Non-contact monitoring system and method thereof

• US 9,766,332 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Ho, Chien-Ting, Kuo, Yen-Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Brainard, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US14/566,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20160170017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 342114, 342 28, 342 53, 342 61
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/56 for presence detection presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/886 for alarm systems alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/415 Identification of targets based on measurements of movement associated with the target
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1645 using ultrasonic detection means and other detection means, e.g. microwave or infrared radiation

Abstract

The present invention provides a non-contact monitoring system, including: a radar detection module, an infrared sensing module, a micro control unit and a communication module. The radar detection module transmits a radar detection signal via the radar antenna to an area, receives a radar reflection signal from the area, and transmits the radar reflection signal to the micro control unit. The infrared sensing module detects a heat source of an organism in the area, and transmits an infrared sensing signal to the micro control unit. The micro control unit receives and processes the radar reflection signal transmitted by the radar detection module and the infrared sensing signal transmitted by the infrared sensing module, and transmits an alarm signal to the communication module. The communication module receives the alarm signal transmitted by the micro control unit, and transmits the alarm signal to a remote monitoring end via the antenna.

Claims

1. A non-contact monitoring system, comprising:

a radar detection module respectively connected to a radar antenna and a micro control unit, wherein the radar detection module transmits a radar detection signal via the radar antenna to an area, receives a radar reflection signal from the area via the radar antenna, and transmits the radar reflection signal to the micro control unit; and

an infrared sensing module connected to the micro control unit, wherein the infrared sensing module detects a heat source of an organism in the area and transmits an infrared sensing signal to the micro control unit;

wherein the micro control unit is respectively connected to the radar detection module, the infrared sensing module and a communication module;

the micro control unit receives and processes the radar reflection signal transmitted by the radar detection module and the infrared sensing signal transmitted by the infrared sensing module, and transmits an alarm signal to the communication module;

wherein the communication module is respectively connected to the micro control unit and an antenna;

the communication module receives the alarm signal transmitted by the micro control unit, and transmits the alarm signal to a remote monitoring end via the antenna;

wherein when one of the radar detection module and the infrared sensing module detects that an emergency situation has happened to the organism, the micro control unit transmits the alarm signal to the communication module and activates the radar detection module to detect vital signs information of the organism.

2. The non-contact monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the vital signs information is wiredly or wirelessly transmitted to the remote monitoring end by the communication module.

3. The non-contact monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the vital signs information includes a movement of a chest cavity of the organism when the organism is breathing, and includes a heart rhythm of the heartbeat of the organism.

4. The non-contact monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency situation includes falling of the organism and abnormal movements of the organism.

5. The non-contact monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the organism is one of the following:

a human body and an animal body.

6. The non-contact monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the area is one of the following:

a bathroom, a restroom and a kitchen.

7. The non-contact monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the remote monitoring end is one of the following:

a smart phone, a hospital and a care center.

8. The non-contact monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one microphone connected to an audio encoder/decoder for receiving a first audio signal from the organism;

a speaker connected to the audio encoder/decoder for playing a second audio signal transmitted by the remote monitoring end;

wherein the audio encoder/decoder is respectively connected to the at least one microphone, the speaker, the micro control unit and a power module;

the audio encoder/decoder encodes the first audio signal and decodes the second audio signal;

wherein the power module is respectively connected to the radar detection module, the infrared sensing module, the micro control unit, the communication module and the audio encoder/decoder;

the power module provides power to the non-contact monitoring system and the audio encoder/decoder;

wherein the communication module transmits the first audio signal to the remote monitoring end via the antenna, and the communication module receives the second audio signal transmitted by the remote monitoring end via the antenna.

9. The non-contact monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein the communication module wiredly or wirelessly transmits the first audio signal to the remote monitoring end.

10. The non-contact monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein the communication module wiredly or wirelessly receives the second audio signal transmitted by the remote monitoring end.

11. The non-contact monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein the power module comprises an AC/DC converter which directly connects the power module to an AC power source.

12. The non-contact monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein the power module is a rechargeable battery.

13. A non-contact monitoring method, comprising the following steps:

activating an infrared sensing module while turning on an infrared sensing function of a non-contact monitoring system to detect if an organism is present in an area;

using the infrared sensing module to transmit an infrared sensing signal to a micro control unit of the non-contact monitoring system, and using the micro control unit to determine whether the organism is present in the area;

wherein if the micro control unit determines that the organism is not present in the area, then return to the previous step;

wherein if the micro control unit determines that the organism is present in the area, then proceed to the next step;

activating the infrared sensing module and a radar detection module while turning on a radar detection function and the infrared sensing function of the non-contact monitoring system to monitor the movement of the organism in the area;

proceeding to next step when one of the radar detection module and the infrared sensing module detects that an emergency situation has happened to the organism;

transmitting an alarm signal to a remote monitoring end with the micro control unit and a communication module of the non-contact monitoring system while activating a microphone and a speaker to perform a two-way voice communication between the organism and the remote monitoring end; and

detecting vital signs information of the organism with the radar detection module, and transmitting the vital signs information to the remote monitoring end via the communication module.

14. The non-contact monitoring method according to claim 13, wherein the vital signs information includes a movement of a chest cavity of the organism when the organism is breathing, and includes a heart rhythm of the heartbeat of the organism.

15. The non-contact monitoring method according to claim 13, wherein the emergency situation includes falling of the organism and abnormal movements of the organism.

16. The non-contact monitoring method according to claim 13, wherein the organism is one of the following:

a human body, and an animal body.

17. The non-contact monitoring method according to claim 13, wherein the area is one of the following:

a bathroom, a restroom, and a kitchen.

18. The non-contact monitoring method according to claim 13, wherein the remote monitoring end is one of the following:

a smart phone, a hospital, and a care center.