Method and system for monitoring the activity of a subject within spatial temporal and/or behavioral parameters

• US 9,501,919 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elisabeth Laett, Laurent Ruhlmann
• Original Assignee: Elisabeth Laett, Laurent Ruhlmann
• Inventors: Ruhlmann, Laurent, Laett, Elisabeth
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US13/418,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20120229634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0476 Cameras to detect unsafe condition, e.g. video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring a subject within a defined spatial environment in order to signal the activity status of subject within the environment to a remote user comprise providing a virtual representation and a virtual model of the subject and the environment respectively. The foregoing can be performed by a camera which is linked to a controller for translating the captured images into virtual versions. The activities of the subject are assigned activity statuses. Hence, assessing the activities of the virtual subject within the virtual environment and comparing this activity to previously assigned statuses provides for determining the activity status of the subject within the environment and communicating this information to a remote user via an interface linked to the controller.

Claims

1. A method of remotely monitoring physical movement activity of a patient suffering from dementia, the patient being placed within a defined spatial environment comprising a room including at least one furniture element therein, the room defining a living space for allowing the patient to freely move therein as desired, the method comprising:

(a) continuously capturing a real time image of the defined spatial environment;

(b) continuously translating in real time the captured image in (a) into a virtual 3-D model thereof;

(c) continuously capturing a real-time image of the patient throughout the environment without placing monitoring elements on the patient and without invasive physical or video observation of the patient so as to respect the privacy thereof within the environment;

(d) continuously translating in real time the captured image in (c) into a real-time 3-D avatar of the patient within the virtual 3-D model of the environment, wherein the real time physical activity of the patient throughout and in relation to the defined spatial environment is translated into real-time movement of the avatar throughout and in relation to the virtual 3-D model;

(e) providing continuous automated monitoring of the real time movement of the avatar within the virtual 3-D model without direct physical or video observation of the patient, the automated monitoring comprising;

assigning a given activity status to a movement of the avatar throughout and in relation to the virtual 3-D model which is a translation of a given physical movement activity of the patient throughout and in relation to the defined spatial environment thereby providing a computer memory of predetermined avatar activities classified according to an activity status codification, wherein assigning a given activity status to a movement of the avatar comprises grading the movement according to pre-determined behavioral parameters, wherein the pre-determined behavioral parameters of a movement of the avatar are dependent on the time of day, and the physical position of the patient throughout and in relation to the environment, wherein the virtual 3-D model is divided into zones, the presence of the avatar in a given zone is indicative of a given risk grade;

continuously assessing a real-time movement of the avatar throughout and in relation to the virtual 3-D model which is a translation of a physical movement activity of the patient throughout and in relation to the defined spatial environment; and

continuously comparing in real-time the assessed movement of the avatar throughout and in relation to the virtual 3-D model with the predetermined avatar activities classified according to an activity status codification thereby continuously and automatically determining an activity status in real-time of the patient within the defined spatial environment; and

transmitting in real time the determined activity status in (e) based on the activity status codification to a remote user thereby providing the remote user to ascertain the physical activity of the patient throughout and in relation to the environment without invasive physical or video observation of the patient so as to respect the privacy thereof within the environment.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein signaling the real-time activity status comprises transmitting the determined activity status in real-time to the remote user.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein transmitting the determined activity status in real-time to the remote user comprises transmitting an activity identifying signal to the remote user via a user interface.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising assigning a given alarm signal to a given activity status.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising transmitting the given alarm signal to the patient in real-time.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising transmitting the given alarm signal to the remote user in real-time.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a set of repetitive behaviour patterns of the avatar during automated monitoring; and

adjusting the predetermined behavioural parameters based on the repetitive behaviour patterns.

8. A system of remotely monitoring physical movement activity of a patient suffering from dementia, the patient being placed within a defined spatial environment comprising a room including at least one furniture element therein, the room defining a living space for allowing the patient to freely move therein as desired, the system comprising:

at least one camera for continuously capturing a real time image of the defined spatial environment and continuously capturing a real-time image of the patient throughout the environment,

a controller in communication with the camera for receiving in real-time the captured image of the environment and the patient, the controller continuously translating in real time the captured image of the environment into a virtual 3-D model thereof and continuously translating in real time the captured image of the patient into a real-time 3-D avatar thereof of within the virtual 3-D model of the environment, wherein the real time physical activity of the patient throughout and in relation to the defined spatial environment is translated into real-time movement of the avatar throughout and in relation to the virtual 3-D model,

the controller providing for continuous automated monitoring of the real time movement of the avatar within the virtual 3-D model without direct physical or video observation of the patient so as to respect the privacy thereof within the environment, the controller comprises a memory of a plurality of predetermined activities classified according to an activity status codification, each activity status corresponding to a respective given movement of the avatar throughout and in relation to the virtual 3-D model which represents a given physical movement activity of the patient throughout and in relation to the defined spatial environment based on pre-determined behavioral parameters dependent on the time of day and the physical position of the patient throughout and in relation to the environment, wherein the virtual 3-D model is divided into zones, the presence of the avatar in a given zone is indicative of a given risk grade,

the automated monitoring comprising the controller performing the steps of;

continuously assessing a real-time movement of the avatar throughout and in relation to the virtual 3-D model which is a translation of a physical movement activity of the patient throughout and in relation to the defined spatial environment; and

continuously comparing in real-time the assessed movement of the avatar throughout and in relation to the virtual 3-D model with the predetermined avatar activities classified according to an activity status codification thereby continuously and automatically determining an activity status in real-time of the patient within the defined spatial environment; and

a user interface in communication with the controller for receiving in real time the determined activity status based on the activity status codification thereby providing a remote user to ascertain the physical activity of the patient throughout and in relation to the environment without invasive physical or video observation of the patient so as to respect the privacy thereof within the environment.

9. A system according to claim 8, further comprising an alarm device being in communication with the controller and being positioned within the environment for receiving the determined activity status and producing a predetermined signal associated with the determined activity status.

10. A system according to claim 9, further comprising a remote alarm device in communication with the controller and being positioned at the user interface for receiving the determined activity status and producing a predetermined signal associated with the determined activity status.

11. An information processing system comprising:

a main controller; and

a plurality of monitoring systems according to claim 8 wherein each controller thereof is in communication with the main controller for transmitting information regarding;

(a) the assessment of the real-time determined activity status of the patient within the environment, (b) the receipt of the determined activity status by the interface and (C) any response to a determined activity status.