Method and arrangement for monitoring a person

Abstract

So as not only to reliably detect an emergency situation of a person (1) but also to improve the monitoring of a person (1) in the absence of a communication connection (6) to a receiving device (5), the invention provides for a timer (TE) with a predetermined timer time (tTE) to be started in the receiving device (5) if the current position (P) of the person (1) is within a defined operating range (7), wherein the predetermined timer time (tTE) is greater than the specified time intervals of position transmission, the timer (TE) in the receiving device (5) is restarted when the position (P) is received, provided that the position (P) is within the defined operating range (7), and the receiving device (5) initiates a specified safety action when the timer (TE) in the receiving device (5) times out.

Description

[0001] Method and an order for monitoring a person

[0002] The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement for monitoring a person, wherein the person wears a monitoring device for detecting an emergency situation of the person and the monitoring device is connected to a receiving device via a wireless communication link and the monitoring device sends a current position of the person to the receiving device at predetermined time intervals and the monitoring device, upon detecting an emergency situation of the person, sends a message about the emergency situation of the person to the receiving device via the wireless communication link.

[0003] There are monitoring devices for working people that detect a person's emergency and, when an emergency is detected, issue or trigger an alarm or initiate a specific action to protect the person.

[0004] DE 44 38 063 A1 and DE 39 03 025 A1, for example, describe such devices, wherein an electrode is arranged on each of at least two extremities of the person, e.g., arms or legs, which are connected to a control unit. The control unit detects a body current via the electrodes through contact with an external electrical potential. If an impermissible current flow through the body is detected, the control unit activates a shutdown device to protect the person, interrupting any further current supply to the contact point. The electrodes and the control unit can be arranged on a piece of clothing, and the connection between the control unit and the shutdown device is wireless.

[0005] Monitoring devices of various designs are known that evaluate a wide variety of data in order to detect an emergency situation of the person wearing the monitoring device. For this purpose, sensors are arranged on the person wearing the monitoring device or in the monitoring device itself in order to record a parameter that allows a conclusion to be drawn about the person's emergency situation. This parameter can be evaluated by the monitoring device in order to detect an emergency situation. Possible parameters include, for example, electrical parameters such as an electric current, an electric voltage, an electric field, etc.; movement parameters such as, in particular, linear or rotational acceleration acting on the person, the person's speed, etc.; or physiological parameters of the person such as a heartbeat, pulse rate, an ECG (electrocardiogram), respiratory rate, skin resistance, etc.

[0006] In the event of an emergency, the monitoring device will often contact an external server or other monitoring device belonging to another worker and inform them of the emergency. This way, help can be arranged for the person in need. This is known, for example, from US 9,494,632 B1 or WO 2019 / 243382 A1. However, this approach only works if the monitoring device of the person in need can establish a communication connection, for example via the cellular network, Wi-Fi, etc., to the other monitoring device or the server. In certain work environments, such a communication connection is not possible because there is no reception. This means that even though the monitoring device is basically functional and detects an emergency, it cannot arrange help because the emergency cannot be passed on. This is particularly problematic in situations where the person wearing the monitoring device is working alone.Under certain circumstances, this may not detect an occupational accident. However, in many emergency situations, the speed with which help arrives can mean the difference between life and death.

[0007] There are also methods and systems that detect the presence of a person or object in a defined area or the departure of a person or object from a defined area. Examples of these can be found in KR 20210039716 A, WO 2014130090 A1, US 2013033375 A1, DE 102022105478 A1, or DE 102006056856 A1. However, such methods or systems do not allow the detection of a person's emergency situation and the appropriate response.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention not only to reliably detect a person's emergency situation, but also to improve the monitoring of a person in the event of a lack of communication connection to a remote location.

[0009] This task is solved by starting a timer in the receiving device with a predetermined timer time when the person's current position is within a defined working area, wherein the predetermined timer time is greater than the predetermined time intervals. The timer is restarted in the receiving device upon receipt, preferably upon each receipt, of the position as long as the position is within the defined working area, and the receiving device triggers a predetermined safety action when the timer in the receiving device expires. This enables the monitoring of a person in a working area where a communication connection cannot be ensured. Even if no communication connection is available, a safety action is triggered after a certain time.

[0010] This can be improved if a timer is additionally started in the monitoring device with the predetermined timer time when the person's current position is within a defined working range, the timer in the monitoring device is restarted when the position is sent to the receiving device, preferably every time the position is sent, as long as the position is within the defined working range, and the monitoring device triggers a warning signal that can be perceived by the person a predefined lead time before the timer expires. This allows the person to be warned before the timer expires. The person can then go to a location where a communication connection is available. In this way, unwanted false alarms can be prevented or at least reduced.

[0011] Preferably, the timer in the monitoring device is started at the same time as the timer in the receiving device. However, high-precision synchronization of the timers is not required, as the lead time already provides sufficient time for the timers to move into range of a communication link. Even differences in the range of seconds or tens of seconds will not be a problem. The same applies to the timer times, which do not have to be exactly the same. The timer times can also differ by a range of seconds or tens of seconds.

[0012] The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 3, which show exemplary, schematic and non-limiting advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0013] Fig.1 a person with monitoring device and

[0014] Fig.2 and 3 show the process of monitoring a person with a monitoring device.

[0015] The invention assumes that a person 1 wears a monitoring device 2 for detecting an emergency situation of the person 1. An emergency situation of the person 1 is any situation that deviates from a predetermined normal situation of the person 1. In the predetermined normal situation, it is assumed that the person 1 is not exposed to any danger or may be exposed to a danger but is not in an emergency situation.

[0016] In order to detect an emergency, the person 1 wears at least one sensor 3, which records at least one parameter K of the person 1, which allows a conclusion to be drawn about an emergency situation of the person 1. The parameter K thus characterizes the state of the person 1 and allows an assessment of whether a normal situation or an emergency situation of the person 1 exists. For this purpose, certain limit values ​​of the at least one parameter K, for example a maximum permissible electrical body current or a maximum permissible acceleration, can be defined and stored in the monitoring device 2, which are compared with current values ​​of the at least one parameter K. The recorded parameter K can also be processed in the monitoring device 2, for example as an input variable of a model or a mathematical formula, in order to draw conclusions about the state of the person.The sensor 3 can be worn at any location, for example in direct physical contact with the person 1, or on a piece of clothing of the person 1, or on another item worn by the person 1, such as a bracelet, headband, necklace, ring, cap, protective helmet, etc. However, several sensors 3 can also be provided, even at different locations on the person 1, wherein the several sensors 3 can record the same or different parameters K. This means that several parameters K can also be evaluated together in the monitoring device 2 in order to draw conclusions about the current state of the person 1.

[0017] Possible parameters K are, for example, electrical quantities such as an electric current, an electric voltage, an electric field, an electrical resistance, etc., movement quantities such as, in particular, an acceleration acting on the person, a speed of the person, etc., or physiological parameters of the person such as a heartbeat, a pulse rate, an ECG (electrocardiogram), a breathing rate, a skin resistance, etc. In addition, there can of course be other parameters K that allow conclusions to be drawn about the state of person 1.

[0018] The at least one sensor 3 records the at least one characteristic K, which is evaluated by the monitoring device to detect an emergency. The at least one sensor 1 transmits the at least one characteristic K to the monitoring device 2, for example via a cable connection, or wirelessly, such as via Bluetooth. The characteristic K is naturally recorded multiple times, preferably at predetermined recording intervals, for example every second, but also more or less frequently, which can also depend on the type of sensor 3. The monitoring device 2 is thus able to determine the condition of the person 1 on the basis of the characteristic K on an ongoing basis (in the sense of at regular evaluation intervals).

[0019] If the monitoring device 2 detects an emergency situation of the person 1, in particular by evaluating the at least one characteristic value K detected by the at least one sensor 3, the monitoring device 2 sends an emergency message N about the emergency situation of the person 1 via a wireless communication connection 6 to a receiving device 5.

[0020] The wireless communication connection 6 can be implemented, for example, as a cellular network or WLAN. The receiving device 5 is preferably a computer server at a remote location that is in communication with the monitoring device 2. A "remote location" is a location that does not have to enable direct visual contact with the person 1. The remote location can be several kilometers or more away from the person 1, but it can also be a relatively nearby alarm center in the area in which the person 1 works. In addition, the monitoring device 2 records the current position P of the person 1, for example in the form of GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates or in the form of IPS (Indoor Positioning System) information, which can be determined from Bluetooth, WLAN, or even acoustic signals. For this purpose, a position sensor 4, such as a GPS or IPS sensor, can be provided on the monitoring device 2.However, the position sensor 4 can also be arranged elsewhere on the person 1 or can be integrated into another device worn by the person 1. For example, the person 1 can wear a mobile device, such as a cell phone, and the position sensor 4 can be integrated into the mobile device. The monitoring device 2 can be connected to the mobile device via a data connection, such as Bluetooth. However, it is also conceivable that the functions of the monitoring device 2 are implemented as a software application (app) on a mobile device of the person 1. In this case, a position sensor 4 of the mobile device could also be used.

[0021] The monitoring device 2 transmits the current position P of the person 1 to the receiving device 5 via the wireless communication link 6 (indicated in Fig. 1) at predetermined time intervals, for example in the time range of one second to several minutes.

[0022] The receiving device 5 thus receives the current position P of the person 1 from the monitoring device 2 and is thus aware of where the person 1 is currently located, at least within the respective position resolution in the transmitted position P.

[0023] If the receiving device 5 receives an emergency message N, the receiving device 5 triggers an action to help the person 1. The action can be notifying rescue services or other people in the vicinity of the person 1, which can also include transmitting the current position P to the rescue services or another person.

[0024] This monitoring of person 1 functions as long as the wireless communication connection 6 is maintained. However, if the wireless communication connection 6 is interrupted, neither an emergency message N nor a current position P can be sent to the receiving device 5, and the status of person 1 can no longer be monitored. If person 1 then encounters an emergency situation, this can no longer be signaled to the receiving device 5, and no assistance can be triggered for the person 1 in distress. To counteract such an undesirable situation, the invention provides the following.

[0025] In the receiving device 5, at least one working area 7 of the person 1 is defined (indicated in Fig. 1), for example in the form of a geofence (virtual boundary within a geographical area). The working area 7 can also be defined in the form of GPS coordinates. The working area 7 is preferably defined as a closed boundary, with the working area 7 lying within the closed boundary.

[0026] Of course, multiple work areas 7 can also be defined. For example, multiple work areas 7 could be defined in an area where work is to be carried out by person 1. It is also possible for a work area to be defined within another work area, meaning that a work area can be entirely or partially a sub-area of ​​another work area.

[0027] If the receiving device 5 detects, based on the positions P received from the monitoring device 2, that the person 1 wearing the monitoring device 2 is located within a defined working area 7, then a timer TE with a predetermined timer time tTE is started in the receiving device 5. The predetermined time tre of the timer TE is greater than the specified time intervals at which the positions P are transmitted. For example, the timer time FE is in the minute or hour range, while the time intervals for the position transmission are in the minute or second range. If the person 1 is located within the working area 7, the current position P continues to be transmitted to the receiving device 5 at the specified time intervals (indicated by dashed lines in Fig. 1).It can therefore be assumed that the wireless communication connection 6 continues to exist and that in the event of an emergency, an emergency message N can also be transmitted from the monitoring device 2 to the receiving device 5.

[0028] As long as person 1 remains in work area 7, the timer TE in the receiver 5 is reset and restarted upon arrival of a current position P. The timer TE thus begins to run anew each time it is reset. Based on the received position P, the receiver 5 can, of course, determine whether person 1 is still in work area 7.

[0029] The timer TE is preferably reset and restarted each time a current position P is reached, i.e., at the specified time intervals. However, it is also possible to restart the timer TE not each time a current position P is reached, but rather every xth time a current position P is reached, for example, every second time the position P is reached.

[0030] If the TE timer in the receiver device 5 expires while the person 1 is in the work area 7, the receiver device 5 triggers a safety action. The safety action can be to notify rescue services or another person in the vicinity of the person 1 wearing the monitoring device 2, preferably together with the last known position of the person 1. If the person 1 leaves the work area 7 while the TE timer is running, the TE timer in the receiver device 5 can be stopped and the additional monitoring can be terminated using the TE timer in the receiver device 5.

[0031] The timer time VTE of the timer TE can also be adjusted or changed depending on the position of person 1 in the work area 7, depending on the time of day (higher risk when working alone at night), depending on the number of other people in the area, depending on the operating parameters of equipment in the area or any other parameters.

[0032] The timer time VTE of the timer TE can also be set differently for different work areas 7. For example, the timer time VTE can be set to 15 minutes by default. For a work area 7 where no communication link 6 is assumed, such as a tunnel, the timer time FTE is set to 2 hours. Another example is work on an outdoor electrical substation as work area 7. For such a work area, the timer time VTE can be shortened to 10 minutes because it is known that it is dangerous there and a continuous communication link 6 can be assumed there.

[0033] The timer time VTE of the timer TE can also be adjusted depending on historical data or empirical values, in addition to the dependence on different work areas 7. If a person 1 frequently works in a specific work area 7, the timer time VTE of the timer TE can be increased because the person 1 is familiar with the work area. In a work area 7 in which the location data of the person 1 in the form of the position P can always be sent regularly, the timer time VTE of the timer TE can be shortened to increase safety. This adjustment can also be carried out self-learning in the receiving device 5.

[0034] The procedure described above represents an improvement over the previous one because it allows a work area 7 to be defined in which it is assumed that no or only an unreliable wireless communication connection 6 prevails. The work area can, for example, comprise a company premises with buildings. Outdoors, the wireless communication connection 6 will be available, but it may be interrupted indoors. In work area 7, monitoring is more "sensitive" because, even without receiving an emergency message N from the receiving device 5, a security action is triggered if the connection between monitoring device 2 and receiving device 5 is interrupted for a specific period (timer time VTE).

[0035] In order to reduce false triggering of the monitoring, a timer Ts with the predetermined timer time trs can also be started in the monitoring device 2 if the current position P of the person 1 is within the defined working area 7. In addition to the timer TE in the receiving device 5, a timer Ts runs in the monitoring device 2. The timer time trs in the monitoring device 2 is preferably the same length as the timer time FTE of the timer TE in the receiving device 5. In the monitoring device 2, the timer Ts is also reset and restarted when the position P is sent to the receiving device 5, so that the timer time trs begins to run again.

[0036] The timer Ts in the monitoring device 2 is preferably reset and restarted each time a current position P is transmitted, i.e., at the specified time intervals. However, it is also possible to restart the timer Ts not each time a current position P is transmitted, but rather every xth (x>1) transmission of a current position P, for example, every second transmission of the position P.

[0037] The timer time rs of the timer Ts in the monitoring device 2 can also be set differently for different work areas 7, preferably corresponding to the timer time FTE of the timer TE in the receiving device 5. The timer time trs of the timer Ts in the monitoring device 2 can also be adjusted as explained above depending on historical data or empirical values, also in addition to the dependency on different work areas 7.

[0038] A lead time tv is defined in the monitoring device 2, whereby the lead time tv is less than the timer time rs of the timer Ts in the monitoring device 2. The monitoring device 2 is designed so that the predefined lead time tv before the timer Ts expires, the monitoring device 2 triggers a warning signal A that can be perceived by the person. Upon perceiving the warning signal A, the person 1 can move to a position where the wireless communication connection 6 is available, for example, go outside. This can also be displayed on the monitoring device 2. If the wireless communication connection 6 is available, the position P is sent again and the timer TE in the receiving device 5 and the timer Ts in the monitoring device 2 are reset. The triggering of the safety action is thus suppressed. After that, the person 1 can return to the defined work area if necessary.However, if person 1 does not move to a position where the wireless communication link 6 is available upon warning signal A before the timer TE expires, it is assumed that person 1 cannot move because an emergency situation exists. When the timer TE expires in the receiving device 5, the safety action is triggered.

[0039] The lead time tv is naturally selected to be sufficiently long so that person 1 has sufficient time to reach a position P with a wireless communication connection 6. The lead time tv can also be adjustable in the monitoring device 2 and can, in particular, also depend on the working area 7. The lead time tv can, for example, be a maximum of 50%, a maximum of 30%, or a maximum of 25% of the timer time trs of the timer Ts in the monitoring device 2. Typically, the lead time tv is selected to be in the range of a few minutes. However, the lead time tv can also be transmitted from the receiving device 5 to the monitoring device 2 depending on the position P, as long as a communication connection 6 still exists.For example, if work area 7 is the tunnel of a power plant, the lead time could be set to more than 15 minutes to give person 1 sufficient time to leave the tunnel and establish a communication link 6 to suppress the safety action. However, for a different work area 7 in a building outside the tunnel, the lead time tv can be set to just 5 minutes, for example. In a work area 7 outdoors, the lead time tv can be set even shorter.

[0040] The preferred process for monitoring a person 1 is illustrated by way of example in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. In Fig. 2, a person 1 enters a defined work area 7 at time h, and the timer TE in the receiving device 5 and the timer Ts in the monitoring device 2 are started. At time h, the wireless communication connection 6 is established, and the position P is transmitted from the monitoring device 2 to the receiving device 5. The person 1 moves within the work area 7. At each time at which the position P is transmitted, the timer TE in the receiving device 5 and the timer Ts in the monitoring device 2 are restarted, for example, at time t2. At time ts, a position P is transmitted for the last time before the wireless communication connection 6 is interrupted, for example, because the person 1 enters a building. This starts the timer TE in the receiving device 5 and the timer Ts in the monitoring device 2.The lead time tv before the timer Ts in the monitoring device 2 expires, a warning signal A is triggered on the monitoring device 2, for example a visual or acoustic signal. Thereafter, but still before the timer TE in the receiving device 5 and the timer Ts in the monitoring device 2 expire, the person 1 moves to a location where the wireless communication link 6 is available. At this time t4, a position P, or at least the information that an emergency situation has not yet occurred, is again transmitted from the monitoring device 2 to the receiving device 5 and the timer TE in the receiving device 5 and the timer Ts in the monitoring device 2 are restarted. In Fig. 3, this sequence is shown on a timeline, with the sequence in the receiving device 5 shown at the top and the sequence in the monitoring device 2 shown at the bottom.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A method for monitoring a person (1), wherein the person (1) wears a monitoring device (2) for detecting an emergency situation of the person (1), and the monitoring device (2) is connected to a receiving device (5) via a wireless communication link (6), and the monitoring device (2) sends a current position (P) of the person (1) to the receiving device (5) at predetermined time intervals, and the monitoring device (2), upon detecting an emergency situation of the person (1), sends a message about the emergency situation of the person (1) to the receiving device (5) via the wireless communication link (6), characterized in that a timer (TE) with a predetermined timer time (tTE) is started in the receiving device (5) when the current position (P) of the person (1) lies within a defined working area (7), wherein the predetermined timer time (tTE) is greater than the predetermined time intervals for the position transmission,that the timer (TE) in the receiving device (5) is restarted upon receipt of the position (P), as long as the position (P) is within the defined working area (7), and that the receiving device (5) triggers a predetermined safety action when the timer (TE) in the receiving device (5) expires.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the timer (TE) in the receiving device (5) is restarted each time the position (P) is received, as long as the position (P) lies within the defined working range (7).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in addition a timer (Ts) with a predetermined timer time (trs) is started in the monitoring device (2) when the current position (P) of the person (1) is within the defined working area (7), that the timer (Ts) in the monitoring device (2) is restarted when the position (P) is sent to the receiving device (5) as long as the position (P) is within the defined working area (7), and that the monitoring device (2) triggers a warning signal (A) which is perceptible by the person (1) a predefined lead time (tv) before the timer (Ts) expires.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the timer (Ts) in the monitoring device (2) is restarted each time the position (P) is sent to the receiving device (5), as long as the position (P) lies within the defined working range (7).

5. Method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the timer (Ts) in the monitoring device (2) is started at the same time as the timer (TE) in the receiving device (5).

6. Method according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the timer time (ITE) of the timer (TE) in the receiving device (5) and the timer time ( rs) of the timer (Ts) in the monitoring device (2) are the same.

7. Method according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the lead time (tv) is set differently for different work areas (7).

8. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the timer time (tTE) of the timer (TE) in the receiving device (5) and / or the timer time (trs) of the timer (Ts) in the monitoring device (2) is set differently for different working areas (7).

9. An arrangement for monitoring a person (1), comprising a monitoring device (2) for detecting an emergency situation of the person (1) and a receiving device (5), wherein the person (1) wears the monitoring device (2) and the monitoring device (2) is connectable to the receiving device (5) via a wireless communication link (6), and the monitoring device (2) is provided to send a current position (P) of the person (1) to the receiving device (5) via the wireless communication link (6) at predetermined time intervals, and the monitoring device (2) is further provided to send a message about the emergency situation of the person (1) to the receiving device (5) via the wireless communication link (6) upon detection of an emergency situation of the person (1), characterized in that a timer (TE) with a predetermined timer time (tTE) is provided in the receiving device (5), and the receiving device (5) starts the timer (TE),if the current position (P) of the person (1) lies within a defined working area (7), wherein the predetermined timer time (TE) is greater than the predetermined time intervals of the position transmission, that the receiving device (5) restarts the timer (TE) upon receipt of the position (P) in the receiving device (5), as long as the position (P) lies within the defined working area, and that the receiving device (5) triggers a predetermined safety action when the timer (TE) in the receiving device (5) expires.

10. Arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that the receiving device (5) restarts the timer (TE) each time the position (P) is received in the receiving device (5), as long as the position (P) lies within the defined working range.

11. Arrangement according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that a timer (Ts) with a predetermined timer time (trs) is additionally provided in the monitoring device (2) and the monitoring device (2) starts the timer (Ts) when the current position (P) of the person (1) is within the defined working area (7), that the monitoring device (2) starts the timer (Ts) in the monitoring device (2) when the position (P) is sent to the Receiving device (5) restarts as long as the position (P) is within the defined working area (7), and that the monitoring device (2) triggers a warning signal (A) perceptible by the person (1) a predefined lead time (tv) before the timer (Ts) expires.

12. Arrangement according to claim 11, characterized in that the monitoring device (2) restarts the timer (Ts) in the monitoring device (2) each time the position (P) is sent to the receiving device (5), as long as the position (P) lies within the defined working range (7).

13. Arrangement according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that at least one sensor (3) for detecting at least one characteristic (K) of the state of the person (1) is provided on the person (1), that the at least one sensor (3) transmits the at least one characteristic (K) to the monitoring device (2), and that the monitoring device (2) is provided to determine an emergency situation of the person (1) on the basis of the at least one characteristic (K).

14. Arrangement according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the monitoring device (2) is arranged to set the lead time (tv) differently for different working areas (7).

15. Arrangement according to one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that the receiving device (5) is set up to set the timer time (tre) of the timer (TE) differently for different work areas (7) and / or the monitoring device (2) is set up to set the timer time (trs) of the timer (Ts) differently for different work areas (7).

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