Environment controlling system and method thereof

• US 7,764,180 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Huang, Tung-Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Jules; Frantz F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cox; Alexis K
• Application Number:
  US11/512,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20070057077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 236/44.C, 236/91.C, 236/45, 622/08
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties

Abstract

This invention provides an environment controlling system and method thereof. The present system integrates and analyzes an individual'"'"'s physiological and health information as well as environment information on a real-time basis to control environmental conditions and determine a living space beneficial to personal health. A healthy living space suitable for home care and disease management can be established by controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, light, sound, etc.

Claims

1. An environment controlling system, comprising:

at least a persona physiological measurement equipment to continuously measure a physiological information of cared for persons, wherein said physiological information comprises physiological information measured before and during the onset of a disease or abnormal physiological reaction of cared for persons,

a central processing equipment having at least an input/output interface, a storage device, and an analytical unit,

at least an environment controlling equipment connected to said input/output interface of said central processing equipment to regulate environmental conditions; and

at least an environmental measurement equipment connected to said input/output interface of said central processing equipment or said environment controlling equipment to measure environmental information;

wherein said physiological information is measured to establish the relationship between physiological information before and during the onset of a disease or abnormal physiological condition and physiological durations of the cared for persons;

as a disease or an abnormal physiological condition is found, the analytical unit compares said physiological information with obtained (or pre-saved) health information and environmental information from said input/output interface or said storage device to find out what triggered the onset of the disease or abnormal physiological reaction and decide an optimum environmental condition;

the analytical unit also compares said environmental information with said optimum environmental condition to obtain a regulation information, which can be transmitted by said central processing equipment via said input/output interface to said environment controlling equipment to regulate environmental conditions.

2. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said physiological information includes blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, respiration rate, brain waves, blood oxygenation or cardiac electrical signals.

3. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said environmental information includes air pressure, air temperature, humidity, illumination, oxygen content, air cleanliness, wind speed or loudness.

4. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said storage device stores said health information of the cared for person.

5. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said health information includes the environmental factors that induce discomfort or diseases of the cared for person and the environmental conditions suitable for the cared for person'"'"'s home care or treatment.

6. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said personal physiological measurement equipment is connected to said input/output interface of said central processing equipment such that said central processing equipment can automatically obtain said physiological information.

7. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an information input device that is connected to said input/output interface.

8. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said information input device is employed to input said physiological information measured by said personal physiological measurement equipment into said central processing equipment.

9. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said information input device is employed to input said health information of the cared for person into said central processing equipment.

10. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said information input device is a keyboard or a mouse.

11. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said personal physiological measurement equipment includes a thermometer, sphygmomanometer, pulsimeter, electroencephalograph, pulse oximeter, spirometer or cardiograph.

12. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said environment measurement equipment includes indoor barometers, thermometers, hygrometers, photometers, oxygen analyzers, air analyzers, wind gauges or loudness gauges.

13. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said environment measurement equipment is connected to said input/output interface of said central processing equipment such that said central processing equipment can obtain said environmental information.

14. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said environment measurement equipment is connected to said environment controlling equipment such that said central processing equipment can obtain the environmental information from said environment controlling equipment.

15. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said environment controlling equipment includes a pneumatic controller, air conditioner/heater, humidity controller, lighting fixture, oxygen machine, air purifier, fan or music option and player.

16. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said storage device can further store said health, physiological or environmental information.

17. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a remotely controlled equipment that is connected to said input/output interface of said central processing equipment and that can read said health, physiological or environmental information stored in said storage device or can adjust said analytical unit or decide said regulation information.

18. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said central processing equipment is disposed inside the living space of the cared person.

19. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said central processing equipment is disposed outside the living space of the cared person.

20. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said input/output interface, said analytical unit and said storage device of said central processing equipment are disposed on the same space.

21. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said input/output interface, said analytical unit and said storage device of said central processing equipment are disposed on different spaces.

22. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connection is based on cable transmission modules or wireless transmission modules.

40. The environment controlling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optimum environmental condition is static or dynamic on the basis of physiological, environmental and health information and the analysis of environmental conditions.

23. An environment controlling method, comprising the steps of:

providing a central processing equipment, at least a personal physiological measurement equipment, at least an environment controlling equipment, and at least an environment measurement equipment, wherein said central processing equipment comprises an analytical unit, and input/output interface and a storage device;

said central processing equipment is connected to said environment controlling equipment and said environment measurement equipment via said input/output interface thereof;

said storage device stores health information of the cared for person;

continuously obtaining physiological and environmental information by means of said personal physiological measurement equipment and said environment measurement equipment, wherein said physiological information comprises physiological information measured before and during the onset of a disease or abnormal physiological reaction of cared for persons and is measured to establish the relationship between physiological information before and during the onset of a disease or abnormal physiological condition and physiological durations of the cared for persons;

as a disease or an abnormal physiological condition is found, finding out what triggered the onset of the disease or abnormal physiological reaction and deciding an optimum environmental condition by comparing said physiological information with obtained (or pre-saved) health information and environmental information from said input/output interface or said storage device by said analytical unit of said central processing equipment;

comparing said optimum environmental condition with said environmental information to obtain regulation information by said analytical unit of said central processing equipment;

transmitting said regulation information by said central processing equipment to said environment controlling equipment via said input/output interface thereof; and

regulating environmental conditions by said environment controlling equipment on the basis of said regulation information.

24. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said physiological information includes blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, respiration rate, brain waves, blood oxygenation or cardiac electrical signals.

25. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said environmental information includes air pressure, temperature, humidity, illumination, oxygen content, air cleanliness, wind speed or loudness.

26. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said health information includes the environmental factors that induce discomfort or disease for the cared for person and the environmental conditions suitable for the cared person'"'"'s home care or treatment.

27. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said personal physiological measurement equipment is connected to said input/output interface of said central processing equipment such that said central processing equipment can automatically obtain said physiological information.

28. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 23, further comprising the step of connecting an information input device to said input/output interface.

29. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 28, wherein said information input device is employed to input said physiological information measured by said personal physiological measurement equipment into said central processing equipment.

30. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 28, wherein said information input device is employed to input said health information of the cared for person into said central processing equipment.

31. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 28, wherein said information input device is a keyboard or a mouse.

32. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said personal physiological measurement equipment includes a thermometer, sphygmomanometer, pulsimeter, electroencephalograph, pulse oximeter, spirometer or cardiograph.

33. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said environment measurement equipment includes indoor barometers, thermometers, hygrometers, photometers, oxygen analyzers, air analyzers, wind gauges or loudness gauges.

34. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said environment measurement equipment is connected to said input/output interface of said central processing equipment such that said central processing equipment can obtain said environmental information.

35. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said environment measurement equipment is connected to said environment controlling equipment such that said central processing equipment can obtain the environmental information from said environment controlling equipment.

36. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said environment controlling equipment includes a pneumatic controller, air conditioner/heater, humidity controller, lighting fixture, oxygen machine, air purifier, fan or music option and player.

37. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said storage device can further store said health, physiological or environmental information.

38. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 37, further comprising the step of connecting a remotely controlled equipment to said input/output interface of said central processing equipment, wherein said remotely controlled equipment can read said health, physiological or environmental information stored in said storage device, or adjust said analytical unit or decide said regulation information.

39. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said connection from said central processing equipment to said environment controlling equipment via said input/output interface is based on cable transmission modules or wireless transmission modules.

41. The environment controlling method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said optimum environmental condition is static or dynamic on the basis of physiological, environmental and health information and the analysis of environmental conditions.