Method and apparatus for remote blood alcohol monitoring
First Claim
1. A modem for use with but independent from a continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device adapted to be attached to a human subject, and for use with but independent from a monitor network, the modem comprising:
- a radio frequency transceiver for communicating bi-directional radio frequency signals with the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device when the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device comes within range of the modem according to a first schedule stored in the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device, and without the human subject actively initiating the communicating of the radio frequency signals between the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device and the modem, wherein the radio frequency signals contain a plurality of data regarding the human subject and are communicated from the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device to the modem according to the first schedule on a non real time basis;
a central processing unit in communication with the radio frequency transceiver, wherein the central processing unit processes the plurality of data to determine if at least one predefined trigger condition exists, and if not, the plurality of data is stored in a memory in the modem for communication to the monitor network according to a second schedule stored in the memory in the modem; and
a modem chip set in communication with the central processing unit, wherein when the at least one predefined trigger condition exists, a communication link is established by the central processing unit through the modem chip set to the monitor network, and further wherein the central processing unit communicates an alert over the communication link to the monitor network while no communication link exists between the modem and the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device;
wherein when a positive drinking event has been detected by the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device and the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device is within range of the modem, the first schedule stored in the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device is bypassed and the radio frequency signals containing the plurality of data is communicated immediately from the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device to the modem, and further wherein communication of the plurality of data stored in the memory in the modem to the monitor network according to the second schedule only occurs when the plurality of data does not include the at least one predefined trigger condition.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tamper proof transdermal alcohol content monitoring device is made up of analog and digital sides which are securely attached to the human subject to be monitored. The analog side has a sampling circuit which draws a measured insensible skin perspiration sample from the skin of the subject and measured with an electrochemical fuel cell. A distance measurement of the device from the skin of the subject and temperature of the sample are monitored along with the transdermal alcohol content, and converted to digital signals which are transmitted to a modem when the monitor is in proximity to the modem. The signals are stored in the modem and uploaded to a central monitoring station. Automatic alerts may be sent from the central monitoring station to a supervising agency. The supervising agency may also access the information through secured dedicated websites via the Internet.
66 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A modem for use with but independent from a continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device adapted to be attached to a human subject, and for use with but independent from a monitor network, the modem comprising:
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a radio frequency transceiver for communicating bi-directional radio frequency signals with the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device when the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device comes within range of the modem according to a first schedule stored in the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device, and without the human subject actively initiating the communicating of the radio frequency signals between the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device and the modem, wherein the radio frequency signals contain a plurality of data regarding the human subject and are communicated from the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device to the modem according to the first schedule on a non real time basis; a central processing unit in communication with the radio frequency transceiver, wherein the central processing unit processes the plurality of data to determine if at least one predefined trigger condition exists, and if not, the plurality of data is stored in a memory in the modem for communication to the monitor network according to a second schedule stored in the memory in the modem; and a modem chip set in communication with the central processing unit, wherein when the at least one predefined trigger condition exists, a communication link is established by the central processing unit through the modem chip set to the monitor network, and further wherein the central processing unit communicates an alert over the communication link to the monitor network while no communication link exists between the modem and the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device; wherein when a positive drinking event has been detected by the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device and the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device is within range of the modem, the first schedule stored in the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device is bypassed and the radio frequency signals containing the plurality of data is communicated immediately from the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device to the modem, and further wherein communication of the plurality of data stored in the memory in the modem to the monitor network according to the second schedule only occurs when the plurality of data does not include the at least one predefined trigger condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for using a modem to process data received from a continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device adapted to be attached to a human subject, and for use with a monitor network, the modem being independent from both the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device and the monitor network, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) when a positive drinking event has been detected by the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device, determining if the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device is within range of the modem; (b) when it has been determined that the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device is within range of the modem, bypassing a first schedule stored in the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device for communicating the data to the modem; and (c) communicating immediately the radio frequency signals containing the data from the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device to a radio frequency transceiver in the modem; (d) in the absence of the positive drinking event being detected in step (a) or when it has been determined in step (b) that the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device is not within range of the modem, communicating bi-directionally with the radio frequency transceiver in the modem radio frequency signals with the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device when the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device comes within range of the modem and according to the first schedule stored in the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device without the human subject actively initiating the communicating of the radio frequency signals between the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device and the modem, wherein the radio frequency signals containing the data are communicated from the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device to the modem on a non real time basis; (e) processing the data by a central processing unit in the modem in communication with the radio frequency transceiver to determine if at least one predefined trigger condition exists, and if not, storing the data in a memory in the modem for communication to the monitor network according to a second schedule stored in the memory in the modem; (f) when the at least one predefined trigger condition exists, establishing a communication link by the central processing unit through the modem chip set to a monitor network; and (g) communicating by the central processing unit an alert over the communication link to the monitor network while no communication link exists between the modem and the continuous remote blood alcohol monitoring device, and further the communicating of the plurality of data stored in the memory in the modem to the monitor network according to the second schedule only occurs when the data does not include the at least one predefined trigger condition. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification