System and method for remote and mobile patient monitoring service using heterogeneous wireless access networks

摘要

A system and method for remote and mobile patient monitoring service is provided using heterogeneous wireless access in which each patient is equipped with a remote monitoring device with a heterogeneous wireless transceiver. This can be a value-added service provided by a Healthcare service provider (i.e., a hospital or healthcare center) for which the Healthcare service provider can pay to the wireless network service provider (i.e., a network operator). With heterogeneous wireless access, a remote/mobile patient can use different types of wireless technologies (e.g., WiMAX-based WMAN and WiFi-based WLAN technologies) to transfer monitored bio-signal data to the healthcare center. The monitoring device can buffer and then transmit the bio-signal data to the healthcare center through the heterogeneous radio access network. In this device, there can be two buffers used to store bio-signal data, each with different priority. The scheduler in this device can make an optimal decision on data transmission. Also, a method is provided to minimize the cost of network connections for remote/mobile patient monitoring.

主权项

1. A system for the remote and mobile monitoring of at least one patient, comprising:
a heterogeneous wireless access network providing communication between at least one eHealth service provider and the at least one patient, the heterogeneous wireless access network configured to provide a number of reserved connections between the eHealth service provider and the at least one patient, wherein the number of reserved connections minimizes cost to the eHealth service provider under randomness of connection demand due to mobility of the at least one patient; at least one monitoring device disposed on the at least one patient, the at least one monitoring device comprising at least one sensor configured for collecting bio-signal data from the at least one patient, the at least one monitoring device further comprises a heterogeneous wireless transceiver configured to communicate the bio-signal data to the eHealth service provider over the heterogeneous wireless access network; wherein the bio-signal data is disposed in at least one queue comprising one or more of a group consisting of a critical data queue and a normal data queue; and and wherein the at least one monitoring device further comprises a scheduler configured to optimize the scheduling of the transmission of the bio-signal data by scheduling the transmission of the bio-signal data at a time when a cost of wireless access is minimized while satisfying queuing delay requirements for different bio-signal data.