Mobile panic button for health monitoring system

• US 8,890,656 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pomdevices, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pomdevices, LLC
• Inventors: Pendse, Ajit
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/218,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20120052833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.5, 340/3.1, 340/540, 340/573.1, 455/404.1, 455/556.1, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 340/7.5
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/33 using wide area network [WAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

In one example, a mobile device with a panic button includes a surface structured to removably engage a surface of a docking station. The mobile device includes a first interface to communicatively couple the mobile device to the docking station at least when the surfaces are engaged, the first interface comprising a short range wireless transceiver or an electrical connector to make contact an electrical connector of the docking station. The mobile device includes a second interface comprising a long range wireless radio. A processing device of the mobile device is configured to relay messages between the docking station and a remote caregiver computing device using the first and second interfaces to enable synchronization between the mobile device and the docking station.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a mobile device associated with a patient and including a panic button for operation by the patient, the mobile device configured to wirelessly transmit an emergency message to at least one destination device responsive to actuation of the panic button;

a docking station having a surface structured to removably engage a surface of the mobile device;

a wired or short range wireless first interface on the docking station, the first interface configured to communicatively couple the docking station to the mobile device;

a long range wireless second interface on the mobile device, the second interface configured to communicatively couple the mobile device to a remote network; and

a processing device operating within the docking station, the processing device configured to establish a logical connection with a remote caregiver computing device via the remote network using the first interface and the second interface of the mobile device in response to the mobile device communicatively coupling to the docking station;

wherein the processing device is configured to synchronize with the caregiver computing device and the mobile device, the synchronization with the caregiver computing device using the logical connection and including at least one of sending or receiving first information related to the patient, the synchronization with the mobile device including sending second information to the mobile device, wherein the second information is based on the first information, wherein the second information includes data to be inserted into the emergency message or data to be utilized by the mobile device to transmit the emergency message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second information includes a target address setting of the mobile device that is taken from a value included in the first information, the target address setting controlling a destination of the emergency message.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

receive a plurality of first communications, each first communication including data indicative of activity of a patient using the mobile device that was captured at a corresponding first time;

receive a plurality of second communications, each second communication including data indicative of activity of the patient using a local or remote device that was captured at a corresponding second time;

identify a trend based on information from the collected first and second communications; and

analyze data received in a new communication from at least one of the mobile device and the local or remote device based on the identified trend;

wherein the at least one of the first information or the second information is based on a result of the analysis.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the panic button comprises a push button.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the docking station includes an integrated display screen display and the mobile device does not include an integrated display screen.

6. A mobile device, comprising:

a panic button;

a processing device coupled to the panic button, the processing device configured to wirelessly transmit an emergency message for a patient associated with the mobile device to at least one destination device responsive to actuation of the panic button;

a surface encasing the processing device, at least a portion of the surface structured to removably engage a surface of a docking station;

a first interface coupled to the processing device and configured to communicatively couple the mobile device to the docking station, the first interface comprising a short range wireless transceiver or an electrical connector to make contact with an electrical connector of the docking station;

a long range wireless second interface coupled to the processing device and configured to communicatively couple the mobile device to a remote network;

the processing device further configured to relay first information related to the patient between the docking station and a remote caregiver computing device using the first and second interfaces over a logical connection extending from or to the remote caregiver communication device to or from the docking station via the remote network, wherein the logical connection is established in response to the mobile device communicatively coupling to the docking station; and

the processing device further configured to receive second information from the docking station, wherein the second information is based on the first information, and wherein the second information includes data to be inserted into the emergency message or data to be utilized by the processing device to transmit the emergency message.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

update a local target address setting according to a value taken from the second information;

wherein the local target address setting controls a destination of the emergency message.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the second information comprises a result of a trend analysis by the docking station.

9. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the surface has integrated thereon a means for attaching the mobile device to the mobile device user or to an article of clothing.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the attaching means comprises a hoop or a clip.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing device; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to;

establish a first connection to a mobile device responsive to the mobile device communicatively coupling to the processing device;

wherein the mobile device is associated with a patient and includes a panic button for operation by the patient, the mobile device to wirelessly transmit an emergency message to at least one destination device responsive to actuation of the panic button;

responsive to establishing the first connection, establish a second connection with a remote caregiver computing device through the mobile device using a long range wireless transmitter of the mobile device, wherein the second connection comprises a logical connection extending between the processing device and the remote caregiver computing device;

response to establishing the second connection using the long range wireless transmitter of the mobile device, synchronize with the remote caregiver computing device over said second connection, the synchronization with the remote caregiver computing device including at least one of sending or receiving first information related to the patient; and

synchronize with the mobile device including sending second information to the mobile device, wherein the second information is based on the first information, wherein the second information includes data to be inserted into the emergency message or data to be utilized by the mobile device to transmit the emergency message.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a more extensive user output interface than the mobile device.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the panic button comprises a push button.