Autonomous fall monitor

• US 8,773,269 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barron Associates Inc
• Original Assignee: Jr., B. Eugene Parker, Neal T. Richardson
• Inventors: Richardson, Neal T., Parker, B. Eugene Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US12/492,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20090322540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.7, 340/573.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 600/300
• US Class Current: 340/573.7
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0257 using atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4082 Diagnosing or monitoring movement diseases, e.g. Parkinson, Huntington or Tourette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait

Abstract

A system, a method and an apparatus for autonomous monitoring, detecting and tracking of movement and orientation of a body or portion of a body. The apparatus comprises a device configured to monitor the translational and/or rotational movement of the body; and an altimeter configured to measure changes in height of the body. An alert condition is determined based on the translational and/or rotational movement of the body and changes in height of the body or portion of the body. The alert condition may comprise a hard fall event, a soft fall event, a susceptibility to a fall, or a near fall event.

Claims

1. A communicator for autonomous monitoring, detecting and tracking of movement and orientation of a body or portion of a body, comprising:

a device configured to monitor at least one of translational and rotational movement of the body;

an altimeter configured to measure changes in height, wherein the altimeter comprises a high sensitivity pressure sensor; and

a processor configured to specifically determine if an individual has experienced a hard fall event, has experienced a soft fall event, is exhibiting a susceptibility to a fall, or has experienced a near fall event based at least one of the monitored translational movement of the body, monitored rotational movement of the body, and measured changes in height of the body,

wherein an alert condition is determined based on the translational and rotational movement of the body and changes in height of the body or portion of the body;

wherein the altimeter comprises a temperature-compensated, calibrated pressure sensor having a clamped output.

2. The communicator according to claim 1, wherein the alert condition comprises:

a hard fall event;

a soft fall event;

a susceptibility to a fall;

or

a near fall event.

3. The communicator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor configured to monitor biological functions of the body.

4. The communicator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage configured to collect and store data for synchronous communication to a transceiver, wherein the data comprises any one or more of a date data, a time data, a location data, a biometric data and an alert condition data.

5. The communicator according to claim 1, wherein the device configured to monitor the translational and rotational movement of the body, or portion of a body, comprises one or more triaxial accelerometers.

6. The communicator according to claim 1, further comprising:

one or more actuators configured to be actuated by a user to enable or disable an alert call,

wherein the one or more actuators are configured to attach to the body.

7. The communicator according to claim 4, further comprising:

a transceiver unit configured to convey the data stored in the storage to a transceiver,

wherein the transceiver is configured to provide notification of alert events to one or more recipients.

8. A system that includes the communicator according to claim 7, wherein the system further includes the transceiver, the transceiver comprising:

a communications device configured to record, log and track the data conveyed from the transceiver unit.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the transceiver comprises a storage that stores the recipient information.

10. The communicator according to claim 1, wherein the monitored translational and rotational movement of the body, include standing, walking, running, sitting, falling and lying down.

11. The communicator according to claim 7, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to synchronize data with another communicator prior to monitoring translational and rotational movement of the body and measuring changes in height of the body or portion of the body.

12. A transceiver for autonomous monitoring, detecting and tracking of orientation, translational or rotational movement of a body, comprising:

a transceiver unit configured to receive alert status data from a communicator that includes a processor configured to specifically determine if an individual has experienced a hard fall event, has experienced a soft fall event, is exhibiting a susceptibility to a fall, or has experienced a near fall event based at least one of the monitored translational movement of the body, monitored rotational movement of the body, and measured changes in height of the body using an altimeter configured to measure changes in height, wherein the altimeter comprises a high sensitivity pressure sensor; and

a storage configured to hold recipient information associated with the communicator,

wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to notify one or more recipients on the basis of the alert status data;

wherein the altimeter comprises a temperature-compensated, calibrated pressure sensor having a clamped output.

13. The transceiver according to claim 12, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to provide notification of an alert event to the recipient.

14. The transceiver according to claim 12, wherein the transceiver further comprises a communication device that is configured to record, log and track the alert status data.

15. A method for autonomously monitoring, detecting and tracking movements of a body, comprising:

monitoring a translational and a rotational movement of the body or portion of the body;

measuring a change in height of the body or a portion of the body using an altimeter configured to measure changes in height, wherein the altimeter comprises a high sensitivity pressure sensor;

determining if an individual has experienced a hard fall event, has experienced a soft fall event, is exhibiting a susceptibility to a fall, or has experienced a near fall event based at least one of the monitored translational movement of the body, monitored rotational movement of the body, and measured changes in height of the body; and

determining an alert event based on the translational and rotational movement of the body and the change in height of the body or portion of it;

wherein the measuring a change in height of the body or a portion of the body using an altimeter comprises an altimeter comprising a temperature-compensated, calibrated pressure sensor having a clamped output.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

generating an alert status data based on the determined alert event; and

contacting one or more recipients based on the fall status data.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

selecting a recipient from the contact list;

retrieving a message to be conveyed to the recipient; and

conveying the message to the recipient.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether the recipient responds to the message.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the fall status data comprises:

translational movement data;

rotational movement data;

height data;

height change data;

time data;

date data;

location data;

or

biometrics data.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

activating a communication device to establish a communication session with the recipient, when the recipient responds to the message.