Method and system for remotely monitoring a user

• US 8,952,806 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Resource Consortium Limited, LLC
• Original Assignee: Resource Consortium Limited
• Inventors: Humbard, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US14/022,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20140009283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.12, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/500, 340/540, 340/10.1, 340/693.5, 340/691.1, 600/300, 600/301, 128/903
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0283 via a telephone network, e.g. cellular GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/04 responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons G08B21/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/088 by monitoring a device worn by the person, e.g. a bracelet attached to the swimmer
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability

Abstract

A subscription system and corresponding method of operation for monitoring user'"'"'s well-being is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing, at a user monitor module, a first indicator for the user well-being; providing, at a receiving module operably coupled to the user monitor module, a first threshold for the first indicator; receiving, at the receiving module, the first indication; comparing the first indication and the first threshold; generating a secondary indication when the comparison indicates that the first indication equals or exceeds the first threshold; receiving, at a supervisory module coupled to the receiver module, the secondary indication; and informing a supervisor that the first threshold has been reached.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a user, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one portable device, a plurality of indicators from a monitor device, at least one of the indicators corresponding to a physical characteristic of the user as monitored by the monitor device;

identifying, by the portable device, a threshold value for each of the plurality of indicators;

comparing, by the portable device, each of the plurality of indicators to its respective threshold value;

generating, by the portable device, an alert if the comparison indicates that at least one of the plurality of indicators meets or exceeds its respective threshold value; and

displaying, by the portable device, each of the plurality of indicators and a representation of the corresponding physical characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying further comprises displaying, by the one or more portable devices, the alert.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving via Bluetooth wireless communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more portable devices comprises a Bluetooth-compatible mobile phone and the receiving further comprises receiving, via Bluetooth wireless communication.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the portable device, that the plurality of indicators has not been received by the portable device within a predetermined time period;

requesting, by the portable device, that the plurality of indicators be transmitted by the monitor device; and

receiving, by the portable device, the plurality of indicators from the monitor device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a first indicator of the plurality of indicators corresponds to movement of the user and a second indicator of the plurality of indicators corresponds to a measure of the user'"'"'s pulse.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the portable device, that first indicator meets or exceeds a motion threshold and the second indicator meets or exceeds a pulse threshold; and

delaying, by the portable device, transmission of the alert for a predetermined time period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a first indicator of the plurality of indicators corresponds to a measure of ambient pressure and a second indicator of the plurality of indicators corresponds to measure of moisture.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the portable device, that the first indicator meets or exceeds a pressure threshold or the second indicator meets or exceeds a moisture threshold, wherein the alert comprises a drowning warning.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a first indicator of the plurality of indicators corresponds to a measure of the user'"'"'s blood glucose level.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising;

identifying, by the portable device, a baseline glucose level; and

setting, by the portable device, a threshold value corresponding to the first indicator based on the baseline glucose level.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a first indicator of the plurality of indicators corresponds to a measure of the user'"'"'s skin temperature.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining, by the portable device, a baseline skin temperature; and

setting, by the one or more computers, a threshold value corresponding to the first indicator based on the baseline skin temperature.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the portable device, a geographic location of the monitor device.

15. An article of manufacture for method for monitoring physical characteristics of a user, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable, non-transitory medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of indicators from a monitor device, at least one of the indicators corresponding to a physical characteristic of the user as monitored by the monitor device;

identifying a threshold value for each of the plurality of indicators;

comparing each of the plurality of indicators to its respective threshold value;

generating an alert if the comparison indicates that at least one of the plurality of indicators meets or exceeds its respective threshold value; and

displaying each of the plurality of indicators and a representation of the corresponding physical characteristic.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the displaying further comprises displaying, by the one or more portable devices, the alert.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, the method further comprising:

detecting tampering of at least a portion of the monitor device; and

generating an alarm in response to the detection of tampering.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15, the method further comprising:

determining that the message has not been received within a predetermined time period;

requesting that the plurality of indicators be transmitted by the monitor device; and

receiving the plurality of indicators from the monitor device.

19. A system for monitoring physical characteristics of a user, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a plurality of indicators from a monitor device, at least one of the indicators corresponding to a physical characteristic of the user as monitored by the monitor device;

a computer processor configured to identify a threshold value for each of the plurality of indicators, compare each of the plurality of indicators to its respective threshold value, and generate a message if the comparison indicates that at least one of the plurality of indicators meets or exceeds its respective threshold value; and

a display configured to display each of the plurality of indicators and a representation of the corresponding physical characteristic.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive via Bluetooth wireless communication.