Augmented monitoring system

• US 6,218,945 B1
• Filed: 08/30/1999
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michelle Enterprises LLC
• Original Assignee: John E. Taylor Jr
• Inventors: Taylor, John E Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US09/385,481
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/539, 340/825.49, 379/38
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• 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 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

Cooperation between a monitored person device and a companion device allow for a relatively accurate determination of a locational reference for the monitored person device and therefore, a monitored person. This is accomplished while minimizing the weight of the monitored person device which is constantly transported by the monitored person during movement of the monitored person. The companion device may be either a fixed position type or, more preferred, a transportable type which may be moved about by the monitored person. These components of the companion device include those required to receive a signal, or signals, sufficient to allow for a determining of a locational reference of the companion device and those required to transmit a signal for eventual transfer to a central location. The monitored person device must have components which provide for transmitting a signal to the companion device, if within a communication range. Components of the system provide for a determination of a spacing and an orientation of the monitored person device relative to the companion device. When this information is combined with the information sufficient to allow for a determination of the locational reference of the companion device, the locational reference of the monitored person device may fairly accurately be made. The overall system of monitoring roaming persons may involve behavioral monitoring, medical monitoring or security monitoring.

Claims

1. A system to provide for identifying a locational reference for a monitored person, the system comprising:

a) a monitored person device to be moved about with the monitored person during movement of the monitored person, the monitored person device comprising transmitting means to provide for generating a signal;

b) a companion device about which the monitored person may freely move wherein the monitored person remains within a predefined spacing about the companion device, the companion device comprising;

1) receiving means to provide for reception of the signal produced by the transmitting means of the monitored person device;

2) transmitting means to provide for sending a signal to a detached receiving unit;

c) locational determining means to provide for producing information from which a locational reference may be created indicative of a locational position of the companion device;

d) computational means to provide for determining a locational position of the monitored person device utilizing at least;

1) the information of the locational determining means indicative of the locational position of the companion device;

2) the signal from the monitored person device received by the receiving means of the companion device;

wherein the locational position of the companion device may be determined then a locational position of the monitored person device is determined based upon a determining of a spacing and an orientation of the monitored person device relative to the companion device, and;

e) conversion means to provide for converting the locational position of the monitored person device to the locational reference for the monitored person.

2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the system further comprises a plurality of monitored persons, a plurality of monitored person devices and a plurality of companion devices wherein each respective monitored person has a respective monitored person device and a respective companion device.

3. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the monitored person device further comprises:

a) securing means to provide for a secure attachment of the monitored person device to the monitored person;

b) tamper detection means to provide for detecting a tampering with the monitored person device attached to the monitored person.

4. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the monitored person device further comprises:

a) receiving means to provide for reception of at least a portion of the signal from the transmitting means of the companion device;

b) monitored person notification means to provide for notification of the monitored person of a message indicative of a status of the spacing between the companion device and the monitored person device.

5. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising storage means to provide for an archival retention within a locational tracking database of a series of locational references.

6. The system defined in claim 5 further comprising temporal marking means to provide for indicating, within at least a range of temporal references, an associated occurrence reference indicative of when each of the locational references occurred, each of the temporal references stored within the locational tracking database.

7. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the locational determining means further provides for a detached sending unit to transmit a signal and wherein the receiving means of the companion device further provides for reception of the signal transmitted by the detached sending unit and wherein the detached sending unit is a ground based transmitter and wherein the computational means further utilizes the signal transmitted by the detached sending unit in determining the locational position of the companion device.

8. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the locational determining means further provides for a detached sending unit to transmit a signal and wherein the receiving means of the companion device further provides for reception of the signal transmitted by the detached sending unit and wherein the detached sending unit is an orbital based transmitter and wherein the computational means further utilizes the signal transmitted by the detached sending unit in determining the locational position of the companion device.

9. A system to provide for identifying a locational reference for a plurality of monitored persons, the system comprising:

a) a plurality of companion devices, each respective companion device transportable to be manually moved about by a respective monitored person, each respective monitored person being one of the plurality of monitored persons, and wherein the respective monitored person retains the respective companion device within a predefined spacing about the respective monitored person, each companion device comprising;

1) first receiving means to provide for receiving signals from detached sending units;

2) second receiving means;

3) first transmitting means to provide for sending a signal to a detached receiving unit;

4) second transmitting means to provide for sending a signal;

b) a plurality of monitored person devices, each respective monitored person device to be moved about with the respective monitored person during movement of the respective monitored person, each monitored person device comprising;

1) receiving means to provide for receiving the signal from the second transmitting means of a respective companion device;

2) transmitting means to provide for generating a signal for reception by the second receiving means of the respective companion device;

c) computational means to provide for determining a locational position of the respective monitored person device utilizing at least;

1) the signals from the detached sending units received by the first receiving means of the respective companion device;

2) the signal from the respective monitored person device received by the second receiving means of the respective companion device;

wherein a locational position of the respective companion device is determined then a locational position of the respective monitored person device is determined based upon a determining of a spacing and an orientation of the respective monitored person device relative to the respective companion device, and;

d) conversion means to provide for converting the locational position of the respective monitored person device to the locational reference for the respective monitored person.

10. The system defined in claim 9 wherein each of the monitored person devices further comprises securing means to provide for a secure attachment of the respective monitored person device to the respective monitored person.

11. The system defined in claim 10 wherein each of the monitored person devices further comprises tamper detection means to provide for detecting a tampering with the respective monitored person device attached to the respective monitored person.

12. The system defined in claim 9 wherein each monitored person device further comprises monitored person notification means to provide for notification of the respective monitored person of a message indicative of a status of the spacing between the respective companion device and the respective monitored person device.

13. The system defined in claim 9 further comprising storage means to provide for an archival retention within a locational tracking database of a series of locational references for each of the respective monitored person devices.

14. A system to provide for monitoring a bodily function of a monitored person, and identifying a locational reference for the monitored person, the system comprising:

a) a companion device to be manually moved about by the monitored person wherein the monitored person retains the companion device within a predefined spacing about the monitored person, the companion device comprising;

1) first receiving means to provide for receiving signals from detached sending units;

2) second receiving means;

3) transmitting means to provide for sending a signal to a detached receiving unit;

b) a monitored person device to be moved about with the monitored person during movement of the monitored person, the monitored person device comprising;

1) monitoring means to provide for detecting a bodily signal produced by the monitored person;

2) transmitting means to provide for generating a signal for reception by the second receiving means of the companion device;

c) computational means to provide for determining a locational position of the monitored person device utilizing at least;

1) the signals from the detached sending units received by the first receiving means of the companion device;

2) the signal from the monitored person device received by the second receiving means of the companion device;

wherein a locational position of the companion device is determined then a locational position of the monitored person device is determined based upon a determining of a spacing and an orientation of the monitored person device relative to the companion device;

d) conversion means to provide for converting the locational position of the monitored person device to the locational reference for the monitored person, and;

e) bodily signal reference creation means to provide for creation of a bodily signal reference as detected by the monitoring means.

15. The system defined in claim 14 further comprises notification means to provide for making a notification to an oversight authority of the bodily signal reference and the locational reference of the monitored person in the advent of a medical emergency.

16. The system defined in claim 14 wherein the monitored person device further comprises:

a) receiving means to provide for a reception of at least a portion of the signal from the transmitting means of the companion device;

b) monitored person notification means to provide for a notification of the monitored person of a message indicative of a status of the spacing between the companion device and the monitored person device.

17. The system defined in claim 15 wherein the monitored person device further comprises:

a) receiving means to provide for reception of at least a portion of the signal from the transmitting means of the companion device;

b) monitored person notification means to provide for a notification of the monitored person of a message during the medical emergency indicative of;

1) the bodily signal reference;

2) a status of the notification made to the oversight authority.

18. The system defined in claim 14 further comprising storage means to provide for an archival retention within a locational tracking database of a series of locational references and a series of corresponding bodily signal references.

19. The system defined in claim 18 further comprising temporal marking means to provide for indicating, within at least a range of temporal references, an associated occurrence reference indicative of when each of the locational references and corresponding bodily signal references occurred, each of the temporal references stored within the locational tracking database.

20. The system defined in claim 14 wherein the system further comprises a plurality of monitored persons, a plurality of companion devices and a plurality of monitored person devices wherein each respective monitored person has a respective companion device and a respective monitored person device.