Apparatus and method for detecting a rotational movement of a body

• US 6,356,203 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: iLIFE Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: iLife Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Halleck, Michael D., Halleck, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US09/717,425
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 340/689, 340/506, 340/517, 340/521, 340/527, 340/573.1, 340/686.1, 200/61.45 R, 200/61.52, 600/534, 600/536
• US Class Current: 340/689
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/04 Babies, e.g. for SIDS detection
• 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 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 2009/107 spheres
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/10 by using rolling bodies , e.g. spheres, cylinders, mercury droplets
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0208 Combination with audio or video communication, e.g. combination with "baby phone" function
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• 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

The present invention comprises an apparatus and method for detecting a rotational movement of a body. An advantageous embodiment of the invention is capable of detecting a rotational movement of the body of a child. The invention can provide a care giver information concerning the position of the body of a child in the care giver'"'"'s care. The invention is especially useful in warning when a child moves from a position of lying on its back to a position of lying on its stomach. The invention comprises at least two tilt switches capable of detecting when the apparatus of the invention has been rotated by a preselected inclination angle of approximately one hundred eighty degrees. The invention also comprises a controller that is capable of receiving a signal from the tilt switches and generating an alarm signal. The apparatus also comprises an alarm signaling device that is capable of sending the alarm signal to alert a care giver that a child has rolled over onto his or her stomach. The alarm signaling device may be an audio speaker or may be a radio frequency transmitter capable of sending a radio signal to a base station radio receiver. The apparatus is also capable of initiating the operation of physiological condition monitors in response to an alarm signal. The apparatus is also capable of detecting a rotational movement of an inorganic body such as a shipping crate that contains a product that must be stored and shipped in an upright position.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting a rotational movement of a body of a child to which said apparatus is attached comprising:

at least two tilt switches capable of determining when said apparatus has been rotated by a preselected inclination angle measured with respect to a vertical reference axis of rotation through the body of said child, and in response to said determination, generating an inclination signal; and

a controller coupled to said at least two tilt switches capable of detecting said inclination signal from said at least two tilt switches, and in response to said detection, generating an alarm signal; and

at least one physiological condition monitor capable of being coupled to said child for detecting signals that represent at least one physiological condition of said child,

wherein said controller is coupled to said at least one physiological condition monitor, and wherein said controller, in response to detecting said inclination signal from said at least two tilt switches, is capable of initiating the operation of said at least one physiological condition monitor.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said preselected inclination angle is a clockwise rotation of approximately one hundred eighty degrees around said vertical reference axis of rotation, where said clockwise rotation indicates that the child has moved from a position of lying on the child'"'"'s back to a position of lying on the child'"'"'s stomach.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said preselected inclination angle is a counterclockwise rotation of approximately one hundred eighty degrees around said vertical reference axis of rotation, where said counterclockwise rotation indicates that the child has moved from a position of lying on the child'"'"'s back to a position of lying on the child'"'"'s stomach.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said controller receives said inclination signal for length of time that exceeds a preselected length of time before said controller generates said alarm signal.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a signaling device coupled to said controller capable of receiving said alarm signal, and in response to receipt of said alarm signal, one of:

(a) generating an audible alert and (b) wirelessly transmitting an alert message to a remote monitoring device and (c) transmitting an alert message to a remote monitoring device via a computer network.

6. A method for determining when a child has moved from a position of lying on its back to a position of lying on its stomach, comprising the steps of:

preselecting an inclination angle within at least two tilt switches, wherein said at least two tilt switches are capable of determining when said at least two tilt switches have been rotated by said preselected angle with respect to a vertical reference axis of rotation through the body of said child;

wherein a rotation by said preselected inclination angle indicates that said child has moved from a position of lying on its back to a position of lying on its stomach; and

attaching said at least two tilt switches to said child;

determining when said at least two tilt switches have been rotated by said inclination angle; and

initiating the operation of at least one physiological condition monitor attached to said child to monitor at least one physiological condition of said child in response to said determination that said at least two tilt switches have been rotated by said inclination angle.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said inclination angle is a rotation of approximately one hundred eighty degrees around said vertical reference axis of rotation.

8. A method for alerting a care giver when one child of a plurality of children has moved from a position of lying on its back to a position of lying on its stomach, comprising the steps of:

attaching at least two tilt switches to each of said plurality of children;

preselecting an inclination angle within each of said at least two tilt switches attached to each of said plurality of children so that when one of each of said at least two tilt switches is rotated by said preselected inclination angle, then each one of said at least two tilt switches so rotated indicates that said child has moved from a position of lying on its back to a position of lying on its stomach;

determining when one of said at least two tilt switches attached to one child of said plurality of children has been rotated by said preselected inclination angle; and

generating a signal in response to said determination to alert the care giver that said one child of said plurality of children has moved from a position of lying on its back to a position of lying on its stomach; and

initiating the operation of at least one physiological condition monitor attached to said one child of a plurality of children to monitor at least one physiological condition of said one child of a plurality of children in response to said determination that said at least two tilt switches have been rotated by said inclination angle.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said inclination angle is a rotation of approximately one hundred eighty degrees around said vertical axis of rotation.