IP Library Granted Patent US 9,721,452
Granted Patent B2
US 9,721,452 · App. 14/696,000 · Granted Aug 1, 2017

Hand-wash management and compliance system

Inventors: Andrew Felch (Palo Alto, CA); Michael Boyd (Clearlake, CA); John Bessire (Sunnyvale, CA); Alex Movitz (Oxford, MS); Connor Dahlberg (Springfield, MO)
Assignee: WashSense, Inc.
G08B21/245G06F19/327
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,721,452
App. No.
14/696,000
Granted
Aug 1, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing hand-washing compliance can include: sensing a user's hand-wash motions; estimating hand-wash scrubs per minute based on the user's hand-wash motions; counting a total hand-wash scrubs based on the user's hand-wash motions; estimating hand-wash vigor based on the user's hand-wash motions; calculating a hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor; displaying the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute on a display; and displaying a timer that counts down based on the hand-wash vigor.

Claims (72)

1. A method for managing hand-wash compliance comprising:

acquiring a background image;

acquiring thermal images including an initial thermal image and a subsequent thermal image;

determining hot pixels of the thermal images belonging to a warm-bodied object by:

subtracting the background image from the thermal images, and

filtering out pixels of the thermal images being below a thermal threshold from the background image;

estimating a user's hand-wash motions, the user's hand-wash motions being estimated by determining a change in the hot pixels between the initial thermal image and the subsequent thermal image;

estimating hand-wash scrubs per minute based on the user's hand-wash motions;

counting a total hand-wash scrubs based on the user's hand-wash motions;

estimating hand-wash vigor based on a number of transitions between high and low motions;

calculating a hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor;

displaying the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute on a display;

displaying a timer that counts down based on the hand-wash vigor; and

updating the background image based on the warm-bodied object being absent from the thermal images.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the hand-wash vigor includes:

displaying a minimum vigor compliance indicator in red,

displaying a high vigor compliance indicator in yellow,

displaying a highest vigor compliance indicator in green; or

displaying a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor includes:

decreasing the hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as a minimum vigor compliance;

increasing the hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as a high vigor compliance; and

increasing the hand-wash score, based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as a highest vigor compliance, and the increase based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as the highest vigor compliance being faster than the hand-wash score increased based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as the high vigor compliance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the timer that counts down based on the hand-wash vigor includes pausing the timer when the hand-wash vigor is estimated to be below a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a high score based on the hand-wash score for: a prior day, a prior week, a prior month, a prior year, and all time; and

displaying the high score for: the prior day, the prior week, the prior month, the prior year, and all time only when a full time period of the determination of the high score has elapsed.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying options to: add a user, delete the user, view the user's historical data, view multiple users, and view use and compliance statistics.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying the total hand-wash scrubs counted for each day of a current week; and

displaying the hand-wash score calculated for each of the days of the current week.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying multiple users in rows; and

displaying a role, the hand-wash scrubs per minute, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash score for each of the multiple users.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying statistical calculations of the hand-wash scrubs per minute, the total hand-wash scrubs, the hand-wash vigor, the hand-wash score, the timer, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute, and the timer includes displaying the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute, and the timer only after a user has been detected to be within a vicinity of a sensor.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium, useful in association with a processor, including instructions configured to:

acquire a background image;

acquire thermal images including an initial thermal image and a subsequent thermal image;

determine hot pixels of the thermal images belonging to a warm-bodied object by:

subtracting the background image from the thermal images, and

filtering out pixels of the thermal images being below a thermal threshold from the background image;

record an estimation of a user's hand-wash motions, the user's hand-wash motions being estimated by determining a change in the hot pixels between the initial thermal image and the subsequent thermal image;

estimate hand-wash scrubs per minute based on the user's hand-wash motions;

count a total hand-wash scrubs based on the user's hand-wash motions;

estimate hand-wash vigor based on a number of transitions between high and low motions;

calculate a hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor;

display the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute on a display;

display a timer that counts down based on the hand-wash vigor; and

update the background image based on the warm-bodied object being absent from the thermal images.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions configured to display the hand-wash vigor includes the instructions configured to:

display a minimum vigor compliance indicator in red,

display a high vigor compliance indicator in yellow,

display a highest vigor compliance indicator in green; or

display a combination thereof.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions configured to calculate a hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor includes the instructions configured to:

decrease the hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as a minimum vigor compliance;

increase the hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as a high vigor compliance; and

increase the hand-wash score, based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as a highest vigor compliance, and the increase based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as the highest vigor compliance being faster than the hand-wash score increased based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as the high vigor compliance.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions configured to display the timer that counts down based on the hand-wash vigor includes the instructions configured to pause the timer when the hand-wash vigor is estimated to be below a threshold.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions configured to:

determine a high score based on the hand-wash score for: a prior day, a prior week, a prior month, a prior year, and all time; and

display the high score for: the prior day, the prior week, the prior month, the prior year, and all time only when a full time period of the determination of the high score has elapsed.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions configured to display options to: add a user, delete the user, view the user's historical data, view multiple users, and view use and compliance statistics.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions configured to:

display the total hand-wash scrubs counted for each day of a current week; and

display the hand-wash score calculated for each of the days of the current week.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions configured to:

display multiple users in rows; and

display a role, the hand-wash scrubs per minute, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash score for each of the multiple users.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions configured to display statistical calculations of the hand-wash scrubs per minute, the total hand-wash scrubs, the hand-wash vigor, the hand-wash score, the timer, or a combination thereof.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions configured to display the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute, and the timer includes displaying the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute, and the timer only after a user has been detected to be within a vicinity of a sensor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2015
From: FELCH, ANDREW; BOYD, MICHAEL; BESSIRE, JOHN; MOVITZ, ALEX; DAHLBERG, CONNOR
To: WASHSENSE INC.
Reel/Frame 035494/0227 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160314683A1 · Oct 27, 2016