Ilife Solutions, Inc.

Ilife Systems, Inc.

I Am Fine, Inc.

Michael D Halleck

Michael E Halleck

Michael L Lehrman

Alan R Owens

Edward L Massman

Donald N James

Gregory V Halleck

The present invention comprises a system and method for detecting an acceleration of a body and for evaluating movement of a body relative to an environment to detect falls and irregular motions of the body. According to an exemplary embodiment, the system comprises a sensor and a controller that comprises a processor. The sensor, which is associable with the body, comprises a plurality of acceleration measuring devices and is capable of repeatedly sensing accelerative phenomena of the body. The controller, which is associated with the sensor, is operable to process the sensed accelerative phenomena as a function of at least one accelerative event characteristic. The controller determines when the body experiences an acceleration that represents a particular type of motion. The controller also determines when a static acceleration vector reaches a value indicative of a fall. After a fall has occurred, the controller is capable of determining whether the controller was connected to a body during the fall or whether only the controller experienced the fall.

System and method for detecting motion of a body

There is disclosed a sensor and method for detecting very low frequency acoustic signals. The sensor is capable of detecting low frequency acoustic signals in the frequency range of one tenth Hertz to thirty Hertz. The sensor comprises a chamber having portions that form a cavity and a low frequency microphone placed within the cavity. An alternate embodiment of the invention comprises a chamber having portions that form a resonant cavity, a low frequency microphone placed within the resonant cavity, and a membrane that covers the resonant cavity. Low frequency acoustic signals that are incident on the membrane cause the membrane to move and amplify the acoustic signals within the resonant cavity.

Sensor and method for detecting very low frequency acoustic signals

Physiological condition monitors utilizing very low frequency acoustic signals and signals indicative of body orientation are disclosed. The physiological condition monitors comprise a sensor that is capable of detecting low frequency acoustic signals in the frequency range of one tenth Hertz to thirty Hertz. The sensor comprises a chamber having portions that form a cavity and a low frequency microphone placed within the cavity. An alternate embodiment of the invention comprises a chamber having portions that form a resonant cavity, a microphone mounted in the resonant cavity, and a membrane that covers the resonant cavity. Low frequency acoustic signals that are incident on the membrane cause the membrane to move and amplify the acoustic signals within the resonant cavity. The sensor provides information concerning physiological conditions, such as respiration and cardiac activity. The sensor in a physiological condition monitor does not need to be directly coupled to the skin of the person being monitored. The physiological condition monitor simultaneously provides information concerning cardiac activity, and respiration activity, and the movement and position orientation of the monitored person's body.

Physiological condition monitors utilizing very low frequency acoustic signals

There is disclosed an apparatus and method for reducing power consumption in physiological condition monitors that use a memory data storage device that operates in a high power mode when data is being written to the memory data storage device and operates in a low power mode when inactive. The apparatus comprises: 1) a controller for receiving incoming data to be written to the memory data storage device; and 2) a first low power buffer coupled to the controller. The controller stores the incoming data in the first low power buffer until a predetermined amount of incoming data has been accumulated in the first low power buffer and transfers the accumulated predetermined amount of incoming data to the memory data storage device in a single data transfer.

Apparatus and method for reducing power consumption in physiological condition monitors

There is disclosed a system and method for remotely monitoring at least one physiological condition of a child by detecting very low frequency acoustic signals. The apparatus comprises a sensor that is capable of detecting low frequency acoustic signals in the frequency range of one tenth Hertz to thirty Hertz. The sensor comprises a chamber having portions that form a cavity and a low frequency microphone placed within the cavity. An alternate embodiment of the invention comprises a chamber having portions that form a resonant cavity, a microphone mounted in the resonant cavity, and a membrane that covers the resonant cavity. Low frequency acoustic signals that are incident on the membrane cause the membrane to move and amplify the acoustic signals within the resonant cavity. The sensor provides information concerning physiological conditions of the child, such as respiration and cardiac activity. The sensor in a physiological condition monitor does not need to be directly coupled to the skin of the child being monitored.

System and method for remotely monitoring at least one physiological characteristic of a child

There is disclosed an apparatus and method for detecting very low frequency acoustic signals. The apparatus comprises a sensor that is capable of detecting low frequency acoustic signals in the frequency range of one tenth Hertz to thirty Hertz. The sensor comprises a chamber having portions that form a cavity and a low frequency microphone placed within the cavity. An alternate embodiment of the invention comprises a chamber having portions that form a resonant cavity, a low frequency microphone placed within the resonant cavity, and a membrane that covers the resonant cavity. Low frequency acoustic signals that are incident on the membrane cause the membrane to move and amplify the acoustic signals within the resonant cavity. The sensor provides information concerning physiological conditions, such as respiration and cardiac activity. The sensor in a physiological condition monitor does not need to be directly coupled to the skin of the person being monitored.

Apparatus and method for detecting very low frequency acoustic signals

There is disclosed a system for minimizing a power consumption level of a memory data storage device that operates in a high power mode when data is being written therein and operates in a low power mode when inactive. The system comprises: 1) a controller for receiving incoming data to be written to the memory data storage device; and 2) a first low power buffer coupled to the controller. The controller stores the incoming data in the first low power buffer until a predetermined amount of incoming data has been accumulated in the first low power buffer and transfers the accumulated predetermined amount of incoming data to the memory data storage device in a single data transfer.

Apparatus and method for reducing power consumption in an electronic data storage system

There is disclosed a system and method for seizing control of a communications channel in a child monitor of the type comprising a child monitor transmitter and a child monitor base station. The system and method is used in conjunction with a physiological condition monitor that is capable of monitoring the status of a person's physiological conditions such as heartbeat and breathing. When the physiological condition monitor detects that an alarm condition has occurred, it causes a control transmitter to transmit an alarm signal to said child monitor base station. The signal that is transmitted by the control transmitter blocks any signal that is being transmitted to the child monitor base station by the child monitor transmitter. The signal that is transmitted by the control transmitter has (1) a modulation factor that is greater than the modulation factor of the signal transmitted by the child monitor transmitter, or (2) a power level that is greater than the power level of the signal transmitted by the child monitor transmitter.

System and method for seizing a communication channel in a commercially available child monitor

The present invention comprises an apparatus and method for detecting a rotational movement of a body. An advantageous embodiment of the invention is capable of detecting a rotational movement of the body of a child. The invention can provide a care giver information concerning the position of the body of a child in the care giver's care. The invention is especially useful in warning when a child moves from a position of lying on its back to a position of lying on its stomach. The invention comprises at least two tilt switches capable of detecting when the apparatus of the invention has been rotated by a preselected inclination angle of approximately one hundred eighty degrees. The invention also comprises a controller that is capable of receiving a signal from the tilt switches and generating an alarm signal. The apparatus also comprises an alarm signaling device that is capable of sending the alarm signal to alert a care giver that a child has rolled over onto his or her stomach. The alarm signaling device may be an audio speaker or may be a radio frequency transmitter capable of sending a radio signal to a base station radio receiver. The apparatus is also capable of initiating the operation of physiological condition monitors in response to an alarm signal. The apparatus is also capable of detecting a rotational movement of an inorganic body such as a shipping crate that contains a product that must be stored and shipped in an upright position.

Apparatus and method for detecting a rotational movement of a body

Apparatus and method for reducing power consumption in physiological

Apparatus and method are disclosed for monitoring selected physiological parameters of a subject, such as respiration and/or ECG information, and alerting a care giver at a remote location when an irregularity is recognized. The apparatus includes a sensor or sensors, a dual frequency, asynchronous transmitter unit for transmitting plural signals indicative of the sensed information, a local receiver/transmitter unit, and a remote receiver. The physiological parameters being monitored are sensed and processed to provide signals which are provided to a pair of transmitters. Transmission is selectively enabled at each transmitter, the first transmitting at a first frequency a signal indicative of real time monitored events and the second, under normal circumstances, transmitting, periodically, at a second frequency a signal indicative of monitored event count and updated subject status. When received at the local receiver, both signals are processed and retransmitted to the remote receiver where, if irregularity is indicated, the care giver is alerted.

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Northglenn, CO, United States of America

Michael D Halleck