# US 2014/0191863 A1 · Apparatus for use in a fall detector or fall detection system, and a method of operating the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191863 A1 - Document ID: US20140191863A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/114,592 - Filed: 2011-11-04 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-04-29 - Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Applicants: Koninklijke Philips 5 - Inventors: Warner Rudolph Theophile Ten Kate - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191863A1 ## CPC - G08B 21/02: Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons - A61B 5/02055: {Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature} - A61B 5/1116: {Determining posture transitions} - A61B 5/1117: {Fall detection} - A61B 5/1126: {using a particular sensing technique} - A61B 5/7203: {for noise prevention, reduction or removal} - A61B 5/725: {using specific filters therefor, e.g. Kalman or adaptive filters (specific diagnostics methods using using bioelectric or biomagnetic signals A61B5/316)} - A61B 5/7275: {Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor} - A61B 5/7282: {Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition (cough events A61B5/0823; seizures A61B5/4094; sleep apnoea A61B5/4818)} - G08B 21/0446: {worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait} - G08B 21/0453: {worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing (detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00)} - H04M 3/5116: {for emergency applications} - A61B 5/021: Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels - A61B 5/02438: {with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient} - A61B 5/0531: Measuring skin impedance - A61B 5/1102: {Ballistocardiography} - A61B 5/14551: {for measuring blood gases} - A61B 5/747: {in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services} - A61B 2562/0219: Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches - H04M 2250/12: including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract There is provided a method of operating a fall detector, the method comprising, on detecting a fall event by a user of the fall detector, measuring at least one physiological characteristic of the user; and using the measurement of the at least one physiological characteristic to determine whether to expedite an alert that the user has fallen. An apparatus comprising a processor that is configured to perform the method described above is also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a fall detector, the method comprising: on detecting a fall event by a user of the fall detector, measuring at least one physiological characteristic of the user; and using the measurement of the at least one physiological characteristic to determine whether to expedite an alert that the user has fallen by: determining if the measurement of the at least one physiological characteristic deviates from a normal value for the at least one physiological characteristic; and expediting an alert that the user has fallen if the at least one physiological characteristic deviates from a normal value for the at least one physiological characteristic. ### Claim 2 (canceled) ### Claim 3 (canceled) ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of issuing a non-expedited alert comprises: initiating the non-expedited alert that the user has fallen if it is determined that the user has not got up within a predetermined time period after the detected fall event. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of determining if the measurement of the at least one physiological characteristic deviates from a normal value for the at least one physiological characteristic comprises comparing the measurement of the at least one physiological characteristic to a threshold value or a normal range of values for the at least one physiological characteristic. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the normal value for the at least one physiological characteristic is user-dependent. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of: measuring the movements of the user; and analyzing the measured movements to identify one or more movements indicative of a fall by the user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the measured movements are further analyzed to obtain the measurement of the at least one physiological characteristic of the user. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of measuring at least one physiological characteristic of the user comprises using a sensor different to that used to measure the movements of the user. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the one or more movements consistent with a fall are selected from an impact, a change in height of the user, a vertical velocity and a change in orientation of the user. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an alert comprises at least one of an audible alarm, a call to a call centre, emergency service or nominated recipient or sending data to a call centre, emergency service or nominated recipient. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein expediting an alert comprises one or more of: initiating an alert before the expiry of a revocation period, labeling a call or message as high priority such that queuing of the call or message at a recipient is expedited compared to a non-expedited alert, initiating an alert through a higher priority or higher bandwidth channel in a network than a non-expedited alert, initiating an alert to an emergency service instead of, or in addition to, a call centre associated with the fall detector. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one physiological characteristic is selected from heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration rate, respiration rate variability, body temperature, skin conductivity and blood pressure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A computer program product comprising computer readable code embodied therein, the code being configured such that, on execution by a suitable computer or processor, the computer or processor is caused to perform the method as claimed in claim 1. ### Claim 15 An apparatus, comprising: a processing unit that is configured to: determine a measurement of at least one physiological characteristic of a user of a fall detector on detecting a fall event by the user; and use the measurement of the at least one physiological characteristic to determine whether to expedite an alert that the user has fallen by: determining if the measurement of the at least one physiological characteristic deviates from a normal value for the at least one physiological characteristic; expediting an alert that the user has fallen if the at least one physiological characteristic deviates from a normal value for the at least one physiological characteristic; and issuing a non-expedited alert that the user has fallen if the at least one physiological characteristic does not deviate from a normal value for the at least one physiological characteristic.