Electronic Fall Event Communication System

• US 20190012894A1
• Filed: 07/12/2016
• Published: 01/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Perner, Judd J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,769,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

Abstract

The fall event detection and communication system includes at least one fall detect node and a personal communication application. The at least one fall detect node is to be implemented as part of a fall protection system. The at least one fall detect node includes at least one detection element and a node transmitter. The at least one detection element is to generate an activation signal upon a condition that indicates a fall event has occurred. The node transmitter is to transmit at least one fall detect signal upon receiving the activation signal from the at least one detection element. The personal communication application is stored in a personal communication device. The personal communication application is to cause the personal communication device to monitor for the fall detect signal and cause the personal communication device to communicate with a remote communication device upon determination that a fall event has occurred.

Claims

1. A fall event detection and communication system comprising:

at least one fall detect node to be implemented as part of a fall protection system, the at least one fall detect node including,

at least one detection element to generate an activation signal upon a condition that indicates a fall event has occurred, and

a node transmitter to transmit at least one fall detect signal upon receiving the activation signal from the at least one detection element; and

a personal communication application stored in a personal communication device, the personal communication application to cause the personal communication device to monitor for the fall detect signal from the node transmitter of the at least one fall detect node, the personal communication application further to cause the personal communication device to determine if a fall event has occurred based at least in part on receiving the at least one fall detect signal from the at least one fall detect node, the personal communication application further yet to cause the personal communication device to communicate with a remote communication device upon determination that a fall event has occurred.

2. The fall event detection and communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one detection element is a switch that is to be activated when a load over a select weight is encountered by at least one component of the fall protection system.

3. The fall event detection and communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one detection element is at least one of a switch and a sensor.

4. The fall event detection and communication system of claim 1, wherein the personal communication application is to cause the personal communication device to send the fall alarm message only after the fall detect signal has been received continuously for more than a select amount of time.

5. The fall event detection and communication system of claim 1, wherein at least one fall detect node is to only transmit the at least one fall detect signal upon receiving the activation signal from the at least one detection element for a select period of time.

6. The fall event detection and communication system of claim 5, wherein the at least one fall detect node further includes:

a node clock;

a node memory to store an application; and

a node controller to implement instructions in a node application, the instructions including instructing the node controller to time activation signals from the at least one detection element using the node clock.

7. The fall event detection and communication system of claim 1, wherein the personal communication application is to cause the personal communication device to send the fall alarm message only after two or more fall detect signals have been received.

8. The fall event detection and communication system of claim 1, wherein the fall detect signal is a short range communication signal.

9. The fall event detection and communication system of claim 1, wherein the personal communication device communicates with the remote communication device via a wireless telephone system.

10. A fall detect node comprising:

at least one detection element implemented with a fall protection system, the detection element to detect a fall event; and

a transmitter in communication with the at least one detection element, the transmitter to send a fall detect signal to a personal communication device upon the detection of a fall event by the at least one detection element.

11. The fall detect node of claim 10, further comprising:

the at least one detection element being a switch that is integrated in the fall protection system, the switch to be activated when a load over a selected weight is encountered by the fall protection harness; and

the transmitter to continuously send the fall detect signal to the personal communication device while the switch is activated.

12. The fall detect node of claim 11, wherein the switch is a spring loaded switch.

13. The fall detect node of claim 10, further comprising:

a power source to power the transmitter.

14. The fall detect node of claim 10, further comprising:

a node clock;

a node memory to store a node application; and

a controller to implement instructions in the node application, the instructions including instructing the node controller to time activation signals from the at least one detection element using the clock.

15. A method of communicating a fall event to a remote communication device, the method comprising:

generating a fall detect signal with at least one fall detect node that is implemented in a fall protection system when a fall event is detected;

monitoring the at least one fall detect node for the fall detect signal with a personal communication device; and

generating a fall alarm message with the personal communication device based at least in part on a detected fall detect signal from the at least one fall detect node.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

tracking the amount of time the fall protection signal is generated by the at least one fall detect node;

when the amount of time tracked is over a select amount of time, transmitting the fall alarm message to a remote communication device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein generating a fall detect signal with at least one fall detect node that is implemented in a fall protection system when a fall event is detected further comprises;

activating a spring loaded switch integrated in the fall protection system when a load on the fall protection system is over a select load; and

in response to the activation of the spring loaded switch, transmitting the fall detect signal to a personal communication device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

setting a select period of time the spring loaded activation switch has to be activated before transmitting the fall alarm message.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

confirming a fall event with at least two detection elements before transmitting the fall alarm message.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the at least two detection elements is part of the at least one fall detect node.