Emergency detection and notification system

• US 8,107,920 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2011
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optima Direct, LLC (2S Ventures, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mourad Ben Ayed
• Inventors: Ben Ayed, Mourad
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesgh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bilodeau, David
• Application Number:
  US13/219,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 156 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7415 Sound rendering of measured values, e.g. by pitch or volume variation A61B5/741 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• 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 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An emergency detection and notification system containing a short wireless transceiver collects sensor information from onboard sensors and or remote sensors and detects conditions that require attention.

Upon detection of an exception, the emergency detection and notification system issues an audible request, and awaits a confirmation from the user.

If a confirmation is not received, the emergency detection and notification system instructs a remote terminal or a VOIP service to dial a phone number, to issue messages, and to issue vocal signals corresponding to sensor information.

Claims

1. A wearable apparatus comprising:

a single short wireless transceiver means wherein said single short wireless transceiver establishes a connection with at least one remote terminal,

wherein upon detection of a connection failure,

said wearable apparatus can issue an audible alarm;

a memory for storing

at least one threshold and,

at least one emergency phone number and,

at least one emergency message;

a speaker,

at least one battery,

a means for collecting sensor information,

wherein the volume of said wearable apparatus is less than 150 cm3,

wherein the emitted energy of said wearable apparatus is less than 100 milliwatts,

wherein said wearable apparatus does not include any cellular network transceiver;

wherein upon detection of sensor information not matching said at least one threshold,

issuing an audible request through said speaker,

waiting for a response selected from the group consisting of;

a button push, an voice reply, a motion;

wherein if a valid response is not received within a predetermined period of time,

instructing said at least one remote terminal to dial at least one phone number selected from said at least one emergency phone number,

detecting a line picked up,

sending voice corresponding to said sensor information.

2. The wearable apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for collecting sensor information is selected from the group consisting of:

an infrared detector, a colour detector, a humidity detector, a UV rays detector, a chemical sensor, a NIR sensor;

a temperature reader, a blood pressure reader, a heart rate reader, an insulin reader, a prosthesis data reader, a breath analyzer, a scale, a pulse oximeter, a CO2 detector, a carbon monoxide sensor, blood sugar content;

a vibration detector, a water detector, an accelerometer, a gyro, a tilt sensor, a motion detector, a microphone;

an eye sensor, a cameras, a location sensor, a GPS.

3. The wearable apparatus of claim 1 comprising a short wireless low emission transceiver means for communicating with at least one remote wearable sensor and for collecting sensor information wirelessly.

4. The wearable apparatus of claim 1 comprising an attachment means selected from the group consisting of:

a clip, a ring, a fastening mechanism, a belt, a Velcro, a keychain.

5. The wearable apparatus of claim 1 having a form selected from the group consisting of:

a bracelet, a watch, a pager, a wearable blood pressure monitor, a belt, a device that attaches around the wrist, a device that attaches around the ankle, a device that attaches around the waist, a device that attaches on the chest.

6. The wearable apparatus of claim 1 comprising a text to speech conversion means wherein said text to speech conversion means generates voice signals.

7. A method comprising:

using a wearable apparatus,

wherein the wearable apparatus has a volumes less than 150 cm3,

wherein the wearable apparatus emits less than 100 milliwatts,

wherein the wearable apparatus does not include any cellular network transceiver;

configuring the wearable apparatus with information selected from the group consisting of;

at least one threshold,

at least one emergency phone number,

at least one emergency message;

configuring the wearable apparatus to connect with at least one remote terminal using a short wireless transceiver,

wherein upon detection of a connection failure,

the wearable apparatus can issue an audible alarm;

wherein upon detection of sensor output not matching the at least one threshold,

issuing an audible request,

waiting for a user response selected from the group consisting of;

a button push, an oral reply, a motion;

wherein if a response is not received within a predetermined period of time,

instructing said at least one remote terminal to dial at least one phone number selected from said at least one emergency phone number,

wherein upon detection of a line picked up,

sending voice corresponding to said sensor output to said at least one remote terminal.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising opening a two way voice channel between said wearable apparatus and said at least one remote terminal.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein

wherein said wearable apparatus instructs said at least one remote terminal to dial a phone number using BLUETOOTH Hands Free Profile.

10. The method of claim 7 comprising

generating electrical signals corresponding to at least one part of said sensor output, and sending said electrical signal to said at least one remote terminal,

wherein said electrical signals produce sounds on said at least one remote terminal.

11. The method of claim 7 comprising

sending at least one message selected from said at least one emergency message to a VOIP server,

instructing said VOIP server to dial said at least one emergency phone number,

instructing said VOIP server to convert said at least one emergency message to speech and to send it to said at least one remote terminal.

12. The method of claim 7 comprising

sending at least one part of said sensor output to said VOIP server,

instructing said VOIP server to convert said at least one part of said sensor output to speech and to send it to said at least one remote terminal.

13. The method of claim 7 comprising

using a user interface to set configuration parameters on the wearable apparatus through means selected from the group consisting of:

a wireless BLUETOOTH connection, a USB cable,

wherein said user interface is selected from the group consisting of;

a mobile application, a computer application, a web site interface, a device interface.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein said configuration parameters comprise parameters selected from the group consisting of:

thresholds, messages, phone numbers,

client name, client information, blood type, health conditions,

operation hours, operation days, language,

buzzer type, buzzer volume, buzzer duration, alarm type.

15. A method comprising:

using a wearable apparatus,

collecting sensor information from sensor means,

wherein said sensor means are selected from the group consisting of;

onboard sensor means, remote wearable sensor means;

wherein the wearable apparatus connects with at least one remote terminal using a short wireless transceiver;

wherein the short wireless transceiver emits less than 100 milliwatts,

wherein upon detection of a connection drop,

the wearable apparatus can issue an audible alarm message;

wherein upon detection of sensor information not matching user defined thresholds,

issuing an audible request,

waiting for a user response selected from the group consisting of;

a button push, an oral reply, a motion;

wherein if the user response is not received within a predetermined period of time,

instructing said at least one remote terminal to dial at least one phone number;

detecting of a line picked up,

sending voice corresponding to said sensor information to at least one remote terminal.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

after detection of a line picked up, playing at least one user message.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein:

after detection of a line picked up, opening a two way voice channel between the wearable apparatus and the at least one remote terminal.

18. The method of claim 15 comprising:

connecting to at least one remote terminal using BLUETOOTH Hands Free Profile,

instructing said at least one mobile phone to dial a phone.

19. The method of claim 15 comprising:

generating electrical signals corresponding to sensor information, and sending said electrical signals to said at least one remote terminal,

wherein said electrical signals produce sounds on said at least one remote terminal.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said remote terminal is a VOIP server.