METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING PERSON AND HOME

• US 20180012474A1
• Filed: 07/06/2017
• Published: 01/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilkinson, Bruce W., Mattingly, Todd D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,169,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0492 Sensor dual technology, i.e. two or more technologies collaborate to extract unsafe condition, e.g. video tracking and RFID tracking

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided herein useful to detecting a deviation in a person'"'"'s activity. In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises one or more sensors, the one or more sensors configured to monitor parameters associated with a person and the person'"'"'s home, and a control circuit, the control circuit communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to receive, from the one or more sensors, values associated with the parameters, create, based on the values associated with the parameters, a spectral profile for the person, determine, based on the spectral profile and a routine base state for the person, that a combination of the values indicates a deviation, determine, based on the deviation, an alert, and cause transmission of the alert.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring parameters associated with a person and the person'"'"'s home, the apparatus comprising:

one or more sensors, the one or more sensors configured to monitor the parameters associated with the person and the person'"'"'s home; and

a control circuit, the control circuit communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to;

receive, from the one or more sensors, values associated with the parameters;

create, based on the values associated with the parameters, a spectral profile for the person,

determine, based on the spectral profile and a routine experiential base state for the person, that a combination of the values indicates a deviation;

determine, based on the deviation, an alert; and

cause transmission of the alert.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the combination of the values includes two or more of the values.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the two or more of the values is not out of range.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alert is based on a magnitude with which the values vary from an expected value.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of a pedometer, a motion sensor, a location sensor, a heart rate sensor, an image sensor, a noise sensor, a light sensor, a weight sensor, an activity sensor, a usage sensor, door sensors, an accelerometer, and a blood pressure sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine, based on the alert, a recipient, wherein the operation to cause transmission of the alert causes the alert to be transmitted to the recipient.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the recipient is one or more of a family member, a friend, the person, an emergency service, and a retailer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alert includes one or more of a voice call, a text message, an email, a page, a social media message, an instant message, an a product shipment.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters are associated with at least one of food products in the person'"'"'s home, appliance usage in the person'"'"'s home, activity of the person, activity within the person'"'"'s home, health information for the person, and utility usage within the person'"'"'s home.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least some of the one or more sensors are located in the person'"'"'s home.

11. A method for monitoring parameters associated with a person and the person'"'"'s home, the method comprising:

monitoring, via one or more sensors, the parameters associated with the person and the person'"'"'s home;

receiving, at a control circuit from the one or more sensors, values associated with the parameters;

creating, based on the values associated with the parameters, a spectral profile for the person;

determining, based on the spectral profile and a routine experiential base state for the person, that a combination of the values indicates a deviation;

determining, based on the deviation, and alert; and

causing the alert to be transmitted.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the combination of the values includes two or more of the values.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the two or more of the values is not out of range.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert is based on a magnitude with which the values vary from an expected value.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors includes at least one of a pedometer, a motion sensor, a location sensor, a hear rate sensor, an image sensor, a noise sensor, a light sensor, a weight sensor, an activity sensor, a usage sensor, door sensors, an accelerometer, and a blood pressure sensor.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, based on the alert, a recipient, wherein the operation for causing the alert to be transmitted causes the alert to be transmitted to the recipient.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the recipient is one or more of a family member, a friend, the person, an emergency service, and a retailer.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert includes one or more of a voice call, a text message, and email, a page, a social media message, an instant message, and a product shipment.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more parameters are associated with at least one of food products in the person'"'"'s home, appliance usage in the person'"'"'s home, activity of the person, activity within the person'"'"'s home, health information for the person, and utility usage within the person'"'"'s home.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein at least some of the one or more sensors are located in the person'"'"'s home.