Detecting and notifying of various potential hazards

• US 9,858,794 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McCleary, Donald W., Rosato, Sal M., Uchidiuno, Judith O., Wang, Xiying, Weisz, Justin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase, Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US14/672,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20160292988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0406 specially shaped apparatus housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6802 Sensor mounted on worn items
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• 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 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for detecting and notifying of various potential hazards may include receiving a plurality of biometric data values by a first set of sensors of a sensing device. The biometric data values may correspond to a health state of a person. A plurality of environmental data values may be received by a second set of sensors of the sensing device. The environmental data values may correspond to a safety state of an environment that the person is in. The sensing device may compare the plurality of biometric data and environmental data values against respective models of biometric and environmental threshold data values that indicate a likelihood of a person or environment in an unhealthy or unsafe state. The sensing device may notify one or more communication devices if at least one of the biometric or environmental data values exceeds at least one of the threshold data values.

Claims

1. A method for detecting and notifying of various potential hazards, comprising:

receiving a plurality of biometric data values by a first set of sensors of a sensing device, the biometric data values corresponding to a health state of a person;

receiving a plurality of environmental data values by a second set of sensors of the sensing device, the environmental data values corresponding to a safety state of an environment that the person is in, wherein at least one of the plurality of biometric sensors or at least one of the plurality of environmental sensors include one or more apertures lined with conductive material, and wherein a conductive threading configured to pass through the one or more apertures on the conductive material to sew the at least one of the plurality of biometric sensors or the at least one of the plurality of environmental sensors to a wearable article, and wherein the conductive threading further provides a transfer medium for transferring data from the at least one of the plurality of biometric sensors or the at least one of the plurality of environmental sensors to a processor;

comparing, by the sensing device, the plurality of biometric data values against a respective model of biometric data values and comparing, by the sensing device, the plurality of environmental data values against a respective model of environmental data values, the respective model of biometric data values specifying threshold data values that indicate a likelihood of a person in an unhealthy state and the respective model of environmental data values specifying threshold data values that indicate a likelihood that an environment is in an unsafe state;

in response to the comparing, determining that at least one of the biometric data values or the environmental data values exceeds at least one of the threshold data values; and

notifying one or more communication devices based on the determining that the at least one of the biometric data values or the environmental data values exceeds the at least one of the threshold data values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notifying one or more communication devices includes notifying, by the sensing device, the sensing device, the notifying includes causing a first set of LEDs of a plurality of LEDs within the sensing device to flash in response to the determining at least one of the biometric data values exceeds at least one of the threshold data values that indicates a likelihood of a person in an unhealthy state, the sensing device further including a second set of LEDs of the plurality of LEDS that are configured to flash in response to determining a likelihood that the person is in a second unhealthy state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the plurality of biometric data values includes receiving data values indicating a galvanic skin response (GSR) of the person wearing the sensing device as an article of clothing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the plurality of environmental data values includes receiving data values indicating air pressure of the environment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the comparing, determining, by the sensing device, that at least one of the environmental data values exceeds the threshold data values that indicates a likelihood that an environment is in an unsafe state; and

notifying, by the sensing device, one or more communication devices that the environmental data values exceeds at least one of the threshold data values that indicates a likelihood that an environment is in an unsafe state.

6. A sensing device for detecting and notifying of various hazards, comprising:

a plurality of biometric sensors configured to receive a plurality of biometric data values corresponding to a health state of a person, wherein the plurality of biometric sensors includes at least a gyroscope sensor configured to measure an angular velocity of the person;

a plurality of environmental sensors configured to receive a plurality of environmental data values corresponding to a safety state of an environment that the person is in;

conductive threading configured to stitch-fasten at least the plurality of biometric sensors and the plurality of environmental sensors to an article of clothing, and further configured to provide communication channels for the plurality of biometric sensors and the plurality of environmental sensors;

an analysis module configured to compare the plurality of biometric data values against a respective model of biometric data values, and further configured to compare the plurality of environmental data values against a respective model of environmental data values, the respective model of biometric data values specifying threshold data values that indicate a likelihood of a person in an unhealthy state and the respective model of environmental data values specifying threshold data values that indicate a likelihood that an environment is in an unsafe state; and

an alert module configured to notify one or more communication devices when the environmental data values or biometric data values exceeds the threshold data values that indicates a likelihood of a person in an unhealthy state or the threshold data values that indicates a likelihood that an environment is in an unsafe state.

7. The sensing device of claim 6, wherein the article of clothing is a sweat armband, wherein a first portion of the sensing device is covered and encased by the armband and a second portion of the sensing device protrudes out from the armband, the first portion that is covered includes the conductive threading and the processor, the second portion that is not covered includes at least one sensor.

8. The sensing device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of biometric sensors includes an accelerometer sensor configured to determine an acceleration rate of the person.

9. The sensing device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of environmental sensors includes a microphone configured to determine a noise level of the environment.

10. The sensing device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of environmental sensors includes a temperature sensor configured to determine an ambient temperature of the environment.

11. The sensing device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of biometric sensors includes a pulse oximeter sensor configured to determine an oxygen saturation level, a respiration rate, and a heart rate of the person.

12. The sensing device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of environmental sensors includes an electromagnetic sensor configured to determine an ambient light intensity, an ultraviolet light intensity, and a gamma ray intensity of the environment.

13. The sensing device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of environmental sensors includes a sensor configured to measure a toxic gas level of the environment.

14. The sensing device of claim 6, wherein the alert module includes a radio configured to perform the notifying of one or more communication devices by transmitting a signal to the one or more communication devices specifying that the environment is likely in an unsafe state or the person is likely in an unhealthy state.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising computer readable program code configured for:

receiving a plurality of biometric data values by a first set of sensors of a sensing device, the first set of sensors being included with a plurality of sensors, the sensing device including a processor on a microcontroller board and the plurality of sensors, the microcontroller board and the plurality of sensors being sewn, with conductive threading, to a wearable item, wherein the biometric data values corresponding to a health state of a person, wherein the first set of sensors includes at least a gyroscope sensor to measure an angular velocity of the person;

receiving a plurality of environmental data values by a second set of sensors of the plurality of sensors, the environmental data values corresponding to a safety state of an environment that the person is in, wherein the second set of sensors includes at least a sensor to measure a toxic gas level of the environment;

comparing, by the sensing device, the plurality of biometric data values against a respective model of biometric data values and comparing, by the sensing device, the plurality of environmental data values against a respective model of environmental data values, the respective model of biometric data values specifying threshold data values that indicate a likelihood of a person in an unhealthy state and the respective model of environmental data values specifying threshold data values that indicate a likelihood that an environment is in an unsafe state;

in response to the comparing, whether any of the biometric data values or the environmental data values exceed the threshold data values; and

notifying one or more communication devices based on the whether any of the biometric data values or the environmental data values exceed the threshold data values.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the receiving of the plurality of environmental data values includes receiving data values indicating a flammability level of the environment the first user is in.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the notifying of one or more communication devices includes transmitting a signal to a mobile phone, the signal specifying that the biometric data values indicate a likelihood that the person is in a healthy state and the signal specifying that the environmental data values indicate a likelihood that the environment is in a safe state.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the one or more communication devices includes the sensing device.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the notifying of one or more communication devices includes providing a visual feedback notification to the sensing device via one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) located within the sensing device.