Wireless monitoring system and method

• US 8,279,060 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Liu, Ying, Ma, Jianqiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri
• Application Number:
  US12/538,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20110037589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.12
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• 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 26/007 Wireless interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless monitoring system and method carries out wireless communication is carried out according to the ZigBee standard. The ZigBee standard allows for low-cost, low-power and high-density implementation of the wireless monitoring system and method, so that wireless monitoring system and method may be rolled out on a large scale to provide patient monitoring and other types of monitoring.

Claims

1. A wireless monitoring system comprising:

a master controller having a wireless transmitting unit and a wireless receiving unit;

a first module being remote to the master controller and having a first accelerometer, a first wireless transmitting unit and a first wireless receiving unit, the first module being configured with a first alarm bit that is set to indicate an alarm condition when the first accelerometer senses a first acceleration above a first threshold; and

a second module being remote to the master controller and having a second accelerometer, a second wireless transmitting unit and a second wireless receiving unit, the second module being configured with a second alarm bit that is set to indicate an alarm condition when the second accelerometer senses a second acceleration above a second threshold,

wherein the master controller is programmed to issue a polling signal to the first module and the second module at separate times, and each of the first module and the second module is configured to respond to the polling signal if the respective first alarm bit or the second alarm bit therein is set and ignore the polling signal if the respective first alarm bit or the second alarm bit therein is not set.

2. The wireless monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the master controller and the first and second modules communicate using a direct sequence spread spectrum modulation technique.

3. The wireless monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein each of the first module and the second module is configured to reset the respective first alarm bit or the second alarm bit to no longer indicate the alarm condition, in response to a reset signal.

4. The wireless monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the reset signal is received from the master controller.

5. The wireless monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein each of the first module and the second module includes a reset button, and the reset signal is generated in response to an actuation of the reset button.

6. The wireless monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein each of the first module and the second module includes a control unit that is programmed to receive a voltage output from the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer respectively, and determine the alarm condition based on a comparison of the voltage output and a threshold voltage.

7. The wireless monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless transmitting unit and the first wireless receiving unit of the first module are integrated on a first single transceiver chip, and the second wireless transmitting unit and the second wireless receiving unit of the second module are integrated on a second single transceiver chip.

8. A device comprising:

an accelerometer; and

a wireless communication chip configured to communicate with a base station using a direct sequence spread spectrum modulation technique and to determine whether a voltage output of the accelerometer exceeds a threshold,

wherein the wireless communication chip issues an alarm signal to the base station if the voltage output of the accelerometer exceeds the threshold when a polling signal is received from the base station, the wireless communication chip includes an alarm bit that is set to indicate an alarm condition when the voltage output of the accelerometer exceeds the threshold, and the wireless communication chip ignores the polling signal and the issuing of the alarm signal if the alarm bit is not set.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the wireless communication chip is configured to reset the alarm bit to no longer indicate the alarm condition, in response to a reset signal.

10. The device according to claim 8, further comprising a reset button, and the reset signal is generated in response to an actuation of the reset button.

11. The device according to claim 8, further comprising a non-rechargeable battery.

12. A method of monitoring a device for an alarm condition, the method comprising:

receiving a polling signal from a base station;

sensing a voltage output of an accelerometer that is installed in the device;

comparing the sensed voltage output with a threshold;

setting an alarm bit if the sensed voltage output exceeds the threshold;

transmitting an alarm signal to the base station if the alarm bit is set at the time the polling signal is received from the base station; and

ignoring the polling signal and the transmitting of the alarm signal if the alarm bit is not set at the time the polling signal is received from the base station,

wherein the polling signal is received from the base station and the alarm signal is transmitted to the base station using a direct sequence spread spectrum modulation technique.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the voltage output is sensed and compared to the threshold at periodic intervals.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

resetting the alarm bit to no longer indicate an alarm condition.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

sensing a manual actuation of a reset button; and

resetting the alarm bit to no longer indicate an alarm condition, in response to the manual actuation of the reset button.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

adjusting the threshold.