Indoor Position Tracking via Wireless Tags and Access Points
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Solution Overview
Problem
Geriatric facilities face challenges in monitoring and supporting nursing care recipients due to insufficient caregiver-to-patient ratios, particularly in indoor environments where GPS technology is ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A nursing care recipient watching support system utilizing wireless tags and access points to estimate indoor positions and attribute information, combined with 3D sensors and human body existence sensors, to provide real-time monitoring and alert systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS technology is used for monitoring nursing care recipients, then outdoor position tracking is improved, but indoor position tracking capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces wireless tags as intermediary devices attached to nursing care recipients and access points as intermediary infrastructure components. These intermediaries enable indoor position tracking by mediating between the monitoring system and the recipients, solving the limitation of GPS which cannot function indoors. The wireless tags transmit signals that are received by access points to determine position information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the GPS satellite-based electromagnetic system with an indoor wireless signal-based system. Instead of relying on satellite signals that cannot penetrate buildings, the system uses local wireless tags and access points to create an indoor positioning network, substituting the outdoor GPS mechanism with an indoor-compatible wireless communication mechanism.
2Productivity
If one or two caregivers monitor five to ten nursing care recipients, then resource allocation is optimized, but monitoring sufficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service monitoring where nursing care recipients automatically transmit their position and status information through wireless tags. The system autonomously detects and reports location data without requiring continuous active monitoring by caregivers, allowing caregivers to efficiently manage multiple recipients while maintaining adequate monitoring through automated information collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where position information and status data are continuously transmitted from wireless tags to access points and then to caregivers. This real-time feedback loop enables caregivers to monitor multiple recipients effectively, receiving immediate information about location changes and potential issues, thereby maintaining monitoring adequacy despite reduced caregiver-to-recipient ratios.
3Ease of operation
If free to act regulation is imposed on nursing care recipients, then autonomy is improved, but safety monitoring deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless tag system operates autonomously on nursing care recipients, automatically transmitting position and status information without requiring active participation or restriction of the recipients. This self-service approach maintains recipient autonomy while simultaneously providing continuous safety monitoring through automated data collection and transmission to caregivers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables effective monitoring of nursing care recipients' positions and activities within indoor compartments, enhancing caregiver efficiency and reducing the burden on caregivers by providing accurate location tracking and alert systems.
Implementation Method 1
wireless tags 10 attached to nursing care recipients; a plurality of access points 20 located at predetermined indoor locations; received signal levels of the wireless tags 10 at the access points 20 are previously measured
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a nursing care recipient watching support system. In the nursing care recipient watching support system, position information with respect to a measuring position, and indoor compartment attribute information such as a living room, a share room, a conversation room, a kitchen, a bathroom and an entrance, as well as watching level information corresponding to the indoor compartment attribute information are stored in storing unit 30. Position information extracting means 40 extracts the position information, the indoor compartment attribute information and the watching level information. Output means 60 outputs the position information, the indoor compartment attribute information and the watching level information, According to this, it is possible to estimate an existent position of a nursing care recipient, and to support a watching operation of the nursing care recipient.