AU2003248001B2

AU2003248001B2 - Emergency communication service providing method and device

Info

Publication number: AU2003248001B2
Application number: AU2003248001A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Katsumi Tsukamoto; Yoshiko Yamada
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 2002-09-30
Filing date: 2003-09-17
Publication date: 2006-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 2023-09-17
Also published as: KR20040028580A; AU2003248001A1; JP2004126751A

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant(s): MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA Invention Title: EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION SERVICE PROVIDING METHOD AND

DEVICE

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:

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2 TITLE OF THE INVENTION EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION SERVICE PROVIDING METHOD AND DEVICE 0 z BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION i. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an emergency communication service providing method and device used for 00 medical services, for example.

C 10 2. Description of the Related Art Fig. 6 shows a related system to the present invention (1 which is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3,153,496, and the system comprises an artificial satellite 90, an ambulance 97, and an emergency medical center 98. Image data 99 concerning an emergency patient being carried by an ambulance 97, which have been achieved from an endoscope, echo, an electrocardiogram, a camera or the like, are transmitted through the artificial satellite 90 to the emergency medical center 98, and then a proper procedure for a patient can be transmitted from the emergency medical center 98 to the ambulance 97 as shown by the route 100.

However, in the above-described system, each emergency medical center serving as a fixed station side must be equipped with a satellite receiver and thus the system cost is increased. In addition, the range of applications is restricted to some extent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an emergency services communication method for use in an emergency services system including a plurality of emergency service centres and hospitals connected via a terrestrial communication network having a satellite communication gateway used commonly by the emergency service centres for communication via a communication satellite with communication devices provided in one or more emergency service vehicles, the emergency vehicles also H:\deboram\keep\specifications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05 3 o being provided with data and image acquisition means and a GPS receiver, the method comprising the steps of: O acquiring images and data relevant to the z emergency using the acquisition means provided in the emergency services vehicle; transmitting the acquired images and data and current location of the emergency services vehicle using the communication device provided in the 00 emergency services vehicle, to one or more emergency service centres via the communication satellite and Sthe gateway to the terrestrial network connecting the (N emergency service centres and hospitals; receiving the transmitted images and data by one or more emergency service centres; analysing the received images and data at the emergency services centre to form instructions based on the images and data; transmitting the instructions, from the emergency service centre to the emergency service vehicle via the communication network, gateway and communication satellite.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an emergency services communication system comprising: one or more communication satellites; a plurality of emergency service centres; a plurality of hospitals; a terrestrial communication network connected to each of the emergency service centres and linking each emergency service centre to a plurality of hospitals to thereby form a service network, the network having a satellite communication gateway to be used commonly by the emergency service centres for communication via the communication satellites; and one or more communication devices to be used in emergency service vehicles to enable communication between the emergency service centres and the H:\deboram\keep\specifications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05 4 o emergency vehicles via the communication satellites and the gateway to the terrestrial network; O wherein each communication device comprises one or more means for acquiring images and data relevant to an emergency the emergency service vehicle attends, a transmitter for transmitting the acquired data via satellite and the terrestrial network to one or more emergency service centres and a GPS receiver, 00 whereby when an emergency occurs and is attended by an emergency vehicle provided with the communication device, images and data from the (Ni emergency are acquired and transmitted to one or more emergency service centres via the satellite and terrestrial network, such that instructions may be transmitted to the emergency services vehicle via the satellite, from the emergency services centre on the basis of the transmitted images and/or data.

The features of the invention will become understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a diagram showing emergency communication service method and device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a terminal device of an ambulance according to the first embodiment; Fig. 3 shows a screen displaying the statuses of hospitals aggregated around an emergency medical center according to the first embodiment are aggregated; Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the inside of an ambulance of the first embodiment; Fig. 5 is a diagram showing emergency communication service providing method and device according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and H:\deboram\keep\specifications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05

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o Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a communication service providing method relating to an embodiment of the present 0 z invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings.

00 [First Embodiment] Emergency communication service providing method and Sdevice according to embodiments of this invention use a (N quasi-zenith satellite, gateway stations and earth networks (IP protocol networks). About ten service links are set up all over the Japanese country to link users and the quasi-zenith satellites. Furthermore, about three feeder links are set up all over the Japanese country to link the quasi-zenith satellites and the gateway stations.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing emergency communication service providing method and device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Each of the gateway stations 4 is equipped with a communication device for making communications with each quasi-zenith satellite i, and the communication device connects a transmission/reception signal from the gateway station 4 to the earth network 3. The earth network 3 is connected to plural emergence medical centers 51, 52, and a system integrating center 7, and each emergency medical center 51, 52, 5x is connected to each of hospitals 511, 512, 51n, 521, 522, 52m, 5xl,.. which are located in the vicinity of the emergency medical center.

Each emergency medical center 51 (52, 5x have the same construction) is equipped with a communication device 51a, a recording device 51b, a search device 51c, an image display device 51d, a voice input/output device 51e, an image/voice recording device 51f, etc. as shown in Fig. 2.

The recording device 51b collectively records information from each hospital, for example, information on the location H:\deboram\keep\specifications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05 6 o of each hospital, special medical care sections, the acceptable number of emergency patients, resident doctors O in charge, etc. in the form shown in Fig. 3. The information on the acceptable number of emergency patients, the resident doctors in charge, etc. are rewritten to the latest information through the network between the emergency medical centers 51, 52, 5x and hospitals at all times.

Accordingly, the doctors at the emergency medical centers 00 51, 52, 5x can grasp these information.

The search device 51c is equipped with a keyboard input portion, and searches patient-acceptable hospitals (Ni from hospitals connected to the emergency medical center on the basis of the position information, etc. of a patient from an ambulance 2. The image display device 51d displays images of the patient transmitted from the ambulance 2 through the quasi-zenith satellite i, a gateway station 4 and an earth network 3. With the voice input/output device 51e, a doctor of an emergency medical center watches the display images of the patient and makes voice conversations on information exchange, instructions, etc. with an emergency life guard or the like of the ambulance 2. The image/voice recording device 51f records images transmitted from the ambulance 2 and conversations between the ambulance 2 or a reporter and the doctor of the emergency medical center. The ambulance described in the specification of this invention covers emergency patient carrying means containing not only an emergency car, but also a heliambulance, etc.

Various kinds of moving pictures and still pictures which show medical conditions of a patient are transmitted from a terminal device mounted in an ambulance 2 to the quasi-zenith satellite i, and received through the quasi-zenith satellite 1 at the gateway station 4. The reception signal at the gateway station 4 is fed to the earth network 3. In the emergency medical center 51, 52, a doctor of the emergency medical center 51, 52, watches the images of the patient transmitted through the earth network 3 on the image display device 51d, and gives H:\deboram\keep\specifications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05 7 o an instruction of primary care to an emergency lift guard of the ambulance 2 with the voice input/output device 51e O through the service network comprising the earth network 3, the gateway station 4 and the quasi-zenith satellite 1.

Furthermore, an instruction as to which hospital the patient should be carried to can be output to the ambulance 2 on the basis of the current position of the ambulance 2 and the display of Fig. 3. The instruction on a destination 00 hospital to which the patient should be carried may be carried out from the emergency medical center to the ambulance 2 by using a portable terminal, or may be given (Ni to the navigator of the ambulance through the service network to lead the ambulance to a target hospital. In place of the supply of the instruction from the emergency medical center to the ambulance 2, the instruction as to which hospital the patient should be carried to may be made by connecting an emergency instruction center (not shown) to the service network in advance separately from the emergency medical center and giving the instruction from the emergency instruction center to the ambulance 2 on the basis of the current position of the ambulance 2 and the display of Fig.

3. The conversation contents delivered between the doctor of the emergency medical center and the emergency lift guard of the ambulance 2 and the images of the patient are recorded in the image/voice recording device 51f, and transmitted to a patient-accepting hospital through communication means by the time when the ambulance 2 has carried the patient to the hospital concerned. The doctor of the hospital can watch/listen to the conversation contents and the images and grasp the contents in advance.

With respect to the data communications between the ambulance 2 and the emergency medical center 51, 52, there may be considered such a case that a family member of the patient reports to the emergency medical center as a reporter 10. In this case, the reporter 10 transmits the condition of the patient together with the images of the patient to the emergency medical center by using his/her H:\deboram\keep\specifications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05 8 o portable terminal. At the emergency medical center, a doctor listens to the condition of the patient from the reporter o 10 and watches the images, and gives an instruction on the first aid to the reporter 10. The emergency medical center searches an acceptable hospital on the basis of the current position and symptom of the patient, and also makes an ambulance 2 go to the current position of the patient in a hurry. At this time, the emergency medical center indicates 00 the current position of the patient to the navigator of the C 10 ambulance 2 through the service network comprising the search network 3, the gateway station 4 and the quasi-zenith (Ni satellite 1 to lead the ambulance 2 to the target place.

The treatment after the patient is carried on the ambulance 2 is the same as described above. However, in this embodiment, the images and the conversations between the reporter 10 and the doctor of the emergency medical center are recorded in the image/voice recording device 51f, and the images and the conversions from the ambulance 2 are recorded after the patient is carried on the ambulance 2.

These images and conversations are transmitted to the target hospital to allow the doctor of the hospital to watch/listen to these information until the ambulance 2 has carried the patient to the hospital.

Fig. 4 shows the ambulance 2 in which a communication antenna 20, a GPS navigator (not shown), a communication device 21, a voice input/output device 22, a display device 23, a controller 24 for an image pickup camera 25, etc. are mounted. The controller for the camera 25 is controlled on the basis of a control signal transmitted from the emergency medical center side together with an ON/OFF switch 26 thereof. The camera 25 is mounted so as to face a bed 28 for a patient 27, and it is designed so that the position thereof in the front-and-rear direction and the up-and-down direction, the orientation thereof and the zooming operation thereof can be controlled on the basis of the control signal. Images picked up by the camera 25 are monitored on the display device 23, and also transmitted H:\deboram\keep\specifications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05 9 o from the communication device 21 through the service network to the emergency medical center. The doctor of the emergency O medical enter and the emergency life guard of the ambulance 2 can make voice conversations through the voice input/output device 22.

The condition of the patient 27 on the bed 28 is transmitted as images from the ambulance 2 through the quasi-zenith satellite 1 to the emergency medical center 00 side. The doctor of the emergency medical center may directly transmit the control signal to the ambulance side in order to control the position, orientation and zoom of C( the camera 25 as occasion demands, and achieve necessary images of the patient to give more proper instructions to the ambulance side.

As described above, according to the emergency communication service providing method and device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when an emergency patient occurs, the initial care and proper patient carrying can be quickly performed on the basis of a doctor's instruction. Furthermore, a patient-acceptable hospital can grasp the condition of the patient at all times in the course of the carrying to the hospital. Therefore, the emergency communication service providing method and device of this invention has a greater effect on the lift guard of the patient.

[Second Embodiment] Fig. 5 shows a second embodiment according to the present invention, and this embodiment provides a service providing method for emergency contact when a vehicle having a GPS navigator mounted therein suffers a traffic accident.

In Fig. 5, the vehicle 30 is equipped with a transmitter. When the vehicle suffers a traffic accident, the impact is detected, and an accident occurring signal and a current position signal based on GPS are transmitted through the quasi-zenith satellite 1 and the gateway station 4 to the earth network 3 automatically or by driver's voice H:\deboram\keep\specifications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05 o or the like. The earth network 3 is connected to a police head office 61 and an emergency medical center 51. The police O head office 61 is connected to many police offices 611 to 61n, and the emergency medical center 51 is connected to many hospitals 511 to 51n.

When the police head office 61 receives an accident occurring signal from an accident car, it specifies the position of the accident car 30 on the basis of the position 00 information thereof, transmits the position information of C 10 the accident car 30 to a patrol car 8 and instructs the patrol car 8 to go to the accident place in a hurry. In addition, (Ni when receiving an accident signal, the emergency medical center 51 specifies the position of the accident car 30 on the basis of the position information thereof, transmits the position information of the accident car 30 to an ambulance 2 and instructs the ambulance 2 to go to the accident place in a hurry.

The ambulance 2 transmits the condition of the accident as images to the emergency medical center 51 from the accident place, and the emergency medical center 51 searches an acceptable hospital on the basis of these images, etc. and communicates with the ambulance 2 in the same manner as the first embodiment. The police head office 61 communicates with each police office and instructs necessary deployment.

According to the second embodiment, when a traffic accident occurs, the police and the emergency medical center can instantaneously catch the accident, and instruct a patrol car and an ambulance to go to the accident place in a hurry. Therefore, the procedure for the accident can be quickly performed.

It has been hitherto general that an emergency life guard of an ambulance makes a call to various hospitals in accordance with the condition of a patient to determine a hospital to which the patient should be carried. However, according to this invention, an emergency medical center searches a patient-acceptable hospital on the basis of the H:\deboram\keep\specifications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05 -11- Sinformation from an ambulance or reporter, and makes an instruction to the ambulance. Therefore, a troublesome task 0 which has been hitherto needed can be omitted, and the medical care can be quickly performed.

Furthermore, the conventional system needs a satellite receiver every emergency medical center, and not only the system cost is increased, but also the advantage of the broad band service based on the satellite has not been 00 sufficiently effectively utilized. On the other hand, according to this invention, the emergency medical car, the Spolice head office, etc. may be merely connected to existing (N networks, so that the system cost can be reduced and also the same service can be provided even at backcountries all over the Japanese country on the basis of the unified management.

While the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that these disclosures are for the purpose of illustration and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

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Claims

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the emergency instructions provided by the emergency service centre are formed on the basis of information including the received images and/or data, the current location of H:\deboram\keep\specifications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05 13 o the emergency services vehicle, and location, capability and capacity of hospitals and medical O facilities or other available emergency services.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the emergency services vehicle is an ambulance and the emergency service centre provides instructions to the ambulance regarding which hospital to take patients 00 to.
4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the position of the hospital is transmitted to a navigator provided in the ambulance.
5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the emergency services vehicle is an ambulance and a resident doctor at the emergency services centre provides instructions for the initial care of a patient to the ambulance attendant via based on the transmitted images and data.
6. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the image and data acquisition means can be controlled remotely by instructions received via the communication device and the instructions transmitted by the emergency services centre include instructions for control of the data and image acquisitions device to control the position, orientation, focus and the like of the image acquisition device.
7. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising the steps of: receiving a report of an emergency by an emergency service centre; the emergency service centre instructing an emergency service vehicle to attend the emergency and providing the navigator of the emergency service H:\deboram\keep\specifications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05 14 vehicle with the location of the emergency. o 8. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each emergency service centre records and maintains up to date, using the terrestrial communication network, information on neighbouring hospitals such as hospital locations, treatment capabilities, acceptable number of patients and the 00 like.
9. An emergency services communication system (Ni comprising: one or more communication satellites; a plurality of emergency service centres; a plurality of hospitals; a terrestrial communication network connected to each of the emergency service centres and linking each emergency service centre to a plurality of hospitals to thereby form a service network, the network having a satellite communication gateway to be used commonly by the emergency service centres for communication via the communication satellites; and one or more communication devices to be used in emergency service vehicles to enable communication between the emergency service centres and the emergency vehicles via the communication satellites and the gateway to the terrestrial network; wherein each communication device comprises one or more means for acquiring images and data relevant to an emergency the emergency service vehicle attends, a transmitter for transmitting the acquired data via satellite and the terrestrial network to one or more emergency service centres and a GPS receiver, whereby when an emergency occurs and is attended by an emergency vehicle provided with the communication device, images and data from the emergency are acquired and transmitted to one or more H:\deboram\keep\specitications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05 o emergency service centres via the satellite and terrestrial network, such that instructions may be O transmitted to the emergency services vehicle via the satellite, from the emergency services centre on the basis of the transmitted images and/or data. A system as claimed in claim 9 wherein each emergency service centre includes but is not limited 00 to: 1 0 a display means for displaying images and/or data transmitted from the emergency vehicle to enable a (Ni person at the emergency service centre to analyse the information transmitted from the emergency and form instruction to transmit to the emergency services vehicle.
11. A system as claimed in claim 9 wherein each emergency service centre further includes but is not limited to: a recording means for recording information regarding the locations, treatment capabilities, acceptable number of patients and the like of neighbouring hospitals; and a searching means for searching for a hospital able to receive an incoming patient on the basis of the image, data and location information transmitted by the emergency services vehicle where the emergency services vehicle is an ambulance.
12. A system as claimed in claim 11 wherein each emergency service centre further includes: a communication means for transmitting the information being transmitted and received by both the emergency services vehicle and the emergency service centre to the hospital to receive the incoming patient.
13. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, H:\deboram\keep\specifications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05 -16 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. O
14. A system as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 00 O SDated this 2nd day of November 2005 10 MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA t tBy their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia H:\deboram\keep\specifications\2003248001 spec pgs.doc 31/10/05