Communication systems

• US 10,009,577 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Naidoo, Surendra N., McCown, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Telan, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US13/618,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20130070044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,111 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

An integrated home health system includes a television-based patient station, a first provider station for providing telemedicine or other healthcare services to a patient located at the patient station, a second provider station for providing caregiver services to the patient, a third provider station for providing emergency response services to the patient and a system management station coupled together by a data network. In addition to various management operations performed on behalf of the integrated home health system, the system management station is further configured to provide various home health services to the patient located at the patient station, either alone, or in conjunction with one or more of the first, second and/or third provider stations.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a first interface configured to receive first content from a first service provider via radio frequency;

a second interface configured to receive second content from a second service provider via a broadband data network; and

a third interface configured to transmit the first content to a user device, to transmit the second content to the user device based upon a determination to interrupt the first content, and to transmit at least the second content to the user device independent of a request from the user device,

wherein one or more of the first interface, the second interface, and the third interface, facilitates two-way communication between the user device and one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first content comprises a television signal.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the second content comprises one or more of an alert, a command message, a notification, and a reminder.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the third interface is further configured to selectively and simultaneously transmit the first content and the second content to the user device.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider is a home health services provider.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider is a television service provider.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the third interface is selectively operable to transmit one or more of video signals and audio signals to the user device.

8. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising a system management station coupled to the broadband data network, the system management station remotely located relative to the user device, wherein the system management station is configured to authorize one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider to communicate with the user device.

9. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the determination to interrupt the first content is based upon one or more of a predefined schedule, a type of content included in the second content, or an urgency of the second content.

10. A communication system comprising:

a first interface configured to receive first content from a first service provider via radio frequency;

a second interface configured to receive second content from a second service provider via a broadband data network; and

a user device in communication with the first interface and the second interface, the user device configured to receive the second content upon determining to interrupt the first content, and to receive at least the second content independent of a request from the user device,

wherein one or more of the first interface and the second interface facilitates two-way communication between the user device and one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider.

11. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the user device is further configured to render one or more of the first content and the second content.

12. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the user device is further configured to overlay one or more of the first content and the second content.

13. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the first content comprises a television signal.

14. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the second content comprises one or more of an alert, a notification, and a reminder.

15. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the user device is further configured to selectively and simultaneously render the first content and the second content.

16. The communication system of claim 10, wherein one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider is a home health services provider.

17. The communication system of claim 10, wherein one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider is a television service provider.

18. The communication system of claim 10, further comprising a system management station coupled to the broadband data network, the system management station remotely located relative to the user device, wherein the system management station is configured to authorize one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider to communicate with the user device.

19. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the determination to interrupt the first content is based upon one or more of a predefined schedule, a type of content included in the second content, or an urgency of the second content.

20. A communication system comprising:

an interface device comprising a first communication path configured to receive first content from a first service provider via radio frequency and a second communication path configured to receive second content from a second service provider via a broadband data network; and

a user device in communication the interface device,

wherein the interface device is further configured to transmit the first content to the user device and to transmit the second content to the user device based upon a determination to interrupt the first content independent of a request from the user device for transmission of the second content, and

wherein the interface device facilitates two-way communication between the user device and one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider.

21. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the user device is further configured to render one or more of the first content and the second content.

22. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the user device is further configured to overlay one or more of the first content and the second content.

23. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the first content comprises a television signal.

24. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the second content comprises one or more of an alert, a notification, and a reminder.

25. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the interface device is further configured to selectively simultaneously transmit the first content and the second content to the user device.

26. The communication system of claim 20, wherein one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider is a home health services provider.

27. The communication system of claim 20, wherein one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider is a television service provider.

28. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the interface device is selectively operable to transmit one or more of video signals and audio signals to the user device.

29. The communication system of claim 20, further comprising a system management station coupled to the broadband data network, the system management station remotely located relative to the user device, wherein the system management station is configured to authorize one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider to communicate with the user device.

30. The communication system of claim 20, further comprising a medical device coupled to the interface device, wherein the interface device is configured to transmit data signals received from the medical device to one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider.

31. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the interface device is further configured to determine the appropriate path of the first communication path and the second communication path for establishing connection between the user device and one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider by further determining:

whether the broadband data network is available; and

whether the broadband data network has a quality of service (QoS) level sufficient to support two-way video/audio connection.

32. The communication system of claim 20, further comprising an audio receiver coupled to the interface device and a digital imager coupled to the interface device, wherein the interface device is configured to transmit audio and video signals received from one or more of the audio receiver and the digital imager to one or more of the first service provider and the second service provider.

33. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the determination to interrupt the first content is based upon one or more of a predefined schedule, a type of content included in the second content, or an urgency of the second content.