Processes and system for detection of abnormal situations of a person in a living space

• US 8,223,011 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Universite Joseph Fourier, Vigilio
• Original Assignee: Universite Joseph Fourier, Vigilio
• Inventors: Noury, Norbert, Lundy, Jean-Eric, Rialle, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Application Number:
  US12/443,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.12
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/08 Elderly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/07 Home care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6889 Rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0469 Presence detectors to detect unsafe condition, e.g. infrared sensor, microphone G08B21/0476 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Method and system for detecting abnormal situations of a person in a living place. One such method involves: receiving information provided by a sensor carried by the person, which information relates to at least one vital variable of the person, receiving information originating from a series of motion sensors provided at various locations in the living place, and comparing said information with predetermined rules involving timeouts established as a function of the location and of the period of the day, or else different timeouts depending on whether an anomaly has been detected at the level of the vital variable, or else according to a common process relaunched upon each arrival in a new location although no abnormal situation exists, and in response to the previous step, triggering or otherwise a signalling of abnormal situation. Application in particular to the telesurveillance of the elderly, with improved discrimination between normal, anomalous and alert situations.

Claims

1. A process for the detection of abnormal situations of a person in a living place, especially for remote surveillance of elderly people, characterised in that it comprises the following steps:

receiving information supplied by a sensor worn by the person and relative to at least one vital variable of the person,

receiving information originating from a series of motion sensors provided in different places of the living place,

confronting said information with predetermined rules involving timeouts, wherein said predetermined rules are selected from a group of rules consisting of rules involving timeouts established according to place and time of day, rules involving different timeouts according to whether an anomaly has been detected at the level of the vital variable and rules involving timeouts according to a common process relaunched at each arrival in a new place where there is no existing abnormal situation, and

in response to the preceding step, triggering or not an abnormal situation signalling,

wherein said process is suitable for signalling two levels of abnormal situation and wherein an abnormal situation of the highest level is determined either by the elapsing of two distinct timeouts without movement, or by detection of an anomaly at the level of the vital variable with the elapsing of at least one timeout without movement.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predetermined rules involve timeouts established according to place and time of day.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predetermined rules involve different timeouts according to whether an anomaly has been detected at the level of the vital variable.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predetermined rules involve timeouts according to a common process relaunched at each arrival in a new place where there is no existing abnormal situation.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the timeouts differ according to the time of day.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the timeouts have different values according to the place where a presence of the person is detected.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the timeouts have different values according to predefined behaviour of the person in said place.

8. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the two levels of abnormal situation are determined by two situations of absence of movement during two distinct timeouts.

9. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the sensor worn by the person comprises a kinematic sensor.

10. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the sensor worn by the person comprises a cardiac rhythm sensor.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it is carried out in the central unit of a pre-existing alarm system fitted with presence sensors.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it comprises an initial configuration step including carrying out a behaviour simulation process.

13. A system for detection of abnormal situations of a person in a living place, especially for remote surveillance of elderly people by the execution of the process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises in combination:

a central unit,

a plurality of motion sensors suitable for providing motion information to the central unit,

a sensor worn by the person and suitable for providing information relative to at least one vital variable of the person to the central unit via a wired communications channel,

a clock connected to the central unit and suitable for providing information on time of day and timeout, and

a teletransmission device for sending alerts to a remote surveillance station, the central unit comprising means for controlling the teletransmission device as a function of combinations of determined information originating from motion sensors, from the sensor worn by the person and from the clock,

characterised in that the device further comprises confrontation means of said information with predetermined rules using timeouts established as a function of at least one of the following parameters;

place and time of day,

the fact that an anomaly has been detected at the level of the vital variable, and

arrival of the person in a new place where no abnormal situation exists,

wherein said system is suitable for signalling two levels of abnormal situation and wherein an abnormal situation of the highest level is determined either by the elapsing of two distinct timeouts without movement, or by detection of an anomaly at the level of the vital variable with the elapsing of at least one timeout without movement.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that the sensor worn by the person comprises a kinematic sensor.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that the sensor worn by the person comprises a cardiac rhythm sensor.

16. The system as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that the clock is suitable for developing timeouts of different values according to the place and time of day.

17. The system as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that the clock is suitable for developing timeouts of different values according to whether an anomaly has been detected at the level of the vital variable.

18. The system as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that the control means are suitable for carrying out a common process relaunched at each arrival in a new place where there is no existing abnormal situation.

19. The system as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that it further comprises configuration means by means of a behaviour simulation process.