Guardian system for a cognitively-impaired individual

• US 8,423,000 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anil Dhuna
• Original Assignee: Anil Dhuna
• Inventors: Dhuna, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): SAMS, MATTHEW C
• Application Number:
  US12/729,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20110237226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 607 1- 78, 3405391-53932, 4554141-4144, 455418-420, 4554561-4566, 455 411- 414, 368 1- 14, 368/47, 368107-109, 368/243, 368/244, 368281-283
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

A guardian system for cognitively-impaired individuals. The system includes a wrist phone system that has a display, a global positioning system, and a SIM card. The wrist phone system is tethered to a PDA phone so that the PDA phone is able to input information into the wrist phone system. In addition, the PDA phone and wrist phone system can communicate with one another and with monitoring devices such that if a warning or emergency condition is provided by the individual or by a monitor a warning message can be sent to a caregiver to address the emergency.

Claims

1. A guardian system for a cognitively-impaired individual comprising:

a wrist phone system having a global positioning system and an identifying device that communicates with a mobile network;

a personal digital assistant phone tethered to the wrist phone system to communicate with and to provide input to program the wrist phone system to record voice files that are repeated as reminders for meals and medication and display a picture of a location for the meal and medication tasks;

wherein a warning message is sent to a receiving device based on communications within the guardian system;

wherein a warning message is sent to the receiving device in response to the individual'"'"'s location determined by the global positioning system;

wherein when the cognitively-impaired individual wearing the wrist phone system strays beyond a boundary area the wrist phone system provides instructions to the cognitively-impaired individual how to return to the boundary area.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the identifying device is a subscriber identity module.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the subscriber identity module is associated with a global system for mobile communications.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the subscriber identity module is associated with a code division multiple access system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the personal digital assistant phone is tethered to the wrist phone system via Bluetooth.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the personal digital assistant is tethered to the wrist phone system via a personal area network using wi-fi.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiving device is a computer at an information technology service center.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiving device is a cell phone of a caregiver.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the wrist phone system has an auditory alarm.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the auditory alarm provides a voice of an individual known to the individual.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the wrist phone system is waterproof.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the wrist phone system is shockproof.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the global positioning system and identifying device have standby modes.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the personal digital assistant phone does not have a separate identifying device from the wrist phone system.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising a monitoring system that provides the communications that the warning message is based upon.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the monitoring system is a heart monitor.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the monitoring system is associated with medication taken by the individual.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the monitoring system is a personal locater for the individual in a home.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the personal locater is a Bluetooth locator that monitors the location of the individual.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiving device accesses a memory to monitor the individual'"'"'s behavior.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the personal digital assistant phone uses the identifying device of the wrist phone system to make cellular calls and the wrist phone system communicates with a receiving device via the identifying device such that the guardian system utilizes a single identifying device for both the wrist phone system and the personal digital assistant phone.

22. A guardian system for a cognitively-impaired individual comprising:

a wrist phone system having a global positioning system and an identifying device that communicates with a mobile network;

the wrist phone system also has a sensor that senses when the wrist phone system is removed from the cognitively-impaired individual;

a personal digital assistant phone tethered to the wrist phone system to communicate with and to provide input to program the wrist phone system to record voice files that are repeated as reminders for meals and medication and display a picture of a location for the meal and medication tasks;

wherein a warning message is sent to a receiving device based on communications within the guardian system;

wherein when the wrist phone system is removed from the cognitively-impaired individual the wrist phone system sends a warning message to the receiving device indicating that the wrist phone system has been removed;

wherein the wrist phone system has an alarm button that when activated causes the warning message to be sent.