Patient monitoring system

Claim 2

A patient monitoring system comprising: patient data acquiring means, located within a hospital sickroom where a patient exists, for acquiring patient image data including an image of the patient, said patient data acquiring means an image pick-up device for outputting the patient image data corresponding to the image; means for detecting facial outline of the patient on the basis of the patient image data; means for determining facial feature candidate regions on the basis of at least the facial outline; means for processing image data corresponding to each of the facial feature candidate regions, to detect some facial features of the patient; means for checking a difference between a real-time facial pattern formed of the detected facial features and a facial pattern indicating an normal state and for detecting frequent appearance of strange expressions represented by the real-time facial pattern to output critical state information; display means, located within a monitor room separate from said hospital sickroom, including a display monitor for displaying said image of said patient; and data transmitting means, located within said hospital sickroom, for transmitting said patient image data acquired by said image pick-up device to said display means in response to the critical state information to permit the physician examine the medical condition of the patient.

Claim 3

The patient monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising informing means, located within said hospital sickroom, for informing said patient that transmission of said patient data to said display means via said data transmitting means has been inhibited for time periods during which said transmission of said patient data has been inhibited.

Claim 4

The patient monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein said informing means includes at least one of a signal lamp, a sound speaker, and display means for conveying to said patient that transmission of said patient data is inhibited.

Claim 5

The patient monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said data transmitting means includes means for transmitting said patient data to said display means when said detecting means has not determined whether or not an examination of said medical condition of said patient by a physician is necessary within a predetermined amount of time measured from a beginning of such a determining operation.

Claim 6

The patient monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said processing means include means for detecting a mouth, a nose, eyes and eyebrows as the facial features from the facial feature candidate regions.

Claim 7

The patient monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein said means checking means include means for for comparing the detected facial pattern formed of the detected facial features with a stable facial pattern corresponding to a stable condition of the patient and output the critical patient information in accordance with a difference between the detected facial pattern and the stable facial pattern.

Claim 8

The patient monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said processing means comprises a plurality of local modules for processing image data corresponding to the facial feature candidate regions, respectively, and outputting data representing the facial features.

Claim 9

A patient monitoring system comprising: patient data acquiring means, located within a hospital sickroom where a patient exists, for acquiring patient image data including an image of said patient, said patient data acquiring means including an image pick-up device for outputting the patient image data corresponding to the image; means for detecting a facial outline of the patient on the basis of the patient image data; means for determining facial feature candidate regions on the basis of the facial outline; means for processing image data corresponding to each of the facial feature candidate regions, to detect some facial features of the patient; means for checking a difference between a real-time facial pattern formed of the detected facial features and a facial pattern indicating an normal state and for detecting frequent appearance of strange expressions represented by the real-time facial pattern to output critical state information; message transmitting means for transmitting a message from said patient data acquiring means to said patient in response to the critical state information, said message requesting permission from said patient for an examination of said medical condition of said patient by a physician when said detecting means determined that such an examination is necessary; agreement-recognizing means, provided within said patient data acquiring means, for detecting an agreement by said patient to undergo an examination of said medical condition of said patient by a physician; display means, located within a monitor room separate from said hospital sickroom, including a data receiving means for receiving said patient data acquiring means, and a display monitor for displaying said image of said patient; and data transmitting means, located within said hospital sickroom, for transmitting said image of said patient acquired by said patient data acquiring means to said display means only when said detecting means determines that an examination of said medical condition of said patient is necessary so that a physician in said monitor room can examine said medical condition of said patient by viewing said image of said patient on said display monitor only when said detecting means determines that an examination of said medical condition of said patient is necessary.

Claim 10

A patient monitoring system comprising: patient data acquiring means, located within a hospital sickroom where a patient exists, for acquiring patient image data including an image of said patient, said patient data acquiring means including an image pick-up device for outputting the patient image data corresponding to the image; means for detecting a facial outline of the patient on the basis of the patient image data; means for determining facial feature candidate regions on the basis of the facial outline; means for processing image data corresponding to each of the facial feature candidate regions, to detect some facial features of the patient; means for checking a difference between a real-time facial pattern formed of the detected facial features and a facial pattern indicating an normal state and for detecting frequent appearance of strange expressions represented by the real-time facial pattern to output critical state information; message transmitting means for transmitting a message from said patient data acquiring means to said patient in response to the critical state information, said message requesting permission from said patient for an examination of said medical condition of said patient by a physician when said detecting means determined that such an examination is necessary; agreement-recognizing means, provided within said patient data acquiring means, for detecting an agreement by said patient to undergo an examination of said medical condition of said patient by a physician; display means, located within a monitor room separate from said hospital sickroom, including a data receiving means for receiving said patient data acquiring means, and a display monitor for displaying said image of said patient; and data transmitting means, located within said hospital sickroom, for transmitting said image of said patient acquired by said patient data acquiring means to said display means only when said detecting means determines that an examination of said medical condition of said patient is necessary so that a physician in said monitor room can examine said medical condition of said patient by viewing said image of said patient on said display monitor only when said detecting means determines that an examination of said medical condition of said patient is necessary.

Claim 11

The patient monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein said detecting means includes means for detecting changes in said patient's facial expression by detecting changes in said image of said patient over time.

Claim 12

The patient monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein said detecting means includes means for determining whether or not it is necessary for a physician to examine said medical condition of said patient on the basis of said patient data acquired via said patient data acquiring means.

Claim 13

The patient monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein said detecting means includes means for detecting changes in said patient's facial expression by detecting changes in said image of said patient over time, and means for detecting whether or not said patient agrees to undergo an examination of said medical condition of said patient by a physician on the basis of said changes detected in said patient's facial expression.

Claim 14

The patient monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein said patient data acquiring means includes a robot to which a first video camera is attached for photographing said patient.

Claim 15

The patient monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein said patient data acquiring means further includes a second video camera for photographing said patient and said background of said patient.

Claim 16

The patient monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein said patient data acquiring means further includes electronic medical diagnosis means located in said hospital sickroom for outputting said diagnostic data relating to said medical condition of said patient.

Claim 17

The patient monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein said patient data acquiring means includes a robot which is moveable within said hospital sickroom, and wherein said message transmitting means includes at least one of the following: display means attached to said robot for transmitting said message to said patient in visual format, and speaker means attached to said robot for transmitting said message to said patient in aural format.

Claim 18

The patient monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein agreement-recognizing means determines that said patient has agreed to undergo an examination of said medical condition of said patient by a physician when said patient has not responded to said message transmitted by said message transmitting means within a predetermined amount of time.

Claim 19

A patient monitoring system comprising: patient data acquiring means, located within a hospital sickroom where a patient exists, for acquiring patient image data including an image of said patient, said patient data acquiring means including an image pick-up device for outputting the patient image data corresponding to the image; means for detecting a facial outline of the patient on the basis of the patient image data; means for determining facial feature candidate regions on the basis of the facial outline; means for processing image data corresponding to each of the facial feature candidate regions, to detect some facial features of the patient; means for checking a difference between a real-time facial pattern formed of the detected facial features and a facial pattern indicating an normal state and for detecting frequent appearance of strange expressions represented the real-time facial pattern to output critical state information; message transmitting means for transmitting a message from said patient data acquiring means to said patient in response to the critical state information, said message requesting permission from said patient for an examination of said medical condition of said patient by a physician; response detecting means for determining said patient's response to said message; display means, located within a monitor room separate from said hospital sickroom, including a display monitor for displaying said image of said patient; and data transmitting means, located within said hospital sickroom, for transmitting said image of said patient to said display means only when said detecting means has detected that said patient has agreed to undergo an examination of said medical condition of said patient so that a physician in said monitor room can examine said patients medical condition by viewing said image of said patient on said display monitor only when said response detecting means has agreed to undergo such an examination by said physician.

Claim 20

A patient monitoring system comprising: patient data acquiring means, located within a hospital sickroom where a patient exists, for acquiring patient image data including an image of said patient, said patient data acquiring means including an image pick-up device for outputting the patient image data corresponding to the image; means for detecting a facial outline of the patient on the basis of the patient image data; means for determining facial feature candidate regions on the basis of the facial outline; means for processing image data corresponding to each of the facial feature candidate regions, to detect some facial features of the patient; means for checking a difference between a real-time facial pattern formed of the detected facial features and a facial pattern indicating an normal state and for detecting frequent appearance of strange expressions represented the real-time facial pattern to output critical state information; message transmitting means for transmitting a message from said patient data acquiring means to said patient in response to the critical state information, said message requesting permission from said patient for an examination of said medical condition of said patient by a physician; response detecting means for determining said patient's response to said message; display means, located within a monitor room separate from said hospital sickroom, including a display monitor for displaying said image of said patient; and data transmitting means, located within said hospital sickroom, for transmitting said image of said patient to said display means only when said detecting means has detected that said patient has agreed to undergo an examination of said medical condition of said patient so that a physician in said monitor room can examine said patients medical condition by viewing said image of said patient on said display monitor only when said response detecting means has agreed to undergo such an examination by said physician.