METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING HYDRATION USING A PORTABLE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20180116590A1
• Filed: 10/31/2016
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: NAMM, JOSEPH C., KING, MELANIE A
• Granted Patent: US 10,575,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/20 Workers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/083 Measuring rate of metabolism by using breath test, e.g. measuring rate of oxygen consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14517 for sweat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4845 Toxicology, e.g. by detection of alcohol, drug or toxic products A61B5/4848 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4875 Hydration status, fluid retention of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6806 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A portable communication device (100) automatically determines user hydration levels while the device is being transmitted. The portable communication device comprises a humidity sensor (120) located by a microphone and touch sensors (124) located on a push-to-talk (PTT) button (110). Data is gathered during PTT switch activation (112). No additional steps are required by the user. Alerts (140) are provided when predetermined dehydration thresholds are approached.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring hydration using a portable communication device, comprising:

pressing a push-to talk (PTT) switch of the portable communication device;

gathering breath sample data and sweat sample data while the PTT is being pressed;

comparing the gathered breath and sweat sample data to previous breath and sweat data to determine a hydration level; and

generating an alert in response to the hydration level reaching a predetermined dehydration threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, the predetermined dehydration threshold comprises one or more of:

a predetermined moderately hydrated threshold; and

a predetermined poorly hydrated threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an alert in response to the hydration level reaching a predetermined dehydration threshold, comprises:

generating a user alert at the portable communication device alerting to a moderately hydrated level being reached.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

generating a user alert at the portable communication device warning of a poor hydration level being reached.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting a dispatch notification from the portable communication device to a dispatch center warning of the predetermined poor hydration level being reached.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering breath sample data while the PTT is being pressed further comprises:

receiving an audio input into a microphone of the portable communication device while the PTT is being pressed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sweat sample data is gathered from a surface of the PTT button in response to the PTT button being pressed and the sweat sample data is gathered continues while the PTT button is being pressed during a transmission at the portable communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable communication device comprises body wearable portable communication device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the body wearable portable communication device comprises a remote speaker microphone (RSM) having the PTT button, wherein the sweat sample data is gathered from a surface of the PTT button in response to the PTT button being pressed at the RSM, and the breath sample data is gathered in response to talking into a microphone of the RSM.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the body wearable portable communication device comprises a portable radio having the PTT button, wherein the sweat sample data is gathered from a surface of the PTT button in response to the PTT button being pressed at the portable radio, and the breath sample data is gathered in response to talking into a microphone of the portable radio.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the PTT of the body wearable portable communication device comprises one of:

a PTT of a remote speaker microphone (RSM); and

a PTT of a portable radio; and

wherein;

gathering breath sample data and sweat sample data in response to the PTT being pressed, comprises;

gathering breath sample data from a microphone of a self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA); and

gathering sweat sample data from sweat sensors integrated within the self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the PTT of the body wearable portable communication device comprises one of:

a PTT of a remote speaker microphone (RSM); and

a PTT of a portable radio; and

wherein

gathering breath sample data in response to the PTT being pressed comprises;

gathering breath sample data from a microphone of a self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA);

and

gathering sweat sample data in response to the PTT being pressed, comprises;

gathering sweat sample data from sweat sensors integrated within an interior of a public safety glove.

18. The portable communication device of claim 12, further comprises:

a microphone located within the portable communication device;

a hygrometer sensor co-located by the microphone of the portable communication device, the hygrometer measuring humidity data while the PTT is being pressed at the portable communication device;

a sweat sensor located in a public safety fire rescue glove for measuring sweat sensor data from the public safety fire rescue glove, and transferring the measured sweat sensor data over a personal area network (PAN) to the portable communication device while the PTT is being pressed; and

the portable communication device determining a hydration level based on the measured sweat sensor data from the public safety fire rescue glove and the measured humidity data from the hygrometer of the portable communication device.

13. A portable communication system, comprising:

a portable communication device having a controller, a push-to-talk (PTT) button;

a plurality of sensors responsive to the PTT for measuring breath and sweat parameters while the PTT button is being pressed; and

the measured sweat and breath parameters providing a representative user hydration level.

14. The portable communication device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises:

hygrometer sensors operatively coupled to a microphone of the portable communication device; and

sweat sensors operatively coupled to the PTT button.

15. The portable communication device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sensors further comprise:

chemical and biological sensors co-located with the microphone; and

chemical and biological sensors located on the PTT button.

16. The portable communication device of claim 13, wherein the portable communication device comprises a remote speaker microphone (RSM) or a portable two-way radio.

17. The portable communication device of claim 13, wherein the communication system further comprises:

a hygrometer sensor located by a microphone of a self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA);

a sweat sensor located in the self contained breathing apparatus; and

the portable communication device receiving measured humidity sensor data from the hygrometer sensor and receiving measured sweat sensor data from the sweat sensor over a personal area network (PAN); and

the portable communication device determining a hydration level for a user of the SCBA based on the measured humidity data and measured sweat sensor data.

19. A communication system, comprising:

a portable communication device which determines user hydration levels while a push-to-talk (PTT) of the portable communication device is being pressed.

20. The communication system of claim 19, wherein the PTT enables sensors of the portable communication device, including a humidity sensor located by a microphone and a touch sweat sensor located on the PTT, the portable communication device determining user hydration levels based on data gathered by the sensors during the PTT press.

21. The communication system of claim 19, wherein the PTT enables a humidity sensor located by a microphone of the portable communication device, and the PTT further enables at least one sweat sensor on another user-worn device;

and

the portable communication device determining user hydration levels based on;

humidity data gathered by the humidity sensor during PTT press of the portable communication device along with sweat sensor data gathered at the body-worn device during the PTT press of the portable communication device.

22. The communication system of claim 19, wherein the PTT enables sensors on another user-worn device at least one of which comprises a microphone having a humidity sensor proximately located thereto and touch sweat sensors located thereon, and the portable communication device determines user hydration levels based on data gathered by the humidity and sweat sensors of the user-worn device during the PTT press of the portable communication device.

23. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the touch sweat sensor further detects toxicity levels.