Methods for personal emergency intervention

Abstract

There are provided methods and systems for personal emergency Intervention, comprising determining that an event regarding a patient has occurred, and thereupon enabling a tracking mode in a device controlled by the patient; monitoring one or more conditions to determine whether the tracking mode should be disabled, and until the tracking mode is disabled, the device: obtains a data pairing, the data pairing comprising a location of the patient and a time related to the location of the patient, and stores the data pairing within a memory in the device; and formatting a report for transmission to a medical data server, the report comprising at least a patient identifier for the patient and the data pairing. This method can be practiced automatically to allow a device controlled by a patient or other subject to be monitored without requiring the patient to manually enter information. Methods and systems also provide for networked implementations of personal emergency tracking in a defined locality and relay of emergency assistance through audial communications with the patient.

1 . A method, comprising:
 determining that an event regarding a patient has occurred, and thereupon enabling a tracking mode in a device controlled by the patient;   monitoring one or more conditions to determine whether the tracking mode should be disabled, and until the tracking mode is disabled, the device:
 obtains a data pairing, the data pairing comprising a location of the patient and a time related to the location of the patient, and 
 stores the data pairing within a memory in the device; and 
   formatting a report for transmission to a medical data server, the report comprising at least a patient identifier for the patient and the data pairing.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 until the tracking mode is disabled, determining whether a measurement for an updated data pairing should be taken, and whereupon the determination is made that the measurement for the updated data pairing should be taken, the device:
 obtains the updated data pairing comprising an updated location of the patient and a time related to the updated location of the patient; and 
 stores the updated data pairing in the memory in the device. 
 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the report includes the data pairing and one or more updated data pairings. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises the device controlled by the patient passing a predetermined geographical position. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the device controlled by the patient passing a predetermined geographical position is detected when an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag in the device is sensed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the device controlled by the patient passing a predetermined geographical position is detected when a signal emitted by the device is sensed. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the device controlled by the patient passing a predetermined geographical position is detected when a signal emitted by a fixed beacon is sensed. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the device controlled by the patient passing a predetermined geographical position is detected when proximity to a second device is sensed. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises the patient not being within a predetermined proximity of a predetermined geographical location for a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises determining that the patient has entered a request to enable the tracking mode through a user interface in the device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises determining that the patient has entered a request to enable the tracking mode by speaking a command to enable the tracking mode. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises determining that the patient has experienced an increased risk to the patient's safety. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein determining that the patient has experienced the increased risk to the patient's safety further comprises at least one of:
 determining that the patient is engaging in exercise; 
 determining that the patient is using a restroom facility; 
 determining that the patient is leaving a predetermined area; 
 determining that the patient is entering a predetermined area; 
 determining that the patient is located in a hazardous public situation; 
 determining that the patient is experiencing a predetermined perceived medical condition; 
 determining that the patient is experiencing a medical emergency; 
 determining that the patient is experiencing a failed connection to a medical telemetry device; 
 receiving a notification by a healthcare provider that the patient's safety is compromised; and 
 receiving a notification by a law enforcement officer that the patient's safety is compromised. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises receiving, by the device controlled by the patient, a command that instructs the device to enable the tracking mode. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises the device controlled by the patient detecting that a signal strength of a received RF signal has decreased below a previously determined level. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises the device controlled by the patient detects a loss of communication with a medical service provider. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises the device controlled by the patient detects that the device has been removed from a predetermined geographical area. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the predetermined geographical area comprises a residence for the patient. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the predetermined geographical area comprises a room for the patient within a facility for providing medical treatment. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises the device controlled by the patient detects that the device has entered a predetermined geographical area. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the predetermined geographical area comprises a hazardous area. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the predetermined geographical area comprises a pathway for moving vehicles. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises the device controlled by the patient detects an environmental parameter. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the device controlled by the patient detects the environmental parameter through one or more of a sensor and a user interface in the device. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the environmental parameter comprises one or more of a battery charge level, a temperature, a barometric pressure, a code relating to an accessory for the device, a data validity measurement, an elapsed time since a previous reading by the device, a test result parameter, a signal-to-noise parameter and a quality of service (QoS) parameter. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer and detecting the environmental parameter comprises sensing a change in an output signal from the accelerometer. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the sensor comprises a tilt switch and detecting the environmental parameter comprises sensing a change in an output signal from the tilt switch. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises the device controlled by the patient detecting acceleration exceeding a predefined threshold followed by detecting one or more of a predefined attitude for the device, a predefined change in attitude for the device and acceleration less than a predefined threshold for a predefined period of time. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the device prompting the patient for a response. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the prompting comprises one or more of the device vibrating, displaying a message, illuminating an indicator and announcing a message to the patient seeking the response. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29  wherein if the response is not received by the device within a predefined time or the response is received within the predefined time but otherwise constitutes a response indicting a predefined unfavorable condition for the patient, the device summons assistance for the patient. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the summons for assistance comprises one or more of sending a communication seeking such assistance to the medical data server or a healthcare provider. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the determination of whether a measurement for an updated data pairing should be taken is performed automatically, manually, continuously, regularly, irregularly, randomly or in any combination of the foregoing. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises the device controlled by the patient detects that the patient is moving after a predetermined time of day. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises the device controlled by the patient detects that the patient is moving before a predetermined time of day. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the event comprises the device controlled by the patient detecting an abnormal medical condition for the patient. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the abnormal medical condition for the patient is detected by a sensor. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the abnormal medical condition for the patient is detected by a remote service that has detected the abnormal medical condition for the patient by analysis of data regarding the patient. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving a command instructing the device to halt the tracking mode. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the command to instruct the device to halt the tracking mode is issued from one or more of the medical data server, a healthcare provider or the patient through a user interface in the device. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39  further comprising sending a communication confirming receipt of the command instructing the device to halt the tracking mode. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising passing a home gateway instructing the device to halt the tracking mode. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42  wherein the home gateway comprises one or more of an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag, a low power localized signal transmitter and a Wi-Fi hotspot for a home or other predefined location. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the device arriving within a geofenced boundary instructing the device to halt the tracking mode. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the device arriving at a predetermined location instructing the device to halt the tracking mode. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the device senses that the patient pushes a button instructing the device to halt the tracking mode. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the device senses that the patient issues a verbal command that is recognized by a voice recognition system in the device to disable the tracking mode. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the device receives a command deactivating the tracking mode based on a predetermined condition. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48  further comprising sending a communication confirming receipt of the command instructing the device to halt the tracking mode. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the device senses that a signal strength of a received RF signal has risen above a predetermined threshold instructing the device to halt the tracking mode. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the device detects re-establishment of communication with a medical service provider instructing the device to halt the tracking mode. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the device controlled by the patient comprises a global positioning service (GPS) sensor for obtaining the data pairing. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the device controlled by the patient comprises a location-based service (LBS) sensor for obtaining the data pairing. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the memory in the device controlled by the patient comprises a nonvolatile memory. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54  wherein the memory comprises a FLASH memory device. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising transmitting the report to at least one of a healthcare provider and the medical data server. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56  wherein transmitting the report further comprises transmitting the patient identifier and the data pairing to the medical data server accessible by the healthcare provider. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 56  wherein transmitting the report further comprises transmitting the patient identifier and the data pairing to an intermediary device. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the intermediary device comprises a wireless hub. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the intermediary device comprises a docking station. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 56  wherein transmitting the report further comprises transmitting data through at least one of a cellular telephony protocol, a local wireless data transmission protocol, and a wired digital communication protocol. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61  wherein the cellular telephony protocol comprises one or more of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, a wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, an Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network, a Personal Communication Service (PCS) network, an Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Wideband CDMA (W-CDMA) network, a Time Division-Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA) network, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network, and/or a satellite communication network. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 61  wherein the local wireless data transmission protocol comprises one or more of a Zigbee protocol, a Wibree protocol, an IEEE 802.11 protocol, an IEEE 802.15 protocol, an IEEE 802.16 protocol, an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) protocol, an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) protocol, a Bluetooth protocol. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the report is transmitted to the medical data server once the data pairing is stored in memory. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 2  wherein upon termination of the tracking mode, at least one of the data pairing and one or more of a plurality of the updated data pairings are included in the report which is transmitted to at least one of a healthcare provider and the medical data server. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65  wherein the report is transmitted following termination of the tracking mode and within a predefined time window. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 65  wherein the predefined time window includes a time of day where lower cost of transmission is available. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving, by the device controlled by the patient, a command indicating that certain information stored in the memory should be uploaded from the device. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising analyzing at least one of the data pairing and one or more of a plurality of the updated data pairings to determine whether a predetermined safety threshold has been exceeded for the patient. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising analyzing at least one of the data pairing and one or more of a plurality of the updated data pairings to determine a mobility profile for the patient. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising analyzing at least one of the data pairing and one or more of a plurality of the updated data pairings to determine an exercise profile for the patient. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising analyzing at least one of the data pairing and one or more of a plurality of the updated data pairings to determine a trend of patient movement over time. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 72  wherein the trend of patient movement over time indicates whether the patient has entered a bathroom more or less than a predefined number of times in a predefined period of time. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 72  wherein the trend of patient movement over time indicates whether the patient has remained stationary for more or less than a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 72  wherein the trend of patient movement over time indicates whether the patient has remained in a predefined area for more or less than a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 72  wherein the trend of patient movement over time indicates whether the patient has failed to reach a predetermined appointment location within a predetermined time period.