Bed apparatus having movable bedboard

• US 7,834,770 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paramount Bed Company Limited (Paramount Bed Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Paramount Bed Company Limited (Paramount Bed Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Kazuno, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US12/071,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20080204254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.4, 5617-619, 177/45, 177/144, 177/199
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A body weight threshold determination unit determines that the body weight of a user on a bed is at a body weight threshold or higher, and a center-of-gravity position area determination unit determines that the center-of-gravity position thereof has moved to an abnormal position (monitored area). In such a case, the bed user is detected to be in an abnormal position when a body weight center-of-gravity position monitoring unit detects that such a state has continued for a prescribed length of time or longer. When a back-raising operation has been carried out, a movable bedboard determination unit inputs the movable bedboard information, and a monitored area adjustment unit adjusts the monitored area. The monitored area is thereby constantly set to a suitable area in accordance with the state of the movable bedboard. In this manner, the combined information of the body weight information and center-of-gravity position information of the user is determined, whereby the movement of the user can be more accurately monitored with fewer misdetections, high detection accuracy, and high reliability in an electric bed having a movable bedboard.

Claims

1. A bed apparatus having a movable bedboard, comprising:

load measuring unit for detecting the load of a bed section and generating a load signal;

body weight computing unit for computing the weight of a user positioned on the bed section on the basis of said load signal;

body weight threshold determination unit for determining whether said body weight is equal to or greater than a prescribed threshold;

center-of-gravity position computing unit for computing a center-of-gravity position of said user on the basis of said load signal;

center-of-gravity position area determination unit for determining whether said center-of-gravity position is in a monitored area of the bed section;

body weight center-of-gravity position monitoring unit for monitoring the time in which said body weight is equal to or greater than a prescribed threshold and said center-of-gravity position is in said monitored area, on the basis of the determination result of said body weight threshold determination unit and center-of-gravity position area determination unit;

movable bedboard information recognition unit for inputting a state of a movable bedboard of the bed; and

monitored area adjustment unit for adjusting said monitored area on the basis of the movable bedboard information of said movable bedboard information recognition unit, wherein

the state of said user is detected when said monitored area adjustment unit adjusts the monitored area and sets the adjusted monitored area in said center-of-gravity position area determination unit, and said center-of-gravity position monitoring unit detects the state of said user when the monitored time is continuous and has exceeded a prescribed time, in the case that the movable bedboard information that has been inputted to said movable bedboard information recognition unit has been adjusted.

3. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 1, wherein said monitored area is an abnormal position of the bed section and shows that the state of said user is an unnatural state or in an unnatural position.

11. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 1, wherein said bed section is a movable bedboard in which the bedboard of the back section thereof is capable of pivoting with respect to the bedboard main body, and said movable bedboard information is a back-raised angle of said movable bedboard.

16. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 1, comprising alarm unit for generating an alarm when the state of said user has been detected.

2. A bed apparatus having a movable bedboard, comprising:

load measuring unit for detecting the load of a bed section and generating a load signal;

body weight computing unit for computing the weight of a user positioned on the bed section on the basis of said load signal;

body weight range determination unit for determining whether said body weight is within a prescribed body weight range;

center-of-gravity position computing unit for computing a center-of-gravity position of said user on the basis of said load signal;

center-of-gravity position area determination unit for determining whether said center-of-gravity position is in a monitored area of the bed section;

body weight center-of-gravity position monitoring unit for monitoring the time in which said body weight is within a prescribed range and said center-of-gravity position is in said monitored area, on the basis of the determination result of said body weight range determination unit and center-of-gravity position area determination unit;

movable bedboard information recognition unit for inputting a state of a movable bedboard of the bed; and

monitored area adjustment unit for adjusting said monitored area on the basis of the movable bedboard information of said movable bedboard information recognition unit, wherein

the state of said user is detected when said monitored area adjustment unit adjusts the monitored area and sets the adjusted monitored area in said center-of-gravity position area determination unit, and said center-of-gravity position monitoring unit detects the state of said user when the monitored time is continuous and has exceeded a prescribed time, in the case that the movable bedboard information that has been inputted to said movable bedboard information recognition unit has been adjusted.

4. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 2, wherein said monitored area is an abnormal position of the bed section and shows that the state of said user is an unnatural state or in an unnatural position.

12. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 2, wherein said bed section is a movable bedboard in which the bedboard of the back section thereof is capable of pivoting with respect to the bedboard main body, and said movable bedboard information is a back-raised angle of said movable bedboard.

17. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 2, comprising alarm unit for generating an alarm when the state of said user has been detected.

5. A bed apparatus having a movable bedboard, comprising:

load measuring unit for detecting the load of a bed section and generating a load signal;

body weight computing unit for computing the weight of a user positioned on the bed section on the basis of said load signal;

body weight threshold determination unit for determining whether said body weight is equal to or less than the body weight threshold;

center-of-gravity position computing unit for computing a center-of-gravity position of said user on the basis of said load signal;

center-of-gravity movement distance computing unit for computing, based on the computation result of said center-of-gravity position, the center-of-gravity movement distance of the center-of-gravity position;

center-of-gravity movement distance threshold determination unit for determining whether the movement distance of said center-of-gravity position has exceeded a center-of-gravity movement distance threshold;

movable bedboard information recognition unit for inputting the state of a movable bedboard of a bed; and

threshold adjustment unit for adjusting said center-of-gravity movement distance threshold on the basis of the movable bedboard information of said movable bedboard information recognition unit, wherein

the state of said user is detected when said threshold adjustment unit adjusts the center-of-gravity movement distance threshold and sets the adjusted center-of-gravity movement distance threshold in said center-of-gravity movement distance threshold determination unit, said center-of-gravity movement distance threshold determination unit determines that the movement distance of the center-of-gravity position has exceeded said center-of-gravity movement distance threshold, and said body weight threshold determination unit determines that said body weight is equal to or less than said body weight threshold, in the case that the movable bedboard information that has been inputted to said movable bedboard information recognition unit has been adjusted.

8. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 5, wherein said center-of-gravity position movement distance threshold is set based on the movement distance when said user is raised up, and said user is a raised state.

13. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 5, wherein said bed section is a movable bedboard in which the bedboard of the back section thereof is capable of pivoting with respect to the bedboard main body, and said movable bedboard information is a back-raised angle of said movable bedboard.

18. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 5, comprising alarm unit for generating an alarm when the state of said user has been detected.

6. A bed apparatus having a movable bedboard, comprising:

load measuring unit for detecting the load of a bed section and generating a load signal;

body weight computing unit for computing the weight of a user positioned on the bed section on the basis of said load signal;

body weight range determination unit for determining whether said body weight is within a prescribed range;

center-of-gravity position computing unit for computing a center-of-gravity position of said user on the basis of said load signal;

center-of-gravity movement distance computing unit for computing, based on the computation result of said center-of-gravity position, the center-of-gravity movement distance of the center-of-gravity position;

center-of-gravity movement distance threshold determination unit for determining whether the movement distance of said center-of-gravity position has exceeded a center-of-gravity movement distance threshold;

movable bedboard information recognition unit for inputting the state of a movable bedboard of a bed; and

threshold adjustment unit for adjusting said center-of-gravity movement distance threshold on the basis of the movable bedboard information of said movable bedboard information recognition unit, wherein

the state of said user is detected when said threshold adjustment unit adjusts the center-of-gravity movement distance threshold and sets the adjusted center-of-gravity movement distance threshold in said center-of-gravity movement distance threshold determination unit, said center-of-gravity movement distance threshold determination unit determines that the movement distance of the center-of-gravity position has exceeded said center-of-gravity movement distance threshold, and said body weight range determination unit determines that said body weight is within said prescribed range, in the case that the movable bedboard information that has been inputted to said movable bedboard information recognition unit has been adjusted.

9. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 6, wherein said center-of-gravity position movement distance threshold is set based on the movement distance when said user is raised up, and said user is a raised state.

14. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 6, wherein said bed section is a movable bedboard in which the bedboard of the back section thereof is capable of pivoting with respect to the bedboard main body, and said movable bedboard information is a back-raised angle of said movable bedboard.

19. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 6, comprising alarm unit for generating an alarm when the state of said user has been detected.

7. A bed apparatus having a movable bedboard, comprising:

load measuring unit for detecting the load of a bed section and generating a load signal;

body weight computing unit for computing the weight of a user positioned on the bed section on the basis of said load signal;

first body weight range determination unit for determining whether said body weight is within the range of a first value range;

second body weight range determination unit for determining whether said body weight is within the range of a second value range;

center-of-gravity position computing unit for computing a center-of-gravity position of said user on the basis of said load signal;

center-of-gravity movement distance computing unit for computing, based on the computation result of said center-of-gravity position, the movement distance of the center-of-gravity position;

center-of-gravity movement distance threshold determination unit for determining whether the movement distance of said center-of-gravity position has exceeded a center-of-gravity movement distance threshold;

movable bedboard information recognition unit for inputting the state of a movable bedboard of a bed; and

threshold adjustment unit for adjusting said center-of-gravity movement distance threshold on the basis of the movable bedboard information of said movable bedboard information recognition unit, wherein

in a case in which the movable bedboard information that has been inputted to said movable bedboard information recognition unit has been adjusted, the state of said user is detected when said threshold adjustment unit adjusts the center-of-gravity movement distance threshold and sets the adjusted center-of-gravity movement distance threshold in said center-of-gravity movement distance threshold determination unit, and said center-of-gravity movement distance threshold determination unit determines that the movement distance of the center-of-gravity position has exceeded said center-of-gravity movement distance threshold, whereupon said first body weight range determination unit determines that said body weight is within the range of said first value range before the movement distance of said center-of-gravity position exceeds said center-of-gravity position movement distance threshold, and said second body weight range determination unit determines that said body weight is within the range of said second value range when the movement distance of said center-of-gravity position has exceeded said center-of-gravity position movement distance threshold or thereafter.

10. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 7, wherein said center-of-gravity position movement distance threshold is set based on the movement distance when said user is raised up, and said user is a raised state.

15. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 7, wherein said bed section is a movable bedboard in which the bedboard of the back section thereof is capable of pivoting with respect to the bedboard main body, and said movable bedboard information is a back-raised angle of said movable bedboard.

20. The bed apparatus having a movable bedboard according to claim 7, comprising alarm unit for generating an alarm when the state of said user has been detected.