System and method to monitor a person in a residence with use of a set-top box device

• US 8,390,462 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2009
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Belz, Steven, Pratt, James, Van Vleck, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US12/579,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20110090085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 3405391-53915, 340/540, 340/500, 702/182, 348143-159, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0476 Cameras to detect unsafe condition, e.g. video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0492 Sensor dual technology, i.e. two or more technologies collaborate to extract unsafe condition, e.g. video tracking and RFID tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45

Abstract

Systems and methods to monitor a person in a residence are provided. A particular method includes receiving data at a monitoring service from a set-top box (STB) device. The data includes a location in a residence of a person being monitored. The location may be obtained from a location system in the residence. The data also includes an associated time stamp for the location. The method includes analyzing the data based on a profile of the person to determine whether one or more alert conditions are satisfied. The method also includes providing a notification when one or more of the alert conditions are satisfied.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a person in a residence, the system comprising:

a location system in a residence, wherein the location system includes a first component coupled to a person to be monitored and a plurality of second components located in the residence that interact with the first component;

a set-top box device to;

receive an output from the location system, wherein the output indicates a location of the person in the residence;

send data from the set-top box device to a monitoring service, wherein the data includes the location of the person in the residence and a time stamp of the output;

receive an activation request from the monitoring service when, based on an analysis of the data received from the set-top box device, one or more alert conditions are satisfied;

issue a prompt to the person, wherein the prompt is issued in response to receiving the activation request; and

activate, based on a response to the prompt, a video camera coupled to the set-top box device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the video camera is operable to be adjusted based on one or more signals sent to the set-top box device, the one or more signals sent to the set-top box device at a request of a third party when the one or more alert conditions are satisfied.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the video camera is not activated when a satisfactory response to the prompt is received at the set-top box device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more alert conditions are satisfied when the data indicates that the person is immobile during a threshold period of time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more alert conditions are satisfied when the data indicates that the person has left the residence.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a biosensor to sense biological data associated with the person and to send the biological data to the set-top box device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the biosensor senses a temperature, a pulse, a heart rhythm, a blood chemistry, a blood pressure, or a combination thereof of the person.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the set-top box device establishes a video conference with a health care representative when the one or more alert conditions are satisfied.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first component of the location system comprises a radio frequency identification emitter and the second components of the location system comprise radio frequency identification detectors.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first component of the location system comprises a radio frequency identification detector and the second components of the location system comprise radio frequency identification emitters.

11. A method comprising:

receiving data at a monitoring service from a set-top box device, wherein the data includes a location in a residence of a person being monitored and an associated time stamp;

analyzing the data based on a profile of the person to determine whether one or more alert conditions are satisfied; and

providing an activation request to the set-top box device when the one or more alert conditions are satisfied, wherein a video camera coupled to the set-top box device is activated based on a response to a first prompt presented to the person via the set-top box device in response to receiving the activation request.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a first notification to the set-top box device when the one or more alert conditions are satisfied, wherein the first notification includes a second prompt requesting input from the person.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a second notification to a third party when no input is received via the set-top box device within a response time period associated with a presentation of the second prompt.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a second notification to a third party when an unsatisfactory input associated with the second prompt is received via the set-top box.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending, to at least one third party, identification information for associated with the person and information descriptive of the one or more alert conditions.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the data includes information from a biosensor coupled to the person, and wherein the information from the biosensor is used to determine whether the one or more alert conditions are satisfied.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein a satisfactory input includes entry of a code.

17. A set-top box device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory accessible to the at least one processor, the at least one memory comprising;

instructions executable by the at least one processor to receive an input from a location system in a residence, wherein the location system is operable to identify a first location in the residence of a person being monitored;

instructions executable by the at least one processor to analyze the input to determine whether the location has changed from a second location, the second location determined based on a previously received input;

instructions executable by the at least one processor to send location data and a time stamp to a monitoring service;

instructions executable by the at least one processor to receive an activation request to activate a video camera, the activation request received from the monitoring service when one or more alert conditions are satisfied;

instructions executable by the at least one processor to issue a first prompt to the person in response to receiving the activation request; and

instructions executable by the at least one processor to activate the video camera based on a response to the first prompt.

18. The set-top box device of claim 17, further comprising:

instructions executable by the at least one processor to receive, from the monitoring service, a second prompt when the one or more alert conditions are satisfied; and

instructions executable by the at least one processor to present the second prompt at an output device coupled to the set-top box device.

19. The set-top box device of claim 18, further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to receive a response to the second prompt and to send the response to the monitoring service.