Initiating emergency communication in response to detecting bio-feedback satisfying an alert condition

• US 8,362,899 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daedalus Blue LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hutzler, Richard, Montano, Mary E., Morse, William King, Smith, Nelson Jay IV, Windsor, Gregory Carson, Nguyen, Steve Ngoe
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): NWUGO, OJIAKO K
• Application Number:
  US12/402,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.12, 4554041-4042, 603/01, 605/32
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• 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

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program for initiating emergency communication in response to detecting bio-feedback satisfying an alert condition. A portable electronic device is coupled to a body of a user to monitor biofeedback from the body of the user through a monitoring device disposed within the portable electronic device. Detection is made that that the monitored biofeedback satisfies an alert condition. An operation is initiated to cause a wireless transmission of an emergency communication to an emergency station in response to detecting that the monitored biofeedback satisfies the alert condition.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a portable electronic device coupled to a body of a user and a communication device, comprising:

monitoring biofeedback from the body of the user through a monitoring device disposed within the portable electronic device;

detecting that the monitored biofeedback satisfies an alert condition; and

initiating an operation to have a wireless transmission interface in the portable electronic device communicate a command to a transmitter located in the communication device external to the portable electronic device to cause the transmitter to communicate a wireless transmission of an emergency communication to an emergency station in response to detecting that the monitored biofeedback satisfies the alert condition, wherein the wireless transmission interface in the portable electronic device has a limited transmission distance as compared to the transmitter in the communication device which transmits over longer distances than the wireless transmission interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication to the emergency station is about the detected alert condition.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the communication device, the command from the portable electronic device via the wireless transmission interface while the communication device is in a sleep mode; and

initiating, by the communication device, a power-on routine to provide sufficient power to transmit the emergency communication via the wireless transmission to the emergency station.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

maintaining, by the communication device, reserve power to use for only emergency communications to the emergency station.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the communication device, the command from the portable electronic device via the wireless transmission interface while the communication device is communicating with a remote communication device; and

interrupting, by the communication device, the communication with the remote communication device to transmit the emergency communication via the wireless transmission to the emergency station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored biofeedback comprises at least one of a cardio-rhythm, insulin level, heart rate, electrolytes, keytones, and blood level with respect to a monitored chemical.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a cellular telephone and wherein the wireless transmission interface in the portable electronic device uses radio frequency transmissions.

8. A method implemented in a portable electronic device coupled to a body of a user and a communication device, comprising:

monitoring biofeedback from the body of the user through a monitoring device disposed within the portable electronic device;

detecting that the monitored biofeedback satisfies an alert condition;

determining, at the portable electronic device, a geographical position of the portable electronic device in response to detecting that the alert condition is satisfied;

initiating an operation to have a wireless transmission interface in the portable electronic device communicate a command to a transmitter located in the communication device external to the portable electronic device to cause the transmitter to communicate a wireless transmission of an emergency communication including the determined geographical position to an emergency station in response to detecting that the monitored biofeedback satisfies the alert condition, wherein the wireless transmission interface in the portable electronic device has a limited transmission distance as compared to the transmitter in the communication device which transmits over longer distances than the wireless transmission interface.

9. A method implemented in a portable electronic device coupled to a body of a user and a communication device, comprising:

monitoring biofeedback from the body of the user through a monitoring device disposed within the portable electronic device;

detecting that the monitored biofeedback satisfies an alert condition;

accessing medical history information for the user in a storage of the portable electronic device in response to detecting that the alert condition is satisfied, wherein the medical history information includes personal medical history information separate from the monitored biofeedback; and

initiating an operation to have a wireless transmission interface in the portable electronic device communicate a command to a transmitter located in the communication device external to the portable electronic device to cause the transmitter to communicate a wireless transmission of an emergency communication to an emergency station including the accessed medical history information in response to detecting that the monitored biofeedback satisfies the alert condition, wherein the wireless transmission interface in the portable electronic device has a limited transmission distance as compared to the transmitter in the communication device which transmits over longer distances than the wireless transmission interface.

10. A system for monitoring a body of a user in communication with an emergency station, comprising:

a communication device having a transmitter; and

a portable electronic device, external to the communication device, coupled to the body of a user, comprising;

a monitoring device monitoring biofeedback from the body of the user;

a wireless transmission interface;

a monitor component coupled to the monitoring device and including code executed to perform operations, the operations comprising;

detecting that the monitored biofeedback satisfies an alert condition; and

initiating an operation to have the wireless transmission interface communicate a command to the transmitter to cause the transmitter to communicate a wireless transmission of an emergency communication to the emergency station in response to detecting that the monitored biofeedback satisfies the alert condition, wherein the wireless transmission interface in the portable electronic device has a limited transmission distance as compared to the transmitter in the communication device which transmits over longer distances than the wireless transmission interface.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication with the emergency station is about the detected alert condition.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication device receives the command from the portable electronic device via the wireless transmission interface while the communication device is in a sleep mode, and wherein the command causes the communication device to initiate a power-on routine to provide sufficient power to transmit the emergency communication via the wireless transmission to the emergency station.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a position locator for determining a geographical position of the portable electronic device in response to detecting that the alert condition is satisfied, wherein initiating the operation to cause the wireless transmission further comprises including the determined geographical position in the emergency communication.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a storage having medical history information for the user, wherein the monitor component further performs accessing the medical history information for the user in response to detecting that the alert condition is satisfied, wherein the medical history information includes personal medical history information separate from the monitored biofeedback, wherein initiating the operation to cause the wireless transmission further comprises including the accessed medical history information in the emergency communication.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication device comprises a cellular telephone and wherein the wireless transmission interface in the portable electronic device uses radio frequency transmissions.

16. An article of manufacture comprising at least one of a magnetic storage, optical storage, memory device, flash memory and hardware logic having code executed by a portable electronic device coupled to a body of a user and a communication device to perform operations, the operations comprising:

monitoring biofeedback from the body of the user through a monitoring device disposed within the portable electronic device;

detecting that the monitored biofeedback satisfies an alert condition; and

initiating an operation to have a wireless transmission interface in the portable electronic device communicate a command to a transmitter located in the communication device external to the portable electronic device to cause the transmitter to communicate a wireless transmission of an emergency communication to an emergency station in response to detecting that the monitored biofeedback satisfies the alert condition, wherein the wireless transmission interface in the portable electronic device has a limited transmission distance as compared to the transmitter in the communication device which transmits over longer distances than the wireless transmission interface.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the communication to the emergency station is about the detected alert condition.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the communication device receives the command from the portable electronic device via the wireless transmission interface while the communication device is in a sleep mode, and wherein the command causes the communication device to initiate a power-on routine to provide sufficient power to transmit the emergency communication via the wireless transmission to the emergency station.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a geographical position of the portable electronic device in response to detecting that the alert condition is satisfied, wherein initiating the operation to cause the wireless transmission further comprises including the determined geographical position in the emergency communication.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the operations comprise:

accessing medical history information for the user in a storage of the portable electronic device in response to detecting that the alert condition is satisfied, wherein the medical history information includes personal medical history information separate from the monitored biofeedback, wherein initiating the operation to cause the wireless transmission further comprises including the accessed medical history information in the emergency communication.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the communication device comprises a cellular telephone and wherein the wireless transmission interface in the portable electronic device uses radio frequency transmissions.