BEDSIDE VIDEO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20080068447A1
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quickwolf Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Quickwolf Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Moote, Stanley R., Mattila, Eric W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,965,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• 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: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A video conferencing system and method for establishing video conference sessions between residents of a facility and remote terminals.

Claims

1. A resident video conference terminal for use by a resident of a facility, comprising:

a controller for controlling the operation of the resident terminal;

a touch screen display connected to the controller;

a camera connected to the controller for capturing a video image of a user of the resident terminal during a video conference session;

an audio transducer connected to the controller for capturing audio of a user of the resident terminal during a video conference session;

an audio output connected to the controller; and

a communications interface connected to the controller for exchanging signals with a communications network during a video conference session;

the controller rendering on the touch screen display a simplified user interface screen including a first user selectable button for initiating a video conference session with a monitoring station terminal within the facility and a second user selectable button for initiating a video conference session with at least one remote terminal that is external to the facility.

2. The resident terminal of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured for tracking when the monitoring station terminal and the at least one remote terminal are currently available for a video conference session, and to display a faded version of the first user selectable button when the monitoring station terminal is not currently available for a video conference session and to display a faded version of the second user selectable button when there is not any remote terminal available for a video conference session.

3. The resident terminal of claim 1 wherein the resident terminal stores information identifying at least two possible remote terminals for video conference sessions and picture images representative of remote users associated with the remote terminals, the controller being configured for, upon user selection of the user selectable second button, displaying a further user interface screen that includes for each of the remote terminals a user selectable button that include a picture of the remote users associated with the remote terminal, and the controller is configured to initiate a video conference session with the remote terminal associated with a remote user when the displayed button having a picture of the remote user is selected.

4. The resident terminal of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured for tracking which of the remote terminals are currently available for a video conference session, and to display in the further user interface screen faded versions of the pictures of the users associated with any remote terminals that are not currently available for a video conference session.

5. The resident terminal of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured for causing the resident terminal to log into a remote conferencing server and while logged in periodically advise the remote conferencing server that the resident terminal is available for a video conference session.

6. The resident terminal of claim 5 wherein the controller is configured to periodically poll the remote conferencing server for determining if the at least one remote terminal is available for a video conference session.

7. The resident terminal of claim 1 wherein the terminal is a tablet style terminal having rechargeable power source.

8. The resident terminal of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured for, when initiating a video conference session with the at least one remote terminal:

sending a video conference request message through the Internet to a remote conference server, the video conference request including information for identifying the resident terminal and the at least one remote terminal; and

receiving a conference ID from the remote conference server and then establishing the video conference session through the Internet with the at least one remote terminal.

9. The resident terminal of claim 8 wherein the resident terminal and the monitoring station terminal are each connected to a common local area network, the controller being configured for establishing a video conference session with the monitoring station terminal directly through the common local area network.

10. The resident terminal of claim 1 wherein the resident terminal is configured for use by more than one resident user associated therewith, the controller being configured for generating on the display an initial user interface screen that includes a selectable button for each resident user associated with the resident terminal for signaling to the resident terminal the identity of the current resident user of the resident terminal, and wherein an image used for the second user selectable button presented in the simplified user interface is selected in dependence on the identity of the current resident user.

11. The resident terminal of claim 1 further including a hand-held remote control configured for short range wireless communications with the controller, the controller being responsive to instructions received from the remote control for changing the user interface displayed on the display.

12. The resident terminal of claim 11 wherein the resident terminal is operable to function, under control of the remote control, in a television viewing mode in which television programming is displayed on the screen display.

13. The resident terminal of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured for retrieving from a further computer terminal information about at least one of daily activities or a daily menu for the facility and displaying as part of the simplified user interface screen at least some of the retrieved information.

14. The resident terminal of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to display a user interface on the computer device screen for receiving resident input about at least one of symptoms experienced by the resident or food menu choices selected by the resident.

15. The resident terminal of claim 14 wherein the controller is configured to cause information representing resident input about symptoms or food menu choices to be sent to another terminal.

16. The resident terminal of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured for adjusting the speed of audio output by the resident terminal during a video conference session.

17. The resident terminal of claim 16 wherein the controller is configured for displaying on the touch screen display a speech speed adjustment interface for accepting resident input and setting the speed of the audio output in dependence thereon.

18. The resident terminal of claim 17 wherein the controller is configured for storing speech speed adjustment information from at least a most current video conference session for use as a default value in a future video conference session.

19. The resident terminal of claim 1 comprising a motion sensor connected to the controller for sensing motion of the resident terminal, wherein the controller is configured to run in a power saving mode upon the occurrence of one or more predetermined conditions, and to exit the power saving mode upon detecting motion of the resident terminal.

20. The resident terminal of claim 1 including a further camera coupled to the controller for capturing video images and wherein the controller is configured to be operable in a monitoring mode to cause a one-way stream of video information acquired through the further camera to be sent to at least one of the monitoring station terminal or the remote terminal, thereby allowing the resident to be remotely video monitored.

21. The resident terminal of claim 1 wherein the resident terminal includes a short range communications interface connected to the controller for receiving patient vital signs information from patient monitoring equipment used to monitor one or more vital signs of the resident, and the controller is configured for transmitting at least some of the vital signs information through the communications network to the monitoring station terminal or another terminal.

22. The resident terminal of claim 1 wherein the controller is operable in a VOIP mode to establish VOIP calls with remote terminals.

23. The resident terminal of claim 1 wherein the first and second user selectable buttons are sized so that they can be easily seen and used by a person having reduced cognitive abilities, and the controller is configured to initiate a video conference session with the remote terminal after user selection of the second user selectable button without requiring any further user action, and the controller is configured to initiate a video conference session with the monitoring station terminal after user selection of the first user selectable button without requiring any further user action.

24. A video conferencing system for facilitating communications between residents of a health care facility and remote users located outside of the health care facility, comprising:

a plurality of resident video conference terminals connected to a local area network within the health care facility, each resident terminal being associated with a resident of the health care facility and having stored thereon information identifying at least one remote user terminal located external to the local area network and that the resident terminal is associated with, each resident terminal being configured to display on a screen thereof a visual image that can be selected by a user thereof to initiate a video conference session with the at least one remote user terminal associated therewith; and

a remote conference server located external to the health care facility and in communication with the plurality of resident terminals and the remote user terminals that are associated with the resident terminals, the conference server tracking usage information for video conference sessions that are established between the resident terminals and the remote user terminals associated therewith.

25. The video conferencing system of claim 24 wherein the remote conference server is connected to the resident terminals through the local area network and a wide area network, and is connected to the remote terminals through the wide area network.

26. The video conference system of claim 24 wherein the conference server is configured for receiving video conference request messages from the resident terminals and providing conference enabling information to resident terminals and the remote terminals in response to the conference request messages.

27. The video conference system of claim 24 further including a monitoring station terminal connected to the local area network within the health care facility for use by a care giver of the health care facility, the monitoring station terminal being configured for establishing video conference sessions through the local area network with the resident terminals, and wherein the resident terminals are each configured for displaying on the screen thereof a visual image that can be selected by a user thereof to initiate a video conference session with the monitoring station terminal.

28. The video conference system of claim 24 further including a plurality of monitoring station terminals connected to the local area network within the health care facility for use by a care giver of the health care facility, the monitoring station terminals each being assigned group of resident terminals and being configured for establishing video conference sessions through the local area network with the resident terminals assigned thereto, and wherein the resident terminals are each configured for displaying on the screen thereof a visual image that can be selected by a user thereof to initiate a video conference session with the monitoring station terminal assigned thereto, and wherein each of the monitoring station terminals are configured to present a transfer option to user thereof whereby the group of resident terminals assigned to a particular monitoring station terminal can be re-assigned as a group to a further one of the monitoring station terminals.

29. The video conference system of claim 24 wherein at least some of the remote user terminals are compact mobile devices enabled for wireless communication over a wireless network.

30. The video conference system of claim 24 wherein at least some of the resident terminals are each coupled to an auxiliary camera for monitoring care of the resident associated therewith, and the at least some resident terminals are each configured for, in a resident monitoring mode, transmitting video images from the auxiliary camera to the at least one remote user terminal associated therewith.

31. A monitoring station video conference terminal for use by a care giver in a care facility in which a plurality of resident video conference terminals located with the care facility are assigned to the monitoring station terminal, comprising:

a controller for controlling the operation of the monitoring station terminal;

a display connected to the controller;

a camera connected to the controller for capturing a video image of a user of the monitoring station terminal during a video conference session;

an audio transducer connected to the controller for capturing audio of a user of the monitoring station terminal during a video conference session;

an audio output connected to the controller; and

a communications interface connected to the controller for exchanging signals with a communications network during a video conference session;

the controller being configured for selectively establishing, in response to user input, video conferences sessions with the resident terminals assigned thereto.

32. The monitoring station terminal of claim 31 wherein the controller is configured for creating, in response to user input, wireless paging messages for sending to care givers requesting action in respect of residents associated with the resident terminals assigned to the monitoring station terminal.

33. The monitoring station terminal of claim 31 wherein the controller is configured for rendering a paging message authoring user interface screen and accepting user inputs entered in response to information displayed on the message authoring user interface screen;

the message authoring user interface screen presenting a list of care givers to which a paging message may be sent;

a list of predetermined messages to include with the paging message; and

a list of residents that that a paging message can be sent in respect of;

wherein a user can select items from the lists and the controller creates a paging message in dependence on the items selected from the lists.

34. The monitoring station terminal of claim 31 wherein the monitoring station terminal is configured to send and receive text messages over a network to and from remote terminals that are located outside of the care facility and the controller is configured to render a user interface for reading and composing such text messages.

35. The monitoring station terminal of claim 31 wherein the monitoring station is configured for receiving live video feeds from a plurality of video cameras located throughout the care facility, and to display, in at least one operating mode, images from the video feeds on the display.

36. A method of facilitating video conference sessions between residents of a care facility and remote parties who are outside of the care facility, comprising:

providing resident terminals for use by residents of a care facility for video conference sessions, the resident terminals each having a user interface configured for use by a person having at least one of reduced cognitive abilities and reduced physical abilities; and

assigning at least some of the resident terminals to specific residents of the care facility and storing at each resident video conference terminal assigned to a resident information identifying at least one remote terminal associated with the resident video conference terminal.

37. The method of claim 36 including storing at a remote server that is in communication with the resident terminals and the remote terminals information identifying the resident terminals and the remote terminals associated with each of the resident terminals.

38. The method of claim 36 including receiving requests at the remote server from resident terminals requesting video conference sessions with specified remote terminals and validating the requests to enable video conference sessions to proceed.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein for each of the resident video conference terminals, the user interface is presented as a default user interface and includes a user selectable graphic image that represents the at least one remote terminal associated therewith, and the terminal is configured to initiate a video conference session with the at least one remote terminal associated therewith upon user selection of the graphic image that represents the at least one remote terminal without requiring any further user input.

40. The method of claim 36 including storing in at least some of the resident terminals a picture of a person associated with the remote terminal associated therewith, the user interface including a user selectable representation of the picture.