Monitoring a disinfected state of a mobile device

• US 10,235,861 B1
• Filed: 01/08/2018
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Automated Solutions, LLC, Metrex Research, LLC (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Metrex Research, LLC (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Burns, Steven, Som, Abhigyan, Nguyen, Tuyen Quang
• Primary Examiner(s): Nwugo, Ojiako K
• Application Number:
  US15/864,910
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 340540
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 1/005 using electronic timing, e.g. counting means pulse time delay arrangements H03K5/13; modifications of electronic switches for introducing a time delay before switching H03K17/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A mobile device that includes an input device, an output device, and an electronic processor connected to the input device and the output device. The electronic processor is configured to receive, from the input device, information about a disinfectant and set a threshold time, a threshold activity level, or both the threshold time and the threshold activity level based on the information about the disinfectant. The electronic processor is also configured to track a passage of time, an activity level, or both. If the passage of time is greater than or equal to the threshold time, the activity level is greater than or equal to the threshold activity level, or both then the electronic processor is configured to output a user notification, via the output device.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

an input device;

an output device; and

an electronic processor connected to the input device and the output device and configured to;

receive, from the input device, information about a disinfectant;

set, based on the information about the disinfectant, a threshold time, a threshold activity level, or both the threshold time and the threshold activity level;

track a passage of time, an activity level, or both; and

output a user notification, via the output device, if the passage of time is greater than or equal to the threshold time, the activity level is greater than or equal to the threshold activity level, or both.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the information received about the disinfectant is a unique device identifier for the disinfectant, and information stored in a memory of the mobile device includes the threshold time for the disinfectant, the threshold activity level for the disinfectant, or both.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the information received about the disinfectant includes any of the following:

a unique device identifier for the disinfectant, the threshold time for the disinfectant, and the threshold activity level for the disinfectant.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the activity level is an amount of time that a touch screen of the mobile device is active, an amount of time an accelerometer of the mobile device outputs a value greater than zero, or both.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the activity level is a number of screen touches.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the number of screen touches provides information on a removal of disinfectant, an addition of potential contamination, or both.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor is configured to:

track the mobile device'"'"'s location; and

cease to output the user notification, via the output device, when the mobile device leaves an area.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the electronic processor is configured to output the user notification, via the output device, when the mobile device enters the area.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor is configured to output the user notification until the electronic processor receives user input, detects an application of the disinfectant to the mobile device, or receives information about a disinfectant.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein a disinfection status of the mobile device is set to disinfected when the electronic processor receives information about the disinfectant.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the disinfection status is set to not disinfected when the passage of time is greater than or equal to the threshold time, when the activity level is greater than or equal to the threshold activity level, or both.

12. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor is configured to communicate with a remote server, another mobile device, or both,

and to communicate information about a disinfection status of the mobile device, a time period that the mobile device had the disinfection status, or both.

13. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor is configured to set the threshold time, the threshold activity level, or both the threshold time and threshold activity level based on a persistence claim of the disinfectant.

14. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the input device is a touch screen configured to receive information about the disinfectant and send that information to the electronic processor.

15. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the output device is a touch screen configured to display the user notification in a graphical user interface.

16. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to detect an application of the disinfectant.

17. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor is configured to:

determine, based on the information about the disinfectant, whether the disinfectant has a persistence claim; and

output an error message, via the output device, if the disinfectant does not have a persistence claim.

18. A method for monitoring a disinfection status of a mobile device:

receiving, via an input device, information about a disinfectant;

setting, with an electronic processor, based on the information about the disinfectant, a threshold time, a threshold activity level, or both the threshold time and the threshold activity level;

tracking, with the electronic processor, a passage of time, an activity level, or both; and

outputting a user notification, via an output device, if the passage of time is greater than or equal to the threshold time, the activity level is greater than or equal to the threshold activity level, or both.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the information received about the disinfectant is a unique device identifier for the disinfectant, and information stored in a memory of the mobile device includes the threshold time for the disinfectant, the threshold activity level for the disinfectant, or both.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the information received about the disinfectant includes any of the following:

a unique device identifier for the disinfectant, the threshold time for the disinfectant, and the threshold activity level for the disinfectant.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the activity level is an amount of time a touch screen of the mobile device is active, an amount of time an accelerometer of the mobile device outputs a value greater than zero, or both.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the activity level is a number of screen touches.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the number of screen touches provides information on a removal of disinfectant, an addition of potential contamination, or both.

24. The method according to claim 18, the method further comprising:

tracking the mobile device'"'"'s location;

ceasing to output the user notification, via the output device, when the mobile device leaves an area.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the electronic processor is configured to output the user notification, via the output device, when the mobile device enters the area.

26. The method according to claim 18, the method further comprising outputting the user notification until user input is received, an application of the disinfectant is detected, or information about a disinfectant is received.

27. The method according to claim 18, wherein the disinfection status of the mobile device is set to disinfected when the electronic processor receives information about the disinfectant.

28. The method according to claim 18, wherein the disinfection status is set to not disinfected when the passage of time is greater than or equal to the threshold time, when the activity level is greater than or equal to the threshold activity level, or both.

29. The method according to claim 18, the method further comprising communicating with a remote server, another mobile device, or both,

and communicating information about the disinfection status of the mobile device, a time period that the mobile device had the disinfection status, or both.

30. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the electronic processor is configured to set the threshold time, the threshold activity level, or both the threshold time and threshold activity level based on a persistence claim of the disinfectant.

31. The method according to claim 18, the method further comprising detecting an application of the disinfectant.

32. The method according to claim 18, the method further comprising:

determining, based on the information about the disinfectant, whether the disinfectant has a persistence claim; and

outputting an error message, via the output device, if the disinfectant does not have a persistence claim.