Method and apparatus for first aid

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and apparatus for first aid that may include receiving an event report from a user device and dispatching first aid personnel based at least on a location of the user, the event report including an indication of a health event for a user of the user device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of information processing, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for first aid. [Background technology]

[0002] This section introduces aspects that may facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the statements in this section are to be read in this light and not understood as admissions about what is in the prior art or what is not in the prior art.

[0003] With the development of personal healthcare hardware and software applications, people are increasingly enjoying the convenience of healthcare services. For example, a smartwatch can monitor the smartwatch user's heart rate, and the corresponding software can provide reports, suggestions, or alerts to the user or their emergency contacts.

[0004] If the user experiences an accident, such as a fall or heart attack, the smartwatch may send a short message to the user's emergency contacts or call a public emergency number (such as 911 in the United States or 120 in China) or share the user's location with the user's emergency contacts or a public emergency center.

[0005] However, even with this advanced technology, users still need to wait for a public emergency center to dispatch an emergency vehicle (with a doctor and nurse) to assist the user. In congested cities, it can take 30 minutes to several hours for an emergency vehicle to arrive, which is not fast enough for most emergencies.

[0006] Some organizations train some employees to be first responders for emergency assistance before the arrival of emergency vehicles. However, the trained employees are only listed on a computer or on paper. You have to find the list and call the trained employees one by one to see if they are nearby and available to help. This also takes time.

[0007] There is a need to develop technology that can quickly and accurately dispatch nearby first responders to provide medical care to users in need. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0009] To overcome or mitigate at least one of the above-mentioned problems or other problems, or to provide a useful solution, embodiments of the present disclosure propose a method and apparatus for dispatching first responders.

[0010] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method for a first aid server is provided, the method including receiving an event report from a user device and dispatching a first aid technician based at least on a location of the first aid technician, the event report including an indication of a health event of a user of the user device.

[0011] According to an embodiment, the dispatching step includes receiving locations of a plurality of first responders from respective first responder devices and selecting a first responder from the plurality of first responders based at least on their locations.

[0012] In one embodiment, the dispatching step further comprises receiving capabilities and / or availability of a plurality of first responders from their respective first responder devices, and the selecting is further based on those capabilities and / or availability.

[0013] In an embodiment, the method further comprises establishing a voice call with the user device and instructing a nearby person via the voice call how to help the user or collecting scene information from the nearby person.

[0014] In embodiments, the event report further comprises at least one of the user's age, height, weight, blood type, medical history, allergies, medication history, and organ donation.

[0015] In an embodiment, the dispatching step further comprises sending a dispatch request to a first responder device of a first responder, the dispatch request comprising the event report.

[0016] In an embodiment, the dispatching step further comprises navigating the first responder to the location of the user of the user device and / or the medical equipment / supply location.

[0017] In an embodiment, the method further comprises establishing a voice call between the user device and the first responder device.

[0018] In an embodiment, the method further comprises notifying an emergency response center or emergency contact of the user of the user device of the event report.

[0019] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method for a user device is provided, the method including detecting a health event of a user of the user device and sending an event report to an emergency response server, the event report including an indication of the health event of the user of the user device.

[0020] In an embodiment, the method further comprises establishing a voice call with the first aid server, and instructions to a nearby person on how to help the user or on-site information from the nearby person is transferred via the voice call.

[0021] In an embodiment, the method further comprises collecting input from the user regarding at least one of the user's age, height, weight, blood type, medical history, allergies, medication history, and organ donation, and the event report further comprises the collected input.

[0022] In an embodiment, the method further comprises establishing a voice call with the first responder device via the first responder server.

[0023] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided for a first responder device, the method comprising: transmitting a location report of the first responder device to a first responder server; and receiving a dispatch request from the first responder server, the dispatch request comprising an indication of a health event for a user of the user device.

[0024] In an embodiment, the method further comprises transmitting the capabilities and / or availability of the first aid personnel to a first aid server.

[0025] In an embodiment, the dispatch request further includes at least one of the user's age, height, weight, blood type, medical history, allergies, medication history, and organ donation.

[0026] In an embodiment, the method further comprises receiving navigation to a location of the user of the user device and / or a location of the medical equipment / supplies.

[0027] In an embodiment, the method further comprises establishing a voice call with the user device via the first aid server.

[0028] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus having a communications interface, a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having instructions executable by the processor, such that the apparatus is operable to perform a method according to any one of the first, second, and third aspects.

[0029] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform methods according to the first, second, and third aspects.

[0030] The present invention allows a user in need of medical help to quickly get help from first aiders. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, by way of example, which refers to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals or characters are used to designate similar or equivalent elements, and in which: The drawings are presented to facilitate a better understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 shows a flowchart of a method 100 for a first aid server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] [Figure 2] 2 shows a flowchart of a method 200 for a user device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] [Figure 3] 3 shows a flowchart of a method 300 for a first responder device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] [Figure 4]4 is a block diagram of an apparatus 400 for first aid, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed solely to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and therefore practice the present disclosure, rather than to imply any limitations on the scope of the present disclosure. Throughout this specification, references to features, advantages, or similar terms do not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized by the present disclosure should be or be present in any single embodiment of the present disclosure. Rather, language referring to features and advantages is understood to mean that the particular feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the present disclosure can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other cases, additional features and advantages may be recognized in a particular embodiment that may not be present in all embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] References herein to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may have a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not all embodiments need have the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is believed to be within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0038] Although terms such as "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various elements, it should be understood that these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element could be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms.

[0039] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will be further understood that when the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," and / or "including," when used herein, these specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the addition of one or more other features, elements, and / or components, and combinations thereof.

[0040] Please note that the terminology used in this document is used only to facilitate description and differentiation between nodes, devices, networks, etc. As the technology develops, other terms with similar / same meaning may also be used.

[0041] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0042] In the system of the present disclosure, there is a user device that is worn / carried or attached by the user of the user device. The user device can detect various situations / conditions of the user and report them to a first aid server in a communication network or the cloud. The first aider with the first aider device may be a trained volunteer, a registered doctor / nurse, someone from the Red Cross organization, a firefighter, or other people who can provide first aid / medical services to people. The first aid server can coordinate with the first aider via the first aider device to help the user who needs medical help.

[0043] FIG. 1 illustrates a flowchart of a method 100 for a first aid server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] In block 101, an event report is received from a user device.

[0045] The first aid server can be connected to the user device via various types of networks. The user device can send an event report to the first aid server. The event report can include an indication of a health event of the user of the user device. The health event can indicate that the user needs first aid / medical services, such as a fall, heart attack, low heart rate, low blood oxygen, loss of consciousness, respiratory arrest, hypoglycemia, etc. In another embodiment, the event report can further include at least one of the user's age, height, weight, blood type, medical history, allergies, medication history, and organ donation. This information can be collected from the user and stored locally on the user device or in the cloud, and can be provided to the first aid server only when the user needs help to protect data security / privacy.

[0046] In block 102, a first responder based at least on his location is dispatched.

[0047] The first aid server may pre-collect first aider information (eg, name, capabilities, licenses, certifications, location, preferences, language, etc.) from first aider devices, databases, servers, etc.

[0048] After receiving the event report from the user device, the first responder may dispatch a first responder to assist the user of the user device. Because first responder is time-sensitive, the dispatch action may be based at least on the location of the first responder. In one embodiment, the first responder with the smallest distance to the user is selected. In another embodiment, the first responder with a distance to the user within a preset threshold is selected. In yet another embodiment, one first responder or multiple first responders may be selected.

[0049] The location of the first responder may be obtained in advance, for example, regularly, periodically, or randomly, regardless of receiving the event report. Alternatively, the first responder server may send a positioning report to the first responder device after receiving the event report.

[0050] In yet another embodiment, the first aid server may receive the capabilities and / or availability of the first aider from the first aider device. As described above, this action may be performed in advance or in response to receiving an event report. The first aid server may dispatch (select) the first user further based on their capabilities and / or availability. "Capability" indicates to what extent / how well the first aider can provide medical care. For example, a first aid specialist can provide more / better help than an amateur volunteer. A cardiovascular doctor may help a user with a heart attack better than a dentist. Availability indicates whether the first aider is currently available to provide help. Availability may be checked / confirmed on the first aider device.

[0051] After a dispatch decision is made, the first aid server may send a dispatch request to the first aid device of the selected first aid responder. The dispatch request may include an event report. The dispatch report may further include on-scene information collected by the user device and sent to the first aid server.

[0052] In another embodiment, the user of the user device may be accompanied by a bystander who does not know how to help. Before the first responder arrives, it may be useful for the bystander to provide information to the bystander or for the bystander to instruct the bystander on what to do and not to do. That is, communication between the bystander and the first responder is beneficial to the user. Accordingly, method 100 may further include establishing a voice call between the user device and the first responder device. Furthermore, the bystander typically does not know that a first responder can help and that he / she is on their way to the scene. In this embodiment, the bystander may feel more comfortable and / or be able to better help the user using the user's user device without having to carry a dedicated device or unlock the user's user device.

[0053] In another embodiment, the first aid server can establish a voice call with the user device and use artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) to gather scene information from nearby people, instruct nearby people on how to help the user, or get the attention of nearby people by broadcasting voice messages and / or alerts through the voice call, which is very useful when the user is unable to call for help themselves.

[0054] To assist first responders in arriving at the scene, in one embodiment, dispatching step 102 may further include navigating the first responders to the location of the user of the user device and / or to the location of medical equipment / supplies, which may be a first aid delivery station, a first aid kit, an automated external defibrillator, etc.

[0055] In another embodiment, the method 100 may further include notifying an emergency response center or emergency contact of the user of the user device of the event report. The emergency contact may be obtained from the user device.

[0056] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a method 200 for a user device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] In block 201, a health event of a user of a user device is detected.

[0058] User devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants, computers, wearables, smart watches, health monitoring devices, smart rings, smart tags, oximeters, smart bracelets, smart necklaces, smart glasses, heart rate detectors, and the like.

[0059] The user device may be equipped with various sensors to enable the user device to sense the user's condition and detect certain health-related events of the user of the user device. For example, Chinese patent application CN113936422A describes how a mobile device can detect a user's fall and the fact that the user needs help.

[0060] In block 202, the event report is sent to the first aid server.

[0061] In response to detecting a health event, the user device may send an event report to the first aid server. The event report may include an indication of the health event for the user of the user device. As described above, a health event may indicate that the user needs first aid / medical services, such as a fall, heart attack, low heart rate, low blood oxygen, loss of consciousness, respiratory arrest, hypoglycemia, etc. In another embodiment, the event report may further include at least one of the user's age, height, weight, blood type, medical history, allergies, medication history, and organ donation. This information may be collected from the user and stored locally on the user device or in the cloud, and may be provided to the first aid server only when the user needs help to protect data security / privacy.

[0062] In one embodiment, the method 200 may further include establishing a voice call with the first aid server. Instructions to nearby persons on how to help the user or on-site information from nearby persons may be transferred through the voice call.

[0063] In one embodiment, method 200 may further include establishing a voice call with the first responder device via the first responder server. In this scenario, the first responder and nearby person may communicate with each other, for example, to exchange information, navigate, instruct the user on how to help, etc.

[0064] In one embodiment, the user device may broadcast a voice message or alert to call for help from nearby people, which is very useful when the user is unable to call for help themselves.

[0065] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a method 300 for a first responder device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] In block 301, a location report of the first responder device is sent to a first responder server.

[0067] As mentioned above, position reports may be sent regularly, periodically, randomly, or in response to a positioning request from the first aid server.

[0068] At block 302, a dispatch request is received from the first aid server.

[0069] The dispatch request includes an indication of a health event for a user of the user device.

[0070] In one embodiment, the method 300 may further include transmitting the capabilities and / or availability of the first responder to the first responder server. The capabilities and / or availability may be transmitted before or after receiving the dispatch request.

[0071] In one embodiment, the dispatch request may further include at least one of the user's age, height, weight, blood type, medical history, allergies, medication history, and organ donation.

[0072] In one embodiment, the method 300 may further include receiving navigation to a location of the user of the user device and / or a location of the medical equipment / supplies.

[0073] In one embodiment, the method 300 may further include establishing a voice call with the user device via the first aid server.

[0074] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an apparatus 400 for first aid, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] The device 400 comprises a communications interface 401, a processor 402, and a memory 403. The memory 403 comprises instructions executable by the processor 402, such that the device 400 is operable to perform actions of the procedures previously described in relation to Figures 1-3, for example.

[0076] In some embodiments, the memory 403 may further include instructions executable by the processor 402 such that the apparatus 400 is operable to perform any of the methods, steps, and processes described above.

[0077] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product in the form of a non-volatile or volatile memory, such as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, and a hard drive. The computer program product comprises a computer program having code / computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor 402, cause the device 400 to perform actions of the procedures described above, for example, in connection with FIGS. 1-3.

[0078] The computer program product may be configured as computer program code structured in computer program modules, which may essentially perform the actions of the flows shown in Figures 1 to 3.

[0079] The processor may be a single CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also have two or more processing units. For example, the processor may have a general-purpose microprocessor, an instruction set processor and / or associated chipset, and / or a special-purpose microprocessor such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The processor may also have on-board memory for cache purposes. The computer program may be carried by a computer program product connected to the processor. The computer program product may have a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which the computer program is stored. For example, the computer program product may be a flash memory, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), or an EEPROM, and the above-mentioned computer program modules may, in alternative embodiments, be distributed in the form of memory on different computer program products.

[0080] The techniques described herein may be implemented by various means, such that an apparatus implementing one or more functions of a corresponding apparatus described in connection with an embodiment may have not only conventional means but also means for implementing one or more functions of the corresponding apparatus described in connection with an embodiment, and may have separate means for each separate function, or means that may be configured to perform two or more functions. For example, these techniques may be implemented in hardware (one or more devices), firmware (one or more devices), software (one or more modules), or a combination thereof. In the case of firmware or software, implementation may be through modules (e.g., procedures, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein.

[0081] The exemplary embodiments herein are described above with reference to block diagrams and flowcharts of methods and apparatuses. It will be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flowcharts, respectively, can be implemented by various means, including computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be loaded onto a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce machine-readable instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more of the flowchart blocks.

[0082] Furthermore, while operations are shown in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown, or in any sequential order, or that all of the shown operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while some specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the subject matter described herein, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

[0083] While the specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of any implementation or what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments of a particular implementation. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, while features may be described above as working in a particular combination, or may even initially be claimed as such, in some cases, one or more features from a claimed combination may be separated from that combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or a variation of the subcombination.

[0084] It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, as technology advances, the concept of the present invention can be implemented in various ways. The above-described embodiments are given to illustrate, not to limit, the present disclosure, and it should be understood that modifications and variations can be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, as those skilled in the art will easily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. The protective scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method for a first aid server, comprising: receiving an event report from the user device; and dispatching the first responder based on at least the location of the first responder; The method, wherein the event report comprises an indication of a health event for a user of the user device.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispatching step comprises: receiving locations of a plurality of first responders from respective first responder devices; selecting the first aider from the plurality of first aiders based at least on their location; A method comprising:

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the dispatching step further comprises: receiving the capabilities and / or availability of the plurality of first responders from respective first responder devices; The method, wherein said selecting is further based on their capabilities and / or availability.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: establishing a voice call with the user device; instructing nearby people on how to help the user or collecting scene information from nearby people via the voice call; A method comprising:

5. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the event report further comprises at least one of the user's age, height, weight, blood type, medical history, allergies, medication history, and organ donation.

6. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dispatching step further comprises: sending a dispatch request to the first responder device of the first responder; The method, wherein the dispatch request comprises an event report.

7. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dispatching step further comprises: navigating the first aider to the location of the user of the user device and / or to a medical equipment / supply location; A method comprising:

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: establishing a voice call between the user device and the first responder device; A method comprising:

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: notifying an emergency response center or an emergency contact of the user of the user device of the event report.

10. 1. A method for a user device, comprising: Detecting a health event of a user of the user device; sending an event report to an emergency response server; The method, wherein the event report comprises an indication of the health event for the user of the user device.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: establishing a voice call with the first aid server; A method wherein instructions to a nearby person on how to help the user or on-site information from the nearby person is transferred via the voice call.

12. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 11, further comprising: collecting input from the user regarding at least one of the user's age, height, weight, blood type, medical history, allergies, medication history, and organ donation; The method, wherein the event report further comprises collected inputs.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, further comprising: establishing a voice call with a first responder device via the first responder server; A method comprising:

14. 1. A method for a first aid device, comprising: transmitting a location report of the first aid device to a first aid server; receiving a dispatch request from the first aid server; The method, wherein the dispatch request comprises an indication of a health event for a user of a user device.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: transmitting the capabilities and / or availability of said first aiders to said first aid server; A method comprising:

16. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 15, wherein the dispatch request further includes at least one of the user's age, height, weight, blood type, medical history, allergies, medication history, and organ donation.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, further comprising: receiving navigation to the location of the user of the user device and / or medical equipment / supply location; A method comprising:

18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, further comprising: establishing a voice call with the user device via the first aid server; A method comprising:

19. 1. A device for first aid, comprising: a communication interface; a processor; 19. An apparatus comprising: a memory coupled to said processor, said memory having instructions executable by said processor, whereby said apparatus is operable to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 18.

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