Systems, devices and methods for fall detection

1 . A system, comprising:

a fall detection pendant configured to be worn by a user, wherein the fall detection pendant comprises:

an accelerometer configured to measure acceleration,

a pressure sensor configured to measure barometric pressure, and

processing logic configured to:

identify a fall event based on data from the accelerometer and the pressure sensor, and

determine, based on the fall event, whether a fall has occurred;

a first repeater device configured to:

receive information from the fall detection pendant indicating that a fall has occurred, and

signal at least one of a second repeater device or a coordinator device that the fall has occurred; and

a plurality of locator devices, wherein each of the plurality of locator devices is associated with a particular location, and a first one of the plurality of locator devices is configured to:

receive, from the fall detection pendant and via a wireless medium, a signal that includes an identifier associated with the fall detection pendant, and

transmit, to the first repeater device, information indicating a location of the fall detection pendant based on the particular location associated with the first locator device,

wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

examine, at a first time after expiration of a predetermined time period after the fall event, a measurement from the pressure sensor, and

determine based on the measurement from the pressure sensor at the first time whether the fall event represents an erroneous pressure reading.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a gateway device,

wherein the first repeater device is further configured to:

transmit information to the gateway device indicating that the fall has occurred, and

wherein the information includes a location, an acceleration and an elevation change associated with the fall, and

wherein the gateway device is configured to transmit the information to a data storage device via a wireless network.

3 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising:

the data storage device, wherein the data storage device is configured to store measurements and fall related data associated with the fall detection pendant, and

wherein the data storage device includes at least one application and an application programming interface (API) configured to allow remote access to the stored measurements and fall related data.

4 . The system of claim 3 , further comprising:

a fall monitoring system configured to:

receive, from the data storage device, fall information including a location associated with the fall, and

dispatch personnel or contact the user of the fall detection pendant in response to receiving the fall information.

5 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the data storage device is configured to store information identifying at least two of:

a location of the fall,

a type of fall,

a severity associated with the fall,

at least one of an acceleration or elevation change associated with the fall,

at least one of an angle or orientation of the fall,

whether the fall is in a forward direction or a backward direction,

whether the user has fallen one or more other times within a period of time, or

details associated with the user.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fall detection pendant includes a battery, wherein the battery is configured to:

continuously provide power to the accelerometer and pressure sensor, and

not provide power to other components of the fall detection pendant until at least one of an acceleration change is detected by the accelerometer or a pressure change is detected by the pressure sensor.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first repeater device is configured to:

signal the coordinator device and a gateway device indicating that the fall has occurred.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a data storage device configured to:

receive data from the fall detection pendant, and

store information identifying a type of alarm received from the fall detection pendant and information identifying the location of the fall detection pendant.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein when the processing logic is further configured to at least one of:

examine measurements from the accelerometer or pressure sensor over a period of time, or

examine components of the acceleration.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein when the fall detection pendant is at least one of examining the measurements from the accelerometer or pressure sensor over a period of time or examining components of the acceleration, the processing logic is configured to:

examine components of the acceleration in three directions with respect to the fall detection pendant to identify movement of the fall detection pendant not associated with a fall.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein when determining whether a fall has occurred, the processing logic is configured to:

determine, based on measurements from the accelerometer and pressure sensor, whether an acceleration greater than a first value has been detected,

determine, based on measurements from the pressure sensor, whether an elevation change or barometric pressure change greater than a second value has been detected,

determine that no fall has occurred or the user has gotten up from a possible fall based on the measurement from the pressure sensor at the first time, and

identify that the fall has occurred in response to determining that the acceleration greater than the first value has been detected, that the elevation change or barometric pressure change greater than the second value has been detected, and that the measurement from the pressure sensor at the first time is greater than a third value.

12 . A method, comprising:

measuring, by a fall detection pendant configured to be worn by a user, acceleration;

measuring, by the fall detection pendant, barometric pressure;

identifying, by the fall detection pendant, a fall event based on the measured acceleration and barometric pressure;

determining, by the fall detection pendant and based on the fall event, whether a fall has occurred;

forwarding, by the fall detection pendant and to a first receiver device, in response to determining that a fall has occurred, information indicating that the fall has occurred;

transmitting, by the first receiver device and to at least one of a repeater device or a coordinator device, an indication that the fall has occurred;

receiving, by a first one of a plurality of locator devices and from the fall detection pendant via a wireless medium, a signal that includes an identifier associated with the fall detection pendant, wherein each of the plurality of locator devices is associated with a particular location;

transmitting, by the first locator device and to the first receiver device, information indicating a location of the fall detection pendant based on the particular location associated with the first locator device;

examining the barometric pressure at a first time after expiration of a predetermined period of time after the fall event has occurred; and

determining, based on the barometric pressure at the first time, whether the fall event represents an erroneous pressure reading.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining that the user has gotten up from a possible fall or that no fall occurred based on the barometric pressure at the first time;

not forwarding, by the fall detection pendant, information indicating that the fall has occurred in response to determining that the user has gotten up from a possible fall or that no fall occurred;

transmitting, by the first receiver device, fall related data indicating that a fall occurred to a gateway device, wherein the fall related data includes a location, an acceleration and an elevation change associated with the fall; and

transmitting, by the gateway device and via a wireless network, the fall related data to a fall data storage device.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

storing, by the fall data storage device, the fall related data; and

providing, by the fall data storage device, an application programming interface (API) configured to allow remote access to the stored measurements and fall related data.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the storing fall related data comprises storing information identifying at least two of:

a location of the fall,

a type of fall,

a severity associated with the fall,

at least one of an acceleration or elevation change associated with the fall,

at least one of an angle or orientation of the fall,

whether the fall is in a forward direction or a backward direction,

whether the user has fallen one or more other times within a period of time, or

details associated with the user.

16 . A system comprising:

a fall detection pendant configured to be worn by a user, wherein the fall detection pendant is configured to determine whether a fall by the user has occurred, and wherein the fall detection pendant includes a pressure sensor;

a first repeater device configured to:

receive information from the fall detection pendant indicating that a fall has occurred, and

signal at least one of a second repeater device or a coordinator device that the fall has occurred;

a plurality of locator devices, wherein each of the plurality of locator devices is associated with a particular location, and wherein a first one of the plurality of locator devices is configured to:

receive, from the fall detection pendant, a signal that includes an identifier associated with the fall detection pendant, and

transmit, to the first repeater device, information indicating a location of the fall detection pendant, based on the location associated with the first locator device;

a coordinator device configured to receive the signal from the first repeater device or the second repeater device and forward information associated with the received signal to a fall monitoring system;

a gateway device configured to:

receive information from the first repeater device indicating that the fall has occurred, wherein the information includes a location, an acceleration and an elevation change associated with the fall, and

transmit the received information to a data storage device via a wireless network;

the data storage device, wherein the data storage device is configured to store measurements and fall related data associated with the fall detection pendant, wherein the data storage device includes at least one application and an application programming interface (API) configured to allow remote access to the stored measurements and fall related data; and

a fall monitoring system, wherein the fall monitoring system is located remotely from the gateway device and the data storage device, and is configured to receive, from the data storage device, fall information including a location associated with the fall,

wherein the fall detection pendant is further configured to:

examine measurements from the pressure sensor at a first time after expiration of a predetermined time period after the fall has occurred to determine whether a pressure measured by the pressure sensor at the first time indicates that the fall represents an erroneous pressure reading.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the fall monitoring system is further configured to:

dispatch personnel or contact the user of the fall detection pendant in response to receiving the fall information.

18 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

continuously providing power to the accelerometer and pressure sensor, and

not continuously providing power to other components of the fall detection pendant.

19 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

not transmit information to the first repeater device indicating that the fall has occurred in response to determining that the user has gotten up from a possible fall or the fall event represents an anomaly caused by an external factor and not from a fall.

20 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the fall detection pendant is further configured to:

determine that no fall has occurred or the user has gotten up from the fall based on the pressure measured by the pressure sensor at the first time.