Set-top box for monitoring telehealth sensors

• US 9,462,948 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2011
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ji, Lusheng, Miller, Robert R. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): MURPHY, JEROLD B
• Application Number:
  US13/034,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,056 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 5/021 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 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The subject disclosure provides a system and method for a set-top box for monitoring telehealth and biometric sensors. A subject patient is associated with telehealth and biometric sensors which measure the subject patient'"'"'s vital signs and other health related attributes. In one aspect, the system includes a set-top box for continuously gathering biometric and telehealth sensor data. The set-top box includes a sensor interface for interfacing with the sensors and supports wireless and wired connections to the sensors. The system additionally may include a system management station for providing feedback to the subject patient.

Claims

1. A multimedia delivery device, comprising:

a network interface device configured to connect to a data network device of a communication network and to receive, via the data network device, a multimedia signal;

a decoding device configured to decode the multimedia signal to produce a decoded signal and to provide the decoded signal to a display device;

a sensor interface device coupled to the network interface device, wherein the sensor interface device is configured to interface with a sensor that gathers biometric data;

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

monitoring, by the multimedia delivery device, the biometric data received from the sensor;

determining, by the multimedia delivery device, that a defined threshold condition of the biometric data has been satisfied based on the monitoring;

associating, by the multimedia delivery device, the biometric data with a subject identity in response to the determining that the defined threshold condition of the biometric data has been satisfied;

generating summary data representative of a summary of at least a portion of the biometric data that satisfies the defined threshold condition;

determining, by the multimedia delivery device, whether a network outage condition associated with the data network device of the communication network exists; and

conditionally storing, by the multimedia device, the summary data when the network outage condition is determined to exist.

2. The multimedia delivery device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

performing, by the multimedia delivery device, a calibration process that calibrates the sensor; and

facilitating, by the multimedia delivery device, transmission of the summary data via the network interface device to another device in response to the determining that the defined threshold condition of the biometric data has been satisfied.

3. The multimedia delivery device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, by the multimedia device, that the network outage condition no longer exists; and

facilitating the transmission of the summary data in response to the determining that the network outage condition no longer exists.

4. The multimedia delivery device of claim 2, wherein the facilitating the transmission of the summary data further comprises facilitating transmission of the summary data according to a defined schedule.

5. The multimedia delivery device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a medication dispenser that monitors a medication parameter associated with the subject identity.

6. The multimedia delivery device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a gait sensor that monitors a gait parameter associated with the subject identity.

7. The multimedia delivery device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a pulse oximeter that monitors a pulse parameter associated with the subject identity.

8. The multimedia delivery device of claim 1, wherein the sensor interface device is configured to communicate using a Zigbee protocol.

9. The multimedia delivery device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise directing feedback information to a device of the subject identity based on a defined rule.

10. The multimedia delivery device of claim 9, wherein the defined rule relates to a determined state associated with the data network device of the communication network.

11. The multimedia delivery device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a body weight scale that monitors a weight parameter associated with the subject identity, a heart rate monitor that monitors a heart parameter associated with the subject identity, or a glucometer that monitors a blood-sugar parameter associated with the subject identity.

12. The multimedia delivery device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

facilitating storing of the biometric data from the sensor for a defined time period; and

facilitating transmission of the biometric data after a second defined time period.

13. A method, comprising:

interfacing, by a multimedia delivery system comprising a processor and a sensor interface, to a telehealth sensor that gathers biometric data, wherein the multimedia delivery system facilitates presentation, to a display device, of media content received from a media content provider via a network device of a communication network;

processing, by the multimedia delivery system, the biometric data from the telehealth sensor to determine that a value for the biometric data satisfies a defined threshold condition;

associating, by the multimedia delivery system, the biometric data from the telehealth sensor with a subject identity in response to determining that the value for the biometric data meets the defined threshold condition;

generating, by the multimedia delivery system, summary data representative of a summary of at least a portion of the biometric data that satisfies the defined threshold condition;

conditionally storing, by the multimedia delivery system, the summary data in response to the condition that a network outage condition has been determined to exist; and

transmitting, by the multimedia delivery system, the summary data to a device associated with a healthcare provider identity in response to determining that the value for the biometric data satisfies the defined threshold condition.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise performing, by the multimedia delivery system, a calibration process that calibrates the telehealth sensor.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the interfacing comprises interfacing to a medication dispenser that monitors a medication parameter associated with the subject identity.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the interfacing comprises:

interfacing comprises interfacing to a heart rate monitor that monitors a heart parameter associated with the subject identity;

or

interfacing to a body weight scale that monitors a weight parameter associated with the subject identity.

17. A method, comprising:

interfacing, by a media device comprising a processor and a sensor interface, to a telehealth sensor that collects biometric data, wherein the media device is configured to present, to a display device, media content received from a media content provider device associated with a media content provider identity via a network device;

determining, by the media device, whether a data value for the biometric data has satisfied a defined condition;

generating, by the media device, summary data indicative of a summary of at least a portion of the biometric data that relates to the defined condition being satisfied;

associating, by the media device, the biometric data from the telehealth sensor with an identity in response to the defined condition being determined to have been satisfied;

conditionally storing, by the media device, the summary data in response to the condition that a network outage condition is determined to exist; and

transmitting, by the media device, the summary data to a healthcare provider device associated with a healthcare provider identity in response to the defined condition being determined to have been satisfied.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the media device is a set-top box device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise performing, by the media device, a calibration process that calibrates the telehealth sensor.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the interfacing comprises:

interfacing to a gait sensor that monitors a gait parameter associated with the identity;

or

interfacing to a pulse oximeter that monitors a pulse parameter associated with the identity.