Emergency detection and alert apparatus with floor elevation learning capabilities

• US 9,293,025 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2015
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jack K.E. Zhang
• Original Assignee: Jack K.E. Zhang
• Inventors: Zhang, Jack Ke
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US14/591,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20150269826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.12, 340/539.22, 340/506, 340/531, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/540, 340/541, 701/300, 701/468, 701/525
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• 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 21/0492 Sensor dual technology, i.e. two or more technologies collaborate to extract unsafe condition, e.g. video tracking and RFID tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A device that can facilitate monitoring a wearer of the device and alerting emergency personnel of an emergent event can comprise a first sensor configured to generate elevation data that represents an elevation of the device, a second sensor configured to collect vital sign data of the wearer, and a third sensor configured to generate a geographic position of the device. The device also includes a processor configured to determine an elevation of a floor, and a floor location of the device. The processor is also configured to detect an emergent event affecting the wearer based on the first or second sensor. The device also includes a transmitter configured to transmit an initial alert in response to detecting an emergent event. The transmitter also configured to transmit a secondary alert in response to generating the geographic position and determining the floor location of the device within a pre-set time period of the emergent event.

Claims

1. A wrist-worn apparatus configured to facilitate monitoring a wearer of the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a first sensor configured to generate elevation data that represents an elevation of the apparatus, the elevation data being time series data that represents the elevation of the apparatus at various times;

a second sensor configured to collect temperature data of the wearer;

a processor configured to;

determine, based on the elevation data, and the temperature data, elevations of multiple surfaces in a building,

detect, based on a particular surface elevation of the elevations of the multiple surfaces in the building and the temperature data of the wearer, an emergent situation affecting the wearer;

a third sensor configured to provide data representative of a geographical location of the apparatus; and

a transmitter configured to;

transmit an initial alert to emergency personnel in response to the processor detecting the emergent situation;

transmit a secondary alert to emergency personnel in response to the third sensor providing data within a pre-set time period of determining the emergent situation and the processor determining the floor location of the apparatus within the pre-set time period,

wherein the alert includes the data provided by the third sensor and the floor location of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth sensor configured to generate acceleration data that represents a magnitude of acceleration of the apparatus,

wherein the processor detecting an emergent situation affecting the wearer includes;

determining, based on the elevation data, an elevation of a floor surface located underneath the wearer and that the apparatus is vertically displaced from the floor surface by less than a threshold distance; and

determining that the acceleration data satisfies a fall condition.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor detecting an emergent situation affecting the wearer further includes:

determining that a portion of the acceleration data is similar to an acceleration profile determined based on testing or modeling, wherein the acceleration profile is determined based on a height input that represents the height of the wearer.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a different elevation of the floor surface located underneath the wearer, in response to changes in the elevation data generated by the first sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus further comprising:

an interface that facilitates activating an emergency communications feature, and

wherein the processor detecting an emergent situation affecting the wearer includes;

determining that the emergency communications feature is activated.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive weather information, wherein the processor is configured to generate a control signal based on the weather information, and wherein the first sensor is configured to generate elevation data based on ambient pressure and the control signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor detecting an emergent situation affecting the wearer further includes:

determining that the temperature data collected by the second sensor exceeds a pre-set maximum value or is less than a pre-set minimum value.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second sensor is a thermometer and the temperature data is a body temperature of the wearer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the initial alert is a voice-call transmitted via a cellular network.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the secondary alert is a text message transmitted via a cellular network.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor determining the elevations of the multiple surfaces in a building includes:

determining, based on at the data provided by the third sensor, that the apparatus is within a building;

storing data provided by the third sensor as time series data that represents the geographical location of the apparatus at various times.

12. A wrist-worn apparatus configured to facilitate monitoring a wearer of the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a first sensor configured to generate a first signal used to determine an elevation of the apparatus;

a second sensor configured to generate a second signal used to determine a geographic location of the apparatus;

a third sensor configured to generate a third signal used to detect a body temperature of the wearer;

a processor configured to;

determine a floor location of the apparatus with respect to each of multiple floors in a building, wherein determining a floor location is based on the first signal and the second signal; and

determine multiple floor elevations corresponding to the multiple floors of the building based on the first signal and the third signal;

detect, based on the third signal and at least one floor elevation of the multiple floor elevations, an emergent situation affecting the wearer;

a transmitter configured to;

transmit an initial alert in response to the processor detecting an emergent situation affecting the wearer; and

transmit a secondary alert that includes the geographic location of the apparatus and the floor location of the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

an interface that facilitates activating an emergency communications transmission by touching the interface,

wherein the processor detecting an emergent situation affecting the wearer includes;

detecting that the emergency communications transmission is activated.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor detecting an emergent situation affecting the person further includes:

determining that the temperature of the wearer, based on the third signal collected by the third sensor, exceeds a pre-set maximum value or is less than a pre-set minimum value.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, the processor configured to transmit a second alert includes:

receiving the second signal from the second processor in response to detecting the emergent situation affecting the wearer; and

determining the floor location in response to detecting an emergent situation affecting the person.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the secondary alert is a text message transmitted via a cellular network.

17. A method for monitoring a wearer of a wrist-worn device, the wrist-worn device having multiple sensors disposed therein, and the method comprising:

generating elevation data that represents an elevation of the device, the elevation data being time series data that represents the elevation of the device at various times;

generating temperature data that represents a temperature of the wearer;

determining, based on the elevation data and the temperature data, an elevation of a floor located underneath the wearer;

determining, based on elevations of multiple floors in a building and the wearer visiting the multiple floors, a floor location of the device;

generating location data the represents a geographical location of the device;

detecting, based on at least one of the multiple sensors, an emergent situation affecting the wearer; and

transmitting an initial alert in response to detecting an emergent situation affecting the wearer; and

transmitting a secondary alert that includes the location data and the floor location of the device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the initial alert is a voice-call transmitted via a cellular network.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the secondary alert is an SMS message transmitted via a cellular network.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating by a fourth sensor acceleration data that represents a magnitude of acceleration of the apparatus,

wherein detecting an emergent situation affecting the wearer includes;

determining, based on the elevation data, an elevation of a floor surface located underneath the wearer and that the apparatus is vertically displaced from the floor surface by less than a threshold distance.