Distillation of status data relating to regimen compliance responsive to the presence and absence of wireless signals relating to one or more threshold frequencies

• US 8,723,640 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Kare, Jordin T., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burgdorf, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US13/199,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20130043974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 128/899, 128/903, 340/5.61, 340/5.64, 340/6.1, 340/10.4, 340/539.1, 340/539.12, 340/540, 340/573.2, 340/870.01, 424/9.2, 455/39, 600/302, 600/407, 600/420, 606/3, 607/1, 702/1, 705/2, 705/3, 709/200
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment

Abstract

Configuration technologies for cost-effectively indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject, for example, responsive to whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

circuitry for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency; and

circuitry for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the circuitry for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency, in which the circuitry for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises;

circuitry for receiving a wireless signal via a device in external contact with a portion of an individual from within the portion of the individual, the individual being the subject, the portion of the subject including a portion of at least one of a head of or a neck of or a torso of the subject, the first frequency range being low enough that the wireless signal in the first frequency range can pass through the portion of the individual, the second frequency range being high enough that the wireless signal in the second frequency range cannot pass through the portion of the individual.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an actuator configured to move in response to a control signal, the control signal being partly based on the wireless signal in the first frequency range below the threshold frequency and partly based on an indication of an event in a vicinity of the actuator.

3. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the circuitry for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

circuitry for causing a door to become locked or unlocked by transmitting a control signal to a lock of the door in response to a compliance-negative indication of the regimen compliance status of the subject.

4. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the circuitry for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

circuitry for signaling a regimen compliance data distillation by identifying a data distillation protocol, the regimen compliance status of the subject being indicated by signaling the regimen compliance data distillation, the regimen compliance data distillation resulting from an application of the data distillation protocol to a component of the wireless signal in the first frequency range.

5. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the circuitry for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

circuitry for obtaining a regimen compliance data distillation by causing an application of one or more auditory data distillation criteria to auditory data, the regimen compliance data distillation being indicative of the regimen compliance status of the subject, at least one of the one or more auditory data distillation criteria configured to determine whether the auditory data includes a recognizable pattern.

6. A system comprising:

means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency; and

means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency, in which the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises;

means for receiving a wireless signal via a device in external contact with a portion of an individual from within the portion of the individual, the individual being the subject, the portion of the subject including a portion of at least one of a head of or a neck of or a torso of the subject, the first frequency range being low enough that the wireless signal in the first frequency range can pass through the portion of the individual, the second frequency range being high enough that the wireless signal in the second frequency range cannot pass through the portion of the individual.

7. The system of claim 6 in which the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for signaling a passive wireless transponder in a capsule, the passive wireless transponder in the capsule being configured to resonate in the first frequency range, the first frequency range being below 10 megahertz.

8. The system of claim 6 in which the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for signaling a passive wireless transponder in a capsule, the passive wireless transponder in the capsule being configured to resonate in the second frequency range, the second frequency range being above 11 megahertz.

9. The system of claim 6 in which the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for signaling a passive wireless transponder in a capsule, the passive wireless transponder in the capsule being configured to resonate in at least one of the first frequency range below the threshold frequency or the second frequency range above the threshold frequency.

10. The system of claim 6 in which the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for obtaining an indication of when at least a portion of a vessel moved, the regimen compliance status of the subject being responsive to the indication of when at least a portion of the vessel moved.

11. The system of claim 6 in which the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for obtaining an indication whether a vessel has been ingested, a determination whether the presence of the wireless signal in the first frequency range below the threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in the second frequency range above the threshold frequency in a vicinity of the vessel being the indication whether the vessel has been ingested.

12. The system of claim 6 in which the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for obtaining a test result of a sample extracted from an individual, the individual being the subject, the regimen compliance status of the subject including the test result of the sample extracted from the individual.

13. The system of claim 6 in which the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for detecting whether data from one or more sensors indicate an actuation of a portion of a dispensing device, the dispensing device being large enough to contain at least one vessel operable to transmit the wireless signal in the first frequency range.

14. The system of claim 6 in which the device is at least one of a handheld article or a wearable article or an adhesive patch.

15. The system of claim 6 in which the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for retrieving event data relating to an individual, the individual being the subject, the regimen compliance status of the subject being partly based on the event data and partly based on whether the presence of the wireless signal in the first frequency range below the threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in the second frequency range above the threshold frequency.

16. The system of claim 6 in which the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for retrieving event data relating to an individual, the individual being the subject, the regimen compliance status of the subject being partly based on the event data and partly based on whether the presence of the wireless signal in the first frequency range below the threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in the second frequency range above the threshold frequency and partly based on whether the presence of the wireless signal in the first frequency range below the threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with a presence of a wireless signal in the second frequency range above the threshold frequency.

17. The system of claim 6 in which the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for indicating a data distillation protocol at least partly based on a demographic attribute of a subpopulation, the subpopulation including the subject, the regimen compliance status of the subject resulting from an application of the data distillation protocol to the wireless signal in the first frequency range.

18. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

means for signaling an identifier of a capsule, the capsule configured to transmit at least the wireless signal in the first frequency range, the wireless signal in the first frequency range indicating the identifier of the capsule.

19. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for conditioning a regimen noncompliance determination upon a determination that the wireless signal in the first frequency range below the reference frequency coincided with a presence of a wireless signal in the second frequency range above the reference frequency in a vicinity of a capsule, the regimen compliance status of the subject including the regimen noncompliance determination, the regimen noncompliance determination indicating an apparent attempt to falsify regimen compliance.

20. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for conditioning a regimen noncompliance determination upon a determination that the wireless signal in the first frequency range below the reference frequency coincided with a presence of a wireless signal in the second frequency range above the reference frequency in a vicinity of a capsule, the regimen compliance status of the subject including the regimen noncompliance determination, the second frequency range being above 11 megahertz.

21. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for conditioning a regimen noncompliance determination upon a determination that the wireless signal in the first frequency range below the reference frequency coincided with a presence of a wireless signal in the second frequency range above the reference frequency in a vicinity of a capsule, the regimen compliance status of the subject including the regimen noncompliance determination.

22. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for conditioning a regimen compliance determination upon a first compliance-positive indication and upon a second compliance-positive indication, the first compliance-positive indication being that the presence of the wireless signal in the first frequency range below the threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in the second frequency range above the threshold frequency, the regimen compliance determination being the regimen compliance status of the subject.

23. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for conditioning a regimen compliance determination upon a first compliance-positive indication and upon a second compliance-positive indication, the regimen compliance status of the subject including at least one of the first compliance-positive indication or the second compliance-positive indication.

24. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for conditioning a regimen noncompliance determination upon a first compliance-negative indication and upon a second compliance-negative indication, the first compliance-negative indication being that the presence of the wireless signal in the first frequency range below the threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with a presence of a wireless signal in the second frequency range above the threshold frequency, the regimen noncompliance determination being the regimen compliance status of the subject.

25. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for conditioning a regimen noncompliance determination upon a first compliance-negative indication and upon a second compliance-negative indication, regimen compliance status of the subject including at least one of the first compliance-negative indication or the second compliance-negative indication.

26. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for causing a door to become locked or unlocked by transmitting a control signal to a lock of the door in response to a compliance-positive indication of the regimen compliance status of the subject.

27. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for causing a door to become locked or unlocked by transmitting a control signal to a lock of the door in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency.

28. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for deciding whether a status of an individual has apparently changed, the individual being the subject, whether the status of the individual has apparently changed being an indicator of the regimen compliance status of the subject.

29. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for distilling historical data indicative of or contraindicative of a health status transition apparently relating to cardiovascular disease in an individual, the individual being the subject, the historical data indicative of or contraindicative of a health status transition apparently relating to cardiovascular disease in the individual being an indicator of the regimen compliance status of the subject.

30. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for transmitting a regimen compliance determination as an actuation signal, the regimen compliance status including the regimen compliance determination.

31. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for causing wireless signal transmission circuitry in situ to initiate a wireless transmission in response to an indication of ingestion, the wireless transmission including the wireless signal in the first frequency range, the causing the wireless signal transmission means in situ to initiate the wireless transmission in response to the indication of ingestion including a barrier configured to prevent the wireless transmission until after a biological material at least partly melts the barrier, a component of the barrier being constructed and arranged to melt below 37°

C.

32. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for signaling a regimen compliance data distillation by identifying a data distillation protocol, the regimen compliance status of the subject being indicated by signaling the regimen compliance data distillation, the regimen compliance data distillation resulting from an application of the data distillation protocol to a component of the wireless signal in the first frequency range.

33. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for signaling a regimen compliance data distillation by identifying a data distillation protocol, the regimen compliance status of the subject being indicated by signaling the regimen compliance data distillation, the regimen compliance data distillation resulting from an application of the data distillation protocol to sensor data obtained in or on or near the subject.

34. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for obtaining a regimen compliance data distillation by causing an application of one or more auditory data distillation criteria to auditory data, the regimen compliance data distillation being indicative of the regimen compliance status of the subject, at least one of the one or more auditory data distillation criteria configured to determine whether the auditory data includes a recognizable pattern.

35. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for obtaining a regimen compliance data distillation by causing an application of one or more sensor measurement thresholds to sensor data pertaining to the subject, the regimen compliance data distillation being indicative of the regimen compliance status of the subject, at least some of the sensor data indicating a temperature.

36. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for obtaining a regimen compliance data distillation by causing an application of one or more sensor measurement thresholds to sensor data pertaining to the subject, the regimen compliance data distillation being indicative of the regimen compliance status of the subject, at least some of the sensor data indicating a pH.

37. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for determining whether a therapy is apparently having a specific effect upon the subject, whether the therapy is apparently having the specific effect upon the subject being a component of the regimen compliance status of the subject.

38. The system of claim 6 in which the means for indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the means for determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises:

means for applying a provider-specified criterion to device-detectable health-indicative data, the regimen compliance status of the subject being a result of applying the provider-specified criterion to the device-detectable health-indicative data.

39. An article of manufacture comprising:

one or more physical media configured to bear a device-detectable implementation of a method including at least

determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency; and

indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency, in which the determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises;

receiving a wireless signal via a device in external contact with a portion of an individual from within the portion of the individual, the individual being the subject, the portion of the subject including a portion of at least one of a head of or a neck of or a torso of the subject, the first frequency range being low enough that the wireless signal in the first frequency range can pass through the portion of the individual, the second frequency range being high enough that the wireless signal in the second frequency range cannot pass through the portion of the individual.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 39 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more signal-bearing media configured to transmit one or more instructions for obtaining an indication whether a vessel has been ingested, a determination whether the presence of the wireless signal in the first frequency range below the threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in the second frequency range above the threshold frequency in a vicinity of the vessel being the indication whether the vessel has been ingested.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 39 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more signal-bearing media configured to transmit one or more instructions for indicating a data distillation protocol at least partly based on a demographic attribute of a subpopulation, the subpopulation including the subject, the regimen compliance status of the subject resulting from an application of the data distillation protocol to the wireless signal in the first frequency range.

42. An article of manufacture comprising:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable output indicating an occurrence of

determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency; and

indicating a regimen compliance status of a subject in response to the determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency, in which the determining whether a presence of a wireless signal in a first frequency range below a threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in a second frequency range above the threshold frequency comprises;

receiving a wireless signal via a device in external contact with a portion of an individual from within the portion of the individual, the individual being the subject, the portion of the subject including a portion of at least one of a head of or a neck of or a torso of the subject, the first frequency range being low enough that the wireless signal in the first frequency range can pass through the portion of the individual, the second frequency range being high enough that the wireless signal in the second frequency range cannot pass through the portion of the individual.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 42 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable output indicating an occurrence of retrieving event data relating to an individual, the individual being the subject, the regimen compliance status of the subject being partly based on the event data and partly based on whether the presence of the wireless signal in the first frequency range below the threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with an absence of a wireless signal in the second frequency range above the threshold frequency and partly based on whether the presence of the wireless signal in the first frequency range below the threshold frequency occurred contemporaneously with a presence of a wireless signal in the second frequency range above the threshold frequency.