DESC:
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for improving posture. In particular, the present disclosure provides systems and methods for real time monitoring of the user’s posture and sending alerts to the user upon deviation of the user’s posture from a standard posture.

BACKGROUND
[0002] Rising demands of the modern work environment have resulted in poor posture for many individuals. This is mainly caused due to factors such as a chronically incorrect static body position at a workstation, limited motion while at the workstation, or a repetitive motion induced by an occupational requirement. Further, increased popularity of and access to electronic devices such as smart phone, computers and tablets at workplace or otherwise, lead to unhealthy postures for the individuals. This is due to neck (and back) bent forward while staring at and concentrating on a screen as use of these devices encourage the users to operate the devices while oriented in a variety of positions which compromise their posture.
[0003] There is thus a need to address a growing problem of poor posture affecting the individuals, due to growing prevalence of the electronic devices as the poor posture can lead to negative health effects both in immediate and in long run. Damage caused by the poor posture can be especially debilitating to young persons, wherein the poor posture can lead to musculo-skeletal abnormalities, dysfunction and developmental dangers, such as deformations of the spine and muscles connected to the spine, head, and neck. Furthermore, unawareness of a healthy posture and reluctance of the individuals to rely on painkillers and not visiting a physiotherapist or a health practitioner for conditions such as musculo-skeletal pains leads to aggravation of the symptoms and the underlying posture related problems.
[0004] There is therefore a need in the art to provide a system and method that can detect the user’s posture in real time and alert the user about not maintaining his proper posture. Further, the system can also suggest a correct posture so as to avoid pain or discomfort the user suffers due to bad posture.

SUMMARY
[0005] An aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a system for measuring posture of a living subject, said system comprising : a set of sensors attached with the living subject to sense the posture of the living subject and generate first signals in real time based on the sensed posture of the living subject; a processing engine comprising a processor coupled with a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to: receive the generated first signals from the set of sensors; compare the received first signals with a pre-stored data in a database operatively coupled to the processing engine, wherein the pre-stored data corresponds to one or more optimum posture positions of the living subject; generate second signals based on the comparison, wherein the second signals are generated when the received first signals mismatch with the at least one of the one or more optimal posture positions; and transmit the generated second signals to one or more computing devices located at remote locations.
[0006] In an embodiment, at least a first sensor of the set of sensors is attached to the living subject’s neck and at least a second sensor of the set of sensors is attached to the living subject’s spine, and where the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to generate the first signals.
[0007] In an embodiment, the set of sensors include a one or more of a gyroscopic sensor, a flex sensor and an acceleration sensor.
[0008] In an embodiment, the one or more computing devices located at remote locations are configured with a one or more computing device of the living subject.
[0009] In an embodiment, an alert is generated on the one or more computing devices of the living subject when the received first signals mismatch with the at least one of the one or more optimal posture positions.
[0010] In an embodiment, the alert is generated to remind the living subject to maintain the at least one of the one or more optimum postural positions.
[0011] In an embodiment, the alert is at least one of a textual message, an audio feedback, or a vibratory alert.
[0012] In an embodiment, a history corresponding to the mismatch of the living subject posture with at least one of the one or more optimal posture positions is recorded.
[0013] In an embodiment, a therapy is suggested when the received first signals mismatch with the at least one of the one or more optimal posture positions.
[0014] Another aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a method for measuring posture of a living subject, said method comprising: sensing the posture of the living subject by attaching a set of sensors with the living subject and generating first signals in real time based on the sensed posture of the living subject; receiving, at a computing device, the generated first signals from the set of sensors; comparing , at a computing device, the received first signals with a pre-stored data in a database operatively coupled to the processing engine, wherein the pre-stored data corresponds to one or more optimum posture positions of the living subject; generating, at a computing device, second signals based on the comparison, wherein the second signals are generated when the received first signals mismatch with the at least one of the one or more optimal posture positions; and transmitting, at a computing device, the generated second signals to one or more computing devices located at remote locations.
[0015] Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] In the figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label with a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture in which or with which proposed system can be implemented in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates exemplary functional components of the proposed system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a sensor unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram for illustrating a turn-on mode of the system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 5A-B illustrates an exemplary flow diagram for illustrating a set-up mode and idle mode of the proposed system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0022] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram for illustrating an operation mode of the proposed system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram illustrating a method for measuring posture of a living subject, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0024] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary computer system in which or with which embodiments of the present invention can be utilized in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details.
[0026] The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for improving posture. In particular, the present disclosure provides systems and methods for real time monitoring of the user’s posture and sending alerts to the user upon deviation of the user’s posture from a standard posture.
[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates exemplary network architecture 100 in which or with which proposed system can be implemented in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0028] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure a posture detection system 102 (also referred to as the system 102, hereinafter) can detect a defect in the posture of a living subject/ a human body/ an individual by capturing posture information of the subject using one or more sensors. The system 104 implemented in any computing device can be configured/operatively connected with a server 106. As illustrated, the system 102 can be communicatively coupled with one or more user devices 108-1, 108-2,.., 108-N (individually referred to as the user device 108 and collectively referred to as the user devices 108, hereinafter) through a network 104. The one or more user devices 108-1, 108-2,...,108-N (individually referred to as the user device 108 and collectively referred to as the user devices 108, hereinafter) are connected to the living subjects/ users 110-1, 110-2,..., 110N (individually referred to as the living subject 110 and collectively referred to as the living subjects 110, hereinafter). The user devices 108 can include a variety of computing systems, including but not limited to, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a notebook, a workstation, a portable computer, a personal digital assistant, a handheld device and a mobile device. In an embodiment, the system 102 can be implemented using any or a combination of hardware components and software components such as a cloud, a server, a computing system, a computing device, a network device and the like. Further, the system 102 can interact with user devices 108 through a website or an application that can reside in the user devices 108. In an implementation, the system 102 can be accessed by website or application that can be configured with any operating system, including but not limited to, AndroidTM, iOSTM, and the like. Examples of the computing devices 108 can include, but are not limited to, a computing device associated with industrial equipment or an industrial equipment based asset, a smart camera, a smart phone, a portable computer, a personal digital assistant, a handheld device and the like.
[0029] Further, the network 104 can be a wireless network, a wired network or a combination thereof that can be implemented as one of the different types of networks, such as Intranet, Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), Internet, and the like. Further, the network 104 can either be a dedicated network or a shared network. The shared network can represent an association of the different types of networks that can use variety of protocols, for example, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), and the like.
[0030] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the system 102 may comprise a set of sensors and a harness, the set of sensors are used for determining posture of the living subject. The set of sensors may be configured to the harness. The set of sensors attached to the harness can detect the posture of the living subject. The harness may be wearable or otherwise adapted to be worn or connected to the body of the user. The harness can refer to a Y-shaped dual hook harness, a clip, a strap, a chain, an article of clothing, cable, and/or cord.
[0031] In an embodiment, the harness may be bendable and flexible and can be contoured by the living subject to his/her body structure for comfort and maintaining the sensors in the same place during use.
[0032] In an embodiment, the system can be a part of a large IoT system with participants such as doctors, therapists/trainers capturing posture information from the patients using the wearable sensors and providing the rehabilitation services over telecommunication networks and the internet, also called as telerehabilitation (or e-rehabilitation). The telerehabilitation services can be of form such as but not limited to smartphone physiotherapy, online physiotherapy, and tele-physiotherapy.
[0033] According to an embodiment, the sensors may comprise one or more axis related accelerometers and one or more axis-related gyroscopes. Additionally, in other embodiments, the sensors may further comprise a magnetometer, inclinometer, pedometer, global positioning system (GPS) components, pressure sensors, optical sensors, proximity sensors or any other suitable sensors. In general, the sensors may detect the subject movement in any appropriate manner. The sensors may detect a bending, rotation, and/or any other suitable state or characteristic of the subject. In particular, angular bending of the user can be captured using the one or more gyroscopes. The output from the sensors may be an analogy signal or an electric signal.
[0034] According to an embodiment, the system 102 may communicate with the user devices via a low point-to-point communication protocol such as Bluetooth®. In other embodiments, the system may also communicate via other various protocols and technologies such as WiFi®, WiMax®, iBeacon®, and near field communication (NFC). In other embodiments, the system 102 may connect in a wired manner to user devices. Examples of the user devices may include, but are not limited to, computer monitors, television sets, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The end users of the user devices may be doctors, physiotherapists, patients, caregivers, and/or trainers.
[0035] Although in various embodiments, the implementation of system 102 is explained with regard to the server 106, those skilled in the art would appreciate that, the system 106 can fully or partially be implemented in other computing devices operatively coupled with network 104 such as user devices 108 with minor modifications, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates exemplary functional components 200 of the proposed system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0037] As illustrated, the system 102 can include one or more processor(s) 202. The one or more processor(s) 202 can be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate data based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the one or more processor(s) 202 are configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory 206 of the system 102. The memory 206 can store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines, which may be fetched and executed to create or share the data units over a network service. The memory 206 can include any non-transitory storage device including, for example, volatile memory such as RAM, or non-volatile memory such as EPROM, flash memory, and the like.
[0038] The system 102 can also include an interface(s) 204. The interface(s) 204 may include a variety of interfaces, for example, interfaces for data input and output devices, referred to as I/O devices, storage devices, and the like. The interface(s) 204 may facilitate communication of the system 102 with various devices coupled to the system 102. The interface(s) 204 may also provide a communication pathway for one or more components of the system 102. Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, processing engine(s) 208 and data 210.
[0039] The processing engine(s) 208 can be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable instructions) to implement one or more functionalities of the processing engine(s) 208. In examples described herein, such combinations of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing engine(s) 208 may be processor executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium and the hardware for the processing engine(s) 208 may include a processing resource (for example, one or more processors), to execute such instructions. In the present examples, the machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resource, implement the processing engine(s) 208. In such examples, the system 102 can include the machine-readable storage medium storing the instructions and the processing resource to execute the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to system 102 and the processing resource. In other examples, the processing engine(s) 208 may be implemented by electronic circuitry. The data 210 can include data that is either stored or generated as a result of functionalities implemented by any of the components of the processing engine(s) 208.
[0040] The data 210 may comprise data that is either stored or generated as a result of functionalities implemented by any of the components of the processing engine(s) 208 or the system 102.
[0041] In an exemplary embodiment, the processing engine(s) 208 may include a posture determination unit 212, a posture comparison unit 214, and a posture feedback unit 216.
[0042] In an embodiment, the posture determination unit 212 captures posture information from the subject to determine and suggest correct posture.
[0043] In an embodiment, to capture the posture information of the subject, a set of sensors may be attached to the body of the subject. A first sensor of the set of sensors can be attached to neck of the subject. A second sensor can be attached to back (spine) or chest of the subject. The pair of first and the second sensors can be coupled to each other and can be placed on the harness. The pair of first and the second sensors can be connected by wires and connectors. The pair of first and second sensors may use wireless communications such as RF link and antenna to connect and communicate with each other.
[0044] In an embodiment, the set of sensors preferably include accelerometer based inclinometers, and may also include magnetometers to provide orientation around gravity vector. The accelerometer is focussed on capturing the living subject’s posture related to various axis, which is associated with leaning forward, normal posture, leaning backwards, neck flexion, neck extension and rotational movement of the neck. The sensors can also include an electronic or an optical sensor to detect incremental changes in the subject’ neck and spine movement. These incremental changes can be used to determine a posture change for the living subject. Further, the sensors may detect the subject movement, bending, rotation, and/or any other suitable state or characteristic of the subject. In particular, angular bending of the user can be captured using the one or more gyroscopes.
[0045] In an embodiment, the pair of first and second sensors detects the movement of the subject in relation to the neck and the spine. The first and the second sensors may include any appropriate components for determining the subject’s posture, such as gyroscopes, accelerometers, global positioning system (GPS) components, or any other suitable sensors. The connected pair of first and second sensors is configured to generate a first signals that relate to determined posture of the living subject.
[0046] In an embodiment, the posture comparison unit 214 provides a comparison of the determined posture information of the living subject with a pre-determined optimal posture position for the living subject. The comparison unit determines the deviation of the subject’s posture from the optimal posture position.
[0047] In an embodiment, the set of sensors can be used to determine lumbar motion angles of the spine. The sensors can determine gravity effects vs. neck and spine bending to determine the subject’s posture. The accelerometer sensor can be used to get the desired angle for detecting the posture detection.
[0048] The tilt is measured using the mathematical equation :

[0049] In an embodiment, the optimal posture position may be different for each of the living subject. However, a normal value of lumbar lordotic angle (LLA) can be defined as 20-45 degrees with a range of 1 SD. This value can be considered as the optimal posture position. An angle deviation of more than 5 degree from the standard LLA is considered as deviation and is categorized under incorrect posture for the living subject.
[0050] In an embodiment, the pressure sensors can be used determine pressure of the subject while sitting in a loradic area of the subject’s back. As an example, when the subject is sitting in a good posture the pressure to be sensed can vary and it is expected that the pressure can range from about 0.5lb-10lb with the preferred range being about 2lb-4lb. When the individual is not sitting in the good posture i.e. the subject is bending forward, then less than good posture is realized and an alert can be initiated to alert the subject to return to an unbent or upright good posture position.
[0051] In an embodiment, the posture feedback unit 216 displays the deviation recorded from comparing the posture information of the living subject with the optimal posture position.
[0052] In an embodiment, the information may be displayed on the connected computing devices web interface or on a dedicated application for visualizing the user's current sitting position in real-time. The computing devices may be such as a smart phone or a tablet. Based on the received posture information an alert or a sensory feedback for the living subject can be generated. The sensory feedback may include visual, audio, tactile, or any other appropriate form of feedback. The sensory feedback may include an appropriate representation of the subject’s posture based on the display information. The alert can be a visual, audio or a vibratory alert.
[0053] In an exemplary embodiment, a representation may be provided to inform the subject whether his or her posture is balanced, and what adjustment to the current posture should be made. When the subject is sitting for a longer than a pre-configured time period an alert may be generated.
[0054] In an embodiment, the posture information and the deviation in the posture information may be recorded in memory or transferred to a cloud server. The recorded historical data may be statistically analyzed for medical prediction and diagnostics.
[0055] Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a complete solution for real time monitoring of the subject’s posture and analyses the posture information to generate alerts for the user to correct their postures.
[0056] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a sensor unit 300 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0057] According to an embodiment, the sensor unit 300 includes a set of sensors units, shown here are sensors units 300a and 300b. The sensor unit 300a comprises of a first sensor that is connected to the neck of the living subject and the sensor unit 300b has a second sensor that is connected to the back (spine) of the living subject. Each sensor unit has one or more sensors such as but not limited to magnetometers, inclinometers, and pressure sensors. Each sensor unit includes signal conditioning electronics, a microprocessor, power supply unit, a non-volatile memory and a communications circuit.
[0058] In an embodiment, the power supply unit in the sensor unit may be a battery such as a miniature camera battery, and this battery can be rechargeable. In various embodiments, however, the power supply unit may also comprise an additional power source, such as alternating current electrically coupled to the sensor unit.
[0059] In an embodiment, the non-volatile memory unit in the sensor unit may be used to capture or store data when the system 102 is not connected to the user device. The collected data may be later transmitted and displayed to the user device, including sending an alert to maintain correct posture. The sensor unit or the user device may each house memory and process data.
[0060] In an embodiment, the communications circuit in the sensor unit includes Bluetooth or other wireless communication components for communicating with the user device, other sensor units, or a cloud server.
[0061] In an embodiment each of the sensor units can be connected to each other and to the system 102 wirelessly or through a wire. The sensor units can capture the living subject’s posture information and share the information with the other sensors and/or with the connected users devices.
[0062] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram 400 for illustrating a turn-on mode of the system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0063] In an embodiment, the system 102 is turned on at 402. Upon pressing a button for 3sec the system starts a self check process at 408; otherwise no action is initiated at block 406. Upon completion of the self-check process the system is auto paired with an available user’s device such as a phone at 410. When the phone is not available for pairing the system enters a setup mode at 412. When the phone is available for pairing, the system is connected to the phone viz Bluetooth and a battery check for the connected phone is performed at block 414. The next step checks for available battery of the phone at 416. If the battery is below threshold level of 10% a charge battery notification is sent at 418. When the battery is sufficient the individual subject’s posture determination information is sent to the user device such as but not limited to a phone, laptop, tablet. Upon detecting a change in the user’s position the system enters into an operation mode at 426. When the change in the user’s position is not detected the system may turn into an idle mode at 422.
[0064] FIG. 5A-B illustrates an exemplary flow diagram 500 for illustrating a set-up mode and idle mode of the proposed system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0065] In an embodiment, at 500 a set up mode for the system is illustrated. At block 502 the system is turned on and at block 504 it is determined whether the user’s device - phone is available for pairing. If the phone is not available for auto-pairing the system enters into an operation mode at 506. Else, at block 508 the phone is auto paired with the system and an application for measuring the subject’s posture is initiated. At block 510 it is determined whether previous determined calibration of the subject is to be followed. If the previous calibration values are to be used the phone enters the operation mode at block 512 or else a prompt is sent to the user device at 514, regarding the subject’s posture related angle values and about storing measurement result for all angles.
[0066] In an embodiment, at 550 an idle mode for the system is illustrated. At block 552 a change in the subject’s posture is determined. At block 554 an angle of spine of the subject is measured using one or more of the available sensors. At block 556 an angle of deviation of the spine with respect to the optimum postural positions is determined. Upon the angle of deviation being more than 5 degree, the system enters the operation mode at block 560, else at block 558, bluetooth transmitter of the system is turned off and a short self check up is initiated at the system.
[0067] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram 600 for illustrating an operation mode of the proposed system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0068] In an embodiment, at block 602 a change in the subject’s posture is determined. The change in the angle of the spine is measured at 604. At block 606 it is determined whether the angle deviation of the spine is more than 5 degree. If the angle of deviation is less than 5 degree the user device enters into an idle mode at 608. If the angle of deviation is more than 5 degree, at block 610 a timestamp and posture details are recorded at the system. A counter is initiated and is incremented accordingly at the system. At block 612 Bluetooth mode is activated at the system and at block 614 the data related to the subject position is sent to the user device and corresponding application notifications are shared with the subject via the device. At block 616, a counter is incremented for a period of 20 sec and then at block 618 the angle of the spine is measured again. At block 620 it is determined whether the angle deviation is more than 5 degree. If the deviation is more than 5 degree an alert corresponding to correction of the subject’s posture is generated at block 624. This event of measuring the spine angle of the subject and comparing the determined angle to the optimum postural position is repeated. When the angle deviation is determined as being less than 5 degree the system enters an idle mode at block 622.
[0069] FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram 700 illustrating a method for measuring posture of a living subject, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0070] In an aspect, the proposed method may be described in general context of computer executable instructions. Generally, computer executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, functions, etc., that perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types. The method can also be practiced in a distributed computing environment where functions are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, computer executable instructions may be located in both local and remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices.
[0071] The order in which the method as described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks may be combined in any order to implement the method or alternate methods. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method may be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof. However, for ease of explanation, in the embodiments described below, the method may be considered to be implemented in the above described system.
[0072] In an aspect, the present disclosure elaborates upon a method for detecting and correcting the posture information of the subject that comprises, at block 702, sensing the posture of the living subject by attaching a set of sensors with the living subject and generating first signals in real time based on the sensed posture of the living subject. The method comprises at block 704, receiving the generated first signals from the set of sensors, and at block 706 comparing the received first signals with a pre-stored data in a database operatively coupled to the processing engine, wherein the pre-stored data corresponds to one or more optimum posture positions of the living subject.
[0073] The method further comprises at block 708 generating second signals based on the comparison, wherein the second signals are generated when the received first signals mismatch with the at least one of the one or more optimal posture positions, and at block 710 transmitting the generated second signals to one or more computing devices located at remote locations.
[0074] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary computer system 800 in which or with which embodiments of the present invention can be utilized in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0075] As shown in FIG. 8, computer system includes an external storage device 810, a bus 820, a main memory 830, a read only memory 840, a mass storage device 850, communication port 860, and a processor 870. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that computer system may include more than one processor and communication ports. Examples of processor 870 include, but are not limited to, an Intel® Itanium® or Itanium 2 processor(s), or AMD® Opteron® or Athlon MP® processor(s), Motorola® lines of processors, FortiSOC™ system on a chip processors or other future processors. Processor 870 may include various modules associated with embodiments of the present invention. Communication port 860 can be any of an RS-232 port for use with a modem based dialup connection, a 10/100 Ethernet port, a Gigabit or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or other existing or future ports. Communication port 860 may be chosen depending on a network, such a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or any network to which computer system connects.
[0076] Memory 830 can be Random Access Memory (RAM), or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. Read only memory 840 can be any static storage device(s) e.g., but not limited to, a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) chips for storing static information e.g., start-up or BIOS instructions for processor 870. Mass storage 850 may be any current or future mass storage solution, which can be used to store information and/or instructions. Exemplary mass storage solutions include, but are not limited to, Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) hard disk drives or solid-state drives (internal or external, e.g., having Universal Serial Bus (USB) and/or Firewire interfaces), e.g. those available from Seagate (e.g., the Seagate Barracuda 7102 family) or Hitachi (e.g., the Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000), one or more optical discs, Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage, e.g. an array of disks (e.g., SATA arrays), available from various vendors including Dot Hill Systems Corp., LaCie, Nexsan Technologies, Inc. and Enhance Technology, Inc.
[0077] Bus 820 communicatively couples processor(s) 870 with the other memory, storage and communication blocks. Bus 820 can be, e.g. a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) / PCI Extended (PCI-X) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), USB or the like, for connecting expansion cards, drives and other subsystems as well as other buses, such a front side bus (FSB), which connects processor 870 to software system.
[0078] Optionally, operator and administrative interfaces, e.g. a display, keyboard, and a cursor control device, may also be coupled to bus 820 to support direct operator interaction with computer system. Other operator and administrative interfaces can be provided through network connections connected through communication port 860. External storage device 810 can be any kind of external hard-drives, floppy drives, IOMEGA® Zip Drives, Compact Disc - Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Compact Disc - Re-Writable (CD-RW), Digital Video Disk - Read Only Memory (DVD-ROM). Components described above are meant only to exemplify various possibilities. In no way should the aforementioned exemplary computer system limit the scope of the present disclosure.
[0079] While embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not limited to these embodiments only. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as described in the claim.
[0080] In the foregoing description, numerous details are set forth. It will be apparent, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, to avoid obscuring the present invention.
[0081] As used herein, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the term "coupled to" is intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other)and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements). Therefore, the terms "coupled to" and "coupled with" are used synonymously. Within the context of this document terms "coupled to" and "coupled with" are also used euphemistically to mean “communicatively coupled with” over a network, where two or more devices are able to exchange data with each other over the network, possibly via one or more intermediary device.
[0082] It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C …. and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.
[0083] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.

,CLAIMS:
1. A system for measuring posture of a living subject, said system comprising :
a set of sensors attached with the living subject to sense the posture of the living subject and generate first signals in real time based on the sensed posture of the living subject;
a processing engine comprising a processor coupled with a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
receive the generated first signals from the set of sensors;
compare the received first signals with a pre-stored data in a database operatively coupled to the processing engine, wherein the pre-stored data corresponds to one or more optimum posture positions of the living subject;
generate second signals based on the comparison, wherein the second signals are generated when the received first signals mismatch with the at least one of the one or more optimal posture positions; and
transmit the generated second signals to one or more computing devices located at remote locations.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a first sensor of the set of sensors is attached to the living subject’s neck and at least a second sensor of the set of sensors is attached to the living subject’s spine, and where the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to generate the first signals.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of sensors include a one or more of a gyroscopic sensor, a flex sensor and an acceleration sensor.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more computing devices located at remote locations are configured with a one or more computing devices of the living subject.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein an alert is generated on the one or more computing devices of the living subject when the received first signals mismatch with the at least one of the one or more optimal posture positions.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the alert is generated to remind the living subject to maintain the at least one of the one or more optimum postural positions.
7. The system of claim 5, wherein the alert is at least one of a textual message, an audio feedback, or a vibratory alert.
8. The system of claim 1, further comprising recording a history corresponding to the mismatch of the living subject posture with at least one of the one or more optimal posture positions.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to suggest a therapy when the received first signals mismatch with the at least one of the one or more optimal posture positions.
10. A method for measuring posture of a living subject, said method comprising :
sensing the posture of the living subject by attaching a set of sensors with the living subject and generating first signals in real time based on the sensed posture of the living subject;
receiving, at a computing device, the generated first signals from the set of sensors;
comparing , at a computing device, the received first signals with a pre-stored data in a database operatively coupled to the processing engine, wherein the pre-stored data corresponds to one or more optimum posture positions of the living subject;
generating, at a computing device, second signals based on the comparison, wherein the second signals are generated when the received first signals mismatch with the at least one of the one or more optimal posture positions; and
transmitting, at a computing device, the generated second signals to one or more computing devices located at remote locations.