Thermal tags for real-time activity monitoring and methods for detecting the same
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsLi-Wen Hung, Jui-Hsin Lai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermal tag includes a power source to generate current along a resistive path and a plurality of infrared-emitting features positioned along the resistive path to emit infrared light along an infrared-emitting pattern, wherein the plurality of infrared-emitting features include one or more infrared-emitting stripes on a first surface of the thermal tag defining a pattern region and a plurality of infrared-emitting dots within a portion of the pattern region to provide a thermal-diffusion resistant pattern for activity monitoring.
Claims20
A thermal tag, comprising:
- a power source to generate current along a resistive path;
- and
- a plurality of infrared-emitting features positioned along the resistive path to emit infrared light along an infrared-emitting pattern, wherein the plurality of infrared-emitting features include one or more infrared-emitting stripes on a first surface of the thermal tag defining a pattern region and a plurality of infrared-emitting dots within a portion of the pattern region to provide a thermal-diffusion resistant pattern for activity monitoring.
A method for activity monitoring, comprising:
- capturing an infrared image of an environment that comprises at least one patient being monitored and at least one infrared-emitting tag;
- detecting a plurality of infrared-emitting features arranged in an infrared-emitting pattern on the at least one infrared-emitting tag, wherein the plurality of infrared-emitting features include one or more infrared-emitting stripes on a first surface of the at least one infrared-emitting tag defining a pattern region and a plurality of infrared-emitting dots within a portion of the pattern region to provide a thermal-diffusion resistant pattern;
- and
- tracking a relationship between the patient being monitored and the at least one infrared-emitting tag using a processor.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a computer readable program for activity monitoring, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to execute:
- capturing an infrared image of an environment that comprises at least one patient being monitored and at least one infrared-emitting tag;
- detecting a plurality of infrared-emitting features arranged in an infrared-emitting pattern on the at least one infrared-emitting tag, wherein the plurality of infrared-emitting features include one or more infrared-emitting stripes on a first surface of the at least one infrared-emitting tag defining a pattern region and a plurality of infrared-emitting dots within a portion of the pattern region to provide a thermal-diffusion resistant pattern;
- and
- tracking a relationship between the patient being monitored and the at least one infrared-emitting tag using a processor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.