Infant condition monitoring system and method using load cell sensor sheet

An infant condition monitoring system comprising:

• a plurality of load cells, arranged to be contacted by an infant, for producing respectively load signals varying with loads applied from the infant;
• breathing signal forming means for forming a breathing signal from the load signals;
• breathing condition detecting means for detecting a breathing condition of the infant from the breathing signal;
• and
• reporting means for reporting the detected breathing condition, wherein
• the breathing condition detecting means includes means for determining a respiration rate from the breathing signal;
• and
• the reporting means is constructed to produce at least one among (A) a display of the determined respiration rate, and (B) an output sound varying with a waveform pattern of the breathing signal.

An infant condition monitoring system comprising:

• a plurality of load cells, arranged to be contacted by an infant, for producing respectively load signals varying with loads applied from the infant;
• breathing signal forming means for forming a breathing signal from the load signals;
• breathing condition detecting means for detecting a breathing condition of the infant from the breathing signal;
• reporting means for reporting the detected breathing condition;
• data signal transmitter means connected to the breathing signal forming means for transmitting a data signal including the breathing signal;
• and
• data signal receiver means connected to the breathing condition determining means for receiving the data signal wirelessly from the transmitter means.

A personal condition monitoring method comprising the steps of:

• placing a person to be monitored on a sensor sheet having a plurality of load cells arranged at regular intervals over the sensor sheet;
• selectably receiving a plurality of load signals from a corresponding plurality of the load cells and forming a breathing signal of the person;
• determining a breathing condition of the person from the formed breathing signal;
• and
• reporting the determined breathing condition.

A personal condition monitoring method comprising the steps of:

• placing a person to be monitored on a sensor sheet having a plurality of load cells arranged at regular intervals over the sensor sheet;
• forming a breathing signal of the person from load signals produced by a selected plurality of the load cells;
• determining a breathing condition of the person from the formed breathing signal;
• and
• reporting the determined breathing condition, wherein:
• the breathing condition determining step calculates a respiration rate of the person from the formed breathing signal;
• and
• the reporting step comprises at least one among displaying the calculated respiration rate and producing an output signal varying with the formed breathing signal.

A personal condition monitoring method comprising the steps of:

• placing a person to be monitored on a sensor sheet having a plurality of load cells arranged at regular intervals over the sensor sheet;
• forming a breathing signal of the person from load signals produced from the load cells;
• determining a breathing condition of the person from the formed breathing signal;
• reporting the determined breathing condition;
• detecting a stationary state of the person from changes in the load signals of the load sensors;
• determining a weight of the person from the load signals of the load sensors under the detected stationary state;
• and
• displaying the determined weight on a display.