Telehealth wireless communication hub device and service platform system

• US 10,230,783 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Healthcare Informatics Incorporated (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rajan, Rajeev, Jerger, Mark, Ganton, Robert, Senthil, Kumar, Kadakia, Jatin, Lohakarey, Vishwajeet, Lee, Thien, Talbot, Christopher, Kasargod, Kabir Suresh, Das, Riddhiman
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassim, Khaled M
• Application Number:
  US14/874,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20160029420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Methods and devices provide a wireless communications hub device and services enabling remote access to electronic medical or fitness devices in a manner that simplifies device networking. A wireless communication hub device may include a processor and wireless communication transceivers configured to connect to cellular and/or WiFi networks to access a remote server, and wired and/or wireless local networks for connecting to electronic medical or fitness devices. The wireless communication hub device may plug into a power source, connect to an electronic medical or fitness device, and communicate via a second wireless network with an associated server-based service. The system enables discovery of the wireless communication hub device and connected electronic medical or fitness devices. The associated remote server based service platform services may provide drivers for various electronic medical or fitness devices, store and forward data, and provide remote access to the various electronic medical or fitness devices.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to an electronic medical or fitness device, comprising:

establishing a first wireless communications link between a communication hub device and a remote server based on registration operations performed by the communication hub device in response to the communication hub device powering on, wherein the registration operations performed by the communication hub device are performed automatically and without user interaction;

discovering an electronic medical or fitness device which can be coupled to the communication hub device;

determining whether an identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is listed on a local paired device list;

establishing a second wireless communications link between the communication hub device and the discovered electronic medical or fitness device in response to determining that the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is listed on the local paired device list;

transmitting the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device to the remote server in response to determining that the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is not listed on the local paired device list;

receiving, from the remote server, both a unique internet protocol address for the discovered electronic medical or fitness device assigned by the remote server prior to the transmission of the identifier and a device authorization message at the communication hub device authorizing communication with the discovered electronic medical or fitness device when the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is included in a listing of authorized electronic medical or fitness devices maintained in the remote server; and

establishing the second wireless communications link between the communication hub device and the discovered electronic medical or fitness device in response to receiving the device authorization message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the listing of authorized electronic medical or fitness devices maintained in the remote server lists one or more medical or fitness device pre-paired with the communication hub device prior to delivery of the communication hub device to a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the local paired device list is generated at the communication hub device based on a pairing of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device and the communication hub device that occurred prior to delivery of the communication hub device to a user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the communication hub device automatically and without user interaction establishes the first wireless communications link, discovers the electronic medical or fitness device, transmits the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device, receives the device authorization message, determines whether the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is listed on the local paired device list, and establishes the second wireless communications link.

5. A communication hub device, comprising:

a processor, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations to;

establish a first wireless communications link with a remote server based on registration operations performed in response to the communication hub device powering on, wherein the registration operations performed by the communication hub device are performed automatically and without user interaction;

discover an electronic medical or fitness device which can be coupled to the communication hub device;

determine whether an identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is listed on a local paired device list;

establish a second wireless communications link with the discovered electronic medical or fitness device in response to determining that the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is listed on the local paired device list;

transmit the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device to the remote server in response to determining that the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is not listed on the local paired device list;

receive, from the remote server, both a unique internet protocol address for the discovered electronic medical or fitness device assigned by the remote server prior to the transmission of the identifier and a device authorization message authorizing communication with the discovered electronic medical or fitness device when the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is included in a listing of authorized electronic medical or fitness devices maintained in the remote server; and

establish the second wireless communications link with the discovered electronic medical or fitness device in response to receiving the device authorization message.

6. The communication hub device of claim 5, wherein the listing of authorized electronic medical or fitness devices maintained in the remote server lists one or more medical or fitness device pre-paired with the communication hub device prior to delivery of the communication hub device to a user.

7. The communication hub device 5, wherein the local paired device list is generated at the communication hub device based on a pairing of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device and the communication hub device that occurred prior to delivery of the communication hub device to a user.

8. The communication hub device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations to automatically without user interaction establish the first wireless communications link, discover the electronic medical or fitness device, transmit the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device, receive the device authorization message, determine whether the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is listed on the local paired device list, and establish the second wireless communications link.

9. A non-transitory processor readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of a communication hub device to perform operations comprising

establishing a first wireless communications link with a remote server based on registration operations performed by the communication hub device automatically and without user interaction in response to the communication hub device powering on;

discovering an electronic medical or fitness device which can be coupled to the communication hub device;

determining whether an identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is listed on a local paired device list; and

establishing a second wireless communications link with the discovered electronic medical or fitness device in response to determining that the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is listed on the local paired device list;

transmitting the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device to the remote server in response to determining that the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is not listed on the local paired device list;

receiving, from the remote server, both a unique internet protocol address for the discovered electronic medical or fitness device assigned by the remote server prior to the transmission of the identifier and a device authorization message authorizing communication with the discovered electronic medical or fitness device when the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is included in a listing of authorized electronic medical or fitness devices maintained in the remote server; and

establishing the second wireless communications link with the discovered electronic medical or fitness device in response to receiving the device authorization message.

10. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 9, wherein the listing of authorized electronic medical or fitness devices maintained in the remote server lists one or more medical or fitness device pre-paired with the communication hub device prior to delivery of the communication hub device to a user.

11. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 9, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor of a communication hub device to perform operations such that the local paired device list is generated at the communication hub device based on a pairing of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device and the communication hub device that occurred prior to delivery of the communication hub device to a user.

12. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 11, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor of a communication hub device to perform operations such that the communication hub device automatically and without user interaction establishes the first wireless communications link, discovers the electronic medical or fitness device, transmits the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device, receives the device authorization message, determines whether the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is listed on the local paired device list, and establishes the second wireless communications link.

13. A communication hub device, comprising:

means for establishing a first wireless communications link with a remote server based on registration operations performed in response to the communication hub device powering on, wherein the registration operations performed by the communication hub device are performed automatically and without user interaction;

means for discovering an electronic medical or fitness device which can be coupled to the communication hub device;

means for determining whether an identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is listed on a local paired device list; and

means for establishing a second wireless communications link between the communication hub device and the discovered electronic medical or fitness device in response to determining that the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is listed on the local paired device list;

means for transmitting the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device to the remote server in response to determining that the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is not listed on the local paired device list;

means for receiving, from the remote server, both a unique internet protocol address for the discovered electronic medical or fitness device assigned by the remote server prior to the transmission of the identifier and a device authorization message authorizing communication with the discovered electronic medical or fitness device when the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is included in a listing of authorized electronic medical or fitness devices maintained in the remote server; and

means for establishing the second wireless communications link with the discovered electronic medical or fitness device in response to receiving the device authorization message.

14. The communication hub device of claim 13, wherein the listing of authorized electronic medical or fitness devices maintained in the remote server lists one or more medical or fitness device pre-paired with the communication hub device prior to delivery of the communication hub device to a user.

15. The communication hub device of claim 13 , wherein the local paired device list is generated at the communication hub device based on a pairing of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device and the communication hub device that occurred prior to delivery of the communication hub device to a user.

16. The communication hub device of claim 15, wherein the communication hub device automatically and without user interaction establishes the first wireless communications link, discovers the electronic medical or fitness device, transmits the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device, receives the device authorization message, determines whether the identifier of the discovered electronic medical or fitness device is listed on the local paired device list, and establishes the second wireless communications link.