FR2839149A1 - REMOTE WEIGHING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING SUCH A SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

This weighing system comprises: - at least one central unit (1) equipped with means (12, 13) for processing and storing data relating to successive weighings; - at least one scale (101, 101 ') available to 'a subject and provided with means (104, 125', 126 ') of remote transmission (by R) to the central unit (1) of data relating to each weighing carried out by the subject and - display means (2) and / or processing (13) of the data stored in the central unit (1) allowing a specialist to advise the subject or modify a drug treatment.

Description

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 The invention relates to a remote weighing system and to a method of implementing such a system.

 Certain pathologies require a monitoring of the evolution of the weight of a subject in order to be able to take, as quickly as possible, treatment measures by medication, nutrition or physical exercises. For example, the treatment of obesity or heart failure requires rigorous monitoring of a subject's weight change.

 Up to now, a subject is asked to weigh himself at regular intervals and to record, in a table provided for this purpose, his weight and the dates of measurement. The subject must bring this table with him to each consultation and it is not uncommon for oversights to prevent the practitioner from learning about the evolution of the subject's weight curve. In addition, the practitioner can adjust the drug treatment or provide advice on nutritional matters or physical exercise only during each consultation, that is to say, in practice, with a frequency greater than two weeks.

 It is to these drawbacks that the invention more particularly intends to remedy, by proposing a weighing system which makes it possible to appreciably improve the reactivity of the treatment and / or that of the advice given to a subject, while freeing it from the constraints of 'regular registrations of the results of its weighings.

 In this spirit, the invention relates to a weighing system which comprises: - at least one central unit equipped with means for processing and storing data relating to successive weighings; - at least one scale available to a subject and provided with means of remote transmission to

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 the central data unit relating to each weighing carried out by the subject and - means for viewing and / or processing the data stored in the central unit.

 Thanks to the system of the invention, the subject does not have to record his weight himself in a table or a register since the means of remote transmission allow, without human intervention, that the data relating to each weighing are taken into account by central unity. As the remote transmission can be carried out during each weighing, the central unit has regularly updated data, for example daily, which allows a specialist, such as a doctor, a nutritionist or a psychologist, to take note of everything. moment of updated data, in order to provide the patient with appropriate instructions or advice. This also allows a doctor to quickly adapt the drug treatment of a pathology according to the evolution of the patient's weight.

 According to advantageous but not compulsory aspects of the invention, this system includes one or more of the following characteristics: - The balance is provided with means making it possible to identify the date and time of each weighing and to associate with the one or more measured values the date and time of the weighing.

 - The balance is provided with a memory for storage of identification data of the balance, which allows the balance to communicate with the central unit independently of the telephone line used.

 - The balance is equipped with means for reading identification data of the subject, in particular a memory card reader. This allows the use of the scale by several subjects, for example within a

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 same family or in a medical center. In this case, the card reader can be integrated into an annex box, separate from the main balance box in which the weight measurement cell is mounted. This annex box can be more easily accessible than the main box which must generally be placed on the floor, the annex box can for example be placed on a bedside table.

 - The balance is provided with means for measuring the impedance of the subject's body between his two feet, a memory for storing a reference impedance value for each identified subject and means for controlling between a measured value and a reference value corresponding to a subject.

 - The balance is provided with a memory for temporary storage of data relating to one or more weighings before their transmission to the central unit. This storage memory makes it possible not to lose data in the event of temporary unavailability of the telephone transmission line or of the remote transmission means, such as a modem.

 - The scale is provided with a multi-level touch sensor allowing the subject to indicate his breathlessness level among several predefined levels. This touch sensor makes it possible to transmit to the central unit, at the same time as the subject's weight, an indication of his shortness of breath, which is useful for the treatment of certain cardiac insufficiencies.

 The invention also relates to a method of implementing a system as described above which comprises automated steps consisting in: identifying the subject by reading identification data and / or measuring a physical parameter of the subject ;

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 - carry out the weight measurement and associate, in a logical packet, the measured value as well as the date and time of measurement and - upload this packet to the central unit.

 According to an advantageous variant of this process, it is possible to view and / or process the data transmitted by remote control to the central unit and to send the subject, by telephone, computer or postal means, directives for taking medication, nutrition and / or physical exercises based on this data.

 The invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will appear more clearly in the light of the following description of an embodiment of a remote weighing system in accordance with its principle and its method of implementation, given only by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the principle of a system according to the invention; - Figure 2 is a block diagram of a balance used in the system of Figure 1 and - Figure 3 is a block diagram of the operation of a balance used in the system of Figure 1.

 The system represented in FIG. 1 comprises a central computer unit 1 associated with a screen 2, a keyboard 4 and a mouse 5 allowing an operator to interact with the unit 1. This unit is equipped with a modem 11 connected by a socket 5 to a telephone network R.

 The unit 1 is provided with a memory 12 for storing data as well as a processor 13 making it possible to process this data, in particular with a view to their display on the screen 2.

 In the place L1 of a first subject’s dwelling, there is installed a scale 101 supplied with electric current

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 from a wall outlet 102 and connected to a telephone outlet 103 by a conductive wire 104 connected to a remote transmission unit 105 essentially comprising a modem.

 We denote 106 the scale housing 101 inside which the unit 105 is housed, as shown in FIG. 2.

 The housing 106 is equipped with a display 107 making it possible to bring to the subject's knowledge the weight measured by a sensor 108 which may be of any known type, in particular a gauge bridge formed by a piezoelectric cell and / or strain gauges. The display 107 also makes it possible to display instructions for the user or information on the operations in progress, as is apparent from the explanations which follow.

 The sensor 108 is connected, by an amplifier 109 and an analog-to-digital converter 110, to a central unit 111 including a microcontroller. The central unit is, for its part, connected to the display 107 which it controls.

 A memory card reader 112 is integrated in the housing 106 and makes it possible to receive a card 200 comprising a memory, such as a chip, on which data identifying the subject whose weight is to be measured are carried.

 A clock 113 is also connected to the unit 111, which allows this unit to associate with the data which it has to process, in particular coming from the sensor 108 and from the reader 112, the date and time of reception of these data.

 A power supply unit 114 is also provided in the housing 106 and makes it possible to supply current to the various components integrated in this housing, from

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 the mains outlet 102. The unit 114 is controlled by a button 115 for switching on the scale 101.

 Three indicators 116, 117 and 118 which are green, yellow and red respectively, are controlled by the unit 111.

 Three keys 119, 120 and 121 are also connected to the unit 111 and are intended to be selectively pressed by the user according to his degree of breathlessness. More precisely, the user can press the key 119 if he feels little out of breath, the key 120 if he feels short of breath and the key 121 if he feels very short of breath.

 A memory 122 is integrated into the unit 111 and makes it possible to temporarily store data before their remote transmission by the unit 105.

The operation is as follows:
At predetermined intervals, for example each morning upon rising, the subject climbs on the scale 101, possibly after having inserted his identification card 200 in the reader 112, if it is not already in place therein.

Thanks to the sensor 108, the weight of the subject is measured and the value of this weight is indicated by the display 107, which allows the subject to immediately become aware of his weight.

 The unit 111 also associates with the value thus measured, the date and time of the measurement supplied by the clock 113 and thus constitutes a logical packet which is stored in the memory 122, then transmitted to the unit 105, the modem sends, on the network R and to unit 1, digital data corresponding to the logical packet thus created. These data are stored in the memory 12 and processed by the processor 13 with a view to their display on the screen 2.

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 A nutritionist, a psychologist or a doctor can then take cognizance of the data stored in the memory 12 for each subject and, according to the evolution of these data, indicate to the subject a new drug treatment or provide him with nutritional advice or physical exercise. This communication between the specialist and the subject can take place by telephone using conventional apparatuses 14 and 124 respectively installed near the unit 1 and in the subject's housing L1. As a variant, and provided that the subject is equipped with a computer, the information provided by the specialist can be transmitted by Internet-type messaging. This information can also be sent by post.

 If the patient has a heart condition, it may be appropriate for the specialist to know the degree of breathlessness of the patient, in which case, at the end of the weighing operation, this is indicated by means of the keys 119 to 121, his degree of breathlessness. The logic value thus generated is associated by the central unit 111 with the data coming from the sensor 108 and from the clock 113 and integrated into the logic packet sent by the unit 105 to the unit 1.

 According to a variant of the invention shown only in phantom in Figure 2, the balance 101 is provided with a memory 122a for storing identification data of the balance. Thus, the scale can be recognized by the unit 1 independently of the telephone subscriber number of the socket 103. This allows the scale to be used in several places, for example on a subject's holiday site.

 The system thus created can comprise one or a few central units 1, as well as a large number of scales of the

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 type of balance 101 distributed among subjects whose weight should be monitored.

 As shown in Figure 1, different types of scales can be distributed among different users, the scale 101 'shown in this figure is installed in a second place L2 and differs from the previous one in that the connection between its housing 106' and the telephone socket 103 'is produced by radio means by means of two antennas 125' and 126 'installed respectively on the housing 106' and on the socket 103 '. This makes it possible to install the scale 101 'in the subject's housing, for example near his bed, regardless of the possible distance from the socket 103'. This balance also differs from the previous one in that it is not connected to the mains for its electrical supply, but includes a housing 127 'for receiving a battery.

 In the housing 106 'are integrated elements similar to the elements 108 to 111 and 113 to 115 indicated with reference to the scale 101. On the other hand, the memory card reader 112' is integrated in a secondary housing 128 'connected to the housing 106 'by a conducting wire 129'. This makes it possible to position the box 128 'in height with respect to the ground, which makes it easily accessible for a patient, even if obese or out of breath. The connection between the boxes 106 ′ and 128 ′ could also be carried out by the radio channel or any other channel, for example by infrared.

 Two sensors 130 ′ and 131 ′ are also integrated in the housing 106 ′ and are arranged at the location of the subject's feet when the latter is weighing himself, these sensors making it possible to measure the impedance of the subject's body. These sensors make it possible to control the identity of the subject, in particular when several subjects are likely to use the scale 101 ′. Indeed, the impedance of a

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 body is a physical parameter representative of this subject and the central unit of the balance 101 ′ may include a memory not shown in which is stored, for each known subject by means of its memory card 200 ′, a reference value of l 'impedance of its body, the consistency between this value and the identification data of the card 200' being checked at the start of each weighing, in order to avoid mixing data relating to two subjects.

 As can be seen more particularly from FIG. 3, the start-up of a balance of the type of balance 101 takes place in a first step 1001 by means of a button of the type of button 115. In a second step 1002, the display 107 or equivalent has the mention insert card asking the user to insert his identification card in the corresponding reader. After waiting twenty seconds, the central unit checks whether a card has been inserted. If this is not the case, a step 1100 directly stops the balance is reached. If the card has been inserted, a next step 1003 is performed to record the telephone number of the central unit 1 to be called, a patient identification number, the number of points , date and time. The red light 118 is then lit, while the display indicates the telephone number to be called, the patient identification number, the number of measurement points, the date and the time. In this step 1003 is also determined the weight measured empty by the balance, that is to say during its calibration. This weight corresponds in practice to the weight of the upper part of the trim of the scale.

 In a comparison step 1004, the value of this calibration weight is compared with limit values equal to 100 g and 1 kg respectively, it being understood that

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 the actual weight of the upper part of the covering is between these two values. If the value of this calibration weight is less than 100 g or more than 1 kg, the balance is considered to be faulty and, in step 1005, the display indicates that the device is faulty and that it call the after-sales service, then the scale is stopped in step 1100.

 If the calibration weight is consistent with the expected value, we reach step 1006 where the red light 118 is off, while the green light 116 is on, the display then indicating the date, time and weight measured by the sensor after the patient is mounted on the scale.

 During a step 1007, the coherence of the measured weight is checked. In particular, it is verified that this weight is greater than a minimum value, for example 10 kg, and less than a maximum value, for example 200 kg. If the measured weight is greater than the maximum value, a step 1008 is reached in which the display indicates that the device is broken down and that the after-sales service should be called before the device is stopped during from step 1100. If the measured weight is less than 10 kg, it is considered during a step 1009 that the start-up was accidental and that the balance must be stopped during step 1100.

 If the measured weight is consistent, it is recorded by the central unit and the patient can get off the scale, the green light then being off in step 1010, while the yellow light is on and the display shows breathlessness? inviting the subject to press one of the breath-out keys 119,120 or 121.

 During a step 1011, the value indicated by the patient is recorded before going to a step 1012 where

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 the red light is on again and where the above-mentioned logic packet is produced and stored in memory 122 before the remote transmission unit is activated to send, over the telephone network R and to the central unit 1, information relating to date and time, patient identification, weight and degree of shortness of breath.

 During a step 1013, it is checked whether the transmission has been correct. If this is the case, the machine is stopped in step 1100. If this is not the case, an iteration step 1014 makes it possible to carry out a new remote transmission test on the basis of the values previously stored in the memory 122 The number of successive remote transmission tests may be fixed at three or more than three, depending on the presumed reliability of the remote transmission system.

 According to an alternative embodiment not shown in FIG. 3, in the event of temporary impossibility of transmission, the information relating to several successive weighings are stored in a memory of the type of memory 122 and can be transmitted together or successively, when the communication telephone is again possible.

 According to another possible variant of the invention, an expert system can be integrated into the central unit 1 to generate, without human intervention, nutritional advice or advice relating to physical exercises, this being able to be transmitted to the patient by Internet messaging.

 It is also possible to provide that the subject can access the data stored on his subject in the unit 1 via the Internet, in order to consult his weight and / or shortness of breath curve and, possibly, ask questions and obtain specific advice. .

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 It is understood that the number of central units can be adapted to the number of subjects to be treated, the central units being able to be distributed geographically over a territory to be covered.

 The characteristics of the two types of balance 101 and 101 'described can be combined in them while remaining within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. Weighing system, characterized in that it comprises: at least one central unit (1) equipped with means (12, 13) for processing and storing data relating to successive weighings - at least one scale (101, 101 ') available to a subject and provided with means (104, 105, 125', 126 ') for remote transmission to said central unit of data relating to each weighing carried out by the subject and - means (2.13) for viewing and / or processing the data stored in said central unit.  2. Weighing system according to claim 1, characterized in that said balance (101, 101 ') is provided with means (111,113) making it possible to identify the date and time of each weighing and to associate with the one or more measured values the date and time of the weighing.  3. Weighing system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said balance (101, 101 ') is provided with a memory (122a) for storing identification data of said balance.  4. Weighing system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said balance (101, 101 ') is equipped with means (112, 112') for reading subject identification data, in particular a reader memory cards (200, 200 ').  5. Weighing system according to claim 4, characterized in that said card reader (112 ') is integrated in an annex box (128') separate from the main box (106 ') of the balance (101') in which is mounted the weight measuring cell.  6. Weighing system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said balance (101 ') <Desc / Clms Page number 14>  is provided with means (130 ′, 131 ′) for measuring the impedance of the subject's body between his two feet, a memory for storing a reference impedance value for each identified subject and control means between a measured value and a reference value corresponding to a subject.  7. Weighing system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said balance (101, 101 ') is provided with a memory (122) for temporary storage of data relating to one or more weighings before their transmission to said central unit (1).  8. Weighing system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said balance is provided with a tactile sensor (119-121) at several levels allowing the subject to indicate his breathlessness level among several predefined levels.  9. A method of implementing a system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises automated steps consisting in: - identifying the subject by reading (112, 112 ') of identification data (200 , 200 ') and / or measurement (130', 131 ') of a physical parameter of said subject; - carry out the measurement and associate, in a logical package, the measured value as well as the date and time of the measurement; - Teletransmitting (at 105) said packet to said central unit (1).  10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that it consists in displaying (2) and / or processing (13) the data transmitted to said central unit and in sending said subject, by telephone, computer or postal means, medication guidelines, <Desc / CRUD Page number 15>  nutritional and / or physical exercises based on said data.