Activity monitoring system and method for transmitting information for activity monitoring

• US 8,620,993 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Min Ho, Jang, Jae Won, Jung, Ho Youl, Song, Sa Kwang, Park, Soo Jun, Park, Seon Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Lynn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Lin
• Application Number:
  US12/505,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20100161706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

An activity monitoring system and method are disclosed to reduce the size of an activity sensor device to reduce its power consumption and smoothly transmit activity and occupancy information from the activity sensor device and an occupancy sensor device to an activity monitoring server to monitor an individual'"'"'s activity and occupancy information. The activity monitoring system includes: an activity sensor device configured to detect a physical activity of a user, classify the detected physical activity, and transmit activity classification information as a result along with user identification information; one or more occupancy sensor devices configured to receive the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information from the activity sensor device, and transmit the received information along with occupancy information; and an activity monitoring server configured to manage the activity classification information, the occupancy information, and the individual'"'"'s identification information received from the occupancy sensor devices.

Claims

1. An activity monitoring system comprising:

an activity sensor device configured to detect an individual'"'"'s physical activity, classify the detected physical activity, and transmit activity classification information as a result along with the individual'"'"'s identification information;

one or more occupancy sensor devices configured to receive the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information from the activity sensor device, and transmit the received information along with occupancy information; and

an activity monitoring server configured to manage the activity classification information, the occupancy information, and the individual'"'"'s identification information received from the occupancy sensor devices,

wherein the activity sensor device is configured to transmit the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information to the one or more occupancy sensor devices or the activity monitoring server, and

wherein the activity sensor device is configured to transmit the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information to the one or more occupancy sensor devices having a first power, and

wherein the activity sensor device is configured to transmit the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information to the activity monitoring server having a second power.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein when a connection is established between the activity sensor device and the one or more occupancy sensor devices, the activity sensor device transmits the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information to the one or more occupancy sensor by using a first propagation with a short transmission range.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein unless the activity sensor device is connected to the one or more occupancy sensor devices, the activity sensor device transmits the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information directly to the activity monitoring server by using a third propagation with a broad transmission range.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein when a connection is established between the activity sensor device and the one or more occupancy sensor devices, the activity sensor device uses only the first propagation and stops the transmission of information via the third propagation.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein unless the activity sensor device is connected to the one or more occupancy sensor devices, the activity sensor device stores the activity classification information in a database.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein when the activity sensor device is connected to the one or more occupancy sensor devices, the activity sensor device transmits the activity classification information stored in the database to the occupancy sensor devices and then deletes the activity classification information from the database.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the activity sensor device comprises at least one of an acceleration sensor and a geomagnetic sensor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more occupancy sensor devices transmit the activity classification information, the occupancy information, and the individual'"'"'s identification information to the activity monitoring server by using a second propagation with a broader transmission range than that of the first propagation received from the activity sensor device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the occupancy sensor devices periodically transmit the occupancy information to the activity monitoring server.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein only when a signal is received from the activity sensor device, the occupancy sensor devices transmit the signal to the activity monitoring server.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein only when a connection between the occupancy sensor devices and the activity sensor device is established, the occupancy sensor devices transmit a signal to the activity monitoring server.

12. A method for transmitting information for activity monitoring by an occupancy sensor device in an activity monitoring system comprising an activity sensor device worn by an individual, one or more occupancy sensor devices, and an activity monitoring server, the method comprising:

receiving from the activity sensor device activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information obtained by detecting a physical activity of a user from a connection-established activity sensor device by using a first propagation; and

transmitting the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information along with occupancy information to the activity monitoring server by using a second propagation,

wherein the activity sensor device transmits the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information having a first power or a second power,

wherein the first power is less than the second power, and

when the activity sensor device transmits the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information to the one or more occupancy sensor devices then the activity sensor device only transmits the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information to the one or more occupancy sensor devices having the first power.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the occupancy information is periodically transmitted by the occupancy sensor device to the activity monitoring server.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the occupancy information is transmitted by the occupancy sensor device to the activity monitoring server, only when a signal is received from the activity sensor device.

15. A method for transmitting information for activity monitoring by an activity sensor device in an activity monitoring system comprising the activity sensor device worn by an individual, one or more occupancy sensor devices, and an activity monitoring server, the method comprising:

detecting an individual'"'"'s activity and classifying the detected signal;

generating activity classification information by using the classified signal;

establishing a connection to the one or more occupancy sensor devices; and

transmitting the generated activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information to the connection-established occupancy sensor devices by using a first propagation with a short transmission range, so that the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information can be transmitted along with occupancy information to the activity monitoring server,

wherein the activity sensor device transmits the generated activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information to the one or more occupancy sensor devices or the activity monitoring server, and

wherein the activity sensor device transmits the generated activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information to the one or more occupancy sensor devices having a first power,

wherein the activity sensor device transmits the generated activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information to the activity monitoring server having a second power, and

wherein the first power is less than the second power.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

storing the activity classification information in a database unless the activity sensor device is connected to the one or more occupancy sensor devices.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein unless the activity sensor device is connected to the one or more occupancy sensor devices, the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information are directly transmitted to the activity monitoring server by using a third propagation with a broad transmission range.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the occupancy information is periodically transmitted by the occupancy sensor device to the activity monitoring server.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the occupancy information is transmitted by the occupancy sensor device to the activity monitoring server, only when a signal is received from the activity sensor device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information are transmitted along with the occupancy information to the activity monitoring server, only when a connection to the one or more occupancy sensor devices is established.

21. An activity monitoring system comprising:

an activity sensor device configured to detect an individual'"'"'s physical activity, classify the detected physical activity, and transmit activity classification information as a result along with the individual'"'"'s identification information;

one or more occupancy sensor devices configured to receive the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information from the activity sensor device, and transmit the received information along with occupancy information; and

an activity monitoring server configured to manage the activity classification information, the occupancy information, and the individual'"'"'s identification information received from the occupancy sensor devices,

wherein the activity sensor device transmits the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information at a first power and a second power, and

where the activity sensor only transmits the activity classification information and the individual'"'"'s identification information at the first power after a connection is established between the activity sensor device and the one or more occupancy sensor devices.