KR102590828B1 - Single-person care systems and methods - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for caring for people living alone, and includes a motion detection unit installed on an indoor ceiling to detect the movement of the person being cared for and also detecting movement due to breathing and heart rate, and receiving the detection result of the motion detection unit to detect the movement of the person being cared for. It may include a processor that determines whether an accident has occurred or a lonely death based on repetition of expansion and contraction due to exercise and breathing, and vibration due to heart rate, and a communication unit that notifies the relevant organizations of the judgment result of the processor.

Description

Single-person care systems and methods}

The present invention relates to a care system for people living alone, and to a system and method that can check the health status of an elderly person living alone without wearing a device.

Recently, due to the nuclear family, low birth rate, and aging population, the number of elderly households in which only the elderly reside is increasing.

As there are limitations in how to find out if an emergency situation occurs or a personal problem occurs in an elderly person living alone, the need for the government and welfare-related organizations to establish a social safety net for elderly welfare and vulnerable groups has emerged.

For this reason, as part of the welfare policy, nursing assistant service personnel or volunteers for the elderly living alone are making regular visits or phone calls to check on their well-being.

However, in this series of welfare support services, it is difficult to continuously stay with the elderly living alone, it is not possible to quickly learn about emergencies or physical problems of the elderly living alone, and it is not easy to take action against the neglect of lonely elderly people living alone, which is the ultimate goal of the present invention. .

The problem of lonely death is not limited to the elderly. Recently, many cases of lonely death have occurred among young people, and as the number of single-person residences increases, the need to policy-check lonely death in single-person households has emerged, regardless of age group. It is becoming.

Technical measures for the problem of lonely deaths are usually implemented in devices (wearable devices, etc.) worn by elderly people living alone, as described in Patent No. 10-2000644 (registered on July 10, 2019, method and system for managing the health status of elderly people living alone). It is based on the detected biometric information of elderly people living alone.

However, since devices worn to detect biometric information require charging, they cannot detect health problems that occur during charging, and they must always be worn without forgetting to wear them. However, wearing the devices can be uncomfortable for the elderly, so the actual wearing rate is high. There was a problem that there was a possibility that it might not happen.

In addition, in the past, since only biometric information was detected, it was not easy to respond appropriately in the event of an emergency, and a separate intrusion detection system had to be introduced to detect an intrusion from the outside, which was disadvantageous in terms of cost.

The purpose of the present invention, taking into account the above problems, is to provide a system and method that can detect the health status of a person being cared for without having to wear the device directly or charge the device.

Additionally, another purpose of the present invention is to provide a system and method that can immediately determine whether an accident has occurred based on the type of movement when a sudden movement of a person being cared for is detected.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method that can provide a unified service including an external intrusion detection function.

A care system for people living alone according to one aspect of the present invention for solving the above technical problems includes a motion detection unit installed on the indoor ceiling to detect the movement of the person being cared for and also detecting movement due to breathing and heart rate, and the movement A processor that receives the detection results of the detection unit and determines whether an accident has occurred or a lonely death based on body movement, repetition of expansion and contraction due to breathing, and vibration due to the heartbeat, and a communication unit that notifies the relevant organizations of the processor's decision results. It can be included.

In an embodiment of the present invention, if there is no movement of the person being cared for for a set time, the processor determines whether there is movement due to respiration, and if there is no movement due to respiration, determines whether there is movement due to heart rate, and determines whether there is movement due to heart rate. If there is no movement, it can be judged as a solitary death.

In an embodiment of the present invention, if there is no movement of the person being cared for for a set time, the processor determines whether there is movement due to respiration, and if there is no movement due to respiration, determines whether there is movement due to heart rate, and determines whether there is movement due to heart rate. If there is movement due to the above-mentioned heartbeat, it can be determined that an accident has occurred.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the motion detection unit may be a radar sensor.

In addition, the method of caring for a person living alone according to another aspect of the present invention is a method of caring for a person living alone performed by a processor, comprising the steps of: a) checking movement information of the person to be cared for detected by the motion detection unit and confirming whether there is no movement during a set time; and, b) if there is no movement in step a), checking whether there is repetition of expansion and contraction according to the breathing of the person being cared for, and c) if there is no repetition of expansion and contraction in step b), checking the heart rate of the person being cared for. It may include the step of checking whether there is vibration according to and d) if vibration according to the heartbeat is not detected in step c) above, determining that the death is a lonely death and notifying the relevant organization through the communication unit.

In an embodiment of the present invention, if repetition of expansion and contraction due to breathing is detected in step b) or there is vibration according to heart rate in step c), it is determined that an accident occurred without the care recipient being conscious, It may further include the step of notifying relevant organizations through the Ministry of Communications.

The present invention includes a radar sensor installed indoors to detect the movement, breathing state, and heart rate of the person being cared for, and the health status of the person being cared for is always monitored by not wearing a device for detecting the biological signals of the person being cared for. There is an effect that can be monitored.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of minimizing response time to accidents by detecting sudden movements and postures of the person being cared for and immediately determining whether an accident has occurred.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of unifying the care function and crime prevention function according to the detection of biological signals by checking whether the start of the movement occurs at an abnormal location in the occurrence of multiple movements and detecting the occurrence of external intrusion through a window, etc. .

Figure 1 is a block diagram of the present invention's care system for people living alone.
Figure 2 is a flowchart of one implementation of the method for caring for a person living alone according to the present invention.
Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method for caring for a person living alone according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a block diagram of a care system for people living alone according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Since the present invention can make various changes and have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

While describing each drawing, similar reference numerals are used for similar components. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

For example, a first component may be named a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be named a first component without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The term and/or includes any of a plurality of related stated items or a combination of a plurality of related stated items.

When a component is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but that other components may exist in between. It should be.

On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a component is “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are not intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the existence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains.

Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and unless clearly defined in the present application, should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense. No.

Hereinafter, a system and method for caring for a person living alone according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a care system for people living alone according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention includes a motion detection unit 10 installed on an indoor ceiling, etc. to detect the movement of the person being cared for, a movement state of the person being cared for according to a set program by receiving a detection signal from the motion detection unit 10, A processor 20 that checks the breathing and heart rate conditions to determine whether there is an abnormality in the health of the person being cared for, and if the processor 20 determines that there is an abnormality in the health of the person being cared for, signs of an abnormality in the person being cared for are communicated through communication. It includes a communication unit 30 that transmits information and a storage unit 40 that stores detection data.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the care system for people living alone according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described in more detail.

First, the motion detection unit 10 may be installed in the center of the ceiling or on one corner of the room, and is preferably installed in each room (eg, living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom).

That is, although one motion detection unit 10 is shown in the drawing, it is preferable that at least one motion detection unit 10 is installed in each indoor section.

The motion detection unit 10 may be a radar sensor that transmits radio waves of a specific frequency, receives a carrier wave of the radio waves, and detects the movement of surrounding objects using the carrier wave. It transmits a laser and detects the movement of the object using the carrier wave. It may be a LiDAR sensor that detects.

That is, the motion detection unit 10 can be implemented by applying known technical means that can detect the degree and speed of movement of an object.

Considering installation costs, it is preferable that the motion detection unit 10 is a radar sensor.

Typically, a radar sensor amplifies the output of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and transmits it through a transmitting antenna, amplifies and mixes the reflected wave received through the receiving antenna with the output of the voltage controlled oscillator, amplifies and integrates the result, and It includes a component that converts to a digital signal.

In the present invention, the motion detection unit 10 uses a motion detection unit 10 to detect the presence or absence of movement of a person living alone, including simple care of checking if there is no movement for more than a set time, and a motion detection unit with high resolution to detect breathing status and heart rate. (10) is used.

That is, the motion detection unit 10 detects the body movement of the person being cared for, detects regular expansion and contraction of the chest or abdomen due to breathing, and detects the cycle of fine tremors due to pulse.

The processor 20 executes a program to check and analyze the motion information detected by the motion detection unit 10. The processor 20 is capable of determining the current state of the care subject by comparing at least the currently detected movement pattern of the care subject with known reference data stored in the storage unit 40.

Preferably, the processor 20 is capable of performing one of the known artificial intelligence processes.

In other words, in addition to the given reference data, the currently detected movement data of the person being cared for is learned to determine the health status of the person being cared for, which is biometric information.

Figure 2 is a flowchart of one implementation of the present invention's method of caring for a person living alone, which is performed by the processor 20.

Referring to Figure 2, the method according to the present invention includes a step (S21) of determining whether there has been movement within a set time, and if there is no movement as a result of the determination in step S21, the expansion and contraction of the abdomen or chest area according to breathing is checked. A step of determining whether breathing is detected (S22); if breathing is not detected as a result of step S22, a step of determining whether there is a heartbeat by checking whether there is tremor due to heartbeat (S23); and if no heartbeat is detected in step S23. Otherwise, a step of determining that it is a lonely death (S24), a step of determining that an accident has occurred if breathing is detected in step S22 or a heartbeat is detected in step S23 (S25), and the judgment results of steps S24 and S25 are related. It consists of a step of notifying the organization (S26).

Hereinafter, the configuration of an embodiment of the processing method of the processor 20 configured as described above will be described in more detail.

The processor 20 first determines whether there is no movement for a set time based on the movement information of the person being cared for detected through the motion detection unit 10.

The processor 20 is capable of checking information about the direction and area of movement detected by the motion detection unit 10. For example, the storage unit 40 stores the location information of the front door (entrance door), and if it is determined that the person being cared for has moved to the front door, opened the front door, and gone out, the steps below may not be performed.

In this way, based on the fact that the person being cared for is indoors and not going out, the processor 20 checks whether there is no movement of the person being cared for detected by the motion detection unit 10 for a set time as in step S21.

If movement is detected, continue with step S21.

If there is no movement for a set time, the processor 20 checks whether there is movement information that repeats periodic expansion and contraction among the movement information detected by the motion detection unit 10.

As previously explained, movement information that repeats expansion and contraction is information related to breathing, and if breathing is not detected, it is determined whether there is movement information based on the heartbeat in step S23.

Movement caused by the heartbeat is a very fine movement and represents a periodic movement state like a pulsation.

If it is determined that there is no movement due to the heartbeat, the processor 20 determines that the death is a lonely death and generates an event accordingly.

The processor 20 may determine that an accident has occurred when breathing is detected as a result of the determination in step S22 or a heartbeat is detected as a result of the determination in step S23. At this time, an accident refers to all cases in which the person being cared for is unconscious, and includes unconsciousness due to poor health, such as falling asleep, and unconsciousness due to external shock, such as a fall.

After performing step S24 or step S25, the relevant organizations are notified through the communication department 30.

At this time, notification can be made by transmitting the ID of the device that matches the person being cared for, address data stored in the storage unit 40, and the type of event determined.

Here, the relevant organizations may be 119, police, local community center, etc.

The motion detection unit 10, processor 20, communication unit 30, and storage unit 40 are supplied with power at all times, and continuously monitor the status of the person being cared for 24 hours a day even if the person being cared for does not wear a separate device. It can be monitored.

Figure 3 is a flowchart of a care method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The example of FIG. 3 is assumed to be added to the configuration of FIG. 2.

If movement is detected in step S21, the processor 20 determines whether sudden movement has occurred in step S27.

The degree of 'rapidity' at this time is determined by determining whether it is above the set standard speed.

For example, assuming a condition such as a person being cared for slips and falls, or falls due to a falling object or impact, a reference speed for movement is set and stored in the storage unit 40, and the processor 20 detects when movement occurs. When comparing to the previous state, estimate the speed of change in movement and check whether the current speed of movement is higher than the reference speed.

If it is determined that there is no sudden movement, re-perform step S21.

If a sudden movement occurs, determine whether there is a change in posture as in step S28. At this time, the change in posture can be based on the direction of movement.

For example, if there is a movement from the upper side to the lower side in an arc direction, it can be judged as a change from a standing or sitting posture to a lying posture on the floor.

This judgment determines that the collapse is due to a health problem or a fall accident, generates an accident event in step S25, and notifies the relevant organizations of the event situation in step S26.

Movement does not only occur in people being cared for, it can also occur in the presence of pets.

The movement of a companion animal and the recipient of care can be distinguished by learned movement patterns, or by using the difference in breathing rate per minute between humans and companion animals.

In addition, when the care recipient is sleeping, it is determined that the movement signal is small and the breathing signal is regular and stable. In this case, it is preferable for the processor 20 to operate in the respiration detection mode rather than the motion detection mode.

In addition, as described above, the present invention can store definitions for each indoor space, such as the entrance, in the storage unit 40. Therefore, an area that is relatively easy to infiltrate from the outside, such as a window, can be set as a surveillance area, and the surveillance area information can be stored in the storage unit 40.

The processor 20 may determine that the movement detected by the motion detection unit 10 is an intrusion from the outside if a new movement occurs in the surveillance area without moving to the surveillance area stored in the storage unit 40.

This can generate an intrusion event and notify related organizations such as the police through the communication unit 30 when movement occurs in the surveillance area while there is no movement from areas other than the surveillance area to the surveillance area.

In this way, the present invention can be performed by unifying the crime prevention function as well as monitoring the condition of the person being cared for.

For example, in the case of multiple movements, it is possible to detect external intrusions through windows, etc. by checking whether the movement starts at an abnormal location other than the entrance (entrance door).

Figure 4 is a block diagram of a care system for people living alone according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the present invention may further include a heat detection unit 50 in addition to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

The heat detection unit 50 may preferably be a thermal imaging camera, and can use the thermal imaging camera to detect the body temperature of the person being cared for and to detect the possibility of a fire or gas leak in the kitchen.

At this time, the detection result of the heat detection unit 50 is provided to the processor 20, and the processor 20 checks the thermal image to confirm the change (high or low) in body temperature of the person being cared for and determines whether the change is normal. If not, the relevant organizations can be notified through the Communications Department (30).

Additionally, if a high temperature area is detected and the range is wider than a normal food cooking area, the processor 20 may determine that a fire has occurred and notify the relevant organization.

In this way, the present invention uses a simple configuration, but detects movement without the care manager directly installing the device, and can determine whether an accident or lonely death has occurred, thereby improving the reliability and sustainability of care for people living alone.

Although embodiments according to the present invention have been described above, they are merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent scope of embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the following claims.

10: motion detection unit 20: processor
30: communication department 40: storage department
50: heat detection unit

Claims (6)

A motion detection unit installed on the indoor ceiling to detect the movement of the person being cared for, but also detecting movement due to breathing and heart rate, and detecting changes in posture;
A storage unit that divides and stores indoor space, but stores the window area by designating it as a surveillance area;
A heat detection unit that detects the body temperature of the person being cared for and detects the possibility of a fire occurring in the kitchen;
The detection result of the motion detection unit is input, and the occurrence of an accident or lonely death is determined based on body movement, repetition of expansion and contraction due to breathing, and vibration due to the heartbeat, and the movement of the person being cared for in the motion detection unit is detected in the surveillance area. If a new movement occurs in the surveillance area while not moving, it is judged as an intrusion from the outside, and the detection result of the heat detection unit is used to determine whether the health of the person being cared for or the occurrence of a fire has occurred, and the detection result from the motion detection unit is determined. A processor that detects a change in posture and determines whether the change from standing or sitting to lying on the floor is sudden and determines whether the person being cared for has collapsed due to health reasons or an accident; and
A care system for people living alone, including a communication unit that notifies the relevant organizations of the decision result of the processor. According to paragraph 1,
The processor,
If there is no movement of the person being cared for for a set period of time,
Determine whether there is movement due to breathing,
If there is no movement due to breathing, determine whether there is movement due to heartbeat,
A care system for people living alone, characterized in that it is judged to be a lonely death if there is no movement due to heartbeat. According to paragraph 1,
The processor,
If there is no movement of the person being cared for for a set period of time,
Determine whether there is movement due to breathing,
If there is no movement due to breathing, determine whether there is movement due to heartbeat,
A care system for people living alone that determines that an accident has occurred when there is movement due to the breathing or heart rate. According to paragraph 1,
The motion detection unit,
A care system for people living alone, characterized by a radar sensor. delete delete