Incontinence detection apparatus electrical architecture
First Claim
1. An incontinence detection system comprisingan incontinence detection pad for placement beneath a person to be monitored, the incontinence detection pad having a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag,a reader, anda plurality of antennae coupled to the reader, wherein the reader includes a bistatic radio frequency (RF) switch matrix which is operable to establish a first antenna of the plurality of antennae as a transmit antenna that is used to wirelessly energize the passive RFID tag and to establish a second antennae of the plurality of antennae as a receive antenna that is used to read backscattered data emitted from the passive RFID tag, the first and second antennae being situated in respective housings that are spaced apart from each other, wherein the plurality of antennae include a third antenna and a fourth antenna, wherein the bistatic RF switch matrix is operated in a full cycle scanning mode so that each of the first, second, third and fourth antenna is selectively chosen to be established as the transmit antenna and each of the remaining antenna are selectively cycled through to be the receive antenna such that twelve transmit antenna and receive antenna combinations are operated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An incontinence detection system includes an incontinence detection pad for placement beneath a person to be monitored. The incontinence detection pad has a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. A reader is provided and a plurality of antennae is coupled to the reader. The reader includes a bistatic radio frequency (RF) switch matrix which is operable to establish a first antenna of the plurality of antennae as a transmit antenna that is used to wirelessly energize the passive RFID tag and to establish a second antennae of the plurality of antennae as a receive antenna that is used to read backscattered data that may be emitted from the passive RFID tag. The first and second antennae are situated in respective housings that are spaced apart from each other. An arrangement of first and second electrodes on an electrical sheet of an incontinence pad is also provided.
227 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An incontinence detection system comprising
an incontinence detection pad for placement beneath a person to be monitored, the incontinence detection pad having a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a reader, and a plurality of antennae coupled to the reader, wherein the reader includes a bistatic radio frequency (RF) switch matrix which is operable to establish a first antenna of the plurality of antennae as a transmit antenna that is used to wirelessly energize the passive RFID tag and to establish a second antennae of the plurality of antennae as a receive antenna that is used to read backscattered data emitted from the passive RFID tag, the first and second antennae being situated in respective housings that are spaced apart from each other, wherein the plurality of antennae include a third antenna and a fourth antenna, wherein the bistatic RF switch matrix is operated in a full cycle scanning mode so that each of the first, second, third and fourth antenna is selectively chosen to be established as the transmit antenna and each of the remaining antenna are selectively cycled through to be the receive antenna such that twelve transmit antenna and receive antenna combinations are operated.
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9. An incontinence detection system comprising
an incontinence detection pad for placement beneath a person to be monitored, the incontinence detection pad having a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a reader, a plurality of antennae coupled to the reader, wherein the reader includes a bistatic radio frequency (RF) switch matrix which is operable to establish a first antenna of the plurality of antennae as a transmit antenna that is used to wirelessly energize the passive RFID tag and to establish a second antennae of the plurality of antennae as a receive antenna that is used to read backscattered data emitted from the passive RFID tag, the first and second antennae being situated in respective housings that are spaced apart from each other, wherein the plurality of antennae include a third antenna and a fourth antenna, and a patient bed having a frame and a mattress support deck carried by the frame, the mattress support deck comprising a head section, a seat section, and a thigh section, at least the head section and the thigh section being raiseable and lowerable relative to the frame, the first and second antennae being coupled to the head section, the third antenna being coupled to the seat section, and the fourth antenna being coupled to the thigh section.
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10. An incontinence detection system comprising
an incontinence detection pad for placement beneath a person to be monitored, the incontinence detection pad having a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a reader, a plurality of antennae coupled to the reader, wherein the reader includes a bistatic radio frequency (RF) switch matrix which is operable to establish a first antenna of the plurality of antennae as a transmit antenna that is used to wirelessly energize the passive RFID tag and to establish a second antennae of the plurality of antennae as a receive antenna that is used to read backscattered data emitted from the passive RFID tag, the first and second antennae being situated in respective housings that are spaced apart from each other, wherein the plurality of antennae include a third antenna and a fourth antenna, and a patient bed having a frame and a mattress support deck carried by the frame, the mattress support deck comprising a head section, a seat section, and a thigh section, at least the head section and the thigh section being raiseable and lowerable relative to the frame, the first antenna being coupled to the head section, the second and third antennae being coupled to the seat section, and the fourth antenna being coupled to the thigh section.
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11. An incontinence detection system comprising
an incontinence detection pad for placement beneath a person to be monitored, the incontinence detection pad having a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a reader, a plurality of antennae coupled to the reader, wherein the reader includes a bistatic radio frequency (RF) switch matrix which is operable to establish a first antenna of the plurality of antennae as a transmit antenna that is used to wirelessly energize the passive RFID tag and to establish a second antennae of the plurality of antennae as a receive antenna that is used to read backscattered data emitted from the passive RFID tag, the first and second antennae being situated in respective housings that are spaced apart from each other, wherein the plurality of antennae include a third antenna and a fourth antenna, and a patient bed having a frame and a mattress support deck carried by the frame, the mattress support deck comprising a head section, a seat section, and a thigh section, at least the head section and the thigh section being raiseable and lowerable relative to the frame, the first antenna being coupled to the head section, the second antenna being coupled to the seat section, and the third and fourth antennae being coupled to the thigh section.
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12. An incontinence detection system comprising
an incontinence detection pad for placement beneath a person to be monitored, the incontinence detection pad having a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a reader, a plurality of antennae coupled to the reader, wherein the reader includes a bistatic radio frequency (RF) switch matrix which is operable to establish a first antenna of the plurality of antennae as a transmit antenna that is used to wirelessly energize the passive RFID tag and to establish a second antennae of the plurality of antennae as a receive antenna that is used to read backscattered data emitted from the passive RFID tag, the first and second antennae being situated in respective housings that are spaced apart from each other, wherein the plurality of antennae include a third antenna and a fourth antenna, and a patient bed having a frame and a mattress support deck carried by the frame, the mattress support deck comprising a first section and a second section that are each raiseable and lowerable relative to the frame, the first section and the second section each being formed in a step deck arrangement having a bottom wall and a side wall extending generally upwardly from the bottom wall, the first antennae being coupled to the bottom wall of the first section, the second antenna being coupled to a side wall of the first section, the third antenna being coupled to the bottom wall of the second section, and the fourth antenna being coupled to the side wall of the second section.
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15. An electrical sheet for an incontinence detection pad, the electrical sheet comprising
a layer of material shaped generally as a rectangle having first and second long sides and first and second short sides, an RFID tag coupled to the layer closer to the first short side than the second short side, and first and second electrodes on the layer and electrically coupled to the RFID tag, the first and second electrodes including first, second, third and fourth electrode segments that are generally parallel with the first and second long sides of the layer, the second and third electrode segments being situated between the first and fourth electrode segments, the second and third electrode segments being spaced apart by a first distance that is at least twice a second distance defined between the first and second electrode segments and between the third and fourth electrode segments.
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22. An electrical sheet for an incontinence detection pad, the electrical sheet comprising
a layer of material shaped generally as a rectangle having first and second long sides and first and second short sides, an RFID tag coupled to the layer closer to the first short side than the second short side, and first and second electrodes on the layer and electrically coupled to the RFID tag, the first and second electrodes including first, second, third and fourth electrode segments that are generally parallel with the first and second short sides of the layer, the second and third electrode segments being situated between the first and fourth electrode segments, the second and third electrode segments being spaced apart by a first distance that is at least six times a second distance defined between the first and second electrode segments and between the third and fourth electrode segments.
Specification