AU2016102035A4 - Remote Human Directional Movement and Health Monitoring System - Google Patents

Abstract

Patents Act 1990 Innovation Patent Application Patent Title: Remote Human Directional Movement and Health Monitoring System Document: 1 of set of 4 Prior Provisional Patent: 2016904765 22 November 2016 Date: 25 November 2016 Inventor: Ian Rowatt Address: 228 Glenrock Parade, Koolewong, New South Wales, Australia, Postcode 2256. Email: anowa gmaggom Phone: 0410446442 or 0280062283 Abstract [0001] The aged population will continue increasing significantly in the near future. [0002] Most aged people want to remain in their own home as long as possible, leaving only when forced by a degradation in their health which requires institutional residential care and support. [0003] To delay the departure from the home for health reasons, aged people and their families may agree together to purchase and use a low cost secure monitoring system and linked devices to support remote awareness and timely family or professional caring for the older person, particularly those living alone. [0004] The invention creates a system and process whereby personal movement activity and biometric information is automatically collected on one or more devices, stored, analysed and delivered to remote human receivers. The information can be used by the receivers to respond to abnormal activity patterns and/or biometric data, without any action by the person being monitored. [0005] A directional movement sensor, installed in the monitored person's residence, collects and timestamps activity events, communicates locally with wearable devices and any other at home instruments gathering and timestamping activity (away from the sensor) and biometric data, then subsequently transfers this information securely to a remote application server system using wireless public or private networks. [0006] A pre-existing internet connection at the residence is not required. [0007] The sensor is supervised by the remote application server system and may at times be commanded to specific recovery or corrective action by that system. [0008] The remote receivers of information can be one or more family members, friends, paid or unpaid carers, doctors and nursing services providers. [0009] The content, timing and depth of detail of the information can be modified by the receivers using settings controls within the receiver's application user screens in their mobile or fixed location internet connected devices. [0010] The system provides a platform for future wearable devices to be connected to the sensor. rod, C)C LnU T=4)

Description

1 2016102035 25 Nov 2016 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990

Innovation Patent Application

Patent Title: Remote Human Directional Movement and Health Monitoring System

Document: 2 of set of 4

Prior Provisional Patent: 2016904765 22 November 2016

Date: 25 November 2016

Inventor: Ian Rowatt

Address: 228 Glenrock Parade, Koolewong, New South Wales, Australia, Postcode 2256.

Email: ian. rowatt © small .com

Phone: 0410446442 or 0280062283

Referenced Drawings Summary

Figure 1 - Sensor and Biometric Data Collection Devices Figure 2 - Sensor Mounting Location and Orientation Figure 3 - Direction Sensing of Passing Person

Figure 4 - Communications Between Sensor and Application Server System Figure 5 - Application Server System and Functions

Figure 6 - Application Server System and Human Receiver Devices and Controls Figure 7 - Human Receiver Devices and Controls

Description [0001] With reference to Figure 1, a “person-in-care” (101), living in a residence (102), moves past, in either direction, a specifically located and oriented sensor (103) mounted on a residence wall at a specific vertical position relative to the floor. The sensor shall be capable of detecting, 2 2016102035 25 Nov 2016 analysing and interpreting the infrared frequency radiation from the moving person’s body. Body infrared energy is independent of ambient lighting, so night time movements can be reliably detected. The sensor shall analyse the raw data and create a timestamped event data record of a left-to-right movement, right-to-left movement, or other activity event type(s), relative to the point-of-view of looking outward from the sensor.

[0002] Additional optional measurement devices (105) may be located in the residence, at fixed or movable locations, for the purpose of collecting biometric information such as heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, blood chemistry and in future new measurement devices. Such devices will communicate bidirectionally (151) with the sensor using licensed or unlicensed radio frequency bands. The person (103) may optionally wear a wrist device (104), or other device(s) mounted or carried on the body to collect walking activity data derived from an accelerometer in the wrist device and/or biometric information.

[0003] The person (150) will leave the residence at times, still wearing a wrist device (104), or other body mounted devices, and such devices will collect biometric data to be stored by one of the devices. On returning to the residence (102), the device which has accumulated the external to the residence originated data shall transfer it to the sensor for storage and interpretation, and subsequently transmit it to the remote application server system (Figure 5).

[0004] The sensor has the inbuilt capability of capturing raw analogue signals, as well as digital input signals, analysing such data, storing it locally, formatting and preparing it for transmission to the remote external application server system (Figure 5).

[0005] The sensor will include a local clock calendar module such that all movement events and biometric data in a log are associated with a date and time stamp to ensure the remote reporting gives a clear picture of the sequence of such events over time. The sensor clock calendar will be a slave to that supplied using master time from the wireless network, that system constantly maintaining an international accuracy standard clock and calendar, and the sensor regularly checking and making adjustments. 2016102035 25 Nov 2016 3 [0006] All wireless communications data transfers shall be encrypted and secured.

[0007] With reference to Figure 2, the vertical positioning and horizontal orientation of the sensor detector module is critical to achieving a reliable record of a person’s directional movement activity. The sensor must be wall mounted by a fixed bracket (106) at least one metre above the floor (109) to avoid false positive signals caused by the body heat of pets passing the sensor. The mounted height ensures the maximum body heat energy is detected from the human torso of an average size adult, the target of the invention. The bracket will enclose and support a rotatable section (107) holding the infrared detector module. The installing person rotates the movable module (108) to achieve the preferred horizontal pointing orientation (110) which is selected to achieve reliable and significant movement activity, say in the range zero to fifty timestamped daily events. The sensor detection module shall be easily rotatable by hand but remains fixed in the preferred firm orientation by a detent or friction mechanism.

[0008] With reference to Figure 3, the sensor (103) has a final preferred horizontal orientation (110) generally aimed at mid-torso. The wall (120) or surface behind the passing person (101) is at a typically lower infrared temperature than the infrared average temperature of the passing person, ensuring a strong differential signal during the passing event. The person may move left-to-right (111) or right-to-left (112) relative to the point of view of the sensor. In the case of the person dithering or changing direction near the sensor, alternative event types may be detected and declared.

[0009] Apertures of specific mechanical shape and structure in the sensor body effectively create a left-to-right movement detection zone (121) and a right-to-left movement detection zone (122), each existing symmetrically on either side of the sensor horizontal orientation (110). Thereby there exists a horizontal “separation” zone, between left-to-right zone (121) and right-to-left zone 122, where no infrared energy is detected by the sensor for a brief period during the person’s movement. 4 2016102035 25 Nov 2016 [0010] With Reference to Figure 4, the residence sensor (103) communicates bidirectionally (202) with a cellular frequency private or public wireless network system (201). Other sensors, installed in other residences (114, 115, and 116 up to a fleet population of millions) also communicate with the same or other wireless networks towers (203). The wireless network system has one or more data processing facilities (204) which aggregates and addresses data for forwarding promptly to the application server system (301). The application server system consists of two parts. The first is the sensors fleet management sub-system (303). The second is the supervisory server sub-system (304) which provides the highest level control of the sensors, security and access management, storage of events and biometric data, business administration records, and content and configuration settings shared with the receivers of the events and biometric data (Figure 7).

[0011] The sensor fleet manager sub-system (303) and supervisory server sub-system (304) are directly connected using a high data throughput capacity, high data speed direct cable or fibre secure connection (305).

[0012] With reference to Figure 5, the functionality provided by the sensors fleet management sub-system (303) includes, but is not limited to cellular networks connection manager (306), sensor registration and access control (307), messages decryption and encryption (308), bidirectional messages temporary storage and forwarding (309), SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) registration, administration, subscription processing (310) and supervisory server subsystem interface (311).

[0013] The functionality provided by the supervisory server sub-system (304)) includes, but is not limited to the sensors fleet manager sub-system interface (312), bidirectional messages encryption and decryption (313), sensors fleet supervision and command control (314), sensors administration database (315), receivers administration database (316) and receivers’ content publishing and configuration receivers’ communications interface (317).

[0014] With reference to Figure 6, supervisory server sub-system (304) will communicate bidirectionally (402) with multiple independent wireless and direct cable connect 2016102035 25 Nov 2016 5 telecommunications systems (401) used by the receivers’ (501) mobile devices (502). The receivers’ devices shall include smartphones, tablets, watch size computers and laptops. Fixed location receivers (504) will use laptop and desktop computers (505).

[0015] With reference to Figure 7, the receivers (501, 504) of the information will have settings controls (503 and 506) built into their application user interface screens (502,505). Such settings controls will allow the receivers to modify the content and arrival of content and notifications of prior events originating from one or more remote sensor(s) in residences (Figure 1). The diversity of living circumstances of the person-in-care (Figure 1, 101) will be large and must include absences from the residence (Figure 1, 102) for hours, days or weeks. The controls settings will allow convenient configuration to avoid such activity variations generating false-positive and false-negative notifications and screens content, and for temporary suppression of inbound information.

Claims (5)

1. Claims

   1. A device and/or set of communicating separate devices located within a residence, and/or worn or carried by a person moving externally from that residence, which collects and processes signals generated by the horizontal movement of that person using that person’s radiated infrared frequency body heat, heart originated electromagnetic energy, measured blood circulation pressure, measured blood chemistry and body vertical movement, thereby creating human directional movement and biometric data.
2. 2. The data of Claim 1, with a date and time record associated with every event and/or measurement record, shall be captured and stored by an electronic sensor, or sensors, located in close proximity to such moving person or worn, carried or attached to that person.
3. 3. The sensor of Claim 2 shall execute immediate analysis of the sensor(s) data to determine an inferred direction of movement, and/or interpretation of aggregated biometric data and prepare such locally generated information for efficient secured remote transmission, then execute such transmission using public or private communications networks to a remote secure application server system.
4. 4. The application server system of Claim 3 shall authorize access, collect, aggregate, store and manage the information received from a fleet of any size of the sensors of Claim 3, subsequently authorise the access to such information by remote mobile and fixed location internet connected devices, then publish such information securely to authorised receivers of the information using such devices.
5. 5. The receivers of information of Claim 4 shall be able to enter and modify registration information specific to the person of Claim 1 and further shall be able to modify the timing, frequency, delivery and content of the information received from the application server of Claim 3.