GB2332969A

GB2332969A - Measuring physiological data and identifying persons

Info

Publication number: GB2332969A
Application number: GB9800135A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Souza Michael Francis D
Original assignee: TORCHE CLINICAL CONSULTANCY LT
Current assignee: TORCHE CLINICAL CONSULTANCY LT
Priority date: 1998-01-06
Filing date: 1998-01-06
Publication date: 1999-07-07
Also published as: GB9800135D0

Abstract

Three linked devices are presented which combine to create unique time-based identity numbers and record ambient physiological changes. The latter can be telemetrically transmitted as an identity checker or displayed visually in the form of electronic jewellery.

Description

TORCHE's Cybermometert, Moodlet, AutoReceptionistO, F ZERO-2000t and LoopCheckO This invention relates to a combination of new computer linked mobile and stationary apparatus for identifying subjects, recording their physiological balance and then transmitting or displaying it.

1. The mobile apparatus is a form of personally wom electronics which records the balance of a variable range of a subject's physiological measurements e.g. temperature, pulse rate, skin resistance, (and alpha-waves) This is the CybermometerO. It has the additional capacity of transmitting these to computer receivers nearby and visually displaying the record as a composite colour mix via a small "smart badge", ring or other form electronic jewellery or clothing. This is the MoodleO.

2. The stationary apparatus is termed the AutoReceptionistO This does the following: enumerates subjects with a unique Zero-2000O identifying code to incorporate into his Cybermometeroc or to electronically tag him.

Measures a range of features such as the Blood Pressure, muscle tone, weight, height Digitised facial, Fingerprint and retinal Photographs. (N.B. Alpha waves and other data such as subjective perceptions of quality of life or usefulness of interventions may be incorporated and later the separately recorded personal genome may be added to the central identification dataset) Communicates with large high security Intranet servers and uses a continuously fed-back recorded loop from the CybermometerOto substitute for a password. This is the LoopChecko 1. The CybermometerO This device uses standard tools for measuring pulse, temperature and skin resistance. The recordings from these are then telemetrically transmitted to a stationary computer receiver again using slightly modified standard equipment. Temporary recorders may be applied via Velcro straps to the wrist of subjects. The whole device may also be incorporated in a ring. which may continuously display the record in a multicoloured form. See MoodleO below.

1a The Moodle electronic jewellery This electronic system actively displays the telemetric recording and becomes incorporated into jewellery such as a ring or brooch. (N.B.The active display of mood may create therapeutic social interactions similar to wearing mouming clothing.)

2 The AutoReceptionistO This is a wall mounted or free standing booth designed principally for used in General Practice but may be modified for other settings such as hospitals etc. It identifies,checks in and selectively questions and measures subjects. It also issues identification and is the receiver for the cybermometer telemetrics.

2a The Zero-200ût Enumerator It is frequently required, in making surveys and analyses in commerce, medicine and other social contexts, to allocate a unique number to a subject person. Simple sequential numbers held by a central office do not present any substantial difficulties for relatively small populations, but it is more difficult to obtain a satisfactorily unique enumeration system when very large global populations are involved.

In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus is provided which both reads and creates a unique number. This is done by device which records the exact time from the start of the year 2000 AD derived from a series of standard (e.g. Junghans) radio-controlled clocks incorporated into uniquely identifiable computers. The record of the date will be in the format of three fields for day of year e.g. 001 to 365(6) and four fields for year e.g. 2000. (Current computers, which allocate only six date fields, could be used temporarily by allocating only three fields to the year date thus solving some of the difficulties of the Millennium bug). The time of the day will be recorded in seconds in five fields 00001 to 86400.

This device will combine its own unique computers number and the current date/time to create the unique ZERO-2000 number for allocation to each subject. Once created this number can be stored in electronic devices wom or carried by the subject and transmitted to computer receivers by telemetry. (Its passive storage can be achieved by an invisible micro-magnetic tattoo of this unique number in the dermal layer of a subject or by standardised electronic tagging devices used in zoological research). Other data on the subject can be appended to this ZERO-2000 number via the same computer and all transmitted and backed up on large central Intranet servers.

An example of apparatus embodying the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which is a diagrammatic representation of a computer network linked to an AutoReceptionistO booth programmed for the purpose of the invention to automatically read, temperature, pulse rate, skin resistance, Blood Pressure, muscle tone, weight, height digitised facial, Finger print, iris and or retinal Photographs. A smart ring which also reads ambient temperature, pulse rate, skin resistance and alpha-waves and telemetrically transmits them as well as presents them in ever changing multicoloured visual form on a Moodlet display screen on the face of the ring.

In the drawing A, the AutoRceptionist computer (1) has a Liquld Crystal Display Touch screen. The Cybermometer 'poodle (2) links to it via standard infrared systems. This computer (1) is a dedicated rugged instrument for use only for the purpose of the invention. Its number is rendered unique by being issued as a zero2000 number itself by the central server 3. The computer is programmed to present its own number and date/time device. It is instructed to block transmission if it detects the clock either to be broken or to be in the process of receiving its once every 24-hour radio time correction. Subjects can add demographic and other identifying data via the touch screen. This data is transmitted to the central server 3 via a secure Intranet.

In Diagram A the smart ring recording device and the reader (2) are further displayed. The 18 digit number is recorded on the smart ring.

An example number is 201086398201500060 The first 9 digits are the computers own number indicating it was allocated this by the central reference server in the year 2010 at two seconds to midnight. The second 9 digits are based on the reading from its own radio-clock when it allocated a number to a subject in the year 2015 at one minute past midnight. These large numbers then may be further electronically compressed.

(a) The LoopCheckO Identity device The theft of identity is liable to become a growing concem in future yet systems for checking this can become tedious to use in routine social intercourse. This section outlines how the former inventions are combined to create an electronic identity device. A reference sample of the subject's telemetric Cybermometry 0 readings of physiological state are picked up by a local computer and sent on via a high security intranet for storage in a data ware house together with a source of backup identification such as a digital photographs and finger-prints obtained at the time of registration. Until this critical authentication has been done subjects will only receive low security temporary registration.

The properly authenticated subject's ambient telemetry is then continuously recorded and sampled on a loop recorder in the monitoring environment which is linked to the intranet server. The precise periodicity of each separate measurement together with its interactions with the other measurements on this loop record is constantly checked for congruence with the reference sample held on the server. When the current loop recording becomes statistically incongruent with the reference record and with previous ambient samples, the system will demand higher levels of identification before accepting the current identity as being valid. These LoopCheckO devices could act as identity transmitters for personnel entering any environment eliminating the use of passwords and other keys, which may be forgotten, stolen or obtained by force.

Claims

CLAIMS According to this invention the use of this combination of apparatus makes it possible to obtain enumeration data and continuously validating personal identification for huge populations which is unique and more accurate and reliable than with previous methods, whilst the apparatus is simpler for the subject to use and less fatiguing, which also conduces to permit such uniquely labelled and continuously re-identified subjects to gain safe access to electronic machines with much greater ease, improved accuracy and security.