Patent Issued for Biometric data capturing and analysis (USPTO 11734405): Computime Ltd.

2023 SEP 11 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventors Chan, Leung Yin (Hong Kong, CN), Choi, Hung Bun (Hong Kong, CN), Chu, Chun Kit (Hong Kong, CN), Ng, Yau Wai (Hong Kong, CN), filed on February 3, 2021, was published online on August 22, 2023, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 11734405 is assigned to Computime Ltd. (New Territories, Hong Kong).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Image sensors are popular for home applications. Examples include those used for a baby monitor, internet protocol OP) camera, security camera, and so. Other image sensors include thermal cameras as well as an array of thermal sensors. Expanding the effective applications of image sensors would enhance the popularity.

“The need to expand the application of sensors (for example, thermal sensors) is underscored by an article reported in the Chicago Sun Times in May 2019 about an Illinois man who died after suffering a heart-related event while driving and crashing his vehicle. The man was driving when he suffered a “heart-related event,” lost consciousness, and crashed his vehicle into a utility pole. After crashing into the pole, his car struck another vehicle. Preventive measures addressing such horrific events would certainly be beneficial to the general population.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “An apparatus uses a thermal sensor for biometric data extraction and tracking for smart home applications. Applications such as health condition analysis, motion estimation (for example, fall estimation), casual prediction (for example, heart beat is slowing down to a hazardous level), hazard detection (for example, laying down for a long time), learning the profile of individuals, and system adaptation according to individual preferences.

“With another aspect, parameters of a thermal sensor may be enhanced to allow as much data to be extracted as possible. Examples include, but not limited to: increasing the number of sensing element (i.e., the resolution), frame rate, sensitivity, and/or signal-to-noise level.

“With another aspect, signal processing techniques extract biometric data from the thermal images.

“With another aspect, an analytic model is used for hazard prediction and subsequent) associated actions taken.

“With another aspect, hazard analysis is done by a deep learning model. Actions are taking based on the hazard coefficients with the associated confidence levels estimated from the model.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A method for assessing a health condition of a vehicle driver, the method comprising: generating, by a thermal sensor, a continuous image signal that is reflected by the vehicle driver; extracting, by a processing unit from the continuous image signal, a first measurement for a first biometric characteristic of the vehicle driver; mapping the first measurement to a first health profile of a plurality of health profiles, wherein the plurality of health profiles comprises at least two specific illnesses for the vehicle driver; and detecting whether the first health profile is indicative of a first abnormal health event.

“2. A method for assessing a health condition of a vehicle driver, the method comprising: generating, by a thermal sensor, a continuous image signal that is reflected by the vehicle driver; extracting, by a processing unit from the continuous image signal, a first measurement for a first biometric characteristic of the vehicle driver; mapping the first measurement to a first health profile of a plurality of health profiles; detecting whether the first health profile is indicative of a first abnormal health event; identifying the vehicle driver; downloading health record of the identified vehicle driver; determining, based on the downloaded health record, whether additional biometric data about the vehicle driver is required; and in response to the determining, monitoring the additional biometric data.

“3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: monitoring a heartbeat characteristic of the vehicle driver.

“4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: detecting an irregularity from the heartbeat characteristic of the vehicle driver; and in response to the detecting, generating an alert about the irregularity.

“5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: distinguishing a type of irregularity from a plurality of irregularities.

“6. The method of claim 3, further comprising: storing data about the heartbeat characteristic.

“7. The method of claim 2, further comprising: when the first abnormal health event is detected, initiating, by the processing unit, a first action.

“8. The method of claim 2, further comprising: extracting, by the processing unit, a second measurement for a second biometric characteristic of the vehicle driver; mapping the first measurement and the second measurement to a second health profile of the plurality of health profiles; detecting whether the second health profile is indicative of a second abnormal health event; and when the second abnormal health event is detected, initiating, by the processing unit, a second action.

“9. The method of claim 2, further comprising: obtaining, from the thermal sensor, a thermal sensor signal; and extracting, by the processing unit, biometric data from the thermal sensor signal.

“10. The method of claim 2, wherein the monitoring comprises: downloading a downloaded thermal signature of the identified vehicle driver; obtaining, from the thermal sensor, a detected thermal signature of the vehicle driver; comparing the downloaded thermal signature with the detected thermal signature; and in response to the comparing, matching the detected thermal signature to a known entity.

“11. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying comprises: authenticating the vehicle driver before downloading the health record of vehicle driver; and when the authenticating is successful, enabling the downloading of the health record of the authenticated vehicle driver.

“12. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining comprises: when a body mass index (BMI) of the vehicle driver exceeds a predetermined amount, selecting one of a plurality of biometric characteristics, wherein said one is different from the first biometric characteristic; and measuring said one of the plurality of biometric characteristics.

“13. An apparatus providing an assessment of a vehicle driver of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a thermal sensor configured to receive continuous image sequence reflected by the vehicle driver; a processing unit for executing computer-executable instructions; a memory storing the computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processing unit cause the apparatus to perform: extracting, by the processing unit from an image signal, a first measurement for a first biometric characteristic of the vehicle driver; mapping the first measurement to a first health profile of a plurality of health profiles; detecting whether the first health profile is indicative of a first abnormal health event; when the first abnormal health event is detected, initiating, by the processing unit, a first action; identifying the vehicle driver; downloading health record and thermal signature of the identified vehicle driver; determining, based on the downloaded health record, whether additional biometric data about the vehicle driver is required; and in response to the determining, monitoring the additional biometric data.

“14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising: a self-driving interface; and the memory storing the computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processing unit further cause the apparatus to perform: instructing, through the self-driving interface, the vehicle to drive to an appropriate destination.

“15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the memory storing the computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processing unit further cause the apparatus to perform: extracting, by the processing unit, a second measurement for a second biometric characteristic of the vehicle driver; mapping the first measurement and the second measurement to a second health profile of the plurality of health profiles; detecting whether the second health profile is indicative of a second abnormal health event; and when the second abnormal health event is detected, initiating, by the processing unit, a second action.

“16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a computing system comprising at least one processor, a thermal sensor, and memory, cause the computing system to: obtain, from the thermal sensor, a continuous image signal that is reflected by a vehicle driver; extract, from the continuous image signal, a first measurement for a first biometric characteristic of the vehicle driver; map the first measurement to a first health profile of a plurality of health profiles; detect whether the first health profile is indicative of a first abnormal health event; identify the vehicle driver; download health record of the identified vehicle driver; determine, based on the downloaded health record, whether additional biometric data about the vehicle driver is required; and in response to the determining, monitor the additional biometric data.”

URL and more information on this patent, see: Chan, Leung Yin. Biometric data capturing and analysis. U.S. Patent Number 11734405, filed February 3, 2021, and published online on August 22, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11734405)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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