Infant monitoring system and method

• US 7,012,534 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaco, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US11/129,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20050219052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/286.02, 340/286.07, 340/825.19, 340/825.36, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0208 Combination with audio or video communication, e.g. combination with "baby phone" function
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• 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

An object monitoring system and method for monitoring objects and caretakers, for example infants and their mothers. The monitoring system includes object badges; caretaker badges, and monitoring device. Object and caretaker badges transmit signals including a unique identifier. A caretaker badge is associated with an object badge by storing a first associated ID identifying the object badge with a second associated ID identifying the caretaker badge. The monitoring device processes received signals including comparing them with the associated IDs, and indicates an alarm upon failure of a preset condition. Object badges can include tamper-detection devices, and caretaker badges can include alarms activated when an alarm condition exists for an object badge associated with the caretaker badge. The monitoring system can also include location units associated with monitored locations, each location unit transmitting signals identifying any object and/or caretaker badges within its monitored location.

Claims

1. An object monitoring system for monitoring an object and a caretaker associated with the object, the object monitoring system comprising:

an object badge attached to the object, the object badge transmitting an object signal including a unique object ID;

a caretaker badge attached to the caretaker, the caretaker badge transmitting a caretaker signal including a unique caretaker ID; and

a monitoring device comprising a processor, a receiver, and a memory;

wherein the caretaker badge is associated with the object badge by storing a first associated ID identifying the object badge with a second associated ID identifying the caretaker badge in the memory; and

the processor processes signals received by the receiver including comparing the unique ID from any received object and caretaker signals with the associated IDs, and indicating an alarm condition upon failure of a preset condition.

2. The object monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition when the receiver fails to receive the object signal of the object badge within a specified time period.

3. The object monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition when the receiver fails to receive both the object signal of the object badge and the caretaker signal of the caretaker badge within a specified time period.

4. The object monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the object badge includes a tamper-detection device, the object badge transmitting a tamper signal when the tamper-detection device detects tampering with the object badge, and the monitoring device indicating an alarm condition when the receiver receives the tamper signal.

5. The object monitoring system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the monitoring device is mounted on a wall.

6. The object monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the object to be monitored is an infant.

7. The object monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising alarm lights, the alarm lights being activated when the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition.

8. The object monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising speakers, an audible alarm being transmitted through the speakers when the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition.

9. The object monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the caretaker badge includes a caretaker alarm, the caretaker alarm being activated when the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition for the object badge associated with the caretaker badge.

10. The object monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the object signals are radio-frequency (RF) signals using amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulation.

11. The object monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of location units, each location unit being associated with one of a plurality of monitored locations, each location unit being configured to receive the object signals from any object badges within the monitored location associated with the location unit, and to transmit a location signal to the monitoring device identifying the any object badges within the monitored location associated with the location unit;

wherein the monitoring device processes the location signals from the plurality of location units to determine the location of the object badge.

12. The object monitoring system of claim 11, wherein

the object badge is associated with at least one allowed location, the at least one allowed location being a subset of the plurality of monitored locations, and

the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition when the location of the object badge is determined to be outside of the at least one allowed location.

13. The object monitoring system of claim 11, wherein

each location unit also receives the caretaker signals from any caretaker badges within the monitored location associated with the location unit, the location signals also identify the any caretaker badges within the monitored location associated with the location unit;

the processor processes the location signals from the plurality of location units and determines the location of the caretaker badge.

the object badge is associated with at least one allowed location, the at least one allowed location being a subset of the plurality of monitored locations, and

the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition when the caretaker badge is determined to be in a different location than the object badge and the location of the object badge is determined to be outside of the at least one allowed location.

14. The object monitoring system of claim 11, wherein

the object badge includes a tamper-detection device, the object badge sending a tamper signal when the tamper-detection device detects tampering with the object badge;

and

the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition when the receiver receives the tamper signal, and determines the location of the object badge.

15. The object monitoring system of claim 11, wherein the monitoring device includes a display, the display being operable to display at least one of the location and the last detected location of the object badge.

16. An infant monitoring system for monitoring an infant and a caretaker associated with the infant, the infant monitoring system comprising:

an infant badge attached to the infant, the infant badge transmitting an infant signal including a unique infant ID;

a caretaker badge attached to the caretaker, the caretaker badge transmitting a caretaker signal including a unique caretaker ID; and

a monitoring device having a processor, a receiver, and a memory;

wherein the caretaker badge is associated with the infant badge by storing a first associated ID identifying the infant badge with a second associated ID identifying the caretaker badge in the memory; and

the processor processes signals received by the receiver including comparing the unique ID from any received infant and caretaker signals with the associated IDs, and indicating an alarm condition upon failure of a preset condition.

17. The infant monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition when the receiver fails to receive the infant signal of the infant badge within a specified time period.

18. The infant monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition when the receiver fails to receive both the infant signal of the infant badge and the caretaker signal of the caretaker badge within a specified time period.

19. The infant monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the infant badge includes a tamper-detection device, the infant badge transmitting a tamper signal when the tamper-detection device detects tampering, and the monitoring device indicating an alarm condition when the receiver receives the tamper signal.

20. The infant monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the infant badge is water-resistant.

21. The infant monitoring system of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the monitoring device is mounted on a wall.

22. The infant monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the infant badge is attached to the ankle of the infant.

23. The infant monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the caretaker badge is attached to the mother of the infant.

24. The infant monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the caretaker badge includes a caretaker alarm, the caretaker alarm being activated when the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition for the infant badge associated with the caretaker badge.

25. The infant monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the infant signals are radio-frequency (RF) signals using amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulation.

26. The infant monitoring system of claim 16, further comprising:

a plurality of location units, each location unit being located in one of a plurality of monitored locations, each location unit being configured to receive the infant signals from any infant badges within the monitored location associated with the location unit, and to transmit a location signal to the monitoring device identifying the any infant badges within the monitored location associated with the location unit;

the processor processes the location signals from the plurality of location units to determine the location of the infant badge.

27. The infant monitoring system of claim 26, wherein

the infant badge is associated with at least one allowed location, the at least one allowed location being a subset of the plurality of monitored locations, and

the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition when the location of the infant badge is determined to be outside of the at least one allowed location.

28. The object monitoring system of claim 26, wherein

each location unit also receives the caretaker signals from any caretaker badges within the monitored location associated with the location unit, the location signals also identify the any caretaker badges within the monitored location associated with the location unit;

the processor processes the location signals from the plurality of location units and determines the location of the caretaker badge,

the infant badge is associated with at least one allowed location, the at least one allowed location being a subset of the plurality of monitored locations, and

the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition when the caretaker badge is determined to be in a different location than the infant badge and the location of the infant badge is determined to be outside of the at least one allowed location.

29. The infant monitoring system of claim 26, wherein

the infant badge includes a tamper-detection device, the infant badge sending a tamper signal when the tamper-detection device detects tampering with the infant badge;

and

the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition when the receiver receives the tamper signal, and determines the location of the infant badge.

30. The object monitoring system of claim 26, wherein the monitoring device includes a display, the display being operable to display the location of at least one of the infant badge and the caretaker badge.

31. The infant monitoring system of claim 26, wherein, when the receiver fails to receive the infant signal of the infant badge within a specified time period, the monitoring device indicates an alarm condition and determines the last detected location of the infant badge.

32. A method of associating and monitoring an object and an associated caretaker, the method comprising:

associating an object badge with a caretaker badge by storing a first associated ID identifying the object badge with a second associated ID identifying the caretaker badge in a memory of a monitoring system;

the object badge transmitting an object signal including a unique object ID, and the caretaker badge transmitting a caretaker signal including a unique caretaker ID;

attaching the object badge to the object;

attaching the caretaker badge to the caretaker;

monitoring a plurality of monitored locations using a plurality of location units, each location unit being associated with one of the plurality of monitored locations, and being configured to receive any object signals and any caretaker signals transmitted in an associated monitored locations;

sending location signals identifying the any object badges and the any caretaker badges in each of the plurality of monitored locations from the associated location units to the monitoring system; and

indicating an alarm condition upon failure of a preset condition.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

indicating an alarm condition when the monitoring system fails to receive the object signal from the object badge for a specified time period.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

indicating an alarm condition when the monitoring system fails to receive the caretaker signal from the caretaker badge for a specified time period.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

indicating an alarm condition when the object badge is detected in a different monitored location of the plurality of monitored locations than the caretaker badge for a specified time period.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

associating at least one allowed location with the object badge, the at least one allowed location being a subset of the plurality of monitored locations; and

indicating an alarm condition when the caretaker badge is determined to be in a different location than the object badge and the location of the object badge is determined to be outside of the at least one allowed location.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

associating a supplementary caretaker badge with the object badge by storing a third associated ID identifying the supplementary caretaker badge in the memory of the monitoring system;

the supplementary caretaker badge transmitting a supplementary caretaker signal including a unique ID;

associating at least one allowed location with the object badge, the at least one allowed location being a subset of the plurality of monitored locations; and

indicating an alarm condition when the location of the object badge is determined to be outside of the at least one allowed location, and neither of the caretaker badge and the supplementary caretaker badge is determined to be in the same monitored location as the object badge.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

sending a tamper signal from the object badge when a tamper detection device of the object badge detects tampering with the object badge; and

indicating an alarm condition when the monitoring system receives the tamper signal.

39. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

entering personal identification information for the caretaker.

40. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

activating a caretaker alarm in the caretaker badge, the caretaker alarm being activated when the monitor indicates an alarm condition for the object badge associated with the caretaker badge.