Motion sensing necklace system

• US 9,805,577 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2013
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NICE North America LLC
• Original Assignee: Nortek Security & Control LLC (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Inventors: Haflinger, James J., Sweeney, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): YANG, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US14/072,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20150123785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 340500, 340531, 3405391, 34053911, 340 41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait

Abstract

A motion sensing necklace comprising includes a pendant attached to lower ends of two lanyards. The pendant includes a help button for a user to generate a signal for help, and a battery to power the motion sensing necklace. A neck strap is attached to upper ends of the first and second lanyards. Two motion sensors are located within opposing ends of the neck strap. A microprocessor located within the neck strap processes signals from the motion sensors to determine whether motion has occurred. A transmitter or transceiver located within the neck strap transmits motion detection signals and alerts generated by the microprocessor.

Claims

1. A motion sensing necklace system comprising:

at least two motion sensors coupled to a necklace, wherein when the necklace is worn by a user, the motion sensors are configured to be located on opposed and offset sides of a neck of the user, and the motion sensors are configured to sense respective different left and right side motion information about a particular motion of the user over a first duration and, in response, generate respective different time-varying left and right side motion profiles, wherein each of the motion profiles includes motion information corresponding to multiple different instances over the first duration, and wherein the particular motion of the user includes a weight shift from one side of the user'"'"'s body to the other;

a microprocessor configured to receive the respective different time-varying left and right side motion profiles, process the received motion profiles together to determine a comprehensive movement profile associated with the user wherein the comprehensive movement profile corresponds to the same particular motion of the user over the first duration that includes the weight shift from one side of the user'"'"'s body to the other, and compare subsequent sensor information with the comprehensive movement profile to provide a comparison result, wherein the subsequent sensor information includes signals later received from the same motion sensors and includes motion information corresponding to multiple different instances over a different second duration; and

a transmitter configured to transmit signals or alerts generated by the microprocessor and based on the comparison result.

2. The motion sensing necklace system of claim 1, further comprising a pendant attached to lower ends of first and second lanyards, the pendant including a help button and a battery;

and

a neck strap attached to upper ends of the first and second lanyards, wherein the at least two motion sensors are located at opposing ends of the neck strap.

3. The motion sensing necklace system of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor and the transmitter are located within the neck strap between the at least two motion sensors.

4. The motion sensing necklace system of claim 2, further comprising conductive wiring extending through the first lanyard between the pendant and the neck strap, such that the help button and battery are conductively connected to one or more of the motion sensor, microprocessor and transmitter.

5. The motion sensing necklace system of claim 4, further comprising a breakaway safety clasp between the second lanyard and the pendant, wherein the breakaway safety clasp triggers an alarm when the clasp is disconnected.

6. The motion sensing necklace system of claim 1, wherein the motion sensors are selected from a group consisting of accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers and altimeters.

7. The motion sensing necklace system of claim 1, further comprising biometric sensors that are coupled to the necklace.

8. The motion sensing necklace system of claim 7, wherein the biometric sensors measure one or more of body temperature, pulse rate, oxygen saturation level and blood pressure.

9. The motion sensing necklace system of claim 8, wherein the microprocessor is configured to generate an alert based on predetermined biometric data thresholds or measurements made by the biometric sensors.

10. The motion sensing necklace system of claim 1, and further comprising contacts in the neck strap or the pendant to determine whether the necklace is being worn by the user.

13. The motion sensing necklace system of claim 4, further comprising an antenna embedded within the second lanyard and extending from the transmitter in the neck strap toward the pendant.

14. The motion sensing necklace system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is configured to identify a user fall event based on the comparison result.

15. The motion sensing necklace system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is configured to identify an abnormal user condition based on the comparison result.

16. The motion sensing necklace system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is configured to indicate a predicted fall event based on the comparison result.

11. A motion sensing necklace comprising:

a pendant attached to lower ends of first and second lanyards;

the pendant including a battery to power the motion sensing necklace;

a neck strap attached to upper ends of the first and second lanyards;

at least two motion sensors located within the neck strap at opposed and offset sides of a neck when the necklace is worn, the motion sensors configured to sense respective different left and right side motion information about a particular motion of a user over a first duration and, in response, generate respective different time-varying left and right side motion profiles, wherein each of the motion profiles includes motion information corresponding to multiple different instances over the first duration, and wherein the particular motion of the user includes a weight shift from one side of the user'"'"'s body to the other;

a microprocessor located within the neck strap that processes the respective different time-varying left and right side motion profiles from the motion sensors to determine a user-specific comprehensive movement profile that corresponds to the same particular motion of the user over the first duration that includes the weight shift from one side of the user'"'"'s body to the other, and to determine whether abnormal user motion has occurred by using a comparison of the user-specific comprehensive movement profile and subsequent sensor information to provide a comparison result, wherein the subsequent sensor information includes signals later received from the same motion sensors and each of the signals includes motion information corresponding to multiple different instances over a different second duration;

a transmitter located within the neck strap that transmits motion detection signals and alerts generated by the microprocessor;

conductive wiring extending through the first lanyard between the pendant and the neck strap, such that the help button and battery are conductively connected to the motion sensor, microprocessor and transmitter; and

an antenna embedded within the second lanyard and extending from the neck strap towards the pendant.

12. The motion sensing necklace of claim 11, further comprising a breakaway safety clasp between the second lanyard and the pendant, wherein connectors of the breakaway safety clasp form a portion of a sensor that is configured to trigger an alarm when the connectors are disconnected.

17. The motion sensing necklace of claim 11, wherein the microprocessor is configured to generate a fall event prediction based on the user-specific movement profile and information received from both motion sensors.