Systems and Methods for Displaying Sensor-Based User Orientation Information

Abstract

A user-wearable sensor device may be configured to be directly or indirectly secured to a user or to an article worn by the user. The user-wearable sensor device may include at least one sensor configured to collect sensor data associated with an orientation of the user, a display unit including at least one LED or other visual indicator, a battery configured to provide power to at least the display unit, and a control system. The control system may be configured to determine the orientation of the user based on sensor data collected by the at least one sensor, maintain the display unit in a deactivated state in the absence of a defined activation input, detect a defined activation input, activate the deactivated display unit in response to detecting the defined activation input, and control the activated display unit based on the determined orientation of the user.

1 . A wearable sensor device, comprising:
 a wearable sensor device body configured to be secured to a person or to an article worn by the person;   an accelerometer configured to generate acceleration data representative of an orientation of the person; and   an orientation display including a plurality of selectively controllable display elements corresponding to a plurality of different positions of the person, each different position of the person pressurizing a respective different body region of the person;   a processor configured to:
 monitor the current orientation of the person over time based on the acceleration data generated by the accelerometer; 
 measure, based on the monitored orientation of the person over time, an amount of time spent in each of the plurality of different positions of the person; and 
 selectively control the plurality of controllable display elements based on the determined amount of time spent in each of the plurality of different positions. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wearable sensor device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of selectively controllable display elements comprise a plurality of LED elements. 
     
     
         3 - 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The wearable sensor device of  claim 1 , comprising:
 selectively controlling the plurality of controllable display elements to indicate a current position of the person.   
     
     
         6 . The wearable sensor device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 control the display elements to indicate a current position of the person;   determine, based on the monitored orientation of the person, a change from the current position to a new current position of the person; and   control the display elements to indicate the determined change from the current position to the new current position of the person.   
     
     
         7 . The wearable sensor device of  claim 1 , comprising:
 determining historical orientation data indicating an accumulated amount of time spent in a particular position; and   controlling at least one of the controllable display elements to indicate the accumulated amount of time spent in the particular position.   
     
     
         8 . The wearable sensor device of  claim 7 , wherein:
 determining the accumulated amount of time spent in the particular position comprises:
 increasing an accumulated time counter while the person is positioned in the particular position, as determined based on the monitored orientation of the person; and 
 decreasing an accumulated time counter while the person is not positioned in the particular position, as determined based on the monitored orientation of the person; and 
   selectively controlling the plurality of controllable display elements comprises controlling at least one of the controllable display elements to indicate increases and decreases in the accumulated time counter.   
     
     
         9 . The wearable sensor device of  claim 1 , comprising:
 determining (a) current orientation data indicating a current position of the person, and (b) historical orientation data indicating an accumulated amount of time spent in a particular position of the plurality of different positions; and   selectively controlling the plurality of controllable display elements to simultaneously indicate both (a) the current position of the person, and (b) the accumulated amount of time spent in the particular position of the person.   
     
     
         10 . The wearable sensor device of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to control the plurality of controllable display elements to simultaneously indicate (a) the current position of the person, and (b) the accumulated amount of time spent in the particular position of the person. 
     
     
         11 . The wearable sensor device of  claim 9 , wherein the particular position of the person is the current position of the person, such that the processor is configured to control at least one of the display elements to simultaneously indicate the current position of the person and the accumulated amount of time spent in the current position. 
     
     
         12 . The wearable sensor device  claim 9 , wherein the particular position of the person is different than the current position of the person. 
     
     
         13 . The wearable sensor device of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the particular position of the person is different than the current position of the person; and   the processor is configured to:
 control at least one first display element corresponding with the current position of the person, to indicate the current position of the person, and 
 control at least one second display element corresponding with a position other than the current position of the person, to indicate the accumulated amount of time spent in the particular position. 
   
     
     
         14 . The wearable sensor device of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to control the at least one first display element and the at least one second display element to simultaneously indicate the current position of the person and to indicate the accumulated amount of time spent in the particular position. 
     
     
         15 . The wearable sensor device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 access an orientation management protocol for the person defining a position change condition based on an accumulated time threshold, the position change condition associated with a suggested or required position change of the person according to the orientation management protocol;   determine an accumulated amount of time spent in a particular position of the plurality of different positions of the person;   determine that the accumulated amount of time spent in the particular position exceeds the accumulated time threshold, and identifying the position change condition based on such determination; and   in response to identifying the position change condition, selectively control at least a subset of the controllable display elements to indicate the suggested or required position change of the person associated with the position change condition.   
     
     
         16 . The wearable sensor device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 access an orientation management protocol for the person defining at least one position change condition associated with at least one suggested or required position change of the person according to the orientation management protocol;   based on the monitored orientation of the person, determine a compliance or noncompliance with the orientation management protocol; and   selectively control the controllable display elements to indicate the compliance or noncompliance with the orientation management protocol.   
     
     
         17 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A system for monitoring a person, the system comprising:
 a wearable sensor device and a local monitor separate from the wearable sensor device and communicatively coupled to the wearable sensor;   wherein the wearable sensor device comprises:
 a sensor device body configured to be secured to a person or to an article worn by the person; 
 a sensor device processor; 
 at least one sensor configured to generate sensor data regarding an orientation of the person; and 
 a transmitter configured to transmit orientation monitoring data to a local monitor, the transmitted data comprising the sensor data or data derived from the sensor data by the sensor device processor; and 
   wherein the local monitor comprises:
 a receiver configured to receive orientation monitoring data transmitted by the transmitter of the wearable sensor device; 
 a display including a plurality of controllable display elements corresponding to a plurality of different positions of the person; and 
 a local monitor processor configured to selectively control the plurality of controllable display elements to indicate orientation data of the person based on the received orientation monitoring data, wherein the orientation data of the person includes at least one of current orientation data or historical orientation data. 
   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the transmitter of the sensor device is configured to communicate the sensor data generated by the at least one sensor to the local monitor;   the receiver of the local monitor is configured to receive the sensor data; and   the local monitor processor is configured to:
 process the received sensor data to generate the orientation data of the person; and 
 control the plurality of controllable display elements based on the orientation data generated by the local monitor processor. 
   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the sensor device processor is configured to process the sensor data to generate the orientation data of the person;   the transmitter of the sensor device is configured to communicate the orientation data to the local monitor;   the receiver of the local monitor is configured to receive the orientation data generated by the sensor device processor; and   the local monitor processor is configured to control the plurality of controllable display elements based on the received orientation data.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the sensor device processor is configured to process the sensor data to generate pre-processed sensor data;   the transmitter of the sensor device is configured to communicate the pre-processed sensor data to the local monitor;   the receiver of the local monitor is configured to receive the pre-processed sensor data transmitted by the sensor device; and   the local monitor processor is configured to:
 process the received pre-processed sensor data to generate the orientation data of the person; and 
 control the plurality of controllable display elements based on the orientation data generated by the local monitor processor. 
   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the step of processing the sensor data by the sensor device processor to generate pre-processed sensor data comprises reducing a data volume of the sensor data. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the transmitter of the sensor device comprises a wireless transmitter and the receiver of the local monitor comprises a wireless receiver.