51 results about "Fall detector" patented technology

A radar fall detector system. The radar fall detector system includes transmitter and receiver antennae and a signal processor that processes a reflected signal. Doppler analysis of the reflected signal determines a subject's activity and condition, and its distance to a floor.

A method of gait data collection, the method comprising collecting movement data, determining from the data a movement parameter that includes a third order derivative of position, comparing the movement parameter with a threshold value, and counting at least a near fall if the movement parameter exceeds the threshold value.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are provided for detecting fall events of a person. Fall events are falls that are likely to occur, are occurring, or have occurred. Fall detectors and fall detector systems detect fall events of the person. Data relating to the person are received from sensors and analyzed to perform fall detection. Data relating to the person includes accelerations and forces experience by the person, changes in body position of the person, movements of the person, and body signals and sounds of the person. Neurological tests are administered to determine levels of responsiveness and awareness of the person in response to detections. Warnings are issued, and safety measures are deployed, in response to detections. Data relating to fall events are recorded and logged. Fall event histories based upon the logged data and fall detection algorithm performance are used to improve future fall detection and prediction.

There is provided a method of detecting a fall by a user, the method comprising detecting whether a user has potentially experienced a fall event from measurements of the movements of the user; on detecting a potential fall event, determining the activity level of the user and a measure of a autonomic nervous system, ANS, response for the user associated with the potential fall event; comparing the determined activity level and the measure of the ANS response to a user profile relating activity level and ANS response for the user; and determining whether the potential fall event is a fall based on the result of the comparison.

A method for detecting a fall by a user includes a method of detecting a fall by a user. The method includes processing measurements obtained from one or more sensors to extract a respective value for a plurality of features associated with a fall. A respective log likelihood ratio for each of the values is determined. Whether the user has fallen is determined based on the determined log likelihood ratios.

A method for detecting a fall by a user is provided that comprises a method of detecting a fall by a user, the method comprising processing measurements obtained from one or more sensors to extract a respective value for a plurality of features associated with a fall; determining a respective log likelihood ratio for each of said values; and determining whether the user has fallen based on the determined log likelihood ratios.

A method of detecting a state of an insulation resistance fall detector that includes: a detection resistance connected in series to an insulation resistance between a vehicle body and a power source; a condenser provided between the insulation resistance and the detection resistance; a pulse signal applying unit that applies a pulse signal to a serial circuit constituted by the insulation resistance, the condenser and the detection resistance; a low pass filter that filters a voltage of a connecting point between the coupling condenser and the detection resistance; and a fall detecting unit that detects a fall of the insulation resistance on the basis of the output of the filter, the method comprising the steps of: varying a pulse width of the pulse signal; and detecting the state of the insulation resistance fall detector on the basis of the output of the filter when the pulse width is varied.

The social alarm system includes a fall detector unit, worn by the user, having an accelerometer to detect a fall. A controller monitors for an acceleration signal which exceeds a wake-up or starting threshold and, in response, distinguishes between a fall event and a non-fall event based at least on the acceleration signal. A counter unit maintains a count of the non-fall events over a monitored time period such as one day. An alarm signal unit generates an inactivity alarm signal when the count of non-fall events is below a count threshold within the monitored time period.

There is provided a fall detector for detecting falls of a user or an object to which the fall detector is attached, characterized in that the fall detector comprises an air flow sensor for providing measurements indicative of vertical velocity and / or changes in altitude of the fall detector.

A method of gait data collection, the method comprising collecting movement data, determining from the data a movement parameter that includes a third order derivative of position, comparing the movement parameter with a threshold value, and counting at least a near fall if the movement parameter exceeds the threshold value.

There is provided a fall detection system comprising a fall detector for monitoring the movement of a user and detecting if the user has fallen or is about to fall, one or more sensors for collecting measurements of one or more physical characteristics of the user, wherein the fall detector uses the measurements to adapt the fall detection to the physical characteristics of the user.

There is provided a fall detector for use in detecting falls by a user, the fall detector comprising an accelerometer for producing a time series of measurement samples representing the acceleration acting on the fall detector; a processor for estimating a vertical velocity and / or vertical displacement of the fall detector from the measurement samples and using the estimated vertical velocity and / or vertical displacement to determine whether the user has suffered a fall; wherein the processor is configured to estimate a vertical velocity and / or vertical displacement of the fall detector from the measurement samples by estimating a corresponding time series of unit vectors representing acceleration due to gravity in the reference frame of the accelerometer from the time series of measurement samples; projecting each measurement sample onto the corresponding unit vector and subtracting acceleration due to gravity to give a series of estimates for the vertical acceleration of the fall detector; and integrating the series of estimates for the vertical acceleration over a time period to give a time series of values for the vertical velocity and / or vertical displacement of the fall detector.

The invention relates to research and design of a portable GSM&GPS fall detector. According to the invention, modules such as an ADXL345 three-axis acceleration sensor, a single-chip microcomputer and a GPS&GSM are combined together to realize detection of accidental fall and transmission of position information after the fall; and a complete fall detection algorithm is designed. The algorithm is executed according to four states in a fall accident, namely, a weightless state, collision with the ground, comparison of the state of the body of a user after collision with the state of the body before collision, and a motionless state.

The invention provides a single-arm type electrocardio auxiliary fall detector. Aiming at the detection for the special body position change of falls of elderly people, the fall detector can detect electrocardiosignal parameters of a human body simultaneously when monitoring real-time body position change of the human body. A 3D acceleration sensor is adopted for collecting acceleration signals around the human body in real time to monitor the body position change of the human body in all directions, and sending the collected real-time signals to a system control center through a wireless communication protocol ZigBee for storage and analysis. Through the comprehensive analysis on the 3D acceleration sensor and the single-arm type electrocardiosignals, whether a fall event really happens is determined, and then an alarm text message is sent to relatives and friends of a monitored object through a GSM modem. The single-arm type electrocardiosignals collected by the detector are more convenient than the electrocardiosignals collected by traditional limb lead, and the whole collecting terminal equipment only needs four AA batteries for power supply, so as to well meet the wearable and portable requirements.

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for indicating a fall of a user by means of an alarm message. According to the invention, the apparatus (20) comprises a unit (21) for receiving a first alarm message (FAM) sent by a fall detector (30) intended to be worn on the user, the first alarm message indicating whether a fall event in association with the user occurs, which first alarm message is determined by air-pressure data and user motion data detected by the fall detector (30); a unit (22) for acquiring weather data reflecting the weather condition of the area where the user is situated; a unit (23) for determining whether or not the first alarm message is reliable, based on said weather data and predetermined criteria; and an output unit (24) for generating and outputting a fall alarm when the first alarm message is determined as being reliable. The apparatus dramatically reduces false alarms by acquiring weather data for determining the reliability of alarm messages generated by the air-pressure sensor.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for calibrating a fall detector, a method of setting a fall detector, and a fall detector. According to the invention, the method of calibrating a fall detector comprises (a) acquiring the duration of a free fall of the fall detector; (b) calculating the change in height of the fall detector during the free fall from said duration; (c) measuring the change in height of the free fall by the fall detector; (d) calculating the difference between the calculated change in height and the measured change in height; and (e) updating a threshold in the fall detector for determining whether or not a fall has occurred on the basis of this difference.

There is provided a fall detector for use in detecting falls by a user, the fall detector comprising an accelerometer for producing a time series of measurement samples representing the acceleration acting on the fall detector; a processor for estimating a vertical velocity and / or vertical displacement of the fall detector from the measurement samples and using the estimated vertical velocity and / or vertical displacement to determine whether the user has suffered a fall; wherein the processor is configured to estimate a vertical velocity and / or vertical displacement of the fall detector from the measurement samples by estimating a corresponding time series of unit vectors representing acceleration due to gravity in the reference frame of the accelerometer from the time series of measurement samples; projecting each measurement sample onto the corresponding unit vector and subtracting acceleration due to gravity to give a series of estimates for the vertical acceleration of the fall detector; and integrating the series of estimates for the vertical acceleration over a time period to give a time series of values for the vertical velocity and / or vertical displacement of the fall detector.

There is provided a method of detecting a fall by a user, the method comprising detecting whether a user has potentially experienced a fall event from measurements of the movements of the user; on detecting a potential fall event, determining the activity level of the user and a measure of a autonomic nervous system, ANS, response for the user associated with the potential fall event; comparing the determined activity level and the measure of the ANS response to a user profile relating activity level and ANS response for the user; and determining whether the potential fall event is a fall based on the result of the comparison.

A fall detection apparatus detects when a suspected fall event has occurred based on receipt of arm direction information. The fall detection apparatus provides further discrimination of when events involving a subject are suspected fall events.

A fall detector unit is worn by a patient and performs a wakeup when an acceleration signal exceeds a predetermined threshold. A barometer provides a series of pressure readings over a pressure examination period to provide a first pressure difference value. The pressure signals are further monitored over a compensation period after the examination period to obtain a second pressure difference value representing background environmental changes. The first pressure difference value is compensated by the second pressure difference value to obtain a total pressure difference value and thus derive a total height difference value. The fall detector unit determines a fall event using the total height difference value.

According to one embodiment, a disk drive (HDD) is installed in a portable electronic device. The HDD includes an actuator which supports a head such that the head is radially movable over a disk. A constant speed controller incorporated in the HDD executes constant speed control for unloading the head onto a ramp at a constant speed in accordance with a fall detection signal output from a fall detector and indicating that fall of the device has been detected. In the constant speed control, the controller drives a voice coil motor as a drive source for the actuator to make the movement speed of the head identical to a first target speed. The first target speed is set higher than a second target speed set when the head is unloaded onto the ramp in a normal state.

A method of detecting a state of an insulation resistance fall detector that includes: a detection resistance connected in series to an insulation resistance between a vehicle body and a power source; a condenser provided between the insulation resistance and the detection resistance; a pulse signal applying unit that applies a pulse signal to a serial circuit constituted by the insulation resistance, the condenser and the detection resistance; a low pass filter that filters a voltage of a connecting point between the coupling condenser and the detection resistance; and a fall detecting unit that detects a fall of the insulation resistance on the basis of the output of the filter, the method comprising the steps of: varying a pulse width of the pulse signal; and detecting the state of the insulation resistance fall detector on the basis of the output of the filter when the pulse width is varied.

There is provided a fall detector for detecting a potential fall by a user, the fall detector comprising a sensor for measuring the skin conductivity of the user; and a processor for analyzing the skin conductivity measurements to determine whether the user has had a potential fall, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the skin conductivity measurements by matching the skin conductivity measurements to a predetermined skin conductivity response corresponding to a stressful event.

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for indicating a fall of a user by means of an alarm message. According to the invention, the apparatus (20) comprises a unit (21) for receiving a first alarm message (FAM) sent by a fall detector (30) intended to be worn on the user, the first alarm message indicating whether a fall event in association with the user occurs, which first alarm message is determined by air-pressure data and user motion data detected by the fall detector (30); a unit (22) for acquiring weather data reflecting the weather condition of the area where the user is situated; a unit (23) for determining whether or not the first alarm message is reliable, based on said weather data and predetermined criteria; and an output unit (24) for generating and outputting a fall alarm when the first alarm message is determined as being reliable. The apparatus dramatically reduces false alarms by acquiring weather data for determining the reliability of alarm messages generated by the air-pressure sensor.

An apparatus for gait training, comprising: a movable base (11) comprising a drive unit (13) for moving the movable base (11), an arm arrangement (15, 16, 18) extending from the movable base (11) to enable a person (113) to be at least partially suspended from above, a movement detector (14, 115; 20; 21) to detect a movement of the person (113), and a control unit (119) configured to control said drive unit (13) in response to movement of the person detected by the movement detector (14, 115; 20; 21) such that the movable base (11) follows the person (113) in a predetermined distance range and in a predetermined angular range with respect to a movement direction of the person (113).

A fall detector unit is worn by a patient and performs a wakeup when an acceleration signal exceeds a predetermined threshold. A barometer provides a series of pressure readings over a pressure examination period to provide a first pressure difference value. The pressure signals are further monitored over a compensation period after the examination period to obtain a second pressure difference value representing background environmental changes. The first pressure difference value is compensated by the second pressure difference value to obtain a total pressure difference value and thus derive a total height difference value. The fall detector unit determines a fall event using the total height difference value.

The invention discloses a tumble-detecting method decreasing a false alarm rate. A user is forced to vertically wear a tumble detector equipped with an acceleration sensor on the trunk, such as the waist (on a belt) (position 1). If the triaxial acceleration sensor detects an intersection angle [alpha] between a Z axis and the gravity direction is less than or equal to 15 degrees, namely the tumble detector is in a vertical state, an operating mode is initiated and the motion state of a wearing user is monitored. When the user takes off the tumble detector and places the tumble detector at will, the triaxial acceleration sensor detects the intersection angle [alpha] between the Z axis and the gravity direction is greater than 15 degrees, namely an intersection angle between the tumble detector in a current state (position 2) and the tumble detector in the vertical state (position 1) is greater than 15 degrees, a sleep mode is initiated and the motion state of the wearing user is not monitored. The tumble detector using the tumble-detecting method may decrease the number of false alarm times and the false alarm rate on the premise of an increase in tumble alarm accuracy.