Unlocking a body area network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9186071-B2
Application number	US-201213360469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2012
Priority date	Jan 27, 2012
Publication date	Nov 17, 2015
Grant date	Nov 17, 2015

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus, system, and method to unlock a body area network (BAN) of a patient and to transmit medical data about the patient. The BAN, under the control of a body area controller (BAC), may be unlocked based upon a pre-defined patient action performed by the patient and the BAN may then be connected to a wireless device. The BAN medical data of the patient may then be transmitted by the wireless device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of unlocking a body area network (BAN) of a patient to transmit medical data comprising:
unlocking the BAN based upon a pre-defined patient action performed by the patient, wherein the pre-defined patient action to unlock the BAN includes pressing against a pre-designated part of the body;
connecting the BAN to a wireless device; and
transmitting BAN medical data of the patient by the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the BAN includes a body area controller (BAC) and one or more body sensor units (BSUs).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BAN is connected to a wireless device of the patient and the wireless device of the patient transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to an emergency service.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BAN is connected to a wireless device of a helper and the wireless device of the helper transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to an emergency service.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BAN is connected to a wireless device of an emergency responder and the wireless device of the emergency responder transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to a medical data server.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the wireless device of the emergency responder further receives medical data about the patient from the medical data server.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BAN is connected to a wireless device of a medical support personnel and the wireless device of the medical support personnel transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to a medical data server.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the wireless device of the medical support personnel further receives medical data about the patient from the medical data server.

9. A body area controller (BAC) comprising:
a transceiver; and
a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured to:
unlock a body area network (BAN) based upon a pre-defined patient action performed by a patient, wherein the pre-defined patient action to unlock the BAN includes pressing against a pre-designated part of the body; and
connect the BAN to a wireless device through the transceiver such that the wireless device is configured to transmit BAN medical data of the patient.

10. The BAC of claim 9 , wherein, the BAN includes one or more body sensor units (BSUs).

11. The BAC of claim 9 , wherein the wireless device is associated with the patient and the wireless device of the patient transmits the BAN medical data to an emergency service.

12. The BAC of claim 9 , wherein the wireless device is associated with a helper and the wireless device of the helper transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to an emergency service.

13. The BAC of claim 9 , wherein the wireless device is associated with an emergency responder and the wireless device of the emergency responder transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to a medical data server.

14. The BAC of claim 13 , wherein the wireless device of the emergency responder further receives medical data about the patient from the medical data server.

15. The BAC of claim 9 , wherein the wireless device is associated with a medical support personnel and the wireless device of the medical support personnel transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to a medical data server.

16. A body area controller (BAC) comprising:
means for unlocking a body area network (BAN) based upon a pre-defined patient action performed by a patient, wherein the pre-defined patient action to unlock the BAN includes pressing against a pre-designated part of the body; and
means for connecting the BAN to a wireless device such that the wireless device is configured to transmit the BAN medical data of the patient.

17. The BAC of claim 16 , wherein the wireless device is associated with the patient and the wireless device of the patient transmits the BAN medical data to an emergency service.

18. The BAC of claim 16 , wherein the wireless device is associated with a helper and the wireless device of the helper transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to an emergency service.

19. The BAC of claim 16 , wherein the wireless device is associated with an emergency responder and the wireless device of the emergency responder transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to a medical data server.

20. The BAC of claim 19 , wherein the wireless device of the emergency responder further receives medical data about the patient from the medical data server.

21. A computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for:
unlocking a body area network (BAN) based upon a pre-defined patient action performed by a patient, wherein the pre-defined patient action to unlock the BAN includes pressing against a pre-designated part of the body; and
connecting the BAN to a wireless device such that the wireless device is configured to transmit BAN medical data of the patient.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the wireless device is associated with the patient and the wireless device of the patient transmits the BAN medical data to an emergency service.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the wireless device is associated with a helper and the wireless device of the helper transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to an emergency service.

24. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the wireless device is associated with an emergency responder and the wireless device of the emergency responder transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to a medical data server.

25. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the wireless device of the emergency responder further receives medical data about the patient from the medical data server.

26. A method of unlocking a body area network (BAN) of a patient comprising:
unlocking the BAN based upon a pre-defined patient action performed by the patient, wherein the pre-defined patient action to unlock the BAN includes pressing against a pre-designated part of the body;
connecting the BAN to a wireless device; and
processing information from the BAN using the wireless device.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising, transmitting BAN medical data of the patient by the wireless device.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the BAN is connected to a wireless device of the patient and the wireless device of the patient transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to an emergency service.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the BAN is connected to a wireless device of a helper and the wireless device of the helper transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to an emergency service.

30. The method of claim 27 , wherein the BAN is connected to a wireless device of an emergency responder and the wireless device of the emergency responder transmits the BAN medical data of the patient to a medical data server.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the wireless device of the emergency responder further receives medical data about the patient from the medical data server.

32. The method of claim 26 , wherein, the BAN includes a body area controller (BAC) and one or more body sensor units (BSUs).

33. A method of unlocking a body area network (BAN) of a patient to transmit medical

Assignees

• Moriarty Anthony
• Flanagan Jessica M
• Mcdonald Cameron A
• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Moriarty Anthony
• Flanagan Jessica M
• Mcdonald Cameron A

Classifications

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• G16H50/20

  for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems · CPC title

• A61B2560/0266

  for monitoring or limiting apparatus function · CPC title

• A61B5/747

  in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services · CPC title

• A61B5/0022

  Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet · CPC title