Abstract:
A method of detecting high risk movements of an infant relating to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome includes generating a reference image of an infant by signaling a controller a location of a first plurality of pixels. The first plurality of pixels are stored in a controller generating a reference image. A second electronic image of the infant is generating a second plurality of pixels that are signaled to the controller. The controller compares the second electronic image to the first electronic image by determining a correlation between the first plurality of pixels to the second plurality of pixels for determining if the infant has made a high risk movement.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/489,199 filed on Jul. 22, 2003. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant whose death remains unexplained after further medical investigation. SIDS is not acknowledged as a disease, nor has it been diagnosed for a living baby. However, many SIDS deaths have been documented where an infant has been sleeping face down. A face down infant is considered by many experts in the field of infant mortality to be a high risk position for a SIDS attributed death because a face down position may lead to periods of apnea (stoppage of breathing). While infants may be resuscitated during a period of apnea, most SIDS events occur at night when the infant&#39;s caregiver is sleeping. 
   Attempts have been made to identify a SIDS event and provide a technological solution to early detection. Once such example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,166, APNEA DETECTOR, attempts to identify potential SIDS risks by the detection of long wave infrared radiation typical of carbon dioxide emitted from a breathing infant. However, this type of detector merely identifies that an infant has stopped breathing, which is too late to prevent the SIDS event from occurring. Furthermore, infant body heat can skew the detection of infrared radiation. Another such example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,492,634, OPTICAL MONITOR FOR SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME, where a monitor tracks the movement of a laser beam or light emitting diode projected onto an infant. This device again merely tracks the breathing patterns of the infant and will only initiate an alarm if the infant has stopped breathing as indicated by the movement or lack of movement of the laser beam. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a SIDS detection device capable of detecting high risk movement of an infant prior to any disruption in the infant&#39;s breathing pattern. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A method of detecting high risk movements of an infant relating to sudden death syndrome is disclosed. A reference image of an infant is signaled to a controller a location of a first plurality of pixels. The location of the plurality of pixels is stored in the controller generating for a reference image. A second electronic image of the infant is signaled to the controller a location of a second plurality of pixels. The second electronic image is compared to the first electronic image by determining the correlation between the first plurality of pixels to the second plurality of pixels for identifying high risk movements of the infant prior to an apnea event occurring. 
   The present inventive method of detecting high risk movements of an infant provides the ability to generate and transmit a distress signal prior to adverse breathing patterns developed in the infant. Unlike prior art detection systems, which identify problems with the infant based upon breathing irregularities, a caregiver now has the ability to interact with an infant before any breathing irregularities put the infant at risk. As previously stated, infants are believed to be at risk when sleeping on their front side. The inventive concept provides the ability to detect if an infant has rolled completely over even onto the infant&#39;s side while sleeping. In the event an infant rolls over or onto his/her side, a distress signal is generated and transmitted notifying the caregiver to take action prior to a sleep apnea event occurring. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  shows a schematic view of a sleeping infant associated with the inventive sudden infant death syndrome detection system; and 
       FIG. 2  shows a flow diagram of the logic pattern used by the inventive sudden infant death syndrome method. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a preferred embodiment of the present assembly is generally shown at  10 . The assembly  10  interacts with a sleeping surface, or a crib  12 , upon which an infant  14  sleeps. 
   A vision system or a camera  16  is placed above the infant  14  and provided with a view of, preferably, the entire infant  14 . The camera  16  is preferably mounted to a wall  18 , but may optionally be mounted to the crib  12  if necessary. More than one camera  16  is alternatively used to further enhance the image of the infant that is generated. As will be discussed further below, the camera  16  generates sequential images of the infant and transmits those images to a processor  20 . The camera  16  is preferably hard wired to the processor  20 . However, in an alternate embodiment, the camera includes an RF or equivalent transmitter and signals a remote processor (not shown) with the image of the infant  14  being generated. 
   Technological advances and cameras  16  have produced high resolution images capable of generating a significant number of pixels from a received image. By transmitting the image to a processor, the camera  16  enables the processor  20  to record and detect through computer algorithms minor changes in sequential images transmitted by the camera  16 . 
   The cameras  16  is capable of generating the high resolution images that provide a high number of pixels. The camera  16  may include charge coupled cameras, high dynamic range cameras, active pixel cameras, and complementary metal oxides semi-conductor cameras and their equivalents. Each of these cameras provide the high resolution necessary to generate the plurality of pixels required for the processor  20  to measure variations in pixels between sequentially generated images. It may be necessary to provide an infrared transmitter  22  to enhance the image of the infant  14  generated by the camera  16 . The infrared transmitter  22  is particularly relevant when a satisfactory amount of light is not available such as, for example, during night time. Alternatively, a camera  16  capable of detecting electromagnetic radiation also produces sufficient resolution. 
   The processor  20  is electronically connected to a remote signaling device  24  for when a high risk movement of the infant is determined by the processor  20  as will be explained further below. The signaling device  24  is alternatively hard wired to the processor  20  or receives a signal from the processor  20  through an RF or equivalent transmission. Preferably, a plurality of signaling devices  24  are spaced around a residence so that the infant&#39;s  14  caregiver is always within range of the signaling device  24 . The signaling device  24  is alternatively an optical or sound transmitting device capable of notifying the infant&#39;s  14  caregiver of a high risk movement of the infant as detected by the processor  20  as desired. 
   Initially, a reference image is first generated that provides a base point for the processor  20  to begin its analysis of the infant&#39;s  14  movement. Various techniques are available to generate a reference image  26  that provides the necessary pixels required to conduct a computer algorithm required to analyze the movements of the infant  14 . 
   A first alternative to generating the reference image  26  makes use of a doll or test dummy having the size and characteristics of an infant at the age where SIDS is known to be a risk. The camera  16  takes an image of the doll&#39;s face, and preferably body, when a doll is positioned as though sleeping on its back. Various features are identifiable by the processor  20  through the high resolution of pixels generated by the camera  16 , such as, for example, eyes, nose, mouth, and chest of the infant. 
   An alternative to using a doll or dummy to generate a reference image  26  is to use the infant  14  as intended to be monitored by the assembly  10 . In this case, additional reference images can be generated as the infant  14  grows providing an even more accurate analysis of the infant&#39;s sleeping pattern and potential for high risk movements. 
   An alternative reference image to the infant&#39;s  14  front is to generate a reference image of the infant&#39;s  14  side by detecting features, such as, the infant&#39;s  14  profile, ears, and shoulder. In this case, the infant  14  has already made a movement toward sleeping on his/her stomach which is regarded as the highest risk sleeping position related to SIDS. In any event, the reference image is stored in the processor  20  thereby generating a plurality of pixels necessary for the analysis and detection of the infant&#39;s  14  high risk movements. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , a second electronic image  28  of the infant is generated once the infant has been placed in the crib  12  for sleep. The camera  16  signals the processor  20  the location of a second plurality of pixels corresponding to the infant&#39;s  14  sleeping position. 
   The second plurality of pixels corresponding to the second image  28  is compared by the processor  20  against the reference image  26  by way of a computer algorithm as set forth in block  30  using statistical analysis to determine the correlation between the second image  28  and the reference image  26 . For example, if the second image  28  includes the characteristics of the infant  14  identified in the reference image  26 , the processor  20  will signal the camera  16  to continue to sequentially relay images of the sleeping infant  14  over a period of time to monitor the infant&#39;s sleeping pattern set forth in block  32 . Alternatively, if the reference image  26  is made of the side of the infant  14 , the second image  28  is compared against features such as, for example, the infant&#39;s  14  profile, ear, or shoulder. 
   When the processor  20  determines the infant  14  has moved to a high risk position, either face down or on the infant&#39;s  14  side, an alarm situation is identified  34 , and a distress signal  30  is generated and transmitted  36  to the plurality of remote locations  24  notifying the infant&#39;s  14  caregiver. In the event that the processor  20  does not determine the infant has performed a high risk movement, the camera  16  continues to generate sequential images, from which the processor  20  compares against the reference image  26 . Preferably, the camera  16  generates an image in just a fraction of a second where the camera can also detect symptoms such as rapid eye blinking, erratic breathing, jerking movements, and the like, each of which trigger a distress signal  36  to the infant&#39;s  14  caregiver. 
   The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. 
   Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, wherein reference numerals are merely for convenience and are not to be in any way limiting, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.