Abstract:
An IPTV can receive a user name and present a screen enabling a user by means of a remote control to select health information categories, inputting numeric parameters into the selected categories which can be uploaded to an Internet server for analysis and viewed by the user for subsequent monitoring/charting.

Description:
I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present application relates generally to using Internet Protocol TVs (IPTVs) as health monitors. 
     II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Internet access through TVs is typically provided by essentially programming the TV (often referred to as an Internet Protocol TV, or IPTV) as though it were a computer executing a browser. As understood herein, such devices can be leveraged for many novel uses owing to their connectivity to the Internet. 
     As also understood herein, with an aging populace it is important to provide people, particularly the elderly, with an easy, intuitive means to track their health. In this way, they can better adjust their habits, meals, etc. to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Present principles seek to leverage TV technology, which is readily understood and frequently used by people, to assist in enabling people to monitor their health. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an IPTV has a housing, a display on the housing, a network interface, a TV tuner, and a processor in the housing controlling the display and TV tuner and communicating with the Internet through the network interface. An input device communicates with the processor. The processor executes logic that includes presenting a first user interface (UI) on the display enabling a person to log in to a health monitoring feature with a user name and password and/or to create a new account, such that the IPTV maintains health records by user name, so that it may monitor plural people. The processor also presents a second UI on the display listing multiple parameters from which a person may select one or more to monitor by means of the input device. Further, the processor presents a third UI on the display responsive to a person selecting a parameter from the second UI allowing a person to enter by means of the input device numbers associated with a measurement of the parameter, and also records a time of receipt of the numbers. A fourth UI is presented on the display presenting a history of measurements of the parameter associated with the person. 
     In some embodiments the parameters on the second UI include “blood pressure” and “blood glucose”. Numbers representing a parameter may be received automatically from a parameter monitor. 
     In examples, the fourth UI includes a graph of time on an x-axis versus parameter value on a y-axis. The fourth UI can also present upper and/or lower limit lines established per standard of care guidance as to what upper and/or lower “safe” limits of the parameter being displayed are. 
     Additionally, in example implementations the processor presents a fifth UI on the display when the numbers associated with a measurement of the parameter are within guidelines, advising the user of such. The fifth UI can be presented automatically on the display after a predetermined period of time during which the fourth UI appears on the display. Similarly, the processor may present a sixth UI on the display when the numbers associated with a measurement of the parameter are not within guidelines, advising the user of such. In this latter case the processor can automatically contact a medical caregiver responsive to the numbers associated with a measurement of the parameter not being within guidelines, with the user being afforded the choice of disabling and enabling the automatic call feature. 
     In another aspect, a method includes receiving, at a TV, user input indicating an identity of a user. The method also includes receiving, at the TV, numeric input representing a measurable physical parameter of the user, and storing a time associated with the numeric input along with the input. A visualization of the user&#39;s history of the measurable physical parameter is presented on the TV. 
     In another aspect, an apparatus includes a video display, a network interface, a TV tuner, and a processor controlling the display and TV tuner and communicating with the Internet through the network interface. An input device communicates with the processor, which executes logic that includes receiving user input indicating an identity of a user and receiving numeric input representing a measurable physical parameter of the user. The logic also includes storing a time associated with the numeric input along with the input. A visualization of the user&#39;s history of the measurable physical parameter is presented on the display. 
     The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example system in accordance with present principles; and 
         FIGS. 2-7  are example screen shots that can be presented on the IPTV in accordance with present principles for enabling a person to monitor his health. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , an IPTV  12  includes a housing  14  bearing a digital processor  16 . The processor  16  can control a visual display  18  and an audible display  20  such as one or more speakers. To undertake present principles, the processor  16  may access one or more computer readable storage media  22  such as but not limited to RAM-based storage (e.g., a chip implementing dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) or flash memory or disk-based-storage. Software code implementing present logic executable by the IPTV  12  may also be stored on one of the memories shown to undertake present principles. 
     The processor  16  can receive user input signals from various input devices including a remote control device  24 , a point and click device such as a mouse, a keypad, etc. A TV tuner  26  may be provided to receive TV signals from a source such as a set-top box, satellite receiver, cable head end, terrestrial TV signal antenna, etc. Signals from the tuner  26  are sent to the processor  16  for presentation on the display  18  and speakers  20 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a network interface  28  such as a wired or wireless modem or wireless telephony transceiver communicates with the processor  16  to provide connectivity to a wide area network such as the Internet. Double arrows in  FIG. 1  indicate network communication between components over wired and/or wireless links. In this way, the IPTV  12  can communicate with a management server  30  on the Internet with processor  32  accessing one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media  34  and communicating with a wide area network such as the Internet via a network interface  36 . 
     In some implementations one or more physiological monitors  38  such as a blood pressure monitor, a blood glucose monitor, a heart rate monitor, a weight gauge a thermometer, etc. may be provided that can be engaged with a patient to measure a physical parameter and then automatically transmit the result of the measurement to the IPTV. The monitor  38  shown in  FIG. 1  includes a monitor processor  40  accessing a computer readable storage medium  42  and communicating with the IPTV  12  using a wired or wireless communication interface  44  such as a network interface, a Bluetooth interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, etc. 
       FIGS. 2-7  illustrate example principles.  FIG. 2  shows that a user interface (UI)  46  may be presented on the display  18  to enable a person to log in to the health monitoring feature with a user name and password or to create a new account. Thus, it will be appreciated that the IPTV  12  maintains health records by user name, so that it may monitor multiple people confidentially. 
     Assuming successful log in, a UI  48  may be presented on the display  18  as shown in  FIG. 3 , listing multiple parameters from which a person may select one or more to monitor. For example, “blood pressure” may be selected to cause a UI  50  shown in  FIG. 4  to appear, containing fields into which the user may enter his systolic and diastolic numbers as measured by the physiological monitor  38  using the keys on the RC  24 . Or, upon selection of “blood pressure” the IPTV  12  may automatically contact nearby blood pressure monitors such as the physiological monitor  38  when implemented as such and request that the monitor  38  transmit to the IPTV  12  the most recent measurement. Regardless of how received, the date and time of receipt of the measurement preferably is recorded. Subsequent to inputting “blood pressure” the user may return to the UI  48  shown in  FIG. 3  to select “glucose” to input the person&#39;s recently measured glucose or “heart rate” to input the user&#39;s recently measured heart rate, etc. In example implementations the UI  48  may include additional parameters that may be defined or edited by users. 
     The user may elect to invoke the UI  52  of  FIG. 5  to view the history of the parameter input in  FIG. 4 . As shown, in one embodiment the UI  52  presents a graph  54  of time (on the x-axis) versus parameter value (on the y-axis) so that the user may see how the parameter is varying over time. Also, upper and/or lower limit lines  56  may be provided which are established per standard of care guidance as to what the upper and/or lower “safe” limits of the parameter being displayed are. In this way, the user can compare his measured parameter against medically established guidelines. 
     When the user is within the guidelines, the UI  58  of  FIG. 6  may be presented on the display  18  after, e.g., a predetermined period of time during which the UI  52  of  FIG. 5  appears. The UI  58  informs the user that his measurements for the parameter are within normal guidelines. In contrast, if a measurement falls outside the guidelines, the UI  60  of  FIG. 7  may appear, advising the user to contact his medical caregiver. Also, in the account set up the user may elect to input caregiver contact information such as telephone number or network address or email, and if desired when the UI  60  of  FIG. 7  is presented the processor  16  may also automatically transmit the out-of-specification measurement to the caregiver&#39;s address or telephone number (by, e.g., text entry). The automatic alert feature described above may be enabled and disabled as desired by the user using a monitor setup UI listing the automatic contact feature with selector elements for enabling and disabling it. 
     While the particular USING IPTV AS HEALTH MONITOR is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.