Patent Publication Number: US-2013231948-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for providing health care service using universal plug and play

Description:
PRIORITY 
     This application claims the priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to Korean Application Serial No. 10-2012-0022461, which was filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Mar. 5, 2012, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to a health care technology, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for providing a health care service using a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) network. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Current populations are rapidly increasing and aging globally as well as domestically. Accordingly, social costs for health care of the aged are also rapidly increasing. Personal and national expenses used for management of adult obesity patients or management of chronic illness are also increasing. As personal attention to health is increasing, personal costs are also increasing. Due to national financial pressures related to medical and health maintenance costs, medical services have shifted from primarily treatment-based services towards prevention and diagnosis-based services. 
     In order to keep up with these changes in medical services, various technologies have been developed according to a fusion of Information Technology (IT) and the medical industry, as many companies join together in their efforts to develop new medical services. 
     In particular, currently-provided health care services for managing elderly or chronic patients are configured primarily to provide messages having preset content or provide calls to a preset number by using a particular button arranged in a personal mobile communication terminal. However, in order to use such a health care service, the user must always carry the mobile communication terminal, even indoors, which may feel inconvenient to some users. A small-sized terminal dedicated for health care services has been proposed to reduce such an inconvenience, but the user would be required to pay a separate service fee for emergency calls in order to use such a dedicated terminal. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an aspect of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for providing a health care service capable of more efficiently providing the health care service by re-using Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) infrastructure. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a method of providing a health care service by a healthcare gateway comprised in a healthcare system is provided. The method includes receiving situation occurrence information indicating an occurrence of a situation, which has occurred to a user, from a user device included in a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) network; identifying health care information of the user based on the situation occurrence information; providing the health care information of the user to a health care server; and sending, to the health care server, a request to be provided with the health care service to the user device. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of receiving a health care service by a user device comprised in a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) network is provided. The method includes receiving, from a user, an occurrence of a situation, which has occurred to the user; generating situation occurrence information based on the occurrence of the situation; and sending, to a gateway device comprised in the UPnP network, a request for the health care service by transmitting the situation occurrence information. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus to be provided with a health care service is provided. The apparatus includes a health care processor for receiving situation occurrence information indicating an occurrence of a situation, which has occurred to a user, from a user device included in a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) network, identifying situation information comprised in the situation occurrence information and health care information on the user, and controlling to a data transmission data processor to send a request to be provided with the health care service to the user device; and the data transmission processor for providing the health care information on the user to a health care server in order to provide the health care service. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a health care information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a signal flowchart illustrating a health care service providing method according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating an example of situation occurrence information according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a health care gateway according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a signal flowchart illustrating a health care service providing method according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating an example of a GetCondition message according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a health care device according to the second embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a health care gateway according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same or similar elements may be designated by the same reference numerals in different drawings. Further, various specific definitions found in the following description are merely provided to help general understanding of the present invention, and it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be implemented without such definitions. Further, in the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a health care information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a health care information providing system  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a health care device  110  for generating a user-request to be provided with a health care service, a health care gateway  120  for transmitting health care information regarding a user that initiated the request to be provided with the health care service and performing a control operation corresponding to the request to be provided with the health care service, and a health care server  130  for providing the health care service. 
     The health care device  110  and the health care gateway  120  are connected to each other through a general Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) network, and the health care gateway  120  and the health care server  130  are connected to each other by a communication network such as an Internet network. 
     An operation of the health care information providing system  100  may be initiated by situation occurrence information generated by the health care device  100 . More specifically, when the health care device  110  generates the situation occurrence information and transmits the situation occurrence information to the health care gateway  120  in step S 101 , the health care gateway  120  identifies health care information corresponding to the situation occurrence information among health care information stored internally (or externally) and provides the identified health care information to the health care server  130  in step S 102 . Further, the health care gateway  120  generates a request to be provided with a health care service by the health care server  130  (for example, a server operated by a hospital or an emergency medical center providing the health care service) in step S 103 . 
     For example, the provided health care service may be a service for providing emergency aid to the user using the health care device  110  through the hospital or the emergency medical center providing the health care service. Further, as an alternative to the health care gateway  120  generating the request for the health care server  130  to provide the health care service, the health care gateway  120  may connect a call with the hospital or the emergency medical center providing the health care service. To this end, the health care information providing system  100  may be configured to support a UPnP telephony service. More specifically, the health care device  110  includes a Telephony Client (TC)  115  for the UPnP telephony service, the health care gateway  120  includes a UPnP telephony Control Point (CP)  125 , and the health care information providing system includes a telephony server  127  for processing the call connection between the UPnP telephony CP  125  and the hospital or the emergency medical center providing the health care service. 
     Accordingly, in order to perform the call connection with the hospital providing the health care service or the emergency medical center, the health care gateway  120  instructs the telephony server  127  to initiate the call connection by using the UPnP telephony CP  125  in step S 104 - 1 , the telephony server  127  attempts the call connection with a service provider for providing the health care service (i.e., a terminal  135  arranged in the hospital or the emergency medical center) in step S 104 - 2 , and calls among the telephony client  115 , the UPnP telephony CP  125 , and the telephony server  127  are initiated in step S 104 - 3 . 
     Meanwhile, the health care device  110  and the health care gateway  120  are basically configured to serve as a UPnP CP or a UPnP server included in the UPnP network. Accordingly, the health care device  110  includes a first health care processor  111  for serving as the UPnP CP or the UPnP server, and the health care gateway  120  includes a second health care processor  121  for serving as the UPnP CP or the UPnP server. More specifically, the second health care processor  121  is configured to operate as the UPnP server when the first health care processor  111  is configured to operate as the UPnP CP, and the second health care processor  121  is configured to operate as the UPnP CP when the first health care processor  111  is configured to operate as the UPnP server. 
     The health care device  110  may be carried by the user or fixed to the user while being in contact with a user&#39;s body, so that the operation of the health care device  110  is controlled by the user using the health care service. 
     The health care device  110  may include at least one input button, and the first health care processor  111  can initiate an operation for making the request to be provided with the health care service as the at least one input button is pressed by the user, such as during an emergency. 
     Although according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the first health care processor  111  initiates the operation for making the request to be provided with the health care service as the at least one input button is pressed by the user, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the health care device  110  may further include a sensor (not shown) for detecting a biological signal of the user (e.g., blood pressure, pulse, temperature, blood glucose, etc), and the first health care processor  111  can actively initiate the request to be provided with the health care service by comparing a value input from the sensor with a predetermined reference (a medically set danger level reference). 
     Meanwhile, the generation of the request to be provided with the health care service may include transmitting information corresponding to the at least one input button to the health care gateway  120 . To this end, the first health care processor  111  can store an address of the health care gateway  120  to which the information corresponding to the at least one input button is transmitted. 
     The information corresponding to the at least one input button may be situation occurrence information, and the situation occurrence information may contain an inherent identifier allocated to the health care device  110  and a code indicating a situation occurrence to allow an operation designated by the user to be performed. Further, the code indicating the situation occurrence may be information indicating that an emergency is generated as well as information indicating a predetermined emergency matched with the at least one input button. 
     When the first health care processor  111  operates as the UPnP CP, the first health care processor  111  can directly transmit the situation occurrence information to the second health care processor  121  operating as the UPnP server. As an alternative, when the first health care processor  111  operates as the UPnP server, the first health care processor  111  may be configured to first transmit a message indicating that an event is generated to the second health care processor  121  operating as the UPnP CP, and then transmit the situation occurrence information to the second health care processor  121  requesting the situation occurrence information in order to generate the request for first providing the health care service. 
     Meanwhile, the health care gateway  120  pre-stores health care information mapped with the situation occurrence information. The health care information may contain information that is referred to when the health care service is provided, and may include, for example, a name, medical history, a symptom, etc. of the user using the health care device  110 . Further, the health care gateway  120  can store a phone number of the terminal  135  of the health care service provider mapped into the code indicating the situation occurrence. 
     Accordingly, when the health care gateway  120  receives the situation occurrence information from the health care device  110 , the health care gateway  120  identifies the health care information corresponding to the situation occurrence information and provides the identified health care information to the health care server  130 . Further, the health care gateway  120  requests aid for the user using the health care device  110  by a server operated by the hospital or the emergency medical center providing the health care service, or attempts a call connection with the terminal  135  arranged in the hospital or the emergency medical center providing the health care service. 
     Hereinafter, detailed configurations of a method and an apparatus for providing the health care service using the aforementioned health care providing system  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention are described. 
     A method and an apparatus for providing the health care service according to an embodiments of the present invention is differently configured according to respective operations performed by the first health care processor  111  included in the health care device  110  and the second health care processor  121  included in the health care gateway  120 . Such operations correspond to operations of a UPnP CP and a UPnP server. 
     Accordingly, the first health care processor  111  operates as the UPnP CP and the second health care processor  121  operates as the UPnP server in a method and an apparatus for providing the health care service according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Meanwhile the first health care processor  111  operates as the UPnP server and the second health care processor  121  operates as the UPnP CP in a method and an apparatus for providing the health care service according to a second embodiment of the present invention 
       FIG. 2  is a signal flowchart illustrating a health care service providing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , in the health care service providing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as at least one input button arranged in the health care device  110  is pressed, the first health care processor  111  generates situation occurrence information and transmits the situation occurrence information to the health care gateway  120 , in step S 201 . 
     The situation occurrence information may be configured as illustrated in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  illustrates an example of situation occurrence information used in the health care service providing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the situation occurrence information contains a code (Callcode) indicating a situation occurrence and an identifier (PatentID) of the health care device  110 . For example, the code (Callcode) indicating the situation occurrence defines information on a state of a patient, and may be a code preset in accordance with the at least one input button arranged in the health care device  110 , for example, a code indicating an emergency, a code making a request for a call with a doctor or the like. 
     Further, the health care gateway  120  can transmit a response message to the health care device  110  in response to successful reception of the situation occurrence information. The response message may contain a waiting indicator (ReadyIndication). The waiting indicator (ReadyIndication) is used as information for preventing the situation occurrence information from being repeatedly transmitted when the user continuously presses an input button arranged in the health care device  110 . As a response to the continuous input button press, the health care gateway  120  sets a value of the waiting indicator (Ready Indication) as True and transmits the set value to the health care device  110 . Accordingly, the health care device  110  does not repeatedly transmit the situation occurrence information when the input button is continuously input by the user. 
     Next, the health care gateway  120  identifies what the code (Callcode) indicating the situation occurrence included in the situation occurrence information indicates from a pre-stored database, and identifies health care information corresponding to an inherent identifier allocated to the health care device  110  in step S 202 . 
     Next, the health care gateway  120  transmits the health care information to the health care server  130  in step S 203 . 
     Further, the health care gateway  120  performs generates the request to be provided with the health care service. For example, the operation of requesting to be provided with the health care service may include providing a call connection with the health care device  110  to the terminal  135  of the service provider mapped into and stored in the code (Callcode) indicating the situation occurrence by using a telephony service. 
     The health care gateway  120  identifies a phone number of the terminal  135  mapped into and stored in the code (Callcode) indicating the situation occurrence in order to connect calls with the terminal  135  and the health care device  110  in step S 204 , and transmits a call initialization command (Call Initiation) to allow the telephony CP  125  included in the health care gateway  120  to perform a call service by using the phone number, in step S 205 . Then, the telephony CP  125  transmits a GetMediaCapability( ) message to the telephony server  127  in order to identify information on the telephony server  127  for the call connection in step S 206 , and acquires the information on the telephony server  127  in response to the transmission of the GetMediaCapability( ) message in step S 206 - 1 . The telephony CP  125  transmits the GetMediaCapability( ) message to the telephony client  115  in order to identify information on the telephony client  115  for the call connection in step S 207 , and acquires the information on the telephony client  115  in response to the transmission of the GetMediaCapability( ) message in step S 207 - 1 . 
     The telephony CP  125  requests the phone call by transmitting a StartCall( ) message containing the phone number of the terminal  135  to the telephony server  127  in steps S 208  and S 208 - 1 . 
     The telephony server  127  requests the terminal  135  to perform the call according to the StartCall( ) message in step S 209 , and transmits an Event message for informing that an outgoing call is successfully performed to the telephony CP  125  in step S 209 - 1 . 
     When a call is normally transmitted to the terminal  135 , the telephony server  127  receives a Ringing message from the terminal  135  in step S 210 , and transmits again the Event message for informing of the reception of the Ringing message to the telephony CP  125  in step S 210 - 1 . 
     Further, when the terminal  135  accepts the call and thus the telephony server  127  receives a call message from the terminal  135  in step S 211 , the telephony server  127  transmits the Event message for informing that the call is connected to the telephony CP  125  in step S 211 - 1 . 
     The telephony CP  125  transmits, to the telephony client  115 , a message instructing the telephony client  115  to prepare the call connection by transmitting a StartMediaSession( ) message in steps S 212  and S 212 - 1 . Further, when both the telephony server  127  and the telephony client  115  are ready for the call connection, the telephony CP  125  requests transmission of a media stream for the call with the terminal  135  by transmitting a StartMediaTransfer( ) message to the telephony server  127  in steps S 213  and S 213 - 1 . In addition, the telephony server  127  transmits/receives the media stream for the call between the terminal  135  and the telephony client  115 . 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the health care gateway  120  according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the health care gateway  120  includes a call code database  411  for storing information describing what is indicated by each situation occurrence code and information into which an IDentifier (ID) of the health care device  110  and a user of the health care device  110  are mapped, and a health care information database  415  for storing health care information regarding the user corresponding to the device ID. The health care information may contain information referred to when the health care service is provided, and may include, for example, a name, medical history, a symptom, etc. of the user using the health care device  110 . 
     Further, the health care gateway  120  basically operates as a UPnP server, and includes a second health care processor  121  for processing an operation for providing the health care service requested by the health care device  110 . The second health care processor  121  includes a call code detector  421 . When the situation occurrence information is received, the call code detector  421  identifies information indicated by the situation occurrence code included in the situation occurrence information from the call code database  411 . 
     In addition, the second health care processor  121  includes a health care information detector  425 . The health care information detector  425  identifies an identifier of the user corresponding to the identifier of the health care device  110  from the call code database  411 , and identifies health care information corresponding to the user ID from the health care information database  415 . 
     The health care information identified by the health care information detector  425  is provided to a data transmission processor  430 , and the data transmission processor  430  transmits the health care information after converting a format of the health care information to a predetermined format so that the health care information is identifiable by the health care server  130 . For example, the health care server  130  may be configured to display the health care information through web browsers, and accordingly, the data transmission processor  430  may transmit the health care information after converting the health care information so that the health care information can be provided through the web browser. 
     Further, the second health care processor  121  can perform a telephony service in order to provide the health care service, and may include the telephony CP  125  for processing the telephony service. The telephony CP  125  is a component for processing a general telephony service, and controls a call connection among the telephony client  115  included in the health care device  110  of the health care providing system  100 , the telephony server  127 , and the terminal  135  of the health care service provider according to the present invention and controls transmission/reception of the media stream for the call. More specifically, the telephony CP  125  controls the operations performed in steps S 206  to S 214  included in the aforementioned health care service providing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a signal flowchart illustrating a health care service providing method according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the second health care processor  121  operating as the UPnP client included in the health care gateway  120  requests the first health care processor  111  operating as the UPnP server included in the health care device  110  to subscribe to an event through a pre-processing operation in step S 500 . 
     Thereafter, as at least one input button arranged in the health care device  110  is pressed, the first health care processor  111  transmits, to the second health care processor  121  of the health care gateway  120 , a message indicating that the event is generated, in step S 501 . 
     Then, the second health care processor  121  transmits a GetCondition( ) message for making a request for situation occurrence information by the first health care processor  111  in order to identify the situation occurrence information in step S 502 , and transmits a response message (200 OK) containing the situation occurrence information, in step S 502 - 1 . At this time, the GetCondition( )message is used to acquire the situation occurrence information, and may contain a code (Callcode) indicating a situation occurrence and an identifier (Patient ID) of the health care device  110  as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating an example of a GetCondition message used in the health care service providing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , for example, the code (Callcode) indicating the situation occurrence defines information on a state of a patient, and may be a code preset in accordance with at least one input button arranged in the health care device  110 , for example, a code indicating an emergency, a code for making a request for a call with a doctor, etc. 
     Meanwhile, the health care gateway  120  can transmit a response message to the health care device  110  in response to successful reception of the situation occurrence information. The response message may contain a waiting indicator (ReadyIndication), and the waiting indicator (ReadyIndication) is used to prevent the situation occurrence information from being repeatedly transmitted when the user continuously presses an input button arranged in the health care device  110 . More specifically, as a response to the continuous input button press, the health care gateway  120  sets a value of the waiting indicator (Ready Indication) as True and transmits the set value to the health care device  110 . Accordingly, the health care device  110  does not repeatedly transmit the situation occurrence information when the input button is continuously input by the user. 
     Hereinafter, since steps S 503  to S 515  are similar to steps S 202  to S 214  included in the health care service providing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a further description of steps S 503  to S 515  is omitted for clarity and conciseness. 
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a health care device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the health care device  110  basically operates as a UPnP server, and includes the first health care processor  111  for processing an operation of the health care service. 
     The first health care processor  111  includes an event generator  711  and a call code provider  715 . 
     The event generator  711  receives a request to subscribe to event generation from the health care gateway  120  in advance through a connection with the health care gateway  120 , and stores the request. The first health care processor  111  generates an event message indicating that an event is generated when at least one input button arranged in the health care device  110  is pressed, and transmits the event message to the health care gateway  120  that requested the subscription. 
     The call code provider  715  receives a message (i.e., a GetCondition( ) message) requesting situation occurrence information from the health care gateway  120 , identifies the situation occurrence information corresponding to the event, and provides the situation occurrence information to the health care gateway  120 . The situation occurrence information contains a code (Callcode) indicating a situation occurrence and an identifier (Patient ID) of the health care device. For example, the code (Callcode) indicating the situation occurrence defines information on a state of a patient, and may be a code preset in accordance with the at least one input button arranged in the health care device  110 , for example, a code indicating an emergency, a code making a request for a call with a doctor or the like. 
     Further, the health care device  110  operates under a control of the telephony CP  125 , and includes the telephony client  115  for processing a telephony service with the telephony server  127  and the external terminal  135 . 
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a health care gateway according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the health care gateway  120 ′ includes a call code database  411  for storing information describing what is indicated by each situation occurrence code and information into which an ID of the health care device  110  and a user of the health care device  110  are mapped, and a health care information database  415  for storing health care information on the user corresponding to the device ID. The health care information may contain information referred to when the health care service is provided, and the information may include, for example, a name, medical history, a symptom, etc. of the user using the health care device  110 . 
     The health care gateway  120  basically operates as the UPnP server, and includes a second health care processor  121 ′ for processing an operation for providing the health care service requested by the health care device  110 . The second health care processor  121 ′ includes an event identifier  821 . The event identifier  821  requests the health care device  110  for subscription, and performs an operation of transmitting the GetCondition( ) message for making a request for the situation occurrence information when receiving the event from the health care device  110 . 
     In addition, the second health care processor  121 ′ includes the call code detector  412 , and the call code detector  421 , upon receiving the situation occurrence information, identifies information corresponding to a situation occurrence code included in the situation occurrence information indicates from the call code database  411 . 
     In addition, the second health care processor  121 ′ includes the health care information detector  425 . The health care information detector  425  identifies an identifier of the user corresponding to the identifier of the health care device  110  from the call code database  411 , and identifies health care information corresponding to the identifier of the user from the health care information database  415 . 
     The health care information identified by the health care information detector  415  is provided to the data transmission processor  430 , and the data transmission processor  430  transmits the health care information after converting a format of the health care information to a predetermined format so that the health care information is identifiable by the health care server  130 . For example, the health care server  130  may be configured to display the health care information through web browsers, and accordingly, the data transmission processor  430  may transmit the health care information after converting the health care information so that the health care information can be provided through the web browser. 
     The health care gateway  120 ′ can also perform a telephony service in order to provide the health care service, and may include the telephony CP  125  for processing the telephony service. The telephony CP  125  is a component that processes a general telephony service, and controls a call connection among the telephony client  115  included in the health care device  110  of the health care providing system  100  according to an embodiment the present invention, the telephony server  127 , and the terminal  135  of the health care service provider and controls transmission/reception of the media stream for the call. More specifically, the telephony CP  125  controls the operations performed in steps S 507  to S 515  included in the aforementioned health care service providing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     According to the health care service providing method and apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention, the user can receive the health care service by using a UPnP or DLNA infrastructure without incurring separate service costs, while conveniently carrying the health care service providing apparatus. 
     While the present invention has been shown and described with reference to certain embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.