Abstract:
A health monitoring system for communication between at least one terminal device that moves with a person whose health is monitored and a first center device. The terminal device detects health parameters of the person, and diagnoses of the condition of health of the person in accordance with a result of the detection, and transmits the result of the diagnosis to the first center device. The first center device stores the historical diagnosis information concerning the person, receives the result of the diagnosis from the terminal device, judges whether detailed data concerning the condition of health of the person is needed in accordance with the result of the diagnosis and the historical diagnosis information, and issues a request command of the detailed data to the terminal device when it judges that the detailed data is needed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a health monitoring system for remotely monitoring the condition of health of a person.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Background Art  
           [0004]    A health monitoring system for remotely monitoring the condition of health of a person whose health is to be monitored has already been well-known, and is disclosed by, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 302188/1988. In the conventional health monitoring system, the condition of health of a person whose health is to be monitored is judged at regular intervals, and the judgment result is transmitted to a control center. Further, urgent and abnormal states of the person whose condition has turned for the worse are detected, and an urgent information signal is transmitted to the control center when the person is in the urgent and abnormal states.  
           [0005]    However, the conventional health monitoring system has a problem in that much time is required to correctly judge the condition of health of many people to be monitored.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a health monitoring system which is capable of correctly judging the condition of health of each person to be monitored even when many people to be monitored exist.  
           [0007]    The health monitoring system according to the present invention which is for communication between at least one terminal device that is moved with a person to be monitored and a first center device, wherein the terminal device includes: a sensing device for detecting health parameters of the person, a diagnosis device for diagnosing the condition of health of the person in accordance with a result of the detection of the sensing device, and a transmitter for transmitting a result of the diagnosis of the diagnosis device to the first center device; the first center device includes: a storage device for storing historical diagnosis information concerning the person, a judgment device for receiving the result of the diagnosis of the diagnosis device and for judging whether detailed data concerning the condition of health of the person is required in accordance with the received result of the diagnosis and the historical diagnosis information, and an instruction device for issuing a request command of the detailed data to the terminal device when the judgment device judges that detailed data is required. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of the health monitoring system according to the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a structure of a portable terminal device in the system of FIG. 1.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 shows the exterior of the portable terminal device in the system of FIG. 1.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the system of FIG. 1.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a health examination.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 shows an electrocardiogram waveform.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 shows an example in which data appear on a monitor.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the system of FIG. 1.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the system of FIG. 1.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a structure of an on-vehicle terminal device.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 11 shows a main body, a camera and a sensor part of the terminal device in FIG. 10. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0019]    An embodiment of the present invention will be hereinafter described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 shows a basic structure of the health monitoring system of the present invention. The health monitoring system includes portable terminal devices  1   l - 1   n , a public telephone network  2 , a first center device  3 , and a second center device  4 . The portable terminal devices  1   l - 1   n  are carried by people P l -P n , to be monitored such as patients. The portable terminal devices  1   l - 1   n  are each provided with the function of a portable telephone, and are connectable to the public telephone network  2  through a relay device  5  for portable telephones. The relay device  5  is a device for establishing communication between the portable telephone and the public telephone network  2  by means of radio signals. Although a large number of relay devices including the relay device  5  are, in fact, stationed, only one relay device  5  is conveniently shown in FIG. 1. The first center device  3  and the second center device  4  are each connected to the public telephone network  2 . The public telephone network  2  may be a digital network such as ISDN.  
         [0021]    Since each of the portable terminal devices  1   l - 1   n  has the same structure, the structure of the portable terminal device  1   l  will be described hereinafter.  
         [0022]    As shown in FIG. 2, the portable terminal device  1   l  includes a heart beat sensor  11 , a camera  12 , a GPS (Global Positioning Sensor) antenna  13 , and a GPS receiver  14 , in order to detect the condition of health of the person P 1  to be monitored. The heart beat sensor  11 , which is provided as a biosensor, outputs a voltage signal that indicates a potential corresponding to a heart beat of the person P 1 . The heart beat sensor  11  is affixed to the body of the person P 1 . The camera  12 , which is a so-called digital camera, is disposed on the front of a case  1   a  of the portable terminal device  1   l , as shown in FIG. 3, in order to detect a facial expression of the person P 1 . The camera  12  outputs image data which is indicative of the facial expression. The GPS antenna  13  and the GPS receiver  14  are disposed to detect an action of the person P 1 . Positional data, which indicates a current position of the portable terminal device  1   l , i.e., a current position of the person P 1  to be monitored, is output from the GPS receiver  14 .  
         [0023]    A signal processing unit  17 , which includes an amplifier  15  and a filter  16 , is connected to the output of the heart beat sensor  11 . The signal processing unit  17  amplifies a signal output from the heart beat sensor  10 , thereafter extracts only a predetermined frequency component, and outputs the component as analog heart-beat data. A microcomputer  19  is connected to the output of the signal processing unit  17  through an A/D converter  18 . The signal processing unit  17  is independent of the main body of the portable terminal device  1   l , and supplies a signal to the A/D converter  18  in the main body of the portable terminal device  1   l  by wire or wireless.  
         [0024]    The respective outputs of the camera  12  and the GPS receiver  14  are connected to the microcomputer  19 . A help switch  24  is further connected to the microcomputer  19 . The help switch  24  is a switch operated by the person P 1  in an emergency.  
         [0025]    A telephone portion  20  is further connected to the microcomputer  19 . The telephone portion  20  serves as a portable telephone that has a data transmission-reception function. The telephone portion  20  has an input/output terminal connected to an antenna  23  for transmission and reception, a microphone  21  for inputting a voice to be transmitted and a speaker  22  for outputting a received voice.  
         [0026]    The first center device  3  includes a computer, and is connected to the public telephone network  2  through a modem that is not shown. The first center device  3  further includes a memory  3   a  that stores diagnosis data (historical diagnosis information) about each person to be monitored as a database. Likewise, the second center device  4  includes a computer and a memory  4   a , and is connected to the public telephone network  2  through a modem that is not shown. If the public telephone network  2  is a digital line, a terminal adaptor is used.  
         [0027]    An operator of the first center device  3  is a nurse, for example, and an operator of the second center device  4  is a person more medically qualified than the operator of the first center device  3 . The person is a doctor, for example.  
         [0028]    Next, the operation of the health monitoring system constructed as above will be described.  
         [0029]    As shown in FIG. 4, the first center device  3  sequentially accesses each of the portable terminal devices  1   l - 1   n  by means of a polling operation, and requests transmission of diagnostic data. When the portable terminal device  1   l  is requested to transmit the diagnostic data (step S 1 ), the microcomputer  19  of the terminal device  1   l  performs a health examination operation in response to the transmission request for the diagnostic data (step S 2 ).  
         [0030]    The microcomputer  19  of the portable terminal device  1   l  judges whether the peak value A, interval B, and acuminate angle C of the latest pulse have been detected from heart-beat data or not, as shown in FIG. 5, in the health examination operation (step S 21 ). The heart-beat data is supplied from the signal processing unit  17  to the microcomputer  19  through the A/D converter  18 , and is sequentially stored in a memory that is not shown. Since the stored heart-beat data shows an electrocardiogram waveform as shown in FIG. 6, a pulse peak value A, interval B, and acuminate angle C are detected as the present value in the microcomputer  19  whenever a new pulse is obtained in the electrocardiogram. In practice, the acuminate angle C is detected as a pulse width C. The detected peak value A, interval B, and pulse width C are stored in the memory, with the A, B, and C grouped together as a set, by at least predetermined times including the present time (for example, 60 times) that precede the present time.  
         [0031]    When the latest pulse peak value A, interval B, and pulse width C are detected in step S 21 , the moving average values A 0 , B 0 , and C 0  of the respective peak value A, interval B, and pulse width C are calculated (steps S 22 -S 24 ). The moving average value A 0  of the peak value A is an average value of the most recent peak values A of predetermined times stored in the memory. The same average calculation is applied to the interval B and pulse width C. When the moving average values A 0 , B 0 , and C 0  are calculated, thresholds α 1 A 0 , α 2 A 0 , β 1 B 0 , β 2 B 0 , γ 1 C 0 , and γ 2 C 0  are calculated in accordance with the moving average values A 0 , B 0 , and C 0  (steps S 25 -S 27 ). α 1 , α 2 , β 1 , β 2 , γ 1 , and γ 2  are coefficients which are previously set, where α 1 &lt;α 2 , β 1 &lt;β 2 , and γ 1 &lt;γ 2 .  
         [0032]    It is judged whether the present peak value A is between the thresholds α 1 A 0  and α 2 A 0  or not (step S 28 ). If α 1 A 0 ≦A≦α 2 A 0 , a flag FA is set to 0 (step S 29 ), and if A&lt;α 1 A 0  or A&gt;α 2 A 0 , the flag FA is set to 1 (step S 30 ). It is judged whether the present interval B is between the thresholds β 1 B 0  and β 2 B 0  (step S 31 ). If β 1 B 0 ≦B≦β 2 B 0 , a flag FB is set to 0 (step S 32 ), and if B&lt;β 1 B 0  or B&gt;β 2 B 0 , the flag FB is set to 1 (step S 33 ). Further, it is judged whether the present pulse width C is between the thresholds γ 1 C 0  and γ 2 C 0  (step S 34 ). If γ 1 C 0 ≦C≦γ 2 C 0 , a flag FC is set to 0 (step S 35 ), and if C&lt;γ 1 C 0  or C&gt;γ 2 C 0 , the flag FC is set to 1 (step S 36 ).  
         [0033]    When the flags FA to FC are obtained, the microcomputer  19  judges arrhythmia in accordance with the contents of the flags FA to FC (step S 37 ). For example, if the flags FA to FC are all 1, pulsation is regarded as dangerous, if one or two of the flags FA to FC are 1, pulsation is regarded as needing caution, and if the flags FA to FC are all 0, pulsation is regarded as safe. The step S 37  becomes a result of the health examination operation.  
         [0034]    The microcomputer  19  in the portable terminal device  1   L  transmits diagnostic data, which is the result of the health examination operation, to the first center device  3  (step S 3 ). The diagnostic data is transmitted together with electrocardiogram data which consists of the heart beat data.  
         [0035]    When the first center device  3  receives the diagnostic data from the portable terminal device  1   l , the first center device  3  extracts diagnostic data corresponding to the person P 1  to be monitored from a diagnostic data group previously stored in the form of a database in the memory  3   a , and, by collating the stored diagnostic data with the received diagnostic data, it is judged whether the received diagnostic data is abnormal or not (step S 4 ). If abnormal, it is judged whether priority processing should be carried out in accordance with the level of abnormality, i.e., an urgent need (step S 5 ). If the priority processing should be carried out, a data request is transmitted to the portable terminal device  11  (step S 6 ).  
         [0036]    The microcomputer  19  in the portable terminal device  1   L  responds to the data request and transmits detailed data that includes image data and positional data together with the latest electrocardiogram data to the first center device  3  (step S 7 ). The image data indicates a facial expression of the person P 1  photographed by the camera  12 , and the positional data indicates moving action of the person P 1  detected by the GPS antenna  13  and the GPS receiver  14 .  
         [0037]    When the detailed data are received, the first center device  3  displays them on the monitor  3   b  (step S 8 ). Data about an electrocardiogram  61 , image data  62 , diagnostic data  63 , etc., concerning the person P 1  are displayed on the monitor  3   b  as shown in FIG. 7. The operator diagnoses the condition of the person P 1  based on the displayed data. The first center device  3  accepts a result of the diagnosis given by the operator (step S 9 ), and judges whether the result of the diagnosis is doubtful or not (step S 10 ). If not doubtful, the portable terminal device  1   l  is informed that the result has no doubt (step S 11 ). The transmission of no doubt in step S 11  includes a message to confirm whether there is a problem in affixing the sensor or a message to recommend a rest.  
         [0038]    The first center device  3  received the detailed data from the portable terminal device  1   1  only when an abnormal condition is detected by self-diagnosis in the portable terminal device  11 . Therefore, unnecessary data is not transmitted and received, and time required to scan the portable terminal devices  1   l - 1   n  by the polling operation can be shortened. Further, the detailed data are checked by the operator, such as a nurse, by the use of the past diagnostic data when an abnormal condition is detected by self-diagnosis in the portable terminal device  1   L . Thus, proper diagnosis can be carried out.  
         [0039]    On the other hand, if the judgment result in step S 10  is doubtful, the detailed data are transmitted to the second center device  4  for further diagnosis (step S 12 ).  
         [0040]    When the detailed data are received, the second center device  4  displays them on the monitor  4   b  (step S 13 ). The operator of the second center device  4  is an expert who is more medically qualified than the operator of the first center device  3 . The operator of the second center device  4  diagnoses the condition of the person P 1  accordance with the data about the person P 1  displayed on the monitor  4   b  as shown in FIG. 7, and the second center device  4  accepts a result of the diagnosis (step S 14 ). An instruction concerning the result of the diagnosis are transmitted from the second center device  4  to the first center device  3  (step S 15 ), and then are further supplied to the portable terminal device  1   l  (step S 16 ).  
         [0041]    When the operator of the first center device  3  cannot give a proper diagnosis result to the person P 1  as mentioned above, the instruction by the proper diagnosis of the more qualified operator of the second center device  4  can be given to the person P 1 .  
         [0042]    The instruction is supplied in the form of audio data or character data. In the case of audio data, a voice is output from the speaker  22  of the portable terminal device  1   l , and, in the case of character data, characters are displayed on a display  25 .  
         [0043]    Further, the following operations can be carried out between the portable terminal devices  1   l - 1   n  and the first center device  3 .  
         [0044]    When the person P 1  to be monitored feels bodily unwell and turns on a help switch  24  of the portable terminal device  1   l , the microcomputer  19  in the portable terminal device  1   l  confirms the operation of the help switch  19  as shown in FIG. 8 (step S 41 ), and an emergency call is sent to the first center device  3  (step S 42 ). When the emergency call is received, the first center device  3  instructs the operator to perform an urgent response (step S 43 ). Thereafter, an urgent processing operation is carried out in accordance with manipulation of the operator (step S 44 ). In the urgent processing, the first center device  3  has electrocardiogram data, image data, and positional data transmitted from the portable terminal device  1   l  of the person P 1 , and the data are transmitted to the second center device  4 . As a result, an appropriate instruction is transmitted from the operator of the second center device  4  to the person P 1  through the first center device  3 .  
         [0045]    When the person P 1  calls the first center device  3  by operating a button of the portable terminal device  1   l  in order to check his/her health, the microcomputer  19  in the portable terminal device  1   l  confirms that it is a call to the first center device  3  (step S 51 ), as shown in FIG. 9, and makes a request call to the first center device  3  (step S 52 ). When the request call is received, the first center device  3  instructs the operator to perform a service response (step S 53 ). Thereafter, a service processing operation is carried out in accordance with manipulation of the operator (step S 54 ). In the service processing, the first center device  3  is instructed to transmit electrocardiogram data, image data, and positional data to the portable terminal device  1   l  of the person P 1 . The operator of the first center device  3  determines whether the person P 1  is in poor condition in accordance with the electrocardiogram data, image data, and positional data, or not and a result of the determination is sent back to the person P 1  through, for example, e-mail.  
         [0046]    The above-mentioned embodiment has described the example in which the operator such as a nurse diagnoses the person P 1  while checking the data (electrocardiogram) and the detailed data (facial expression) through the first center device  2 . Instead, it is possible to automatically compare data received at the current time at the first center device  2  with data stored over a long period (i.e., data corresponding to a clinical record) and judge the condition of the person P 1  with reference to a result of the comparison.  
         [0047]    In addition, the above-mentioned embodiment has described the example in which a position of the person P 1  to be monitored is determined by the GPS antenna  13  and GPS receiver  14 . Instead, it is possible to properly determine a position of the person P 1  by comparing the receiving levels of transmitted radio waves at a plurality of receiving stations.  
         [0048]    In addition, the above-mentioned embodiment has described the example in which the health examination operation in step S 2  is executed when polling is carried out. The health examination operation in step S 2  may be always executed so that data during a certain period and judgment results are stored, and, when polling is carried out, the data during the certain period or data which has not been transmitted may be transmitted on the basis of the judgment results during the certain period.  
         [0049]    The GPS data (positional information) obtained from the GPS receiver  14  can be transmitted not as data concerning a point but as data concerning a locus (movement line) that has been continuously recorded. Therefore, it is possible to judge abnormal condition when the locus meanders or overlaps.  
         [0050]    Although the person P 1  to be monitored is a pedestrian in the above embodiment, he/she may be a vehicle driver. If so, a terminal device of the person P 1  is mounted on the vehicle and is constructed as shown in FIG. 10. That is, the on-vehicle terminal device includes a heart beat sensor  31 , a perspiration sensor  32 , a camera  33 , a GPS antenna  34 , a GPS receiver  35 , and a movement sensor  36  in order to detect the condition of health of the person P 1 . The heart beat sensor  31 , the perspiration sensor  32 , and the movement sensor  36  are connected to a microcomputer  43  through signal processing units  37 - 39 , each of which includes an amplifier and a filter, and A/D converters  40 - 42 . The camera  33  and the GPS receiver  35  are connected directly to the microcomputer  43 .  
         [0051]    As in the case of the heart beat sensor  11 , the heart beat sensor  31  outputs a voltage signal that indicates a potential corresponding to heart beat of the person P 1 . A detecting portion of the heart beat sensor  31  has a metallic sheet electrode  52  affixed to a grip portion of a steering wheel  51  as shown in FIG. 11, and heart-beat data is detected by allowing the palms of the person P 1  to be monitored to contact with the grip portion. The perspiration sensor  32  generates a voltage signal according to perspiration of the person P 1  by the use of the electrode  52 . The camera  33  is placed on the upper portion of an interior windshield in order to detect a facial expression of the person P 1 . The GPS antenna  34  is mounted on the outer face of the vehicle body. The movement sensor  36  serves to detect speed and acceleration of the vehicle.  
         [0052]    As in the case of the portable terminal device  1   l , a help switch  44 , a telephone portion  45 , and a display  46  are further connected to the microcomputer  43 . The help switch  44  is disposed at the steering wheel  51 . A microphone  47 , a speaker  48 , and an antenna  49  are connected to the telephone portion  45 .  
         [0053]    The signal processing units  37 - 39 , the A/D converters  40 - 42 , the microcomputer  43 , and the telephone portion  45  are formed in a main body  54 .  
         [0054]    Since the operation of the on-vehicle terminal device constructed as above is the same as that of the above-mentioned portable terminal device  1   l , a repetitive description thereof is omitted.  
         [0055]    In the embodiment of the on-vehicle terminal device, measurement data can be invalidated on the basis of acceleration detected by the movement sensor  36  when the acceleration exceeds a predetermined value. Accordingly, it is possible to remove an inaccurate measurement value resulting from worsening of a measurable environment caused by, for example, vehicle vibrations.  
         [0056]    Further, in order to prevent difficulty when driving, a guidance function by a voice synthesizer may be provided so as to aid the person P 1  (driver) in a measurement operation or to give instructions, such as advice based on a diagnostic result.  
         [0057]    The heart beat sensors  11 ,  31  may be formed as an earring type to detect a potential according to the pulse of the person P 1  from the ear in the above-mentioned embodiment. Alternatively, they may be formed as a finger type to detect the potential from the finger.  
         [0058]    In the above embodiment, arrhythmia is detected by obtaining electrocardiogram data of the person P 1  to be monitored. Instead, the blood pressure of the person P 1  may be detected to judge high blood pressure or low blood pressure and transmit the judgment data to the first center device. Alternatively, the body temperature of the person P 1  may be detected to judge a high body temperature or low body temperature and transmit the judgment data to the first center device.  
         [0059]    As described above, according to the health monitoring system of the present invention, the health of a person to be monitored can be correctly judged even when a large number of people to be monitored exist.