Intelligent remote visual monitoring system for home health care service

A remote monitoring system for monitoring a first location from a remote location, said system comprising:

• a video camera located in the first location, said video camera providing video signals in accordance with video images captured thereby and being responsive to a plurality of control signals to perform a corresponding plurality video camera functions;
• a master monitoring computer located remote from the first location, said master monitoring computer having a first telephone modem associated therewith and a monitor, said master monitoring computer receiving said video signals from said video camera and displaying said corresponding video images on said monitor, and further providing said plurality of control signals to said video camera in response to corresponding operator commands, said master monitoring computer including a windows-based interface for providing said plurality of operator command signals to said video camera in response to said corresponding operator commands;
• and
• a slave monitoring computer located in the first location, said slave monitoring computer having a second telephone modem associated therewith and being in communication with said master monitoring computer via a telephone link established between said first and second modems, said slave monitoring computer receiving said video signals from said video camera and providing said video signals to said master monitoring computer via said telephone link, and further receiving said plurality of control signals from said master monitoring computer and providing said control signals to said video camera;
• wherein said video camera functions may be controlled in real time from a remote location to thereby view various areas within the first location.

A remote monitoring system for permitting a health care professional to provide health care to a patient in the patient's home from a remote location, said system comprising:

• means located within the patient's home for generating real-time multimedia data relating to the patient, said multimedia data including video data;
• a slave monitoring computer located in the patient's home, said slave monitoring computer having a first telephone modem associated therewith for transmitting and receiving data, said slave monitoring computer receiving said multimedia data and transmitting said multimedia data at said first modem;
• a first database having multimedia patient data stored therein;
• and
• a master monitoring computer located remote from the patient's home, said master monitoring computer having a monitor and a second telephone modem associated therewith for transmitting and receiving data, said master monitoring computer being in communication with said slave monitoring computer via a telephone link established between said first and second modems, said master monitoring computer receiving said multimedia data at said second modem and displaying said multimedia data on said monitor, said master monitoring computer further being responsive to an operator command signal corresponding to an operator command provided by the health care professional to automatically store said multimedia data within said first database to thereby maintain a multimedia medical log of the patient's medical treatment, said master monitoring computer including means for generating multimedia data, including video data, relating to the health care professional, said master monitoring computer transmitting said multimedia data relating to the health care professional to said slave monitoring computer such that the patient may observe said multimedia data relating to the health care professional in real-time;
• wherein multimedia medical data relating to the patient and generated within the patient's home may be received and maintained by a health care professional from a remote location.

A method of providing health care to a patient in the patient's home from a remote location, said method comprising the steps of:

• (1) providing a first computer at the remote location;
• (2) providing a second computer in the patient's home;
• (3) linking said first and second computers to each other for communication therebetween;
• (4) providing means for generating real-time multimedia data relating to the patient within the patient's home, said multimedia data including video data;
• (5) transmitting said real-time multimedia data relating to the patient to said first computer;
• (6) providing means associated with said first computer for generating real-time multimedia data, including video data, relating to the health care professional;
• (7) transmitting said real-time multimedia data relating to the health care professional to the patient's home;
• (8) observing the patient in real-time from said remote location via said multimedia data relating to the patient and observing the health care professional in real-time from the patient's home via said multimedia data relating to the health care professional;
• and
• (9) communicating with the patient in real-time via said communications link to thereby provide the patient with health care from said remote location.

A remote monitoring system for permitting a health care professional to provide health care to a patient in the patient's home from a remote location, said system comprising:

• a robot located in the patient's home, said robot being responsive to a control signal to perform a health care related function;
• a master monitoring computer located remote from the patient's home, said master monitoring computer having a first telephone modem associated therewith for providing said control signal to said robot in response to a corresponding operator command provided by the health care professional;
• and
• a slave monitoring computer located in the patient's home, said slave monitoring computer having a second telephone modem associated therewith and being in communication with said master monitoring computer via a telephone link established between said first and second modems, said slave monitoring computer receiving said control signal from said master monitoring computer and providing said control signal to said robot;
• wherein the health care professional may control said robot functions in real time from a remote location to thereby provide an aspect of home health care by performing said health care related function via said robot.

A remote monitoring system for permitting a health care professional to provide health care to a patient in the patient's home from a remote location, said system comprising:

• a sensor located in the patient's home, said sensor being responsive to a control signal to sense a bodily condition of the patient, said sensor providing a sensor signal corresponding to said sensed condition;
• a master monitoring computer located remote from the patient's home, said master monitoring computer having a first telephone modem associated therewith for providing said control signal to said sensor in response to a corresponding operator command provided by the health care professional, said master monitoring computer receiving said sensor signal via said first modem and having means associated therewith for determining said bodily condition from said sensor signal;
• and
• a slave monitoring computer located in the patient's home, said slave monitoring computer having a second telephone modem associated therewith and being in communication with said master monitoring computer via a telephone link established between said first and second modems, said slave monitoring computer receiving said control signal from said master monitoring computer and providing said control signal to said sensor;
• wherein the health care professional may control said sensor in real time from a remote location to thereby provide an aspect of home health care by determining said bodily condition.

A remote monitoring system for permitting a health care professional to provide health care to a patient in the patient's home from a remote location, said system comprising:

• an actuator located in the patient's home, said actuator being responsive to a control signal to actuate and deactuate a home feature;
• a sensor associated with said actuator, said sensor sensing the operating status of said home feature and providing a sensor signal corresponding thereto;
• a master monitoring computer located remote from the patient's home, said master monitoring computer having a first telephone modem associated therewith for providing said control signal to said actuator in response to a corresponding operator command provided by the health care professional, said master monitoring computer receiving said sensor signal via said first modem and having means associated therewith for determining the operating status of said home feature from said sensor signal;
• and
• a slave monitoring computer located in the patient's home, said slave monitoring computer having a second telephone modem associated therewith and being in communication with said master monitoring computer via a telephone link established between said first and second modems, said slave monitoring computer receiving said control signal from said master monitoring computer and providing said control signal to said actuator;
• wherein the health care professional may control said home feature in real time from a remote location to thereby provide an aspect of home health care.