ACCELEROMETERS IN AN AREA

• US 20150029029A1
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hopcroft, Matthew Alan, Rolia, Jerome, Singhal, Sharad, Bess, Charles Edgar, Suermondt, Henri J.
• Application Number:
  US14/344,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20150029029A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• 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 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A system includes a patient environment in an area, a first accelerometer attached to the first patient environment, a second accelerometer disposed in the area, and a processing system to detect an activity of a patient in the area using vibration data received from the first and the second accelerometers.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first patient environment disposed in a first location in an area;

a first accelerometer attached to the first patient environment, the first accelerometer to capture first vibration data in proximity to the first location;

a second accelerometer disposed in a second location in the area that is removed from the first patient environment, the second accelerometer to capture second vibration data in proximity to the second location; and

a processing system to detect an activity in the area using the first and the second vibration data received from the first and the second accelerometers, respectively.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing system is to generate a notification corresponding to the activity.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the processing system is to generate the notification in response to determining that the activity deviates from an expected behavior of a patient.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing system is to estimate a location of a patient in the area based on the activity.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first vibration data includes physiological data of a patient in response to the patient being in contact with the first patient environment.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the physiological date represents internal and external body movements of the patient transmitted through the patient environment.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second patient environment;

wherein the second accelerometer is attached to the second patient environment.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the patient environment includes one of a bed or a chair.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first accelerometer includes a proof mass with a first electrode array suspended above a second electrode array disposed on a wafer.

10. A method performed by a processing system, the method comprising:

receiving, at the processing system, first vibration data from a first accelerometer in direct contact with a patient environment in an area and second vibration data from a second accelerometer disposed in the area;

processing, at the processing system, the first and the second vibration data to identify an activity; and

providing, at the processing system, a notification corresponding to the activity.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

providing the notification to at least one of a patient or a healthcare professional.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

comparing the activity to an expected behavior of a patient; and

providing the notification in response to the activity deviating from the expected behavior.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

estimating a location of a patient in the area based on the activity.

14. A system comprising:

a first plurality of accelerometers disposed in a first area, each of the plurality of accelerometers to capture vibration data from the first area;

a second plurality of accelerometers disposed in a second area in proximity to the first area, each of the plurality of accelerometers to capture vibration data from the first area; and

a processing system to detect a plurality of activities in the first and the second areas using the vibration data captured by the first and the second pluralities of accelerometers.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

a patient environment disposed in the first area;

wherein one of the first plurality of accelerometers is attached to the patient environment.