System and method for communicating medical alerts

• US 8,363,791 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Shekhar, Schermerhorn, Rich, Toner, Victoria M., Hawkins, Johnny, Roberts, Mike A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jamal, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US12/119,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20080212746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 379/38
• US Class Current: 379/38
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• 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 system and method for communication based on a condition of a user. A VoIP telephone is linked with a device for monitoring one or more health metrics of a user. The one or more health metrics of the user are received from the device. A speaker of the VoIP telephone is enabled to make a call in response to determining the one or more health metrics are not within a pre-defined rage. A receiving party is called in response to determining the one or more health metrics are not within a pre-defined range.

Claims

1. A method for communication based on a condition of a user, the method comprising:

linking a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) telephone with a device for monitoring one or more health metrics of a user;

receiving the one or more health metrics of the user from the device;

recognizing, in response to determining the one or more health metrics are not within a pre-defined range, a receiving party associated with a range covering one of the received one or more health metrics, and wherein different ranges for the one or more health metrics are linked with different receiving parties;

calling the receiving party; and

enabling a speaker of the VoIP telephone to allow the user to participate in the call in response to calling the receiving party.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calling further comprises:

receiving a voice command from the user through a microphone for the VoIP telephone to dial the receiving party.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the one or more health metrics to the receiving party during the call.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving communication information for calling the receiving party.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calling is performed in response to the user not giving an indicator.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

recording the one or more health metrics;

sending a recording of the one or more health metrics with the call.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a camera for streaming an image of the user to the receiving party in response to calling the receiving party.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calling further comprises:

automatically dialing an emergency service.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a number associated with the receiving party before receiving the health metrics.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the VoIP telephone and the device communicate through a wireless connection.

11. The method according to claim 1, the pre-defined range further comprising a plurality of thresholds, each of the plurality of thresholds is associated with one or more receiving parties that are called based on the one or more health metrics exceeding one of the associated plurality of thresholds.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the device determines which of the plurality of thresholds is met by the one or more health metrics, and wherein the device sends a control signal to the VoIP telephone specifying a phone number for the receiving party.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

communicating emergency information regarding the user to be displayed by a communications device of the receiving party.

14. A VoIP system, the system comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with one or more devices that measure one or more health metrics of a user, the wireless transceiver receives the one or more health metrics; and

logic in communication with the wireless transceiver configured to determine whether the one or more health metrics exceed a threshold, wherein the logic recognizes, in response to determining the received one or more health metrics are not within a pre-defined range, a receiving party associated with a range covering one of the received one or more health metrics, and the logic calls the receiving party, wherein different ranges for the one or more health metrics are linked with different receiving parties.

15. The VoIP system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a memory configured to record the one or more health metrics for transmission to the receiving party.

16. The VoIP system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a video camera configured to stream an image to the receiving party for determining a condition of the user in response to a call being initiated by the logic.

17. The VoIP system according to claim 14, wherein the logic is configured to automatically dial an emergency service as the receiving party in response to not receiving an indicator from the user.

18. A VoIP phone comprising:

a processing unit for processing a set of instructions; and

a memory configured to store the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions is configured to;

link a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) telephone with a device for monitoring one or more health metrics of a user;

receive the one or more health metrics of the user from the device;

recognize, in response to determining the received one or more health metrics are not within a pre-defined range, a receiving party associated with a range covering one of the received one or more health metrics, and wherein different ranges for the one or more health metrics are linked with different receiving parties;

call the receiving party; and

enable a speaker of the VoIP telephone to allow a user to participate in the call in response to calling the receiving party.

19. The VoIP phone according to claim 18, wherein the set of instructions further:

communicates emergency information regarding the user to be displayed by a communications device of the receiving party, and wherein the emergency information includes a name of the user, address, medical conditions, and recordings of the one or more health metrics.

20. The VoIP phone according to claim 18, wherein the set of instructions further:

enables a camera for streaming an image of the user to the receiving party in response to calling the receiving party.