Method for determining whether an individual enters a prescribed virtual zone using 3D blob detection

• US 10,091,463 B1
• Filed: 02/16/2015
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kusens, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Azarian, Seyed
• Application Number:
  US14/623,349
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 382100, 382103, 382106-107, 382128, 382154-155, 382162, 382168, 382173, 382181, 382190, 382199, 382203, 382209, 382214, 382219, 382232, 382254, 382274, 382276, 382286-291, 382305, 382312, 3482221, 348 46, 600476, 600474, 705 2, 128903, 3408532
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/28 Quantising the image, e.g. histogram thresholding for discrimination between background and foreground patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/647 by matching two-dimensional images to three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0476 Cameras to detect unsafe condition, e.g. video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/00 Stereoscopic video systems; Multi-view video systems; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A method and system that allows healthcare providers, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and other persons to monitor disabled, elderly or other high-risk individuals to prevent or reduce falls and/or mitigate the impact of a fall by delivering automated notification of “at risk” behavior and falls by such an individual being monitored where assistance is required. The monitored individual is virtually represented as a blob object of at least a specific size by a computerized monitoring system and such system detects and alerts when the blob object enters or crosses into a virtually defined or designated blob detection zone and remains in the zone for at least a predetermined period of time.

Claims

1. A method for detecting when a monitored individual or any part of the monitored individual has crossed into a designated electronic perimeter, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) electronically calibrating virtual blob detection zones defining a designated electronic perimeter within an area of the room using a virtual blob detection system;

(b) electronically receiving data by a computerized monitoring system from one or more 3D Camera, Motion and Sound sensors located in the room, the data comprising an IR depth map; and

(c) electronically alerting a computerized communication system when the computerized system detects that a blob object exceeding a preconfigured size that virtually represents an individual located in the room or any part of the individual has crossed into the designated electronic perimeter.

2. The method for detecting of claim 1 further comprising the step of configuring the one or more 3D Camera, Motion and Sound sensors to recognize one or more biometric identifiers of the individual.

3. The method for detecting of claim 1 further comprising the step of electronically issuing an audible message to the individual or a caregiver by a computerized communication system to inform the individual or the caregiver that the individual has entered or crossed into the designated electronic perimeter.

4. The method for detecting of claim 1 further comprising the step of generating an alert on a central monitoring alert display located remote from the individual'"'"'s room if the individual fails to exit the designated electronic perimeter within a period of time.

5. The method for detecting of claim 1 further comprising the step of notifying a designated person associated with the individual that the individual did not exit the designated electronic perimeter.

6. A method for detecting when a monitored individual or any part of the monitored individual has crossed into a designated electronic perimeter, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing one or more 3D Camera, Motion and sound sensors within a room occupied by an individual to be monitored for continuously capturing video from the room;

(b) electronically calibrating virtual blob detection zones defining a designated electronic perimeter within an area of the room using a virtual blob detection system;

(c) electronically forwarding data representing video and 3D depth data by the one or more sensors to the virtual blob detection system associated solely with the individual, the 3D depth data comprising an IR depth map; and

(d) electronically alerting a computerized communication system when the virtual blob detection system detects from the received data that a blob object exceeding a preconfigured size that virtually represents the individual or a part of the individual has entered or crossed into the designated electronic perimeter and remains in the designated electronic perimeter for a sufficient duration.

7. The method for detecting of claim 6 further comprising the step of updating a database in communication with the computerized monitoring system regarding the detection of the individual or a part of the individual entering or crossing into the designated electronic perimeter.

8. The method for detecting of claim 6 further comprising the step of notifying a previously designated contact by an electronic message informing the previously designated contact of the detected designated electronic perimeter crossing.

9. The method for detecting of claim 6 further comprising the step of electronically sending a continuous feed to a remotely located centralized monitoring primary display showing the monitored area of the room.

10. The method for detecting of claim 6 wherein no electronic alert is provided in step (d) one or more other persons are detected to be in the room at the time the individual or a part of the individual crosses inside of the designated electronic perimeter.

11. The method for detecting of claim 6 further comprising the step of continuing to send data to the remotely located centralized monitoring alert display after it has been determined that the individual or a part of the individual has entered into the designated electronic perimeter.

12. The method for detecting of claim 6 further comprising the step of electronically issuing an audible message to the individual or a caregiver by a computerized communication system to inform the individual or a caregiver that the individual has crossed the designated electronic perimeter and remains in the designated electronic perimeter for longer than a configured period.

13. The method for detecting of claim 12 wherein the audible message is a verbal warning.

14. The method for detecting of claim 12 wherein the audible message is a pre-recorded message.

15. The method for detecting of claim 14 wherein the pre-recorded message contains the voice of a caregiver associated with the individual.

16. The method for detecting of claim 14 wherein the pre-recorded message advises the individual to exit the designated electronic perimeter defined by the virtual blob detection zones.

17. The method for detecting of claim 6 further comprising the step of generating an alert on a centralized monitoring alert display if the individual fails to return within the designated electronic perimeter within a period of time.

18. The method for detecting of claim 17 wherein said period of time is a predetermined amount of time.

19. The method for detecting of claim 17 wherein the alert is an audible alert or a visual alert;

wherein the data forwarded by the one or more 3D Camera, Motion and Sound Sensors also include audio information captured from the room.

20. The method for detecting of claim 17 further comprising the step of notifying a designated person associated with the individual that the individual did not exit the designated electronic perimeter.

21. A method for detecting when a monitored individual or any part of the monitored individual has crossed into a virtual blob detection zone, said method comprising the steps of:

electronically capturing, using one or more 3D Camera, Motion and Sound Sensors, data of an area of a particular room where an individual is being monitored, the data comprising an IR depth map, the area comprising an electronically calibrated virtual blob detection zone;

electronically receiving, by a virtual blob detection system, the data captured from the one or more 3D Camera, Motion and Sound sensors; and

electronically alerting a computerized communication system when the virtual blob detection system detects that a blob object exceeding a preconfigured size that virtually represents the individual, or any part of the individual, has crossed into the virtual blob detection zone.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the virtual blob detection zone defines an electronic perimeter.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of electronically sending a substantially continuous feed of the 3D Camera, Motion and Sound Sensors data to a remotely-located monitoring primary display system.

24. The method of claim 21 where the 3D Camera, Motion and Sound sensors are configured to recognize one or more biometric identifiers of the individual.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising electronically alerting the computerized communication system when the virtual blob detection system detects, from the received data, that the blob object exceeding a preconfigured size that virtually represents the individual or a part of the individual has entered or crossed into the virtual blob detection zone and remains in the virtual blob detection zone for at least a pre-programmed duration of time.