Method and mechanism for assisted diagnosis and maintenance of health monitoring system

• US 8,223,013 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Care Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Intel-GE Care Innovations, LLC (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuris, Benjamin, Ayer, Steven M., Denning, Donald R. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): EUSTAQUIO, CAL J
• Application Number:
  US11/960,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20090015403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.22, 340/870.01
• US Class Current: 340/539.22
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0221 Preprocessing measurements, e.g. data collection rate adjustment; Standardization of measurements; Time series or signal analysis, e.g. frequency analysis or wavelets; Trustworthiness of measurements; Indexes therefor; Measurements using easily measured parameters to estimate parameters difficult to measure; Virtual sensor creation; De-noising; Sensor fusion; Unconventional preprocessing inherently present in specific fault detection methods like PCA-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method of a health monitoring network which automates detection of faulty or failed sensors using real-time fault checking on a dynamically registered sensor data stream. The monitoring system and sensor network can provide a one-touch system to notify users when a sensor requires attention, without prior knowledge of the operational characteristics, installation method or configuration of sensors in the network. The network uses a decision engine to assist in maintenance according to a profile based on individual preferences and capabilities.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a base station adapted to wirelessly receive data from a first sensor, the base station comprising;

a fault detection unit adapted to detect a faulty operating state of the first sensor based on whether a value of the data received from the first sensor is within a predefined sensor data value range stored on the base station, based on a frequency of delivery of the sensor data on a time of day the sensor data was received from the first sensor, a season in which the sensor data was received from the first sensor, based on estimating remaining sensor operating life or based on any combination thereof, and

a decision engine unit adapted to cause the base station to wirelessly transmit an attention indicator activation command to the first sensor to activate an attention indicator on the first sensor based on the detected faulty operating state of the first sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the fault detection unit is adapted to determine the operating state of the first sensor based on a frequency of delivery of the sensor data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the fault detection unit is adapted to estimate the remaining sensor operating life based on a sensor current consumption rate value stored on the base station and to determine the operating state of the first sensor based on the estimated remaining sensor operating life.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station is adapted to host a secure, remotely-configurable bridge to the sensor network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station further comprises a user input configured to trigger the fault detection unit to determine whether the first sensor needs maintenance.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises an accelerometer, a motion detector, or object motion detector.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein upon initialization of communication between the base station and the first sensor, the system is adapted to start a registration process.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first sensor is adapted to send header information to the base station including at least one of the following;

information about data-type for scalar quantity(s) measured by the device, valid range, units for the scalar, frequency of delivery, and a descriptive character string; and

the base station is adapted to reply with an acknowledgement message.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the decision engine unit includes a user stored profile based on data supplied by a healthcare provider or a patient.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station is adapted to monitor a component of the first sensor that has a service life based on a number of activations, a duration of activation, or an operating condition.

21. The system of claim 5, wherein the user input is configured to trigger the fault detection unit to determine whether a battery of the first sensor needs to be charged.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the base-station has a capability to reset or replenish the component that limits service life to enable continuous operation of the health monitoring system.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the capability to rest or replenish the component that limits service life comprises a power charging interface configured to provide power to the first sensor.

26. The system of claim 20 wherein the component of the first sensor being monitored comprises a battery.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving wirelessly, at a base station, data from a first sensor;

detecting, at the base station, a faulty operating state of the first sensor based on whether a value of the data received from the first sensor is within a predefined sensor data value range stored on the base station, based on a frequency of delivery of the sensor data based on a time of day the sensor data was received from the first sensor, a season in which the sensor data was received from the first sensor, based on estimating remaining sensor operating life station, or based on any combination thereof; and

transmitting wirelessly, from the base station to the first sensor to activate an attention indicator on the first sensor, an attention indicator activation command based on the detected faulty operating state of the first sensor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the fault detection unit is adapted to determine the operating state of the first sensor based on a frequency of delivery of the sensor data.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein estimating the remaining sensor operating life is based on a sensor current consumption rate value stored on the base station, and wherein determining the operating state of the first sensor is based on the estimated remaining sensor operating life.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the base station is adapted to host a secure, remotely-configurable bridge to the sensor network.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the base station further comprises a user input configured to trigger the fault detection unit to determine whether the first sensor needs maintenance.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first sensor comprises an accelerometer, a motion detector, or object motion detector.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein upon initialization of communication between the base station and the first sensor, the system is adapted to start a registration process.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the registration process comprises:

sending, via the first sensor, header information to the base station including at least one of the following;

information about data-type for scalar quantity measure by the device, valid range, units for the scalar, frequency of delivery, and a descriptive character string; and

replying, via the base station, with an acknowledgement message.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the base station comprises a power charging interface configured to provide power to the first sensor.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the decision engine unit includes a stored user profile based on data supplied by a healthcare provider or a patient.

23. A system, comprising:

a sensor network comprising a first sensor;

a base station adapted to wirelessly receive data from the first sensor to activate an attention indicator on the first sensor, the base station comprising;

a fault detection unit adapted to detect a faulty operating state of the first sensor based on whether a value of the data received from the first sensor is within a predefined sensor data value range stored on the base station, based on a frequency of delivery of the sensor data based on a time of day the sensor data was received from the first sensor, a season in which the sensor data was received from the first sensor, based on a sensor current consumption rate value stored on the base station, or based on any combination thereof, and

a decision engine unit adapted to cause the base station to transmit an attention indicator activation command to the first sensor based on the detected faulty operating state of the first sensor.

24. A method, comprising:

transmitting, from a first sensor of a sensor network, data to a base station;

receiving wirelessly, at a, base station, data from the first sensor;

detecting, at the base station, a faulty operating state of the first sensor based on whether a value of the data received from the first sensor is within a predefined sensor data value range stored on the base station, based on a frequency of delivery of the sensor data based on a time of day the sensor data was received from the first sensor, a season in which the sensor data was received from the first sensor, based on a sensor current consumption rate value stored on the base station, or based on any combination thereof; and

transmitting from the base station to the first sensor to activate an attention indicator on the first sensor, an attention indicator activation command based on the detected faulty operating state of the first sensor.