Systems and methods for activity determination based on human frame

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9531415-B2
Application number	US-201414205216-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2014
Priority date	Jun 6, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

Systems and related methods providing for determining activities of individuals are discussed herein. Circuitry may be configured to wirelessly receive tag signals from a plurality of RF location tags. Two or more of the RF location tags may be positioned on an individual, such as at positions that may at least partially define a human frame. The circuitry may be configured to correlate the two or more RF location tags with the individual. Location data for each of the two or more RF location tags may be determined based on the received tag signals. An activity of the individual may be determined based on the location data. In some embodiments, one or more activities involving multiple individuals may be determined based on RF location tags and sensors positioned on each of the multiple individuals. Furthermore, sensor data from the sensors may be communicated over the UWB channel.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A method for determining activity, comprising:
wirelessly receiving signals from a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) tags carried by an individual over a UWB communications channel;
correlating two or more UWB tags of the plurality of UWB tags with an individual profile information, the individual profile information comprising a reference body distance;
determining location data for each of the two or more UWB tags based on the signals;
determining a body distance based on the location data;
comparing the body distance to the reference body distance; and
determining an activity of the individual based on the comparing the body distance to the reference body distance.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two or more UWB tags are each located on the individual at locations such that the two or more UWB tags at least partially define a human frame.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the two or more UWB tags is located at or near the individual's head, shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, or foot.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the activity of the individual further includes determining a characteristic of the activity including one or more of a speed, acceleration, momentum and movement path of at least one of the two or more UWB tags.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising wirelessly receiving sensor data from one or more sensors carried by the individual via the UWB communications channel and wherein determining the activity of the individual is further based on the sensor data.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is co-located with at least one of the two or more UWB tags.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a near field communication (NFC) sensor, a proximity sensor, a heat sensor, an eye dilation sensor, a hydration sensor, an environmental sensor, a heart rate sensor, a blood pressure sensor, and a blood chemistry sensor.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising wirelessly receiving contact data from one or more near field communication (NFC) sensors carried by the individual and wherein:
determining the activity of the individual is further based on the contact data; and
the contact data indicates that at least one of the one or more NFC sensors is in near field communicable range with a second NFC sensor.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
wirelessly receiving sensor data from one or more sensors carried by the individual; and
determining one or more characteristics of the activity based on the sensor data and on the comparing the body distance to the reference body distance.

10. An apparatus for determining an activity of an individual, the apparatus comprising:
a communications module configured to:
wirelessly receive signals from a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) tags carried by the individual over a UWB communications channel;

a processor coupled to the communications module, wherein the apparatus is configured to cause the processor to:
correlate two or more UWB tags of a plurality of UWB tags with an individual profile information, the individual profile information comprising a reference body distance;
determine location data for each of the two or more UWB tags based on the signals;
determine a body distance based on the location data;
compare the body distance to the reference body distance; and
determine the activity of the individual based on the comparing the body distance to the reference body distance.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the two or more UWB tags are each located on the individual at locations such that the two or more UWB tags at least partially define a human frame.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the two or more UWB tags is located at or near the individual's head, shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, or foot.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the communications module is further configured to:
wirelessly receive sensor data from one or more sensors carried by the individual; and
wherein the apparatus is further configured to cause the processor to determine one or more characteristics of the activity based on the sensor data and on the comparing the body distance to the reference body distance.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to cause the processor to determine a characteristic of the activity including one or more of a speed, acceleration, momentum and movement path of at least one of the two or more UWB tags.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the communications module is further configured to wirelessly receive sensor data from one or more sensors carried by the individual via the UWB communications channel and wherein the apparatus is further configured to cause the processor to determine the activity of the individual further based on the sensor data.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is co-located with at least one of the two or more UWB tags.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a near field communication (NFC) sensor, a proximity sensor, a heat sensor, an eye dilation sensor, a hydration sensor, an environmental sensor, a heart rate sensor, a blood pressure sensor, and a blood chemistry sensor.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the communications module is further configured to wirelessly receive contact data from one or more near field communication (NFC) tags carried by the individual and wherein the apparatus is further configured to cause the processor to:
determine the activity of the individual further based on the contact data, and wherein
the contact data indicates that at least one of the one or more NFC sensors is in near field communicable range with a second NFC sensor.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and computer program instructions stored therein, the computer program instructions comprising program instructions for:
wirelessly receiving signals from a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) tags carried by an individual over a UWB communications channel;
correlating two or more UWB tags of the plurality of UWB tags with an individual profile information, the individual profile information comprising a reference body distance;
determining location data for each of the two or more UWB tags based on the signals;
determining a body distance based on the location data;
comparing the body distance to the reference body distance; and
determining an activity of the individual based on the comparing the body distance to the reference body distance.

Assignees

• Zih Corp

Inventors

• Stelfox Jill
• Wohl Michael
• O'Hagan James
• Traeger Cynthia

Classifications

• G06N7/01

  Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks · CPC title

• H04B1/71635

  Transmitter aspects (H04B1/7174 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F16/9554

  by using bar codes · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• A41D1/005

  with embedded cable or connector · CPC title