Systems and methods for remote monitoring of fear and distress responses

• US 7,297,110 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Muna C. Goyal, Rajiva Goyal
• Original Assignee: Muna C. Goyal, Rajiva Goyal
• Inventors: Goyal, Muna C., Goyal, Rajiva
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Astorino; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/007,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301, 128903-905, 128920-921, 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/06 Children, e.g. for attention deficit diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4884 inducing physiological or psychological stress, e.g. applications for stress testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for tracking and monitoring the location, health, emotional state, position, environment, sound, appearance, and other characteristics of subjects remotely over an electronic communications network by receiving signals transmitting such information from a device or devices located on or in the subject to a remote monitoring device over the electronic communications network.

Claims

1. A system for remote monitoring of a human child, comprising:

1) a device comprising a processor configured to;

a) receive a transmitted signal from a remote device on said child, said transmitted signal conveying a fear response of said child and audio or video information about said child'"'"'s ambient environment;

b) convert said transmitted signal into a format that permits display of data corresponding to said transmitted signal on a display device;

c) organize said data to display a fear indication on said display device; and

d) provide secured access to said display of said fear indication to a user registered to access information related to said child;

2) a fear monitoring device that measures galvanic skin resistance adapted to be used on said child; and

3) a mobile phone device configured to collect audio or video information about said child'"'"'s ambient environment, wherein said fear monitoring device transmits a signal upon detecting a threshold fear response of said child to said mobile phone and wherein said mobile phone transmits said signal and said audio or video information to said device comprising said processor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is located in a computer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is located in a hand-held device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said hand-held device is a phone.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said hand-held device is a personal digital assistant.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said format that permits display of said data comprises a data format transmissible and displayable over an Internet.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein location of said subject is further displayed.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to detect said fear response of said subject at two or more time points and to determine whether a change in said fear response has occurred at one or more of the time intervals between said two or more time points.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to notify said user when said fear response of said subject deviates from a predetermined range.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured by software.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitted signal is a satellite signal.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitted signal is a telephone signal.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor stores user information selected from the group consisting of user codename, social security number, and telephone number.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein a body position of said subject is displayed.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein an appearance of said subject is displayed.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote fear monitoring device comprises a wrist band.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote fear monitoring device comprises a galvanic skin resistance drive and a set of electrodes.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said fear monitoring device is configured to allow the galvanic skin resistance drive to equilibrate before a measurement is taken to detect a fear response.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said fear monitoring device is configured to take a series of readings and calculate a medium value, prior to transmitting a signal.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said fear monitoring device is configured to reverse polarity of said galvanic skin resistance drive with each measurement taken.