Electronic lock control system and home medical management system

• US 6,603,401 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2002
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mind Fusion, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueyama, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): LA, ANH V
• Application Number:
  US10/030,071
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/573.7, 340/286.06, 340/280.07, 340/539, 340/540, 340/545.1, 340/506, 340/825.06, 340/825.32, 340/825.49, 340/542, 701/44, 702/983, 702/74, 128/886, 128/900, 128/904
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• 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: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

The invention provides a home medical management system comprising a portable unit (1) to be worn on the body of the user for measuring a physiological quantity, and a home unit (4) installed at a home of the user and adapted to wirelessly communicate with the portable unit (1) for judging the physical condition of the user according to the physiological quantity measured by the portable unit (1) and notifying an emergency center (32) of occurrence of an emergency in the event of the emergency occurring. The home unit (2) transmits an unfastening command to an electronic lock (41) fastening the front door of the user'"'"'s home in the event of an emergency occurring, whereby the lock (41) is unfastened, permitting ambulance attendants to enter the room where the user is present.

Claims

1. An electronic lock control system for controlling fastening and unfastening of an electronic lock attached to a door, the system being characterized in that the system comprises means to be worn on the body of the user for measuring a physiological quantity, and means for conducting communication with a predetermined destination and transmitting an unfastening command to the electronic lock, in accordance with the result of measurement by the physiological quantity measuring means.

2. An electronic lock control system according to claim 1 which comprises means for notifying the user that the unfastening command has been transmitted from the transmitting means to the electronic lock.

3. An electronic lock control system according to claim 2 which comprises means for canceling the notification by the notifying means, and the transmitting means transmits the unfastening command to the electronic lock in operative relation with the cancellation of the notification by the canceling means.

4. A home medical management system comprising a portable unit (1) to be worn on the body of the user for measuring a physiological quantity, and a home unit (2) installed at a home of the user and adapted to wirelessly communicate with the portable unit (1) for judging the physical condition of the user according to the physiological quantity measured by the portable unit (1) and notifying a predetermined destination of occurrence of an emergency in the event of the emergency occurring, the system being characterized in that the home unit (2) is provided with means for transmitting an unfastening command to an electronic lock fastening a door of the user'"'"'s home in the event of an emergency occurring.

5. A home medical management system according to claim 4 wherein an emergency center (32) for dispatching ambulance attendants is registered as the destination to be notified of the occurrence of the emergency.

6. A home medical management system comprising a portable unit (1) to be,worn on the body of the user for measuring a physiological quantity, and a home unit (2) installed at a home of the user and adapted to wirelessly communicate with the portable unit (1) for judging the physical condition of the user according to the physiological quantity measured by the portable unit (1) and notifying a predetermined destination of occurrence of an emergency in the event of the emergency occurring, the system being characterized in that the home unit (2) is provided with means for transmitting to the destination a password for unfastening an electronic lock fastening a door of the user'"'"'s home in the event of an emergency occurring.

7. A home medical management system comprising a portable unit (1) to be worn on the body of the user for measuring a physiological quantity, and a home unit (2) installed at a home of the user and adapted to wirelessly communicate with the portable unit (1) for judging the physical condition of the user according to the physiological quantity measured by the portable unit (1) and notifying an emergency center (32) for dispatching ambulance attendants of occurrence of an emergency in the event of the emergency occurring, the system being characterized in that the system comprises a center unit (31) connected to home units (2) of respective users and adapted for communication therewith, each of the home units (2) having means for notifying the center unit (1) of occurrence of an emergency, the center unit (31) comprising means having stored therein a password for unfastening an electronic lock attached to a door of the home of each of the users, means for extracting the password for unlocking the door of the home of the user developing an emergency in response to the notification of occurrence of the emergency from his;

home unit (2), and means for outputting the extracted password.

8. A home medical management system according to claim 7 wherein the center unit (31) has registered therein the password for unlocking the door of the home of each user and his home address, and the center unit (31) extracts and outputs the password for unlocking the door of the home of the user developing an emergency and the home address of the same user, in response to the notification of occurrence of the emergency from his home unit (2).

9. A home medical management system according to claim 7 wherein the outputting means of the center unit (31) is installed at a location where the attendant of the emergency center (32) can receive the output thereof.