Method and apparatus for pattern tracking
First Claim
1. A method for confirming ingestion of a medication pill by a patient, comprising:
- providing to a patient one or more instructions encouraging proper administration of a medication pill;
receiving one or more images by a camera associated with a computing apparatus of a patient ingesting a medication pill that is visible to the camera response to the one or more instructions;
performing a foreground detection process on the one or more images to determine a hand-pill-hand region by the computing apparatus;
performing image segmentation on the hand-pill-hand region to separate the determined hand portion of the hand-pill-hand region from the pill portion thereof by the computing apparatus;
providing to the patient, in response to a difficulty in performing image segmentation, and in response to the output of a proximity detector associated with the computing device, one or more instructions to bring the medication pill closer to the camera;
confirming the identity of the pill portion by comparing one or more characteristics of the pill portion to one or more corresponding characteristics of one or more reference images stored to a recording medium associated with the computing apparatus, thereby confirming an expected pill in the hand of the patient;
performing a further foreground detection process on the one or more images to determine a pill positioned in a patient'"'"'s mouth by recognizing the pill portion surrounded by an unbroken ring of color corresponding to the inner portion of the mouth of the patient by the computing apparatus;
wherein upon confirmation of the expected pill in the hand of the patient and the expected pill in the mouth of the patient, medication administration is confirmed; and
providing by the computing apparatus an indication of the confirmation of the medication administration.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for pattern tracking. The method includes the steps of performing a foreground detection process to determine a hand-pill-hand region, performing image segmentation to separate the determined hand portion of the hand-pill-hand region from the pill portion thereof, building three reference models, one for each hand region and one for the pill region, initializing a dynamic model for tracking the hand-pill-hand region, determining N possible next positions for the hand-pill-hand region, for each such determined position, determining various features, building a new model for that region in accordance with the determined position, for each position, comparing the new model and a reference model, determining a position whose new model generates a highest similarity score, determining whether that similarity score is greater than a predetermined threshold, and wherein if it is determined that the similarity score is greater than the predetermined threshold, the object is tracked.
146 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for confirming ingestion of a medication pill by a patient, comprising:
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providing to a patient one or more instructions encouraging proper administration of a medication pill; receiving one or more images by a camera associated with a computing apparatus of a patient ingesting a medication pill that is visible to the camera response to the one or more instructions; performing a foreground detection process on the one or more images to determine a hand-pill-hand region by the computing apparatus; performing image segmentation on the hand-pill-hand region to separate the determined hand portion of the hand-pill-hand region from the pill portion thereof by the computing apparatus; providing to the patient, in response to a difficulty in performing image segmentation, and in response to the output of a proximity detector associated with the computing device, one or more instructions to bring the medication pill closer to the camera; confirming the identity of the pill portion by comparing one or more characteristics of the pill portion to one or more corresponding characteristics of one or more reference images stored to a recording medium associated with the computing apparatus, thereby confirming an expected pill in the hand of the patient; performing a further foreground detection process on the one or more images to determine a pill positioned in a patient'"'"'s mouth by recognizing the pill portion surrounded by an unbroken ring of color corresponding to the inner portion of the mouth of the patient by the computing apparatus; wherein upon confirmation of the expected pill in the hand of the patient and the expected pill in the mouth of the patient, medication administration is confirmed; and providing by the computing apparatus an indication of the confirmation of the medication administration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for confirming ingestion of a medication pill by a patient, comprising:
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providing to a patient one or more instructions encouraging proper administration of a medication pill; receiving one or more images by a camera associated with a computing apparatus of a patient ingesting a medication pill that is visible to the camera in response to the one or more instructions; performing a foreground detection process of an image or series of images of the one or more received images to determine a mouth-pill-mouth region by the computing apparatus; performing image segmentation of the image or series of images to separate the determined mouth portion of the mouth-pill-mouth region from the pill portion thereof by the computing apparatus; providing to the patient, in response to a difficulty in performing image segmentation, and in response to the output of a proximity detector associated with the computing device, one or more instructions to bring the medication pill closer to the camera; confirming the identity of the pill portion in the mouth of the patient by comparing one or more characteristics of the pill portion to one or more corresponding characteristics of one or more reference images, thereby confirming ingestion of the pill portion by the patient by the computing apparatus; and providing on the computing apparatus an indication of the confirmation of the medication administration. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A method for tracking a pill in a user'"'"'s mouth comprising:
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providing to a patient one or more instructions encouraging proper administration of a medication pill; acquiring one or more images by a camera associated with a computing apparatus in response to the one or more instructions; determining a mouth-pill-mouth portion of one or more of the acquired images by the computing apparatus; providing to the patient, in response to a difficulty in determining the mouth-pill-mouth portion of the one or more acquired images, and in response to the output of a proximity detector associated with the computing apparatus, one or more instructions to bring the mouth-pill-mouth portion closer to the camera; storing an indication of one or more characteristics of the mouth-pill-mouth portion to a storage medium associated with the computing apparatus, determining a location of the mouth-pill-mouth portion in a next one or more of the acquired images in accordance with the one or more stored indications, thereby confirming a pill continues to be positioned within the mouth of the user by the computing apparatus; and providing on the computing apparatus an indication of the confirmation of the medication administration. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification