Data transfer system

• US 7,248,894 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2003
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Hattori, Osamu, Okamoto, Norihiro, Fujieda, Kennosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US10/413,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.2, 455/557, 455/67.14, 455/563, 455/466, 455/414.3, 455/423, 455/432.1, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/575.6, 455/41.2, 340/506, 340/539, 340/539.28
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/04 Arrangements for synchronous operation

Abstract

A data transfer system has one or more mobile stations each wearable by a living being for transmitting signals containing physiological information of the living being in response to a start command, and a base station for transmitting the start command to instruct the mobile stations to transmit the signals and thereafter receiving the signals containing the physiological information from the mobile stations. Thus, the mobile stations consume a small amount of power because they only transmit information when requested to do so. A remote computer is connected to the base station for determining a status of the living beings by receiving the physiological information from the base station and analyzing the physiological information.

Claims

1. A data transfer system comprising:

a mobile station wearable by a living being and having at least one sensing device for detecting information of the living being corresponding to at least one of physiological information of a living being and information on an environment in which the living being is present, a memory unit for storing the information detected by the sensing device, and a transmitting device for transmitting signals containing the information stored in the memory unit in response to a start command; and

a base station for transmitting the start command to instruct the mobile station to transmit the signals containing the information stored in the memory unit and thereafter receiving the transmitted signals from the mobile station only when the mobile station is within a preselected communication range from the base station.

2. A data transfer system according to claim 1;

wherein the base station transmits command signals to the mobile station and the mobile station receives the command signals and executes commands based upon the content of the command signals.

3. A data transfer system according to claim 2;

wherein the commands include displaying instructions on a display of the mobile station for viewing by the living being.

4. A data transfer system according to claim 2;

wherein the commands include generating audible alarms by a sound generating device of the mobile station.

5. A data transfer system according to claim 1;

wherein the information detected by the sensing device is physiological information comprising at least one of a blood pulse rate, a blood pressure, body movement, and body temperature.

6. A data transfer system according to claim 1;

wherein the signals transmitted by the mobile station and the base station have circular polarization.

7. A data transfer system according to claim 1;

further comprising a remote computer connectable to the base station over a communications medium for determining a status of the living being by receiving the information of the living being from the base station and analyzing the information.

8. A data transfer system according to claim 7;

wherein the remote computer transfers a command to the mobile station when the living being passes by the base station.

9. A data transfer system according to claim 7;

wherein the remote computer sends instructions to a predetermined location informing of an absence of communication with the mobile station if the base station determines that no signals containing the information of the living being have been received from the mobile station for a predetermined period of time after the base station has transmitted the start command.

10. A data transfer system according to claim 7;

wherein the remote computer sends instructions to a predetermined location if one or more sampled values of the information of the living being that are received from the mobile station are outside a predefined range.

11. A data transfer system according to claim 1;

wherein the base station sends instructions to a predetermined location informing of an absence of communication with the mobile station if the base station determines that no signals containing the information of the living being have been received from the mobile station for a predetermined period of time after the base station has transmitted the start command.

12. A data transfer system according to claim 1;

wherein the base station sends instructions to a predetermined location if one or more sampled values of the information of the living being that are received from the mobile station are outside a predefined range.

13. A data transfer system according to claim 1;

wherein the mobile station has a wrist strap for being worn on a wrist of the living being.

14. A data transfer system according to claim 1;

wherein the base station is positioned at a location that the living being passes nearby on a regular basis.

24. A data transfer system according to claim 1;

wherein during transmission of the start command by the base station, the transmitting device of the mobile station does not transmit the information stored in the memory unit to the base station until the mobile station and the base station are within the preselected communication range from each other.

25. A data transfer system according to claim 24;

wherein the base station includes means for transmitting the start command to the mobile station continuously at a preselected interval.

26. A data transfer system according to claim 1;

wherein the transmitting device of the mobile station transmits the information stored in the memory unit to the base station only when the base unit transmits the start command and the mobile station and the base station are within the preselected communication range from each other.

15. A monitoring system for monitoring a plurality of living beings, comprising:

a plurality of wearable monitoring devices each containing one or more sensors for monitoring information of a living being corresponding to at least one of physiological information of the living being and information on an environment in which the living being is present, a memory unit for storing the information detected by the sensor, and a transceiver for transmitting signals containing the information stored in the memory unit in response to a received start command;

a base station for transmitting a unique start command to each of the wearable monitoring devices to instruct the monitoring devices to transmit the signals containing the information of the living being stored in the memory unit and thereafter receiving the signals only when each of the wearable monitoring devices is within a preselected communication range from the base station; and

a remote computer connectable over a communications medium to the base station for determining a status of the living beings by receiving the information of the living being from the base station and analyzing the information.

16. A monitoring system according to claim 15;

wherein the base station transmits individual command signals to each of the monitoring devices and the monitoring devices receive the command signals and execute commands based upon the content of the command signals.

17. A monitoring system according to claim 15;

wherein the information detected by the sensor is physiological information comprising at least one of a blood pulse rate, a blood pressure, body movement, and body temperature.

18. A monitoring system according to claim 15;

wherein signals transmitted by the monitoring devices and the base station have circular polarization.

19. A monitoring system according to claim 15;

wherein the base station transmits a command to a respective monitoring device when the living being passes by the base station.

20. A monitoring system according to claim 15;

wherein the remote computer sends instructions to a predetermined location informing of an absence of communication between the base station and a respective monitoring device if the base station has determined that no signals containing the information of the living being have been received from the respective monitoring device for a predetermined period of time after the base station has transmitted the start command.

21. A monitoring system according to claim 15;

wherein the remote computer sends instructions to a predetermined location if one or more sampled values of the information of the living being that are received from a respective monitoring device are outside a predefined range.

22. A monitoring system according to claim 15;

wherein the monitoring devices each have a wrist strap for being worn on a wrist of the living being.

23. A monitoring system according to claim 15;

wherein the base station is positioned at a location that the living being passes nearby on a regular basis.

27. A monitoring system according to claim 15;

wherein during transmission of the unique start command to each of the wearable monitoring devices by the base station, the transceiver of each of the wearable monitoring devices does not transmit the information stored in the memory unit to the base station until the wearable monitoring device and the base station are within the preselected communication range from each other.

28. A monitoring system according to claim 27;

wherein the base station includes means for transmitting the unique start command to each of the wearable monitoring devices continuously at a preselected interval.

29. A monitoring system according to claim 15;

wherein the transceiver of each wearable monitoring device transmits the information stored in the memory unit to the base station only when the base unit transmits the corresponding unique start command and the wearable monitoring device and the base station are within the preselected communication range from each other.