Techniques for emergency detection and emergency alert messaging

• US 9,293,023 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2015
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jack K.E. Zhang
• Original Assignee: Jack K.E. Zhang
• Inventors: Zhang, Jack Ke
• Primary Examiner(s): YANG, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US14/661,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20150269824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• 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: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0438 Sensor means for detecting
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• 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 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and/or system for monitoring a user and transmitting an emergency notification is disclosed. The apparatus can monitor a user'"'"'s overall wellness and adherence to a therapy regimen. The apparatus can also detect a variety of emergency situations affecting the user. For example, the apparatus can detect a fall affecting the user, the activation of an emergency indicator by the user, or an emergency based on vital signs and the overall wellness of the user. The apparatus can generate and transmit an alert notification in response to determining an emergency is affecting the user. The apparatus can select the form of the alert and the network on which to transmit the alert. The apparatus can determine the form of the alert and the network based on the severity of the emergency and the strength of the networks available to the apparatus. The form of the alert and the transmission network selected can optimize the likelihood of the alert notification being successfully transmitted.

Claims

1. A wrist-worn device for facilitating emergency detection and alert transmission, the wrist-worn device, comprising:

a first sensor configured to generate elevation data that represents an elevation of the wrist-worn device;

a second sensor configured to generate acceleration data that represents a magnitude of acceleration of the wrist-worn device;

one or more processors; and

one or memories coupled with said one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors and one or more memories are configured to;

determine, based on the elevation data, an elevation of a surface;

detect a fall affecting a wearer of the wrist-worn device based on the elevation data and the acceleration data;

determine a signal strength of one or more communication networks available to the wrist-worn device;

select a preferred communication network for transmitting an alert notification based on the signal strength of the one or more communication networks;

generate the alert notification; and

transmit the alert notification away from the wrist-worn device using the preferred communication network;

wherein detecting the fall includes;

determining that the acceleration data satisfies a fall condition; and

determining, based on the elevation data, that the wrist-worn device is vertically displaced from the surface by a distance that passes a threshold distance.

2. The wrist-worn device of claim 1, the one or more processors and one or more memories being further configured to:

cause a sensor on the wrist-worn device to collect vital sign information in response to determining that a wellness index is below a pre-set threshold; and

receive the vital sign information,

wherein the alert notification includes the vital sign information.

3. The wrist-worn device of claim 2, the one or more processors and one or more memories being further configured to:

determine a number of times to transmit the alert notification based on the signal strength of the selected communication and the wellness index.

4. The wrist-worn device of claim 1, wherein the preferred communication network is a cellular network and the alert notification is one of an SMS message or a voice call.

5. The wrist-worn device of claim 1, wherein the sensor on the wrist-worn device is at least one of a thermometer, a pedometer, a blood pressure monitor, a heart rate sensor, a blood-oxygen level sensor, or a glucose monitor.

6. The wrist-worn device of claim 1, the one or more processors and one or more memories are further configured to:

retrieve recent GPS sensor data and wherein the alert notification includes the recent GPS sensor data.

7. The wrist-worn device of claim 1, the one or more processors and one or more memories are further configured to:

cause a GPS sensor on the wrist-worn device to generate current GPS sensor data in response to determining the wellness index is below a pre-set threshold,

wherein the current GPS sensor data is associated with a location of the wrist-worn device and the alert notification includes the current GPS sensor data.