KR101483288B1 - Wandering management apparatus for dementia patients - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dementia patient wand management device, comprising: a sensing unit installed in a specific area within a dwelling area where a demented patient resides, for sensing a dementia patient departing from a specific area and sending out a first wireless signal; A main repeater for receiving the first radio signal transmitted from the sensing unit and transmitting the second radio signal; And a portable terminal for receiving a second radio signal transmitted from the main repeater and providing a notification sound or vibration to the protector protecting the demented patient when the second radio signal is received.
According to the demented patient wand management apparatus of the present invention, it is possible not only to promptly notify a guardian that a dementia patient leaves a specific area such as a home or a hospital where the demented patient resides, but also efficiently manage the dementia patient at a low cost There is an advantage to be able to do.

Description

[0001] WANDERING MANAGEMENT APPARATUS FOR DEMENTIA PATIENTS [0002]

The present invention relates to a demented patient wand management apparatus, and more particularly, to a demented patient wand management apparatus capable of detecting whether a demented patient is separated from a specific area and preventing a demented patient from wandering in a region other than a specific area will be.

As the modern society becomes aged, diseases of senile dementia patients with memory impairment are becoming serious medical and social problems. In general, the first symptom of most dementia patients is memory impairment. If such a memory impairment becomes severe, the number of cases in which the name and the telephone number are not memorized increases, or the intellectual ability is problematic, and the sense of direction and the ability of recognizing the space are remarkably deteriorated. Also, frequent loss of roads or frequent travels (ie roaming) often occurs.

As such, when a patient with dementia leaves the home from outside, the sense of direction falls off and often gets lost. In some cases, the patient returns home after being confirmed by the guardian, but in some cases, This causes a lot of material and time loss for the caregivers to find the dementia patients. As a result, there is a problem that severe mental damage may occur to the caregiver.

Meanwhile, conventionally, in order to prevent the disappearance of the dementia, it is possible to worn a band or a badge, which is mainly used for the name and address of a dementia patient, on the wrist or a necklace. However, And there is an inconvenience that a dementia patient can not be contacted if he or she goes to a place where the human being is rare.

Particularly, when a means for storing information about a dementia patient is lost, the problem of dementia patients becomes more difficult to find because their address or contact information is not known. In addition, the important point in the process of missing persons in dementia is that when they are reported and tracked quickly, the probability of discovery is increased because the movement radius of dementia patients is relatively small.

However, in reality, the lack of tracing personnel to find a dementia patient, lack of indifference or lack of police manpower often makes it difficult to find a dementia patient. In addition, not only the above-mentioned dementia patient but also a child with a mental disorder or a mental illness is often missing in a state where the protection of the family is neglected, and the system can not be found due to immaturity of the system.

A dementia patient wandering management system and method for solving the above problems are disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2007-0101658.

Wherein the demented patient wandering management system is a system for inspecting the entry and exit of a demented patient when the demented patient leaves the area through the doorway in an area having at least one doorway, A dementia patient communication terminal for transmitting the stored unique information through short-range wireless communication; An entrance communication terminal installed at the entrance and for receiving the unique information on the demented patient by short distance wireless communication with the demented patient communication terminal and generating an access related message for the demented patient; And a dementia management center terminal for receiving the access-related message for the dementia patient from the entrance communication terminal, confirming information on the previously stored dementia patient, and transmitting the access-related information of the demented patient to the related subject, do.

However, since the demented patient wandering management system as described above requires the demented patient to carry the communication terminal all the time, and the demented patient needs to have an entrance communication terminal for communicating with the demented patient communication terminal on the possible anticipated path, And there is a problem that the service is limited only to subscribers who subscribe to the service.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to not only notify a caregiver quickly that a dementia patient leaves a specific area such as a home or a hospital where a demented patient resides, The present invention provides a dementia patient wand management device capable of efficiently managing dementia patients.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a demented patient wandering management apparatus comprising: a demented patient wander management apparatus installed in a specific area within a dwelling area where a demented patient resides, ; A main repeater for receiving the first radio signal transmitted from the sensing unit and transmitting a second radio signal; And a portable terminal for receiving the second wireless signal transmitted from the main repeater and providing a notification sound or vibration to a guardian protecting the demented patient when the second wireless signal is received, And an identification unit for identifying a normal person living in the residence area and a dementia patient.

The sensing unit includes a first base, a first electrode array having a plurality of first electrode wires arranged in a predetermined pattern on the first base, and a plurality of through holes stacked on top of the first electrode array, A second electrode array having a plurality of second electrode wires arranged in a predetermined pattern on a bottom surface of the second base; A pad portion having a cover surrounding an outer side of the second base; a power supply portion for applying a power source having a different polarity to the first electrode array and the second electrode array; A current detector for detecting a current flowing in the array, and a current detector for detecting a current flowing through the array when the current is detected by the current detector, And a line transmission unit.

Wherein the identification unit comprises: a load cell installed in the middle array for converting a load applied to the pad unit into a current signal and outputting the current signal; and a controller for controlling the wireless communication unit to transmit the first wireless signal when the current value output from the load cell is within a set range. And a control unit for controlling the transmitting unit.

The intermediate array has an insulating property to insulate the first electrode array from the second electrode array. When the pad unit is vertically applied with an external force, the volume of the intermediate array is reduced in the vertical direction. When the load is removed, And is formed of a material having elasticity as much as possible.

The sensing unit includes a first base, a first electrode array in which a plurality of first electrode pieces are arranged and interconnected in a matrix, and a second electrode array laminated on the first electrode array and corresponding to a position of the first electrode pieces A second base stacked on top of the middle array, and a second base on the bottom surface of the second base in a pattern corresponding to the arrangement pattern of the first electrode pieces A pad portion having a second electrode array in which a plurality of second electrode pieces are arranged and connected to each other and a cover for covering the outer sides of the first base and the second base; A current detector for detecting a current flowing through the first electrode array or the second electrode array; When the current detected by the current detector group, characterized in that it comprises a wireless transmitter for transmitting the first radio signal to the main relay.

Wherein the identification unit comprises: a load cell installed in the middle array for converting a load applied to the pad unit into a current signal and outputting the current signal; and a controller for controlling the wireless communication unit to transmit the first wireless signal when the current value output from the load cell is within a set range. And a control unit for controlling the transmitting unit.

The intermediate array has an insulating property to insulate the first electrode array from the second electrode array. When the pad unit is vertically applied with an external force, the volume of the intermediate array is reduced in the vertical direction. When the load is removed, And is formed of a material having elasticity as much as possible.

According to the demented patient wand management apparatus of the present invention, it is possible not only to promptly notify a guardian that a dementia patient leaves a specific area such as a home or a hospital where the demented patient resides, but also efficiently manage the dementia patient at a low cost There is an advantage to be able to do.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view for schematically explaining a demented patient wand management apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a pad portion among constituent elements of a demented patient wandering management apparatus according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
3 is a cross-sectional view of the pad portion shown in Fig.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the relationship among the components of the demented patient wander management apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a pad portion among constituent elements of a demented patient wand management device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
6 is a cross-sectional view of the pad portion shown in Fig.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a demented patient wander management apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 4 show a demented patient walrug management apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 to 4, a demented patient walley management apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a sensing unit 100, a main repeater 200, and a portable terminal 300.

The sensing unit 100 senses that the dementia patient is separated from the specific region by being installed in a specific area within a residence area where the demented patient resides, and transmits the first radio signal. The sensing unit 100 includes a pad unit 110, a power supply unit 120, a current detector 130, a wireless transmitter 140, and a controller 150.

The pad unit 110 detects a movement of a demented patient and a departure from a specific area by being installed in a specific area, that is, a sleeping room where a dementia patient sleeps or near an outer door, A first electrode array 112 in which a plurality of first electrode wires 112a are arranged in a predetermined pattern on a first base 111 and a second electrode array 112 which is stacked on top of the first electrode array 112, A second base 114 laminated on the upper portion of the middle array 113 and a second electrode 114 formed on the bottom of the second base 114. The first electrode wire 113 is formed on the bottom surface of the second base 114, A second electrode array 115 in which a plurality of second electrode wires 115a are spaced apart from each other in a direction intersecting the first and second bases 112a and 112a, As shown in FIG.

As shown in the drawing, the first electrode array 112 may be formed by arranging a plurality of first electrode wires 112a spaced apart from each other, or alternatively in a direction intersecting each other, that is, in the form of a mesh As shown in Fig.

The second electrode array 115 may be formed by arranging a plurality of second electrode wires 115a spaced apart from each other in a direction orthogonal to or intersecting with the first electrode wires 112a And they may be arranged in a direction intersecting with each other.

The first electrode array 112 and the second electrode array are short-circuited by a load generated when the demented patient brightens the pad unit 110. [

The intermediate array 113 has an insulating property to insulate the first electrode array 112 and the second electrode array 115. When the external force acts on the pad portion 110 in the up and down direction, It is formed of a material having an elastic force so as to return to its original state. As an example, the intermediate array 113 may employ an elastic pad such as a sponge or a high-elasticity sponge.

The power supply unit 120 applies power of different polarity to the first electrode array 112 and the second electrode array 115 and supplies power to the pad unit 110 and the control unit 150, .

The current detecting unit 130 detects the current flowing in the power supply unit 120 and the first electrode array 112 or the second electrode array 115 and includes a first electrode array 112 and a second electrode array 115 .

The wireless transmission unit 140 transmits the first wireless signal to the main repeater 200 when a current is detected by the current detection unit 130. The wireless transmission unit 140 includes a controller 150, An antenna is built in.

The controller 150 controls the radio transmitter 140 to transmit the first radio signal when a current is detected in the current detector 130.

The sensing unit 100 having the above structure detects that the first electrode array 112 and the second electrode array 115 are short-circuited by the demented patient pressing the pad unit 110, And transmits the first radio signal to the main repeater 200, which will be described later.

The detection unit 100 includes an identification unit for identifying and detecting a dementia patient from a normal person living in a residence area, that is, a family and caregivers.

The identification unit identifies the dementia patient and the normal person using the difference between the load of the dementia patient and the other normal persons. The identification unit is configured to convert the load applied to the pad unit 110 into the current signal, And a load cell to which the load cell is connected.

A method for identifying a normal person and a demented patient using the load cell includes storing a reference current value generated by a load acting on the load cell when the demented person steps on the pad unit 110, By comparing the measured current values generated by the load, it is possible to discriminate whether the subject to be pressed against the pad unit 110 is a normal person or a demented person. The controller 150 compares the current values.

The control unit 150 stores the reference current value, compares the measured current value with the reference current value, and controls the wireless transmission unit 140 to transmit the first wireless signal when the measured current value is within the set range.

The main repeater 200 receives the first radio signal transmitted from the sensing unit 100 and transmits the second radio signal to the portable terminal 300 to be described later. The receiving unit 210, the transmitting unit 220, And a signal amplifying unit (not shown), and is provided with essential components necessary for normal wireless communication, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The main repeater 200 is installed at a position separated from the sensing unit 100 by a predetermined distance or more, and is operated by a separate external power source.

The portable terminal 300 receives the second wireless signal transmitted from the main repeater 200 and provides a notification sound or vibration to the protector protecting the demented patient when the second wireless signal is received. A receiver 310 that receives only a signal transmitted from the main repeater 200, a notification unit 320 that can transmit a notification sound to a guardian, And a vibrator 330 which can be operated. The wireless transmission unit 140, the main repeater 200 and the mobile terminal 300 are connected to each other via a network such as a Zigbee, a Bluetooth, a Near Field Communication (NFC), an Ultra Wide Band Near Field Communication (UWB NFC) technology.

The mobile terminal 300 is provided with an operation button and a display window for adjusting the magnitude of the notification sound and the intensity of the vibration, and a replaceable battery or a rechargeable secondary battery is mounted therein.

The operation of the demented patient wandering management apparatus according to the present invention having the above-described structure will be described in detail.

When the demented patient touches the pad portion 110 of the sensing unit 100 installed in the vicinity of the outer door of the residence area, the first electrode array 112 and the second electrode array 115 are contacted by the load of the demented patient, do.

At this time, the first electrode array 112 and the second electrode array 115 are short-circuited and current flows to the current detection unit 130, and the control unit 150 transmits the first radio signal through the radio transmission unit 140 .

The main repeater 200 receives and amplifies the first radio signal transmitted from the radio transmitter 140 and transmits the second radio signal to the portable terminal 300. The first radio signal and the second radio signal may have the same frequency but modulate the magnitude of the amplitude, or may have different frequencies.

For example, the first signal may be a short-wave signal that can be used in a relatively short range, and the second signal may be a long-wave signal that may be used in a long distance, but may be a region other than a frequency region used in a conventional electronic device Is preferably applied.

The portable terminal 300 receives the second radio signal transmitted from the main repeater 200 and transmits a notification sound indicating that the demented patient has deviated from the specific area through the notification unit 320 or transmits the notification sound through the vibrator 330 Vibration is generated.

As a result, a caregiver who is located close to a dementia patient or at a remote location can easily know whether or not a dementia patient has deviated from a specific area.

5 and 6 show a sensing unit 1100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

The sensing unit 1100 includes a first base 111, a first electrode array 112 in which a plurality of first electrode pieces 112b are arranged and interconnected in a matrix, An intermediate array 113 on which a plurality of through holes 113a are formed so as to penetrate up and down at positions corresponding to the positions of the first electrode pieces 112b, A plurality of second electrode pieces 115b are arranged and mutually connected in a pattern corresponding to the arrangement pattern of the first electrode pieces 112b on the bottom surface of the second base 114, And a cover 116 surrounding the outer sides of the first base 111 and the second base 114.

The first electrode array 112 is composed of a plurality of first electrode pieces 112b electrically connected to the plurality of first electrode wires 112a. The first electrode pieces 112b are formed in a plate shape so as to be spaced apart from each other and have a predetermined area.

The second electrode array 115 includes a plurality of second electrode pieces 115b that are electrically connected to the plurality of second electrode wires 115a and are spaced apart from each other. And more specifically, has an area corresponding to the area of the first electrode piece 112b. The first electrode pieces 112b and the second electrode pieces 115b are arranged to face each other in the up-and-down direction, and are short-circuited when they contact each other when a load is applied to the pad unit 110. [

The intermediate array 113 isolates the first electrode array 112 and the second electrode array 115 in the same manner as the demented patient wand management device according to the first embodiment of the present invention described with reference to FIGS. And is formed of a material having an elastic force such that when the external force acts on the pad portion 110 in the vertical direction, the volume is reduced in the vertical direction and the load is returned to its original state when the load is removed.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. It will be appreciated that other equivalent embodiments are possible.

Accordingly, the true scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

100: Detection unit
110: pad portion
111: first base
112: first electrode array
113: intermediate array
114: second base
115: second electrode array
116: cover
120: Power supply
130:
140: radio transmission unit
150:
200: Main repeater
300:

Claims (7)

A detection unit installed in a specific area within a residence area in which a demented patient resides to detect that the demented patient is departing from the specific area and transmit a first radio signal;
A main repeater including a receiver for receiving the first radio signal transmitted from the detection unit, a transmitter for transmitting a second radio signal, and a signal amplifier;
And a portable terminal for receiving the second wireless signal transmitted from the main repeater and providing a notification sound or vibration to a guardian protecting the demented patient when the second wireless signal is received,
Wherein the detection unit includes an identification unit for identifying a normal person living in the residence area and a dementia patient,
The sensing unit
A first electrode array having a plurality of first electrode wires arranged in a predetermined pattern on the first base and a plurality of through holes stacked on the first electrode array, A second electrode array having a plurality of second electrode wires arranged in a predetermined pattern on a bottom surface of the second base; A pad portion having a cover surrounding the outside of the pad portion,
A power supply unit for applying a power of different polarity to the first electrode array and the second electrode array,
A current detector for detecting a current flowing through the first electrode array or the second electrode array,
And a radio transmitter for transmitting the first radio signal to the main repeater when a current is detected in the current detector,
Wherein the identification unit comprises: a load cell installed in the middle array for converting a load applied to the pad unit into a current signal and outputting the current signal; and a controller for controlling the wireless communication unit to transmit the first wireless signal when the current value output from the load cell is within a set range. And a control unit for controlling the transmitting unit,
Wherein the control unit compares the reference current value with a measured current value measured by the load cell to determine whether the subject pressing the pad unit is a normal or a dementia patient,
The intermediate array has an insulating property to insulate the first electrode array from the second electrode array. When the pad unit is vertically applied with an external force, the volume of the intermediate array is reduced in the vertical direction. When the load is removed, Wherein the wrist is formed of a material having elasticity as much as possible.
delete delete delete delete delete delete

Images