Personnel proximity detection and tracking system

• US 10,446,013 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valve Solutions Inc.
• Original Assignee: Valve Solutions Inc.
• Inventors: Laufer, Zohar, Osborne, Jr., Charles Agnew
• Primary Examiner(s): Dsouza, Adolf
• Application Number:
  US15/979,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20180315293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

Systems and methods for tracking, locating, identifying, or mapping movements of persons or personnel within a facility may include badges carried by selected persons or personnel through the facility, and these badges can each include a transmitter configured to transmit a series of signals including signature information identifying the badges and also identifying codes of each signal transmitted. In addition, a series of receivers can be positioned at selected locations of the facility and can receive the signals transmitted by the transmitters of the badges, and these receivers can be configured to identify each badge from which signals are received based upon signature information for identified badges and also to determine the proximity, range, distance, or zone between the badge identified and one or more receivers.

Claims

1. A system for identifying and mapping movements of personnel within a facility, comprising:

a plurality of badges each assigned to selected individuals of the personnel in the facility, each badge comprising one or more transmitters configured to transmit one or more signals including signature information identifying each badge from which the one or more signals are transmitted;

a plurality of dispensers positioned at selected locations about the facility, each dispenser of the plurality of dispensers including a plurality of receivers disposed therealong and configured to receive the one or more signals transmitted by each badge, wherein each receiver of the plurality of receivers is positioned or configured to receive the one or more signals within a prescribed area or zone around the dispenser associated with each receiver; and

a processor in communication with the plurality of dispensers and configured to map movements of the personnel throughout the facility based on information received from the plurality of receivers and the signature information included in the one or more signals, wherein when the one or more signals transmitted by the badges are received by at least one receiver of the plurality of receivers, the processor determines and records that the individuals assigned to the one or more badges entered the prescribed area or zone associated with the at least one receiver.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of dispensers includes a sanitation device.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein one or more receivers of the plurality of receivers are configured to detect use of the sanitation device and transmit the information to the processor including an identity of individuals of the personnel carrying the badge based on the signature information and indicating whether the identified individuals of the personnel used the sanitation device.

4. The system according to claim 1,

wherein one or more receivers of the plurality of receivers are configured to transmit information indicating a proximity, range, or distance between the receivers and the one or more badges detected by the receivers to the processor.

5. The system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a database storing data including information on medical patients checked into the facility, wherein the processor is in communication with the database and is configured to cross-reference the information on the medical patients stored in the database and the information including the proximity, range, or distance between the one or more receivers and the one or more badges detected by the receivers, and the signature information identifying each badge, to alert individuals carrying badges detected by the receiver to take a particular action or to allow or restrict access to the individuals to different areas of the facility.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitters of each badge are configured to initiate transmission of their one or more signals in response to a transmission received from one or more receivers of the plurality of receivers, when the badges are within a prescribed proximity, distance, range, or zone of the one or more receivers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more transmitters of each badge are configured to transmit a plurality of signals each containing at least one identifying code identifying each signal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each signal of the plurality of signals is transmitted at a predetermined distance from each badge or at different signal strengths.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor determines a plurality of positions or movements of each badge in relation to one or more of the plurality of receivers, based on differing signals of the plurality of signals received at the one or more receivers from each badge.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of signals includes at least five signals each transmitted at a predetermined distance, and wherein a variation between the predetermined distance at which each of the plurality of signals is transmitted is between about 5 in. to about 1 ft.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each dispenser of the plurality of dispensers includes a housing and wherein at least one of the plurality of receivers is disposed on a first side of the housing and at least one of the plurality of receivers is disposed on a second side of the housing.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each dispenser of the plurality of dispensers includes a side bar with the plurality of receivers arranged therealong.

13. A system for tracking, locating, and mapping movements of medical workers in a medical facility, comprising:

a plurality of badges carried by one or more selected medical workers, each badge comprising at least one transmitter configured to transmit one or more signals, each signal of the one or more signals including signature information identifying the badges carried by each of the selected medical workers; and

a plurality of dispensers positioned adjacent a patient treatment area of the medical facility, each of the dispensers including a plurality of receivers being configured to transmit an activation signal to cause badges in a desired proximity thereto to transmit their one or more signals, and positioned to receive the one or more signals within a prescribed zone or area associated with each receiver; and

a processor in communication with the plurality of receivers and configured to create records of the one or more signals based on information received from the plurality of receivers, including the identity of each of the badges detected as coming within the prescribed zones or areas associated with one or more receivers of the plurality of receivers.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein each badge further includes a badge receiver configured to receive the activation signal as each badge moves within the desired proximity to activate the badge and initiate the transmission of the one or more signals.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein one or more of the dispensers includes a sanitation device including one or more notification devices that notify the selected medical worker to perform a sanitation action in response to one or more of the receivers receiving the one or more signals transmitted from the badges.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more transmitters of each badge are configured to transmit a plurality of signals each containing at least one identifying code identifying each signal.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each signal of the plurality of signals is transmitted at a predetermined distance from each badge or at different signal strengths.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor determines a plurality of positions or movements of each badge in relation to one or more of the plurality of receivers, based on differing signals of the plurality of signals received at the one or more receivers from each badge.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of signals includes at least five signals each transmitted at a predetermined distance, and wherein a variation between the predetermined distance at which each of the plurality of signals is transmitted is between about 5 in. to about 1 ft.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein each dispenser of the plurality of dispensers includes a housing and wherein at least one of the plurality of receivers is disposed on a first side of the housing and at least one of the plurality of receivers is disposed on a second side of the housing.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein each dispenser of the plurality of dispensers includes a side bar with the plurality of receivers arranged therealong.