Multi-function thermostat with health monitoring features

• US 10,345,781 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Sinha, Sudhi, Ribbich, Joseph R., Ribbich, Michael L., Gaidish, Charles J., Cipolla, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Tanmay K
• Application Number:
  US15/336,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20170124838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 34087007
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/088 on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14 Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/526 giving audible indications
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 : Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 : Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 : Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/14 : Activity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 : Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/00 : Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 : Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15117 : Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 : HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 : Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 : using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 : specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 : insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 : Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 : Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 : Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 : Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0057 : for the hiring or rent of vehicles, e.g. cars, bicycles or wheelchairs car rental G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/0235 : the arrangements being full-front touchscreens
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 : Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 : Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• 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 27/00 : Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 : guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• 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: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 : by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 : by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings

Abstract

A multi-function thermostat for a building includes a communication interface and a processing circuit. The communications interface is configured to communicate with an emergency server and receive occupant health data from one or more health sensors configured to monitor an occupant of the building. The processing circuit is configured to determine a health metric associated with the occupant based on the occupant health data and cause the communications interface to send a distress message to the emergency server when the health metric associated with the occupant indicates a medical emergency.

Claims

1. A multi-function thermostat for a building, the thermostat comprising:

one or more sensors configured to measure an environmental condition of a building space;

a user interface configured to receive input from a user and display output, wherein the input comprises a setpoint value for the environmental condition;

a communications interface configured to;

provide operating parameters to HVAC equipment based on a measurement from the one or more sensors and the setpoint value to control the environmental condition of the building space;

communicate with an emergency server; and

receive occupant health data from one or more health sensors configured to monitor an occupant of the building, wherein the occupant health data comprise a plurality of health values indicating measured biological conditions of the occupant; and

a processing circuit configured to;

calculate a health metric associated with the occupant based on the plurality of health values, wherein the health metric is a function of the plurality of health values and indicates health of the occupant;

cause the communications interface to send a medical distress message to the emergency server when the health metric associated with the occupant indicates a medical emergency of the occupant; and

cause the user interface to display an indication of the medical emergency when the health metric associated with the occupant indicates the medical emergency, the indication of the medical emergency comprising a name of the occupant and a description of a type of the medical emergency.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is configured to communicate with occupancy sensors;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to identify the occupant based on occupancy data received from the occupancy sensors.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more health sensors is a smart wrist band and the health values comprise at least one of a heart rate and a body temperature.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine the health metric associated with the occupant by:

comparing each of the health values indicating the measured biological conditions of the occupant to one or more stored threshold values, wherein the health values comprise a body temperature of the occupant, a heat rate of the occupant, and an insulin level of the occupant; and

calculating the health metric based on a result of the comparing.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein:

the health values comprise a measured heart rate of the occupant; and

the processing circuit is configured to determine the health metric associated with the occupant by monitoring the measured heart rate for heart arrhythmia.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein:

the emergency server comprises at least one of an emergency response operator server, a nurses'"'"' station computing system, and a hospital server; and

the medical distress message comprises a description of the medical emergency associated with the occupant.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to push health messages to a user device, wherein the health messages comprise at least one of the medical distress message, a reminder to take medication, and a reminder for an appointment.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein:

the communications interface is configured to communicate with a hospital server; and

the processing circuit is configured to push the occupant health data to the hospital server via the communications interface.

9. The thermostat of claim 1,

wherein the indication of the medical emergency further comprises an indication of a location of the occupant in the building.

10. A method for operating a multi-function thermostat for a building, the thermostat comprising one or more sensors configured to measure an environmental condition of a building space, a user interface configured to receive a setpoint value for the environmental condition, and a communications interface configured to provide operating parameters to HVAC equipment based on a measurement from the one or more sensors and the setpoint value to control the environmental condition of the building space, the method comprising:

receiving occupant health data comprising a plurality of health values indicating measured biological conditions of an occupant from one or more health sensors via the communications interface of the thermostat;

calculating a health metric associated with the occupant of the building based on the plurality of health values, wherein the health metric is a function of the plurality of health values and indicates health of the occupant;

causing the communications interface to send a medical distress message to an emergency server when the health metric associated with the occupant indicates a medical emergency of the occupant; and

causing the user interface of the thermostat to display an indication of the medical emergency when the health metric associated with the occupant indicates the medical emergency, the indication of the medical emergency comprising a name of the occupant and a description of a type of the medical emergency.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving occupancy data from one or more occupancy sensors via the communications interface; and

identifying the occupant based on occupancy data received from the occupancy sensors.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the health sensors comprise a smart wrist band and the health values comprise at least one of a heart rate and a body temperature.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the health values comprise a heart rate; and

determining the health metric comprises monitoring the heart rate for heart arrhythmia.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the emergency server comprises at least one of an emergency response operator server, a nurses'"'"' station computing system, and a hospital server, and the medical distress message comprises a description of the medical emergency associated with the occupant.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication of the medical emergency further comprises an indication of a location of the occupant in the building.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises causing the communications interface to push the occupant health data received from the health sensors to a hospital server via the communications interface.

17. A multi-function thermostat for a building, the thermostat comprising:

one or more sensors configured to measure an environmental condition of a building space;

a user interface configured to receive input from a user and display output, wherein the input comprises a setpoint value for the environmental condition;

a communications interface configured to;

provide operating parameters to HVAC equipment based on a measurement from the one or more sensors and the setpoint value to control the environmental condition of the building space;

communicate with a second thermostat for the building, the second thermostat located in a different location within the building than the thermostat; and

receive health data from a wearable health sensor, wherein the occupant health data comprise a plurality of health values indicating measured biological conditions of an individual wearing the health sensor; and

a processing circuit configured to;

calculate a health metric associated with the individual wearing the wearable health sensor based on the plurality of health values, wherein the health metric is a function of the plurality of health values and indicates health of the individual wearing the health sensor;

cause the communications interface to send a medical distress message to the second thermostat when the health metric associated with the individual indicates a medical emergency of the individual; and

cause the user interface to display the indication of the medical emergency when the health metric associated with the individual indicates the medical emergency, the indication of the medical emergency comprising the name of the individual and the description of a type of the medical emergency.

18. The thermostat of claim 17, wherein the wearable health sensor comprises a smart wrist band and the health values comprise at least one of a heart rate and a body temperature.

19. The thermostat of claim 17, wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine the health metric by:

monitoring the health data for heart arrhythmia when the health values comprise the heart rate; and

monitoring the heart rate for tachycardia or bradycardia when the health values comprise the heart rate.

20. The thermostat of claim 17, wherein the wearable health sensor is an insulin pump and the health values comprise an insulin level of the individual;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to;

compare the measured insulin level to one or more stored threshold values; and

calculate the health metric based on a result of the comparing.