Wearable health monitoring system

• US 9,357,921 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Hisao M., Ji, Lusheng, Renger, Bernard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): JIAN, SHIRLEY XUEYING
• Application Number:
  US12/580,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20110092779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,426 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/07 Home care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4803 Speech analysis specially adapted for diagnostic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4875 Hydration status, fluid retention of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed which relate to remotely monitoring the health of an individual. The individual wears a health monitoring device, with an attached strap, capable of sensing characteristics of the individual. These characteristics may include voice level and tone, movements, blood pressure, temperature, etc. The device allows individuals to constantly monitor their health without having to physically visit a doctor or other health care professional. Wireless communication, for instance with an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) set-top box, allows measurements to be made and evaluated by a ‘computerized’ healthcare service provider. For a more accurate evaluation, measurements are sent over the INTERNET to a service. The device communicates with services in order to diagnose the individual based upon the characteristics.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a memory that stores executable instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

a wireless transceiver in communication with the processor, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the instructions, facilitates performance of operations comprising;

capturing a first input representing a baseline health performance sample of a user of the device;

receiving a request for a new health performance sample from a set-top box device by way of the wireless transceiver;

capturing a second input representing the new health performance sample according to the request, wherein the first and second inputs comprises measurements corresponding to movement of a health monitoring device relative to the set-top box device, wherein the movement is determined according to a time difference of arrival at the health monitoring device between two signals originating at the set-top box device;

comparing the second input representing the new health performance sample to the first input representing the baseline health performance sample to determine a difference in user health performance;

determining a health condition of the user based on the difference in user health performance; and

transmitting information regarding the health condition to the set-top box device by way of the wireless transceiver for reporting to an internet protocol television network.

2. The device in claim 1, wherein the health condition comprises one of mental function, physical function, pulmonary function, or state of consciousness, and wherein a first signal of the two signals originating at the set-top box device comprises a data packet and a second signal of the two signals originating at the set-top box device comprises an audio tone, wherein a distance between the health monitoring device and the set-top box device is determined according to a time difference of arrival between the first and second signals at the health monitoring device.

3. The device in claim 1, wherein the first input representing the baseline health performance sample comprises a first voice sample of the user and wherein the second input representing the new health performance comprises a second voice sample and further comprising a microphone to capture the first voice sample and the second voice sample.

4. The device in claim 1, wherein the first input representing the baseline performance sample comprises a first movement sample of the user and wherein the second input representing the new performance comprises a second movement sample.

5. The device in claim 4, wherein the health monitoring device comprises an accelerometer adapted for capturing the first movement sample and the second movement sample.

6. The device in claim 1, further comprising:

uploading the baseline health performance sample by way of the internet protocol television network;

receiving another request for a subsequent performance sample of the user from the set-top box device by way of a wireless communication link to the set-top box device;

capturing the subsequent performance sample of the user by way of the health monitoring device;

downloading the baseline health performance sample by way of the internet protocol television network, resulting in a downloaded baseline health performance sample;

comparing the subsequent performance sample to the downloaded baseline performance sample to determine an updated difference of user performance;

determining an updated health condition of the user based on the updated difference in user health performance; and

transmitting information regarding the health condition to the set-top box device by way of the wireless transceiver for reporting to the internet protocol television network.

7. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving a request for a performance sample of a user from a set-top box by way of a wireless communication link to the set-top box, wherein the performance sample comprises a measurement corresponding to a movement of a sensor, wherein the sensor is in communication with the set-top box, relative to the set-top box, wherein the movement is determined according to a time difference of arrival at the sensor between two signals originating at the set-top box;

capturing the performance sample of the user by way of the sensor;

comparing the performance sample to a baseline performance sample to determine a difference of user performance;

determining a condition of the user based upon the difference in user performance; and

transmitting the condition of the user to the set-top box by way of the wireless communication link for reporting to an internet protocol television network.

8. The machine-readable storage medium in claim 7, wherein the performance sample comprises a vocal signal.

9. The machine-readable storage medium in claim 8, wherein the sensor comprises a microphone.

10. The machine-readable storage medium in claim 7, wherein the performance sample comprises a movement signal, wherein a first signal of the two signals originating at the set-top box comprises a data packet and a second signal of the two signals originating at the set-top box comprises an audio tone, wherein a distance between the sensor and the set-top box is determined according to a time difference of arrival between the first and second signals at the sensor.

11. The machine-readable storage medium in claim 10, wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer.

12. The machine-readable storage medium in claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise presenting the request for the performance sample to the user by way of an audio speaker, wherein the audio speaker is associated with the set-top box.

13. The machine-readable storage medium in claim 7, wherein the request for the performance sample originates from a doctor in communication with the set-top box by way of an application server of an internet protocol television network.

14. The machine-readable storage medium in claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

capturing a second performance sample by way of the sensor;

determining that the wireless communication link to the set-top box is not available; and

storing the second performance sample in a memory until the wireless communication link is available.

15. A method for monitoring health, the method comprising:

connecting, by a device comprising a processor, to a set-top box;

receiving, by the processor, a voice sample of a person via a microphone of the device;

evaluating, by the processor, the voice sample against a voice baseline to identify the person;

receiving, by the processor, an instruction from the set-top box;

instructing, by the processor, a performance of a physical move according to the instruction;

receiving, by the processor, a movement sample by way of a first sensor of the device, wherein the movement sample is determined relative to a position of the set-top box, wherein the movement is determined according to a time difference of arrival at the device between two signals originating at the set-top box;

evaluating, by the processor, the movement sample against a movement baseline for the person to determine a condition of the person; and

transmitting, by the processor, the condition to the set-top box.

16. The method in claim 15, further comprising capturing, by the processor, a health sample from the person by way of a second sensor of the device, and

wherein a first signal of the two signals originating at the set-top box comprises a data packet and a second signal of the two signals originating at the set-top box comprises an audio tone, wherein a distance between the device and the set-top box is determined according to a time difference of arrival between the first and second signals at the device.

17. The method in claim 16, wherein the health sample comprises one of a pulse, a blood oxygen level, a breathing pattern, a blood sugar level, or a blood pressure.

18. The method in claim 15, wherein the set-top box transmits the condition to an application server.

19. The method in claim 18, further comprising receiving, by the processor, a professional evaluation from a doctor in communication with the application server.

20. The method in claim 15, further comprising instructing, by the processor, the person to wear the device even outside a range of wireless communications with the set-top box.