U.S. patent application number 16/995894 was filed with the patent office on 2020-12-03 for telemedicine application of video analysis and motion augmentation.
The applicant listed for this patent is AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.. Invention is credited to James E. Jackson, James H. Pratt, Eric Zavesky.
Application Number | 20200375467 16/995894 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005021664 |
Filed Date | 2020-12-03 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200375467 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pratt; James H. ; et
al. |
December 3, 2020 |
TELEMEDICINE APPLICATION OF VIDEO ANALYSIS AND MOTION
AUGMENTATION
Abstract
A system for providing video analysis and motion augmentation,
particularly in the context of telemedicine applications is
disclosed. In particular, the system may utilize cameras and other
devices to detect macro and micro changes and movements of a being
so as to assist in the detection of an anomaly associated with the
being. After detecting the anomaly based on the detected macro and
micro changes and movements, the system may transmit an alert
identifying the anomaly and formulate a proposed request for
interaction with the being. The request for interaction may be
transmitted to the being, and information obtained in response to
the request for interaction may be utilized by the system to assist
in the determination of a diagnosis of a condition of the being.
The process may be repeated as necessary until the diagnosis is
confirmed and enough information associated with the being is
obtained.
Inventors: |
Pratt; James H.; (Round
Rock, TX) ; Jackson; James E.; (Austin, TX) ;
Zavesky; Eric; (Austin, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. |
Atlanta |
GA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005021664 |
Appl. No.: |
16/995894 |
Filed: |
August 18, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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14885746 |
Oct 16, 2015 |
10779733 |
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16995894 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B 5/1113 20130101;
A61B 5/0022 20130101; G16H 30/40 20180101; A61B 5/7275 20130101;
G16H 80/00 20180101; A61B 5/0077 20130101; A61B 5/747 20130101;
A61B 5/1114 20130101; G16H 50/20 20180101 |
International
Class: |
A61B 5/00 20060101
A61B005/00; A61B 5/11 20060101 A61B005/11; G16H 50/20 20060101
G16H050/20; G16H 30/40 20060101 G16H030/40; G16H 80/00 20060101
G16H080/00 |
Claims
1. A method, comprising: detecting, by a system comprising a
processor, an anomaly associated with a being based on a
physiological condition associated with the being identified in
first media representative of first motion of the being from a
first camera; transmitting, by the system to a device associated
with the being, a proposed action to be performed in relation to
the being based on the anomaly; determining, by the system, based
on information obtained in response to performance of the proposed
action, a diagnosis associated with the being; and confirming, by
the system, the diagnosis based on second media representative of
second motion of the being from a second camera, wherein the second
motion comprises a movement of the being that the first camera is
unable to detect.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological condition is a
first physiological condition, and wherein the confirming comprises
analyzing the second media to detect a second physiological
condition associated with the being.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the proposed action to be
performed in relation to the being comprises the proposed action to
be performed by the being.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the proposed action to be
performed in relation to the being comprises the proposed action to
be performed by a physician treating the being.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the proposed action to be
performed in relation to the being comprises adjusting a body part
of the being.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the proposed action to be
performed in relation to the being comprises performing a motion
with a body part of the being.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the confirming comprises
adjusting the diagnosis in response to determining that the
diagnosis is not confirmed.
8. A system, comprising: a processor; and a memory that stores
executable instructions that, when executed by the processor,
facilitate performance of operations, comprising: identifying an
anomaly associated with a person based on a physiological movement
associated with the person identified in first media that has
captured first motion of the person by a first camera;
transmitting, to a device associated with the person, an action to
be performed in relation to the person based on the anomaly;
determining based on information obtained in response to the action
being performed, a diagnosis associated with the person; and
confirming the diagnosis based on second media that has captured
second motion of the person by a second camera, wherein the second
motion captured by the second camera comprises a movement of the
person that the first camera is unable to detect.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the physiological movement is a
first physiological movement, and wherein the confirming comprises
analyzing the second media to detect a second physiological
movement associated with the person.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the action to be performed in
relation to the person comprises the action to be performed by the
person.
11. The system of claim 8, wherein the action to be performed in
relation to the person comprises the action to be performed by a
medical professional treating the person.
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the action to be performed in
relation to the person comprises adjusting a limb of the
person.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the action to be performed in
relation to the person comprises performing a motion with a limb of
the person.
14. The system of claim 8, wherein the confirming comprises
adjusting the diagnosis in response to determining that the
diagnosis is not confirmed.
15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable
instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate
performance of operations, comprising: determining an anomaly
associated with a being based on a physiological change associated
with the being identified in first media capturing first motion of
the being via a first camera; transmitting, a device associated
with the being, an action to be performed in relation to the being
based on the anomaly; determining based on information obtained in
response to the action being performed, a diagnosis associated with
the being; and confirming the diagnosis based on second media
capturing second motion of the being via a second camera, wherein
the second motion captured via the second camera comprises a
movement of the being that the first camera is unable to
detect.
16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein
the physiological change is a first physiological change, and
wherein the confirming comprises analyzing the second media to
detect a second physiological change associated with the being.
17. The system of claim 8, wherein the action to be performed in
relation to the being comprises the action to be performed by the
being.
18. The system of claim 8, wherein the action to be performed in
relation to the being comprises the action to be performed by a
medical robot treating the being.
19. The system of claim 8, wherein the action to be performed in
relation to the being comprises adjusting an eye of the being.
20. The system of claim 8, wherein the action to be performed in
relation to the being comprises performing a motion with an eye of
the being.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The subject patent application is a continuation of, and
claims priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/885,746,
filed Oct. 16, 2015, and entitled "TELEMEDICINE APPLICATION OF
VIDEO ANALYSIS AND MOTION AUGMENTATION," the entirety of which
application is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present application relates to technologies for video
and motion augmentation, and more particularly, to a system and
method for providing video analysis and motion augmentation,
particularly in the context of telemedicine applications.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In today's society, medical professionals often rely on
various types of devices to assist in the detection of various
types of physical abnormalities and to assist in determining which
disease or condition explains such abnormalities. Currently
existing technologies for detecting anomalies often require the use
of invasive medical tools or require non-portable and expensive
devices to conduct various types of scans on patients. Invasive
medical tools include devices, such as, but not limited to,
endoscopes, catheters, probes, and surgical robots. As an example,
physicians currently utilize endoscopes fitted with lens systems
and eyepieces to examine a region inside a patient's body. In order
to examine the patient's body, a physician typically inserts the
endoscope directly into an opening or organ of the patient's body.
While the endoscope itself is often useful in detecting
abnormalities in the body of a patient, using an endoscope often
causes patient discomfort and even physical trauma at the site at
which the endoscope is inserted. Similarly, probes, catheters,
surgical robots, and other invasive medical tools also can cause
discomfort and physical trauma.
[0004] As an alternative to or in addition to using invasive tools,
physicians may also utilize non-invasive diagnostic tools.
Non-invasive diagnostic tools include devices, such as, but not
limited to, X-ray machines, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
machines, computerized tomography (CT) machines, positron emission
tomography (PET) machines, and other non-invasive diagnostic
devices. As an example, physicians utilize MRI machines to generate
magnetic fields and pulses of radio wave energy to generate
pictures of organs and physical structures inside a patient's body.
While MRI machines and other similar technologies produce helpful
images and information to assist a physician in detecting anomalies
and confirming medical diagnoses, such technologies are often very
expensive, cumbersome, non-portable, or a combination thereof. As a
result, there is still significant room to enhance current
methodologies and technologies for detecting anomalies, obtaining
patient information, and confirming medical diagnoses.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for providing
video analysis and motion augmentation for telemedicine
applications according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a sample method for
providing video analysis and motion augmentation for telemedicine
applications according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a machine in the form of a
computer system within which a set of instructions, when executed,
may cause the machine to perform any one or more of the
methodologies or operations of the systems and methods for
providing video analysis and motion augmentation for telemedicine
applications.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0008] A system and accompanying methods for providing video
analysis and motion augmentation for applications, such as
telemedicine applications, are disclosed. In particular, the system
and methods may involve utilizing video analysis and motion
augmentation to assist in the detection of various types of
physical anomalies and to assist in the determination of diagnoses
for beings, such as humans and animals. In order to accomplish the
foregoing, the system and methods may involve utilizing cameras and
other technologies to focus on two primary modalities associated
with such beings: physiological changes and movements. Both of
these modalities may be available at macro (e.g., body or body
region) and micro (e.g., specific body structure or body part)
levels. The system and methods may utilize the cameras and other
technologies to capture video and/or other media content of a being
in a particular environment, such as an office, home, or other
environment. Based on the captured video and/or other media content
of the being, the system and methods may include performing an
analysis of the content to detect physiological changes and/or
movements of the being at macro and micro levels. For example,
based on the video of the being, the systems and methods may detect
a micro-movement of a body part of the being or a change in skin
pigmentation of the being.
[0009] Once the video or other content of the being is obtained and
the detected changes of the being are detected, the system and
methods may include submitting the content, the detected changes,
and information associated with the content and changes for further
processing in the system. The submitted content, changes, and
information may be aggregated with similar information for other
beings. Based on a comparison between the aggregated data, the
content, the changes, and the information, the system and methods
may detect one or more anomalies associated with the being. If an
anomaly is not detected or a detected anomaly needs to be
confirmed, the system and methods may include transmitting a signal
to cause the cameras to be adjusted so that additional media
content of the being may be obtained from a different vantage point
and/or transmitting a signal to a device of the being to instruct
the being to perform a particular action, such as move a body part
in the presence of the camera. The cameras may obtain the
additional media content based on the adjusted position of the
camera and/or the action performed by the being in response to the
instruction. Then, the system and methods may include utilizing the
additional media content from the cameras in combination with the
initial media content obtained of the user to confirm the existence
of an anomaly.
[0010] Once an anomaly is detected, the system and methods may
include transmitting one or more alerts to a device of the being or
to a device of a physician monitoring the being, which indicate the
presence and type of anomaly detected. The system and methods may
also include generating and transmitting one or more proposed
interactions to be performed with the being based on the detected
anomaly. For example, if the cameras obtain video content of a
person that shows that the person's left eye is twitching in an
anomalous manner, the system may generate and transmit a proposed
interaction that indicates that the person should blink their left
eye in a certain manner and/or that the physician monitoring the
person should perform some type of interaction with the person so
as to obtain additional information. The system and methods may
receive information back from the person and/or the physician that
relates to the proposed interaction, and may utilize the
information, in conjunction with the content, changes, aggregated
data, and other information, to generate a diagnosis for the being.
For example, using the example above, based on the media content
showing the person's left eye twitching, information gathered after
the person blinks their eye, aggregated information for other
individuals experiencing similar symptoms, previously stored
historical patient information for the person, and/or other
information, the system and methods may diagnose the person with a
certain eye disease. The system and methods may include continuing
to monitor the being to confirm the diagnosis, to track the being's
progress, to determine trends in a population, update the being's
historical information, or to perform any other desired function.
In certain embodiments, the content obtained from the cameras may
be combined with other technologies, such as, but not limited to,
infrared imaging content, thermal imaging content, MRI content, CT
content, PET content, and/or any type of other content to confirm
anomalies, confirm diagnoses, generate proposed interactions,
transmit alerts, or any combination thereof.
[0011] In one embodiment, a system for providing video analysis and
motion augmentation for telemedicine applications is disclosed. The
system may include a memory that stores instructions and a
processor that executes the instructions to perform various
operations of the system. The system may perform an operation that
includes capturing first media content of a being within a range of
a camera monitoring the being. The system may then perform an
operation that includes analyzing the first media content to detect
a first change associated with the being. In certain embodiments,
the first change associated with the being may be a movement of the
being, a change in a condition of the being, or a combination
thereof. The system may proceed to perform an operation that
includes detecting an anomaly associated with the being based on
comparing the first change associated with the being to aggregated
data for a plurality of beings including the being. Once an anomaly
is detected, the system may perform an operation that includes
determining, based on the anomaly, a proposed interaction with the
being. The system may perform an operation that includes
transmitting the proposed interaction to a device of the being.
Finally, the system may perform an operation that includes
determining, based on the anomaly, the aggregated data, and on
information obtained m response to transmitting the proposed
interaction, a diagnosis associated with the being.
[0012] In another embodiment, a method for providing video analysis
and motion augmentation for telemedicine applications is disclosed.
The method may include utilizing a memory that stores instructions,
and a processor that executes the instructions to perform the
various functions of the method. In particular, the method may
include obtaining, during a first time interval, first media
content of a being within a range of a camera monitoring the being.
Additionally, the method may include detecting, based on the first
media content, a first change associated with the being. The first
change associated with the being may include a movement of the
being, a first change in a condition of the being, or a combination
thereof. Once the first change is detected, the method may include
detecting an anomaly associated with the being based on comparing
the first change associated with the being to aggregated data for a
plurality of beings. The method may then include determining, based
on the anomaly associated with the being, a proposed interaction
with the being, and then transmitting the proposed interaction to a
device associated with the being. Finally, the method may include
determining, based on the anomaly, the aggregated data, and on
information obtained in response to transmitting the proposed
interaction, a diagnosis associated with the being.
[0013] According to yet another embodiment, a computer-readable
device having instructions for providing video analysis and motion
augmentation for telemedicine applications is provided. The
computer instructions, which when loaded and executed by a
processor, may cause the processor to perform operations including:
capturing first media content of a being within a range of a
camera; analyzing the first media content to detect a first change
associated with the being, wherein the first change associated with
the being comprises a movement of the being, a first change in a
condition of the being, or a combination thereof; detecting an
anomaly associated with the being based on comparing the first
change associated with the being to aggregated data for a plurality
of beings; determining, based on the anomaly associated with the
being, a proposed interaction with the being to determine a
diagnosis associated with the being; transmitting the proposed
interaction to a device associated with the being; and determining,
based on the anomaly, the aggregated data, and on information
obtained in response to transmitting the proposed interaction, the
diagnosis associated with the being.
[0014] These and other features of the systems and methods for
providing video analysis and motion augmentation for telemedicine
applications are described in the following detailed description,
drawings, and appended claims.
[0015] A system 100 and accompanying methods for providing video
analysis and motion augmentation for applications, such as, but not
limited to, telemedicine applications, are disclosed. In
particular, the system 100 and methods may involve utilizing video
analysis and motion augmentation to assist in the detection of
various types of anomalies and to assist in the determination of
diagnoses for various types of beings, such as humans and animals.
In order to accomplish the foregoing, the system 100 and methods
may involve utilizing cameras 120 and other technologies to focus
on two primary modalities associated with such beings:
physiological changes and movements. Each of these modalities may
be available at macro (e.g., body or body region) and micro (e.g.,
specific body structure or body part) levels. The system 100 and
methods may utilize the cameras 120 and other technologies to
capture video and/or other media content of a being in a particular
environment, such as a doctor's office, a home, or other
environment. Based on the captured video and/or other media content
of the being, the system 100 and methods may analyze the content to
detect physiological changes and/or movements of the being at both
macro and micro levels.
[0016] Once the video or other content of the being is obtained and
the detected changes of the being are detected, the system 100 and
methods may submit the content, the detected changes, and
information associated with the content and changes for further
processing in the system 100. The submitted content, changes, and
information may be aggregated with similar information for other
beings. Based on a comparison among the aggregated data, the
content, the changes, and the information, the system 100 and
methods may detect one or more anomalies associated with the being.
If an anomaly is not detected or a detected anomaly needs to be
confirmed, the system 100 and methods may include transmitting a
signal to cause the cameras 120 to be adjusted so that additional
media content of the being may be obtained from a different
position. Additionally, the system 100 and methods may include
transmitting a signal to a device of the being to instruct the
being to perform a particular action, such as move a body part in
front of the camera 120. The cameras 120 may obtain the additional
media content based on the adjusted position of the camera 120
and/or the action performed by the being in response to the
instruction sent to the being. The system 100 and methods may then
include utilizing the additional media content from the cameras 120
in combination with the initial video content depicting the user to
confirm the existence of an anomaly.
[0017] Once an anomaly is detected, the system 100 and methods may
include transmitting one or more alerts to a device of the being
and/or to a device of a physician monitoring the being. The alerts
may be utilized to indicate the presence and type of anomaly
detected. The system 100 and methods may also include generating
and transmitting one or more proposed interactions to be performed
with the being based on the detected anomaly. For example, if the
cameras 120 obtain video content of a person that shows that his
skin pigmentation on his right arm is changing, the system 100 may
generate and transmit a proposed interaction that indicates that
the person should rotate his arm in a certain manner and/or that
the physician monitoring the person should perform some type of
interaction with the person so as to obtain additional information
relating to the anomaly.
[0018] The system 100 and methods may receive information back from
the person and/or the physician that relates to the proposed
interaction, and may utilize the information, in conjunction with
the content, changes, aggregated data, and other information, to
generate a diagnosis for the person. For example, using the example
above, based on the media content showing the change in skin
pigmentation, information gathered after the person rotates his
arm, aggregated information for other individuals experiencing
similar symptoms, previously stored historical patient information
for the person, and/or other information, the system 100 and
methods may diagnose the person with a certain skin disease. The
system 100 and methods may include continuing to monitor the person
to confirm the diagnosis, to track the person's progress, to
determine trends in a population, update the person's historical
information, or to perform any other desired function. In certain
embodiments, the content obtained from the cameras 120 may be
combined with information obtained from other technologies, such
as, but not limited to, infrared imaging content, thermal imaging
content, MRI content, CT content, PET content, and/or any other
type of content to confirm anomalies, confirm diagnoses, generate
proposed interactions, transmit alerts, or any combination
thereof.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, a system 100 for providing video
analysis and motion augmentation for applications, such as, but not
limited to, telemedicine applications, is disclosed. The system 100
may be configured to support, but is not limited to supporting,
cloud computing services, content delivery services, satellite
services, telephone services, voice-over-internet protocol services
(VoIP), software as a service (SaaS) applications, gaming
applications and services, productivity applications and services,
mobile applications and services, and any other computing
applications and services. The system may include a first user 101,
which may be any type of being, such, as but not limited to, a
human, an animal, or any other being. The first user 101 may
utilize a first user device 102 to access data, content, and
services, or to perform a variety of other tasks and functions. As
an example, the first user 101 may utilize first user device 102 to
transmit signals to access various online services, such as those
provided by a content provider or service provider associated with
communications network 135. The first user device 102 may include a
memory 103 that includes instructions, and a processor 104 that
executes the instructions from the memory 103 to perform the
various operations that are performed by the first user device 102.
In certain embodiments, the processor 104 may be hardware,
software, or a combination thereof. The first user device 102 may
also include a camera 105, which may be configured to record and
store video and/or audio content within a viewing range and/or
auditory range of the camera 105. In certain embodiments, the
camera 105 may be any type of camera including, but not limited to,
a video camera, a photo camera, an infrared camera, a thermal
imaging camera, any type of imaging device, or any combination
thereof. In certain embodiments, the first user device 102 may be a
computer, a medical device, a laptop, a tablet device, a phablet, a
server, a mobile device, a smartphone, a smart watch, or any other
type of computing device. Illustratively, the first user device 102
is shown as a smartphone device in FIG. 1, and the first user 101
is a person.
[0020] In addition to the first user 101, the system 100 may also
include a second user 110, which may be any type of being, such, as
but not limited to, a human, an animal, or any other being. The
second user 110 may utilize a second user device 111 to also access
data, content, and services, and to perform a variety of other
functions. For example, the second user device 111 may be utilized
by the second user 110 to transmit signals to request various types
of content, services, and data provided by providers associated
with communications network 135 or any other network in the system
100. The second user device 111 may include a memory 112 that
includes instructions, and a processor 113 that executes the
instructions from the memory 112 to perform the various operations
that are performed by the second user device 111. In certain
embodiments, the processor 113 may be hardware, software, or a
combination thereof. The second user device 111 may also include a
camera 114, which may be configured to record and store content
within a viewing range of the camera 114. In certain embodiments,
the camera 114 may be any type of camera including, but not limited
to, a video camera, a photo camera, an infrared camera, a thermal
imaging camera, any type of imaging device, or any combination
thereof. Similar to the first user device 102, in certain
embodiments, the second user device 111 may be a computer, a
laptop, a tablet device, a phablet, a server, a mobile device, a
smartphone, a smart watch, or any other type of computing device.
Illustratively, the second user device 111 is shown as a tablet
device in FIG. 1, and the second user 110 is a person.
[0021] The system 100 may also include a third user 115, which may
be any type of being, such, as but not limited to, a human, an
animal, or any other being. The third user 115 may utilize a third
user device 116 to also access data, content, and services, and to
perform a variety of other functions. For example, the third user
device 116 may be utilized by the third user 115 to transmit
signals to request various types of content, services, and data
provided by providers associated with communications network 135 or
any other network in the system 100. Additionally, the third user
device 116 may communicate with first and second user devices 102,
111. The third user device 116 may include a memory 117 that
includes instructions, and a processor 118 that executes the
instructions from the memory 117 to perform the various operations
that are performed by the third user device 116. In certain
embodiments, the processor 118 may be hardware, software, or a
combination thereof. The third user device 116 may also include a
camera 119, which may be configured to record and store content
within a viewing range of the camera 119. The camera 119 may also
record audio content as well. In certain embodiments, the camera
119 may be any type of camera including, but not limited to, a
video camera, a photo camera, an infrared camera, a thermal imaging
camera, any type of imaging device, or any combination thereof. In
certain embodiments, the third user device 116 may be a computer, a
laptop, a tablet device, a phablet, a server, a mobile device, a
smartphone, a smart watch, or any other type of computing device.
Illustratively, the third user device 116 is shown as a tablet
device in FIG. 1, and the third user 115 is a physician associated
with the first and second users 101, 110.
[0022] In certain embodiments, first user device 102, the second
user device 111, and the third user device 116 may have any number
of software applications and/or application services stored and/or
accessible thereon. For example, the first, second, and third user
devices 102, 111, 116 may include cloud-based applications, mapping
applications, location tracking applications, database
applications, gaming applications, internet-based applications,
browser applications, mobile applications, service-based
applications, productivity applications, video applications, music
applications, streaming media applications, social media
applications, any other type of applications, any types of
application services, or a combination thereof. In certain
embodiments, the software applications and services may include one
or more graphical user interfaces so as to enable the first,
second, and third users 101, 110, 115 to readily interact with the
software applications. The software applications and services may
also be utilized by the first, second, and third users 101, 110,
115 to interact with the any device in the system 100, any network
in the system 100, or any combination thereof. In certain
embodiments, the first user device 102, the second user device 111,
and the third user device 116 may include associated telephone
numbers, device identities, or any other identifiers to uniquely
identify the first, second, and third user devices 102, 111,
116.
[0023] The system 100 may also include a camera 120, which may be
utilized to record any type of media content or any type of other
content. The media content may include, but is not limited to,
video content, audio content, image content, any type of content,
or any combination thereof. The camera 120 may be any type of
camera, such as, but not limited to, a video camera, a thermal
imaging camera, an infrared camera, an X-ray-enabled camera, any
type of imaging device, any type of media content recording device,
a surveillance device, or any combination thereof, that may be
utilized to capture and record media content associated with the
first and second users 101, 110. For example, the camera 120 can
record video of the first user 101 and any sounds that the first
user 101 makes when the first user 101 is within a viewing range
for the camera 120 or the system 100. The camera 120 may record
sounds by utilizing a microphone, which may reside within the
camera 120 or in proximity to the camera 120. In certain
embodiments, the camera 120 may be communicatively linked with any
of the devices and networks in the system 100, and may transmit
recorded media content to any of the devices and networks in the
system 100.
[0024] In addition to the camera 120, the system 100 may also
include a device 125, which may be any type of device including,
but not limited to, an MRI machine, a CT machine, a PET machine, a
thermal imaging device, an X-ray machine, an infrared imaging
device, any type of medical imaging device, any type of device, any
type of computing device, or any combination thereof. In certain
embodiments, the device 125 may communicate with any of the devices
and components in the system 100, such as, but not limited to, the
first, second, and third user devices 102, 111, 116. The device 125
may include a memory 126 that includes instructions, and a
processor 127 that executes the instructions from the memory 126 to
perform the various operations that are performed by the device
125. In certain embodiments, the processor 127 may be hardware,
software, or a combination thereof. The device 125 may be
configured to record imaging data and content associated with the
first and second users 101, 110. For example, if the device 125 is
a thermal imaging device, the device 125 may be configured to take
thermal images of the first and second users 101, 110. Using the
same example, the thermal images may then be transmitted to any
component or device of the system 100 for further processing and
may be combined with content obtained from the first, second, and
third user devices 102, 111, 116 to assist in detecting anomalies
associated with the first and second users 101, 111, and to
determine diagnoses for the first and second users 101, 111.
[0025] The system 100 may further include a communications network
135. The communications network 135 of the system 100 may be
configured to link each of the devices in the system 100 to one
another. Additionally, the communications network 135 may be
configured to transmit, generate, and receive any information and
data traversing the system 100. In certain embodiments, the
communications network 135 may include any number of servers,
databases, or other componentry. The communications network 135 may
also include and be connected to a cloud-computing network, a
wireless network, an Ethernet network, a satellite network, a
broadband network, a cellular network, a private network, a cable
network, the Internet, an internet protocol network, a
multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network, a content
distribution network, any network or any combination thereof.
Illustratively, servers 140 and 145 are shown as being included
within communications network 135, and the communications network
135 is shown as a content delivery network. In certain embodiments,
the communications network 135 may be part of a single autonomous
system that is located in a particular geographic region, or be
part of multiple autonomous systems that span several geographic
regions.
[0026] Notably, the functionality of the system 100 may be
supported and executed by using any combination of the servers 140,
145, and 160. In certain embodiments, the server 140 may include a
memory 141 that includes instructions, and a processor 142 that
executes the instructions from the memory 141 to perform various
operations that are performed by the server 140. The processor 142
may be hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Similarly, the
server 145 may include a memory 146 that includes instructions, and
a processor 147 that executes the instructions from the memory 146
to perform the various operations that are performed by the server
145. In certain embodiments, the servers 140, 145, and 160 may be
network servers, routers, gateways, computers, mobile devices or
any other suitable computing device. In certain embodiments, the
servers 140, 145 may be communicatively linked to the
communications network 135, any network, any device in the system
100, or any combination thereof.
[0027] The database 155 of the system 100 may be utilized to store
and relay information that traverses the system 100, cache content
that traverses the system 100, store data about each of the devices
in the system 100 and perform any other typical functions of a
database. In certain embodiments, the database 155 may be connected
to or reside within the communications network 135, any other
network, or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the
database 155 may serve as a central repository for any information
associated with any of the devices and information associated with
the system 100. Furthermore, the database 155 may include a
processor and memory or be connected to a processor and memory to
perform the various operation associated with the database 155. In
certain embodiments, the database 155 may be connected to the
camera 120, the servers 140, 145, 160, the first user device 102,
the second user device 111, the third user device 116, the device
125, the communications network 135, or any combination
thereof.
[0028] The database 155 may also store information and metadata
obtained from the system 100, store metadata and other information
associated with the first, second, and third users 101, 110, 115
store user profiles associated with the first, second, and third
users 101, 110, 115, store device profiles associated with any
device in the system 100, store communications traversing the
system 100, store user preferences, store information associated
with any device or signal in the system 100, store information
relating to patterns of usage relating to the first, second, and
third user devices 102, 111, 116, store any information obtained
from the communications network 135, or any combination thereof,
store any information generated by or associated with the camera
120, store performance data for the devices, store information
generated or associated with device 125, store historical data
associated with the first and second users 101, 110, store health
data associated with the first and second users 101, 110, store
information relating to medical conditions, store information
associated with anomalies and/or symptoms associated with various
medical conditions, store content obtained from the cameras 120 or
any device in the system, store any of the information disclosed
for any of the operations and functions disclosed herewith, store
any information traversing the system 100, or any combination
thereof. Furthermore, the database 155 may be configured to process
queries sent to it by any device in the system 100.
[0029] Operatively, the system 100 may provide video analysis and
motion augmentation for applications, such as telemedicine
applications, as shown in the following exemplary scenario. In the
example scenario, the first user 101 may be located in an office
environment and may be utilizing first user device 102, which may
be a smartphone or other similar device. The camera 120 of the
system 100 may also be located in the office of the first user 101.
At a selected time or on a continual basis, the camera 120 may
record media content of the first user 101, such as video content
of the user, while the first user 101 is sitting in his office. In
certain embodiments, the camera 105 may be utilized to record media
content associated with the first user 101, either alone or in
combination with the camera 120. The media content may be
transmitted by the camera 120 to the communications network 135 for
further processing. Once the communications network 135 receives
the media content, the system 100 may analyze the media content to
detect one or more changes associated with the first user 101. For
example, the changes may be macro changes and/or micro changes or
changes in the condition of the first user 101, or a combination
thereof.
[0030] Macro changes may be changes or movements specific to the
first user's 101 entire body or to a specific region (e.g., chest
region, back region, head region, leg region, etc.) of the first
user's 101 body. Micro changes may be changes or movements specific
to specific body parts and/or to specific body structures (e.g.,
parts of the face, a single finger, a toe, etc.). For example, the
system 100 may detect the first user's 101 blood flow via skin
pigmentation changes detected in the media content recorded of the
first user 101. As another example, the system 100 may detect
various types of range of motion for certain body parts or even
detect various types of "ticks" (e.g., eye twitching or restless
leg) or habits that the first user 101 has. Changes in movement,
for example, may involve detecting that a particular body region is
moving in an irregular direction or magnitude. In certain
embodiments, the system 100 may be configured to perform a shape
analysis (e.g., finding the right rotation or contour of a body
part) to help diagnose and normalize automatic observations.
[0031] Once the one or more changes associated with the first user
101 are detected based on the media content, the system 100 may
detect one or more anomalies associated with the first user 101
based on comparing the detected changes to previously stored
information, such as health information, for the first user 101
and/or to aggregated information for a selected population of
users. When detecting anomalies, the information obtained from the
media content may be combined with images and information obtained
from other technologies to confirm the presence of an anomaly. For
example, if the first user 101 had an X-ray of his chest and the
X-ray shows an anomaly in a certain region, and the media content
shows the same anomaly, then the anomaly may be confirmed by
utilizing the image provided by the X-ray in conjunction with the
video recording of the first user 101. As another example, if the
first user 101 underwent a thermal imaging scan using device 125
and the thermal imaging scan showed that the first user's 101
condition is normal, but the media content recording shows an
anomaly, the information from the thermal imaging scanning may be
utilized to confirm that an anomaly does not exist, and can,
therefore, reduce false alarms. In certain embodiments, the first
user 101 may be identified by analyzing the media content, and, in
other embodiments, the identity of the first user 101 may be kept
anonymous. If the first user 101 is identified, the anomaly may be
confirmed by comparing the media content recording of the first
user 101 to the first user's 101 medical records, which may be
accessible by accessing the third user device 116 of the third user
115, who may be a physician.
[0032] In certain embodiments, if an anomaly has not been detected
or if the existence of an anomaly needs to be confirmed, the system
100 may request that the first user's 101 physician confirm the
existence of the anomaly such, as via the third user device 116.
Additionally, the system 100 may transmit a signal to automatically
adjust a position of the camera 120 or request the user to adjust
the position of the first user device 102 so that a new media
content recording from a different vantage point may be obtained.
Furthermore, the system 100 may transmit a signal to the first user
device 102 instructing the user to move a body part or move in a
particular manner so that new media content may be recorded to
confirm whether an anomaly exists. In certain embodiments, the
system 100 may present a visual representation of the first user
101 on a visual interface of the first user device 101 that shows
where the detected anomaly is on the first user 101. The system 100
may enable the first user 101 to interact with the visual
representation, such as via a software application, to confirm
whether the anomaly exists or to input additional information, such
as text commentary, associated with the anomaly.
[0033] If an anomaly is detected, the system 100 may transmit an
alert to the third user device 116 of the physician and/or an alert
to the first user device 102 confirming the presence of the
anomaly. Based on the detection of the anomaly, the recorded media
content, aggregated data for a population and/or historical
information for the first user 101, the system 100 may determine
one or more proposed interactions for interacting with the first
user 101. For example, if the detected anomaly is a bruised wrist,
the system 100 may transmit a signal to the third user device 116
requesting the doctor to prescribe medication for dealing with pain
associated with the bruised wrist, to input notes relating to the
bruised wrist and/or to input a regimen for the first user 101 to
perform to heal the bruised wrist. The system 100 may also transmit
a signal to the first user device 102 requesting the user to input
additional information regarding the cause of the bruising or to
input additional information relating to the bruised wrist. In
certain embodiments, the signal may advise the first user 101 to
adjust a position of the cameras 120, 105 so that further media
content may be recorded of the first user 101 so that additional
information associated with a detected condition may be obtained.
In certain embodiments, the requested interactions may be handled
by a health medication service to individually personalize care for
the first user 101 and/or to distill the information for a human
cooperator. In certain embodiments, the proposed interactions may
be adjusted by the physician as necessary.
[0034] In certain embodiments, the system 100 may automatically
anonymize any of the interactions with the first user 101, the
physician, and the system 100. Any information gathered from the
interactions may also be anonymized. In certain embodiments, if the
identity of the first user 101 is known, confidential information
may be scrubbed to ensure the privacy of the first user 101.
Additionally, in certain embodiments, based on the severity of the
anomaly or condition detected, the system 100 may also
automatically scrub information identifying the first user 101 to
ensure privacy and confidentiality. The system 100 may generate and
transmit any number of interactions to the physician and the first
user 101, and may utilize information gathered from the
interactions to further supplement the media content and other
information obtained for the first user 101.
[0035] Based on the information gathered from the interactions, the
detected anomaly, the aggregated data, the historical data for the
first user 101, or a combination thereof, the system 100 may
include determining a diagnosis for the first user 101. For
example, using the example above, the system 100 may determine that
the first user 101 suffered a specific type of contusion. The
determined diagnosis may be provided to the physician and/or
confirmed by the physician. If necessary, the determination of the
diagnosis may trigger the automatic scheduling of a medical
appointment with the physician, such as by accessing digital
calendars on the third user device 116 and first user device 102.
In certain embodiments, processes provided by the system 100 may be
repeated as necessary until enough information associated with the
first user 101 is obtained and a confirmation of the diagnosis is
possible. The system 100 may also be utilized to complement and
support any type of telemedicine applications as well. In certain
embodiments, the system 100 may be extended to monitor athlete
performance, worker performance, or for any other purpose. Any of
the data generated by the system 100 may be stored in a record
associated with the first user 101 and may be combined with
aggregated data for a population so as to determine various trends
in a population and various health conditions for population.
[0036] Notably, as shown in FIG. 1, the system 100 may perform any
of the operative functions disclosed herein by utilizing the
processing capabilities of server 160, the storage capacity of the
database 155, or any other component of the system 100 to perform
the operative functions disclosed herein. The server 160 may
include one or more processors 162 that may be configured to
process any of the various functions of the system 100. The
processors 162 may be software, hardware, or a combination of
hardware and software.
[0037] Additionally, the server 160 may also include a memory 161,
which stores instructions that the processors 162 may execute to
perform various operations of the system 100. For example, the
server 160 may assist in processing loads handled by the various
devices in the system 100, such as, but not limited to, capturing
media content of a being; analyzing media content to detect micro
and macro movements and changes associated with the being;
detecting anomalies based on the media content; transmitting
signals to adjust a position of the camera 120, transmitting
signals to a device that instruct the being to adjust the being's
position; determining proposed interactions with the being;
receiving information from the being; determining a diagnosis for
the being based on the media content, aggregated data, and other
information; and performing any other suitable operations conducted
in the system 100 or otherwise. In one embodiment, multiple servers
160 may be utilized to process the functions of the system 100. The
server 160 and other devices in the system 100, may utilize the
database 155 for storing data about the devices in the system 100
or any other information that is associated with the system 100. In
one embodiment, multiple databases 155 may be utilized to store
data in the system 100.
[0038] Although FIG. 1 illustrates a specific example configuration
of the various components of the system 100, the system 100 may
include any configuration of the components, which may include
using a greater or lesser number of the components. For example,
the system 100 is illustratively shown as including a first user
device 102, a second user device 111, a third user device 116, a
camera 120, a device 125, a communications network 135, a server
140, a server 145, a server 160, and a database 155. However, the
system 100 may include multiple first user devices 102, multiple
second user devices 111, multiple third user devices 116, multiple
cameras 120, multiple devices 125, multiple communications networks
135, multiple servers 140, multiple servers 145, multiple servers
160, multiple databases 155, or any number of any of the other
components inside or outside the system 100. Furthermore, in
certain embodiments, substantial portions of the functionality and
operations of the system 100 may be performed by other networks and
systems that may be connected to system 100.
[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, an exemplary method 200 for providing
video analysis and motion augmentation for applications, such as
telemedicine applications, is schematically illustrated. The method
200 may include, at step 202, capturing first media content of a
being within a range of a camera 120 monitoring the being. For
example, the method 200 may involve utilizing the camera 120 to
capture a video recording and/or video stream of the first user 101
at a selected time in a selected environment, such as the first
user's 101 office. In certain embodiments, capturing of the media
content may be performed by utilizing the first user device 102,
the second user device 111, the third user device 116, the camera
120, the device 125, the server 140, the server 145, the server
160, the communications network 135, any combination thereof, or by
utilizing any other appropriate program, system, or device.
[0040] At step 204, the method 200 may include analyzing the
captured media content to detect a first change associated with the
being that is monitored. In certain embodiments, the analyzing may
be performed by utilizing the first user device 102, the second
user device 111, the third user device 116, the camera 120, the
device 125, the server 140, the server 145, the server 160, the
communications network 135, any combination thereof, or by
utilizing any other appropriate program, system, or device. In
certain embodiments, the captured media content may be utilized to
detect the first change by detecting both micro and macro changes
occurring for the being monitored by the camera 120. The micro
changes may include changes to a specific body structure of the
being, such as, but not limited to, a leg, a hand, a finger, an
eye, a mouth, a nose, a thigh, a head, a back, or any other body
structure of the being. The macro changes may include changes to
the entire body of the being and/or a specific region of the body
of the being. The macro and micro changes may be any type of
physiological change or even changes that may be symptomatic of
certain mental conditions. The physiological changes may include,
but are not limited to, any type of body movement, any type of body
part movement, any type of skin pigmentation change, any type of
skin change, any type of color change, any type of perspiration
change, any body fluid change, any type of physiological change,
any type of wound, any type of infection, any type of allergic
reaction, or any combination thereof. In certain embodiments,
textural changes associated with the body of the monitored being
may also be detected. For example, a change in texture associated
with the being's skin may be detected.
[0041] At step 206, the method 200 may include detecting an anomaly
associated with the being based on comparing the detected first
change with previous historical information for the being,
aggregated information for a plurality of other beings, medical
information, other information, or a combination thereof. For
example, the previous historical information may be obtained from a
person's medical records or other records. The historical
information may even be inputted by a person into the system 100,
such as via a digital form or other input instrument. The
aggregated information may be information, such as, but not limited
to, health information, demographic information, psychographic
information, or any other type of information, for any number of
individuals of a selected population. The medical information may
include, but is not limited to, information identifying expected
health metrics associated with various types of medical conditions,
media content displaying healthy body structures, media content
displaying unhealthy medical conditions or body structures, healthy
and unhealthy human anatomy information, any other types of medical
information, or a combination thereof. An anomaly may be detected,
for example, if a specific micro-movement of a user's eye that was
captured in the media content indicates that the micro-movement is
indicative of a degenerative eye disease when the media content is
compared with medical information stored in the system 100. The
same anomaly may be detected by comparing micro-movement detected
in the media content to a person's own medical history, previous
media content of the person, or to aggregated data associated with
the eyes of a multitude of other people. In certain embodiments,
the detecting may be performed by utilizing the first user device
102, the second user device 111, the third user device 116, the
camera 120, the device 125, the server 140, the server 145, the
server 160, the communications network 135, any combination
thereof, or by utilizing any other appropriate program, system, or
device.
[0042] At step 208, the method 200 may include determining if
additional information is needed to confirm the existence of the
anomaly. In certain embodiments, the determining may be performed
by utilizing the first user device 102, the second user device 111,
the third user device 116, the camera 120, the device 125, the
server 140, the server 145, the server 160, the communications
network 135, any combination thereof, or by utilizing any other
appropriate program, system, or device. If it is determined that
additional information is needed to confirm the existence of the
anomaly, the method 200 may include, at step 210, transmitting a
signal to adjust a position of the camera 120 and/or a signal to a
device of the being to instruct the being to adjust a body part in
a prescribed manner. For example, if the first user 101 is being
monitored, a signal may be transmitted by the system 100 to the
camera 120 to automatically adjust the camera 120 to a new position
so that additional video recordings of the first user 101 may be
obtained. As another example, a signal may be transmitted by the
system 100 to the first user device 102, which may cause a user
interface of the first user device 102 to display instructions to
the first user 101 to move his arm up and down in a certain
manner.
[0043] Once the signal to adjust the position of the camera 120
and/or the signal to the device including instructions is sent, the
method 200 may include, at step 212, capturing second media content
of the being while the camera 120 position is adjusted, after the
camera 120 position is adjusted, while the being adjusts the body
part, after the being adjusts the body part, or any combination
thereof, to confirm the existence of the anomaly. In certain
embodiments, the capturing of the second media content may be
performed by utilizing the first user device 102, the second user
device 111, the third user device 116, the camera 120, the device
125, the server 140, the server 145, the server 160, the
communications network 135, any combination thereof, or by
utilizing any other appropriate program, system, or device. Once
the second media content is captured or if it is determined that
additional information is not needed to confirm the existence of
the anomaly, the method 200 may include, at step 214, determining a
proposed interaction with the being based on the detection of the
anomaly. In certain embodiments, the determining may be performed
by utilizing the first user device 102, the second user device 111,
the third user device 116, the camera 120, the device 125, the
server 140, the server 145, the server 160, the communications
network 135, any combination thereof, or by utilizing any other
appropriate program, system, or device. A proposed interaction may
include, but is not limited to, a request for the being to perform
a certain action, a request for a physician to perform some action
with respect to the being, a request to change the position of the
camera 120 further, a request to have the being take a certain
medication, any type of interaction, or any combination
thereof.
[0044] At step 216, the method 200 may include transmitting the
proposed interaction to the device of the being, to a device of a
person monitoring the being, or to another device. Also, the method
200 may include transmitting one or more alerts indicating the
presence of the anomaly to the being, the person monitoring the
being, or a combination thereof. The one or more alerts may also be
sent to any device of the system 100. In certain embodiments, the
transmitting of the proposed interaction and/or the transmitting of
the alerts may be performed by utilizing the server 140, the server
145, the server 160, the communications network 135, any
combination thereof, or by utilizing any other appropriate program,
system, or device. At step 218, the method 200 may include
receiving information in response to the proposed interaction. The
information may include, but is not limited to, information
associated with an action being performed by the being, information
gathered based on an interaction between the being and the person
monitoring the being, any information provided in response to the
proposed interaction, or any combination thereof. For example, the
information may include information provided by a doctor indicating
certain additional symptoms associated with the anomaly that doctor
has determined to be occurring during the doctor's interaction with
the person he is monitoring. In certain embodiments, the
information may be received by utilizing the server 140, the server
145, the server 160, the communications network 135, any
combination thereof, or by utilizing any other appropriate program,
system, or device.
[0045] At step 220, the method 200 may include determining, based
on the detected anomaly, the aggregated data, the historical
information associated with the being, and/or the information
received in response to the interaction, a diagnosis for the being.
For example, based on the micro-movement of the first user's 101
eye, aggregated data associated with the eyes of multiple other
people, previous medical records for the first user 101, and
information provided by the doctor relating to the symptoms
associated with the micro-movement of the eye, a diagnosis for the
first user 101 may be determined. In this case, the system 100 may
determine that the first user 101 may have a degenerative eye
condition based on the information and media content obtained for
the first user 101. The steps in the method 200 may be repeated as
necessary until a diagnosis is confirmed and/or until enough
information associated with the being and the being's condition is
obtained. Notably, the method 200 may further incorporate any of
the features and functionality described for the system 100 or as
otherwise described herein.
[0046] The systems and methods disclosed herein may include
additional functionality and features. For example, the systems and
methods may be configured to allow for the detection of micro and
macro changes associated with a being during selected time
intervals. For example, the system 100 may transmit a signal to the
camera 120 to record and/or stream video content or other media
content of a being for selected time period, such as from 5:00
pm-6:00 pm or a fixed time period of 1 hour. Additionally, the
systems and methods may compare micro and macro changes detected
during certain time intervals to micro and macro changes detected
during other time intervals. Such comparisons may assist in
determining whether an anomaly exists and/or whether a certain
diagnosis is accurate. In certain embodiments, the cameras 120 may
be configured to be placed in any location where a being may be
located. For example, one or more cameras 120, 114, 105 may be
placed in mass-transit areas, such as, but not limited to,
airports, train stations, subways, shopping malls, concerts, theme
parks, or any other area. The media content obtained from the
cameras 120 may be aggregated and stored in the system 100. The
aggregated media content may be utilized to detect pandemics
associated with a group of people being monitored, confirm health
trends associated with a group of people being monitored, detect
anomalies associated with a group of people being monitored,
determine diagnoses associated with a group of people being
monitored, or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments, media
content obtained for a being may be compared to the aggregated
media content for a certain population of beings so as to detect
the foregoing as well
[0047] The systems and methods may also include detecting anomalies
based on a comparison with a corpus of known "normal" or healthy
conditions. The corpus may include the monitored being's healthy
conditions, a selected population's healthy conditions, or a
combination thereof. The anomalies and/or diagnoses may be
confirmed based on a comparison against images and outputs
generated by other technologies. For example, when evaluated
against certain models, probabilistic results, obtained media
content, and/or other information generated in the system 100 may
be coupled with outputs generated by X-ray machines, CT machines,
MRI machines, PET machines, thermal imaging machines, infrared
devices, any other technologies, or a combination thereof, to
detect anomalies and/or determine diagnoses. The systems and
methods may utilize inputs obtained from a traditional medical
practitioner's office, such as an office suited with cameras 120,
105, 114, inputs obtained from a self-serve environment (e.g.,
phone booth with high-rate/resolution cameras 120, 114, 105, a
vehicle, or other environment), and/or any number of mobile
devices, such as first and second user devices 102, 111. Such
inputs may be combined and/or compared with the media content
obtained of the being to detect anomalies and/or determine
diagnoses.
[0048] In certain embodiments, the system 100 may have multiple
modes of operation. As a first mode, the system 100 may have an
"always on" passive monitoring mode. In such a mode, cameras 120,
105, 114 may monitor any number of beings passively and on a
continuous basis. Such a mode may be particularly beneficial in a
workplace environment and/or environments that are associated with
certain expected injury types. For example, the system 100 may be
utilized to monitor office employees to conduct a repetitive stress
analysis in an office or to monitor elderly individuals who may
benefit from continuous monitoring. During the "always on" mode,
information and media content obtained may be aggregated for many
people in a feed (e.g., for the public at large or an entire
workforce) so as to preempt a pandemic spread of disease or to
prevent other conditions from spreading. The system 100 may also
have a second mode, which may be an "intentional" scan mode. During
"intentional scan" mode, the system 100 may be specifically
activated from a sleep state to record and/or stream media content
for specific areas and/or beings. The "intentional scan" mode may
be particularly beneficial, for example, while a patient visits a
doctor at the doctor's office for a medical appointment. The system
100 may further include a "periodic scan" mode, which may involve
having the system 100 obtain media content and information for
selected areas and beings during periodic time intervals. This may
be helpful to determine trends during particular times of the day,
to determine when certain conditions occur, or a combination
thereof.
[0049] In certain embodiments, the systems and methods may include
utilizing user feedback when detecting anomalies and/or making
diagnoses. The system 100 may transmit a signal to a device of a
being, such as the first user device 102 of the first user 101,
that requests the being to provide feedback regarding the media
content recorded for the being, regarding the being's symptoms,
regarding what foods the being ate, regarding any type of
information, or any combination thereof. The feedback from the
being may be input via a graphical user interface on a device of
the being, and may be transmitted to the system 100 for further
analysis. The feedback may be utilized to confirm whether an
anomaly exists, adjust a determined diagnosis, confirm an area on
the being's body for diagnosis, supplement records associated with
the being, supplement detected symptoms for the being, or a
combination thereof. System feedback may be utilized to echo
symptoms of a region on the being's body that is suspected to be
injured and/or infected.
[0050] In further embodiments, the systems and methods may include
obtaining the media content and information using the cameras 120,
105, 114 after tracers and/or biochemical solutions are either
ingested, injected, or otherwise put into the body of a being. For
example, a certain tracer may be utilized that is known to trigger
an expected response by the body of the being. The cameras 120,
105, 114 may obtain media content of the being while the tracer is
coursing through the body of the being, and the media content may
be compared to a standard response, which may have been previously
imperceptible without micro-change analysis or no longer needs an
invasive probe/monitor. The systems and methods may also guarantee
that the media content and information obtained for each of the
beings is confidential. This may be guaranteed by encrypting the
media content and information streams and analyzing the media
content and streams in a cloud-computing environment, such as
within communications network 135. The systems and methods may
allow for a distributed, network-based analysis of video and other
media content feeds obtained from a variety of cameras 120, 105,
114 positioned in various areas. In certain embodiments, the media
content and information obtained from the cameras 120, 105, 114 may
be linked with "big data" collections of diagnoses, which may be
particularly helpful in identifying conditions associated with a
pandemic before it spreads.
[0051] The systems and methods may also institute various triggers
based on the media content and information obtained in the system
100. For example, if a certain anomaly and/or diagnosis is detected
and/or determined, the systems and methods may automatically
transmit alerts or transmit instructions indicating that certain
medication should be provided to a particular being. Alerts may
also be sent to emergency personnel or even certain government
institutions advising of a pandemic, advising of a certain
condition, or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the
systems and methods may include utilizing one or more cameras 120,
105, 114 of different resolutions, capture rates, sampling rates,
and capabilities (e.g., storage, lens, processing power, focusing
power, pixel dimensions, color capabilities, etc.). For example, a
camera 120, 105, 114 that captures media content of a being at one
sampling rate may be used to detect certain micro-movements or
changes that a camera 120, 105, 114 that has a different sampling
rate for capturing media content may not be able to detect.
Similarly, media content captured at certain resolutions or by
cameras 120, 105, 114 of certain capabilities may be utilized to
detect certain macro and micro changes that other media content
captured with other cameras 120, 105, 114 or having different
resolutions are unable to show. In certain embodiments, the system
100 may adjust the resolutions, capture rates, sampling rates, and
capabilities of each individual camera 120, 105, 114 by
transmitting one or more signals to each camera 120, 105, 114
indicating what parameters should be adjusted.
[0052] In certain embodiments, the cameras 120, 105, 114, the first
and second user devices 102, 110, and/or other devices in the
system 100 may be utilized to preprocess the media content prior to
streaming the media content to the communications network 135 for
the detection of anomalies, the determinations of diagnoses, and/or
the storage of the media content and information. In certain
embodiments, the media content and information obtained from the
cameras 120, 105, 114 may be transmitted directly to the components
(e.g., edge nodes of the communications network 135) of the system
without performing any preprocessing of the media content and
information. Once the media content and information are sent to the
communications network 135 (e.g., edge nodes) of the system 100 for
further analysis, features may be streamed to a model-based
comparison system that looks for both local anomalies (e.g., if the
being's identity is known and a history for the being is present)
or anomalies that are found based on a comparison with information
for a general population of beings.
[0053] In various embodiments, copies of media content and/or any
information in the system 100 that is associated with a being may
be anonymized (and personally identifiable, if known) and stored
securely in a cloud-based service, such as a service provided by
communications network 135. This may ensure that patient privacy is
preserved and that the identity of the being is concealed. In
certain embodiments, the being may be allowed to interact with the
system in a "self-service usage mode." The "self-service usage
mode" may utilize additional filtering and distillation of the
media content and information associated with the being. The
additional filtering and distillation of the media content and
information may be utilized to link with ancillary information
sources (e.g., patient records, image data provided by MRI
machines, CT machines, or other machines, general population data,
etc.), connect and schedule medical appointments for the being,
schedule follow-up appointments, schedule medical procedures,
connect the being with a pharmacy, or any combination thereof.
[0054] In further embodiments, the systems and methods may include
coupling the system's 100 functionality and operations with
information associated with various medications and drugs that
induce a response that the functionality and operations of the
system 100 may detect. For example, a certain drug may cause a skin
reaction, which may be detectable by the cameras 105, 114, 120 of
the system 100 and be utilized to detect anomalies, update the
monitored being's records, and/or confirm diagnoses. As another
example, a trace chemical may cause micro-movements around a bone
fracture that may also be detectable by the cameras 105, 114, 120
of the system 100. The systems and methods may be extended to
determine anomalies and diagnoses for a large crowd or the public
at large to immediately determine health trends, needs, and
conditions. The systems and methods may allow for the distributed
analysis of medical content in the cloud. Additionally, the systems
and methods may be combined with the functionality of a medical
robot or electronic doctor that may visit or remotely communicate
with a person. On site care may be provided to the person based on
the functionality provided by the systems and methods. Furthermore,
the functionality and features of the systems and methods may also
be combined with robotic surgical devices and may facilitate
surgical procedures and the diagnoses of certain medical
conditions.
[0055] Referring now also to FIG. 3, at least a portion of the
methodologies and techniques described with respect to the
exemplary embodiments of the system 100 can incorporate a machine,
such as, but not limited to, computer system 300, or other
computing device within which a set of instructions, when executed,
may cause the machine to perform any one or more of the
methodologies or functions discussed above. The machine may be
configured to facilitate various operations conducted by the system
100. For example, the machine may be configured to, but is not
limited to, assist the system 100 by providing processing power to
assist with processing loads experienced in the system 100, by
providing storage capacity for storing instructions or data
traversing the system 100, or by assisting with any other
operations conducted by or within the system 100.
[0056] In some embodiments, the machine may operate as a standalone
device. In some embodiments, the machine may be connected (e.g.,
using communications network 135, another network, or a combination
thereof) to and assist with operations performed by other machines
and systems, such as, but not limited to, the first user device
102, the second user device 111, the third user device 116, the
camera 120, the device 125, the server 140, the server 145, the
database 155, the server 160, or any combination thereof. The
machine may be connected with any component in the system 100. In a
networked deployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a
server or a client user machine in a server-client user network
environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or
distributed) network environment. The machine may comprise a server
computer, a client user computer, a personal computer (PC), a
tablet PC, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a control system,
a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of
executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that
specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while a
single machine is illustrated, the term "machine" shall also be
taken to include any collection of machines that individually or
jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform
any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.
[0057] The computer system 300 may include a processor 302 (e.g., a
central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU, or
both), a main memory 304 and a static memory 306, which communicate
with each other via a bus 308. The computer system 300 may further
include a video display unit 310, which may be, but is not limited
to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flat panel, a solid state
display, or a cathode ray tube (CRT). The computer system 300 may
include an input device 312, such as, but not limited to, a
keyboard, a cursor control device 314, such as, but not limited to,
a mouse, a disk drive unit 316, a signal generation device 318,
such as, but not limited to, a speaker or remote control, and a
network interface device 320.
[0058] The disk drive unit 316 may include a machine-readable
medium 322 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions 324,
such as, but not limited to, software embodying any one or more of
the methodologies or functions described herein, including those
methods illustrated above.
[0059] The instructions 324 may also reside, completely or at least
partially, within the main memory 304, the static memory 306, or
within the processor 302, or a combination thereof, during
execution thereof by the computer system 300. The main memory 304
and the processor 302 also may constitute machine-readable
media.
[0060] Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not
limited to, application specific integrated circuits, programmable
logic arrays and other hardware devices can likewise be constructed
to implement the methods described herein. Applications that may
include the apparatus and systems of various embodiments broadly
include a variety of electronic and computer systems. Some
embodiments implement functions in two or more specific
interconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and
data signals communicated between and through the modules, or as
portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, the
example system is applicable to software, firmware, and hardware
implementations.
[0061] In accordance with various embodiments of the present
disclosure, the methods described herein are intended for operation
as software programs running on a computer processor. Furthermore,
software implementations can include, but not limited to,
distributed processing or component/object distributed processing,
parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also be
constructed to implement the methods described herein.
[0062] The present disclosure contemplates a machine-readable
medium 322 containing instructions 324 so that a device connected
to the communications network 135, another network, or a
combination thereof, can send or receive voice, video or data, and
communicate over the communications network 135, another network,
or a combination thereof, using the instructions. The instructions
324 may further be transmitted or received over the communications
network 135, another network, or a combination thereof, via the
network interface device 320.
[0063] While the machine-readable medium 322 is shown in an example
embodiment to be a single medium, the term "machine-readable
medium" should be taken to include a single medium or multiple
media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or
associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of
instructions. The term "machine-readable medium" shall also be
taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or
carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and
that causes the machine to perform any one or more of the
methodologies of the present disclosure.
[0064] The terms "machine-readable medium," "machine-readable
device," or "computer-readable device" shall accordingly be taken
to include, but not be limited to: memory devices, solid-state
memories such as a memory card or other package that houses one or
more read-only (non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or
other re-writable (volatile) memories; magneto-optical or optical
medium such as a disk or tape; or other self-contained information
archive or set of archives is considered a distribution medium
equivalent to a tangible storage medium. The "machine-readable
medium," "machine-readable device," or "computer-readable device"
may be non-transitory, and, in certain embodiments, may not include
a wave or signal per se. Accordingly, the disclosure is considered
to include any one or more of a machine-readable medium or a
distribution medium, as listed herein and including art-recognized
equivalents and successor media, in which the software
implementations herein are stored.
[0065] The illustrations of arrangements described herein are
intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of
various embodiments, and they are not intended to serve as a
complete description of all the elements and features of apparatus
and systems that might make use of the structures described herein.
Other arrangements may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that
structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made
without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figures are
also merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain
proportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be
minimized. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be
regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
[0066] Thus, although specific arrangements have been illustrated
and described herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement
calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the
specific arrangement shown. This disclosure is intended to cover
any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments and
arrangements of the various embodiments. Combinations of the above
arrangements, and other arrangements not specifically described
herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon
reviewing the above description. Therefore, it is intended that the
disclosure not be limited to the particular arrangement(s)
disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the
various embodiments, but that the various embodiments will include
all embodiments and arrangements falling within the scope of the
appended claims.
[0067] The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating,
explaining, and describing the various embodiments. Modifications
and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those
skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope
or spirit of the various embodiments. Upon reviewing the
aforementioned embodiments, it would be evident to an artisan with
ordinary skill in the art that said embodiments can be modified,
reduced, or enhanced without departing from the scope and spirit of
the claims described below.
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