveyed from the transceiver unit.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the transceiver comprises a storage that stores a recipient'"'"'s information.

10. The communicator according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the monitored translational movement and the rotational movement of the body, include standing, walking, running sitting, falling and lying down.

11. The communicator according to claim 7, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to synchronize data with another communicator prior to monitoring translational and rotational movement of the body and measuring changes in height of the body or portion of the body.

12. A transceiver for autonomous monitoring, detecting and tracking of at least one of orientation movement, translational movement and rotational movement of a body, comprising:

a pair of high sensitivity sensors having opposed sensing ports used to cancel out an inertial force effect of a measurement;

a transceiver unit configured to receive alert status data from a communicator, the alert status data based, at least in part, on the measurement; and

a storage configured to hold recipient information associated with the communicator,

wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to notify one or more recipients based on the alert status data.

13. The transceiver according to claim 12, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to provide notification of an alert event to the recipient.

14. The transceiver according to claim 12, wherein the transceiver further comprises a communication device that is configured to record, log and track the alert status data.

15. A method for autonomously monitoring, detecting and tracking movements of a body, comprising:

monitoring at least one of a translational movement and a rotational movement of the body or portion of it;

averaging out sensed data recorded by opposed sensor ports;

measuring a change in height of the body or a portion of the body using the averaged out sensed data recorded by opposed sensor ports; and

determining an alert event based on the at least one of the translational movement and the rotational movement of the body and the change in height of the body or portion of it.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

generating an alert status data based on a determined alert event; and

contacting one or more recipients based on the alert status data.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

selecting a recipient from the contact list;

retrieving a message to be conveyed to the recipient; and

conveying the message to the recipient.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether the recipient responds to the message.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the fall status data comprises:

translational movement data;

rotational movement data;

height data;

height change data;

time data;

date data;

location data;

or biometrics data.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

activating a communication device to establish a communication session with the recipient, when the recipient responds to the message.