Sock for bed-departure detection

• US 8,736,439 B1
• Filed: 04/06/2013
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Feng Shinozuka
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Feng Shinozuka
• Inventors: Shinozuka, Kenneth Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Terrell, Emily C
• Application Number:
  US13/858,017
• Time in Patent Office: 416 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11, 340/12, 340/572.1, 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

This invention is a method and apparatus for low-cost detection and alerting of bed-departure, which causes significant stress to caretakers of patients who often wander out of bed as a result of their dementia, Alzheimer'"'"'s, or other medical conditions. The apparatus comprises a sock embedded with a pressure sensor and a battery-powered microcontroller unit with a radio frequency module. Once the user wanders out of bed and steps onto the floor, the sensor on the sock will immediately detect the pressure caused by his or her body weight and wirelessly trigger an audible sound at a caretaker'"'"'s monitoring unit, which can be a smart phone or PC. The sensor and the microcontroller unit can be packaged in one assembly to be mounted on an ordinary sock, slipper, or shoe. The apparatus also accurately counts steps and measures the time interval between them.

Claims

1. A method of detecting bed-departure, comprising the following steps:

having a user in bed wear a sock, which is embedded or mounted with a pressure sensor in the sole, and mounted with a microcontroller unit comprising a battery, a radio-frequency module, and a microcontroller connected to said pressure sensor, or placing a slipper or a shoe on the floor near a user'"'"'s bed, wherein the slipper or shoe is embedded or mounted with a pressure sensor in the sole, and mounted with a microcontroller unit comprising a battery, a radio-frequency module, and a microcontroller connected to said pressure sensor;

switching on said microcontroller unit to acquire a sensor output signal at a predetermined time interval;

having said microcontroller compare the value of said sensor output signal with a predetermined threshold at said predetermined time interval;

if said sensor output signal value is less than said threshold, having said microcontroller continue to acquire a new sensor output signal at the next time interval;

if said sensor output signal value is equal or larger than said threshold, having said radio-frequency module transmit a radio-frequency signal to a separate monitoring unit; and

having said monitoring unit generate an audible sound as an alert, once receiving said radio-frequency signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording the time of said alert into a database in the memory of said monitoring unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said alert is triggered when said user wanders out of bed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said pressure sensor and said microcontroller unit connected to said pressure sensor are packaged in one removable and re-mountable assembly, which is mounted on said sock, with said pressure sensor on the sole of said sock.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said pressure sensor and said microcontroller unit connected to said pressure sensor are packaged in one removable and re-mountable assembly, which is mounted on said slipper or shoe, with said pressure sensor on the insole of said slipper or on the insole of said shoe.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said alert is triggered when said user steps onto the floor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said alert is triggered when said user steps his or her foot into said slipper or said shoe placed on the floor.

6. An apparatus for detecting bed-departure, comprising:

a pressure sensor embedded in or mounted on the sole of a sock worn by a user in bed, or a pressure sensor embedded in or mounted on the insole of a slipper or a shoe placed on the floor near a user'"'"'s bed;

a microcontroller unit mounted on said sock or said slipper or shoe, said microcontroller unit comprising a battery, a radio-frequency module, and a microcontroller connected to said pressure sensor; and

a monitoring unit, which is a smart-phone, a PC, or a custom-made monitor, said monitoring unit comprising a radio-frequency module and a speaker,

wherein said microcontroller is configured to be switched on to acquire an output signal from said pressure sensor at a predetermined time interval, wherein said microcontroller compares said sensor signal with a predetermined threshold at the predetermined time interval and, when said sensor output signal value is equal or larger than said threshold, commands said radio-frequency module to transmit a radio-frequency signal to trigger an audible sound out of said monitoring unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said pressure sensor and said microcontroller unit connected to said pressure sensor are packaged into a removable and re-mountable assembly, which is mounted on said slipper or shoe, with said pressure sensor on the insole of said slipper or shoe.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said pressure sensor and said microcontroller unit connected to said pressure sensor are packaged into a removable and re-mountable assembly, which is mounted on said sock, with said pressure sensor on the sole of said sock.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said monitoring unit is a caretaker'"'"'s monitoring unit.