Apparatus and method for detecting a rotational movement of a body

A method for determining when a child has moved from a position of lying on its back to a position of lying on its stomach, comprising the steps of:

• preselecting an inclination angle within at least two tilt switches, wherein said at least two tilt switches are capable of determining when said at least two tilt switches have been rotated by said preselected angle with respect to a vertical reference axis of rotation through the body of said child;
• wherein a rotation by said preselected inclination angle indicates that said child has moved from a position of lying on its back to a position of lying on its stomach;
• and
• attaching said at least two tilt switches to said child;
• determining when said at least two tilt switches have been rotated by said inclination angle;
• and
• initiating the operation of at least one physiological condition monitor attached to said child to monitor at least one physiological condition of said child in response to said determination that said at least two tilt switches have been rotated by said inclination angle.

A method for alerting a care giver when one child of a plurality of children has moved from a position of lying on its back to a position of lying on its stomach, comprising the steps of:

• attaching at least two tilt switches to each of said plurality of children;
• preselecting an inclination angle within each of said at least two tilt switches attached to each of said plurality of children so that when one of each of said at least two tilt switches is rotated by said preselected inclination angle, then each one of said at least two tilt switches so rotated indicates that said child has moved from a position of lying on its back to a position of lying on its stomach;
• determining when one of said at least two tilt switches attached to one child of said plurality of children has been rotated by said preselected inclination angle;
• and
• generating a signal in response to said determination to alert the care giver that said one child of said plurality of children has moved from a position of lying on its back to a position of lying on its stomach;
• and
• initiating the operation of at least one physiological condition monitor attached to said one child of a plurality of children to monitor at least one physiological condition of said one child of a plurality of children in response to said determination that said at least two tilt switches have been rotated by said inclination angle.