Remotely configurable assisted-living notification system with gradient proximity sensitivity

• US 8,334,778 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel-GE Care Innovations, LLC (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel-GE Care Innovations, LLC (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Needham, Bradford, Van Thong, Jean-Manuel, Labhard, Michael E., Lundell, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US13/270,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20120025999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/567, 340/540, 340/692, 340/546, 340/522, 340/505, 340/686.1, 340/686.6, 379/69
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0427 with direct interaction with a dispensing or delivery system
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 11/00 Producing optical signals at preselected times
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0469 Presence detectors to detect unsafe condition, e.g. infrared sensor, microphone G08B21/0476 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system provides assisted living messages with varying levels of detail to a person, according to proximity gradients. In one embodiment, the system involves location data. The location data associates first and second notification devices with respective first and second locations at a dwelling. A remote configuration module may enable a caregiver at a location other than the dwelling to specify multiple messages to be presented to the person at the dwelling, to assign first and second messages among the multiple messages to the first location, and to associate the first and second messages with first and second proximities, respectively, for the first location. The first notification device may automatically present the first message in response to detecting the person within the first proximity, and the second message in response to detecting the person within the second proximity. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A notification apparatus for providing assisted-living messages with varying levels of detail to a person according to proximity gradients, the apparatus comprising:

a communication interface device configured to receive a first message and a second message from a remote configuration device, wherein the notification apparatus is configured to determine whether the first message is associated with a first proximity and whether the second message is associated with a second proximity; and

a display configured to (a) automatically present the first message in response to detecting a person within the first proximity to the notification apparatus and (b) automatically present the second message in response to detecting a person within the second proximity to the notification apparatus.

2. The notification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification apparatus is configured to determine whether to display at least part of the first message with a first font size and whether to display at least part of the second message with a second font size, wherein the first font size is bigger than the second font size, and wherein the second proximity is indicative of a near proximity and the first proximity is indicative of a far proximity.

3. The notification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification apparatus is configured to detect a person within the first proximity or the second proximity to the notification apparatus by receiving a proximity measurement from a proximity sensor.

4. The notification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface device is further configured to receive an event definition that defines an event, and wherein the notification apparatus is configured to display the first message only if the event has been detected and is configured to display the second message only if the event has been detected.

5. A method for providing assisted-living messages with varying levels of detail to a person according to proximity gradients, comprising:

receiving, at a notification device, a first message and a second message from a remote configuration device;

determining whether the first message is associated with a first proximity and whether the second message is associated with a second proximity; and

detecting a person within a first proximity or a second proximity to the notification apparatus;

displaying, on a display device of the notification device, (a) the first message in response to detecting the person within the first proximity to the notification apparatus and (b) the second message in response to detecting the person within the second proximity to the notification apparatus.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising determining whether to display at least part of the first message with a first font size and whether to display at least part of the second message with a second font size, wherein the first font size is bigger than the second font size, and wherein the second proximity is indicative of a near proximity and the first proximity is indicative of a far proximity.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein detecting the person within the first proximity or the second proximity to the notification apparatus comprises receiving a proximity measurement from a proximity sensor.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising receiving an event definition and determining whether an event defined in the event definition has occurred.

9. A method for providing assisted-living messages, comprising:

receiving, at a device configuration apparatus in a dwelling, location data that associates a first notification apparatus in the dwelling with a first location in the dwelling;

receiving, at the device configuration apparatus, event data that defines an event for the first notification device;

receiving, from a caregiver at a location other than the dwelling, a first message and a second message associated with the event;

associating the first message with a first proximity;

associating the second message with a second proximity;

transmitting the first message to the first notification device;

transmitting the second message to the first notification device;

transmitting a proximity translation definition to the first notification device, wherein the proximity translation definition associates the first message with the first proximity and associates the second message with the second proximity.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the location data further associates a second notification apparatus in the dwelling with a second notification apparatus in the dwelling.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising transmitting at least part of the event data to the first notification device.