Infant and parent matching and security system and method of matching infant and parent

• US 20020101353A1
• Filed: 03/08/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Centrak Incorporated (Halma PLC)
• Original Assignee: Elpas North America, Inc. (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Radomsky, Israel, Abrams, Israel, Fensterheim, David
• Granted Patent: US 6,753,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0213 System disabling if a separation threshold is exceeded disabling electrical appliances in case of unplugging G08B13/1409
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0222 Message structure or message content, e.g. message protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit

Abstract

In one aspect of the invention, a dual-mode infrared/radio frequency (IR/RF) transmitter is secured within a wristband worn by the mother and within an ankle and/or wristband worn by the infant. In a matching mode of operation, IR signals are received by infrared receivers located within the various rooms of the hospital to precisely and automatically determine by proximity that mother and infant are correctly united. In a presence detecting mode, RF signals from the infant'"'"'s badge are detected by RF receivers located throughout the maternity ward of the hospital or throughout the hospital generally. In a security mode, RF receivers located proximate exits of either of the maternity ward and/or the hospital detect RF signals from the ankle and provide a signal to generate an alarm.

Claims

1. An exit security system comprising:

a plurality of exit sensors distributed at least within an exit area associated with an exit of a hospital, at least one of the exit sensors being operable to transmit an activation signal having an exit parameter;

an infant badge adapted to be secured to a newborn infant, the infant badge comprising;

a receiver adapted to receive the activation signal; and

a transmitter adapted to transmit an exit alarm indication (EAI) signal through a radiant energy transmission in response to the activation signal;

a plurality of exit readers distributed within the hospital, at least one of the exit readers being operable to receive the exit alarm indication (EAI) signal, the at least one of the exit readers being further operable to activate an exit indicator associated with an exit,

wherein the exit indicator is adapted to indicate that an infant badge is proximate to the exit.

2. The exit security system of claim 1, wherein the activation signal includes a low frequency signal.

3. The exit security system of claim 1, wherein the exit parameter includes one of an exit identification code and an exit alarm indication code.

4. The exit security system of claim 3, wherein the exit identification code is associated with an exit.

5. The exit security system of claim 1, wherein the exit alarm indication signal includes one of an exit identification code, an exit alarm indication code, and an infant badge identification code.

6. The exit security system of claim 1, wherein the infant badge identification code is associated with the infant badge.

7. The exit security system of claim 1, wherein the radiant energy transmission includes a radio frequency transmission and an infrared transmission.

8. The exit security system of claim 1, wherein the exit indicator includes one of a display device and an audio device.

9. The exit security system of claim 1, wherein the receiver includes a two-channel-low-frequency receiver.

10. The exit security system of claim 1, wherein the antenna includes two coil antennas that are perpendicular to each other.

11. The exit security system of claim 1 further comprising a network adapter adapted to couple an exit sensor and an electronic network.

13. The infant badge of claim 12, wherein the infant badge identification code includes one of a numeric code, an alphabetic code, and an alphanumeric code.

14. The infant badge of claim 12, wherein the exit parameter includes one of an exit identification code and an exit alarm indication (EAI) code.

15. The infant badge of claim 14, wherein the exit identification code is associated with an exit.

16. The infant badge of claim 12, wherein the exit identification code includes one of a numeric code, an alphabetic code, and an alphanumeric code.

17. The infant badge of claim 12, wherein the activation signal includes a low frequency signal.

18. The infant badge of claim 12, wherein the EAI signal includes one of an infant badge identification code, an exit identification code, and an exit alarm indication (EAI) code.

19. The infant badge of claim 12, wherein the radiant energy is one of a radio frequency transmission and an infrared transmission.

20. The infant badge of claim 12, wherein the receiver includes a two-channel-low-frequency receiver.

21. The infant badge of claim 12, wherein the antenna includes two coil antennas that are perpendicular to each other.

12. In a security system monitoring a plurality of exit areas, wherein each exit area is associated with an exit, an infant badge comprising:

a memory adapted to store an infant badge identification code associated with the infant badge;

a receiver adapted to receive an activation signal having an exit parameter;

a processor coupled to the memory and the receiver, the processor operable on the infant badge to transmit an exit alarm indication (EAI) signal based upon the exit parameter; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor,

wherein the transmitter provides the EAI signal through a radiant energy transmission in response to the activation signal.

22. In a security system monitoring a plurality of exit areas, wherein each exit area is associated with an exit, an exit sensor comprising:

a memory adapted to store an exit parameter;

a processor coupled to the memory and the network adapter, the processor operable on the exit sensor to generate an activation signal within an exit area;

a modulator coupled to the processor; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor, the transmitter operable to provides an activation signal at a predetermined duty cycle through a radiant energy transmission.

23. The exit sensor of claim 22, wherein the exit parameter includes one of an exit identification code and an exit alarm indication (EAI) code.

24. The exit sensor of claim 23, wherein the exit identification code is associated with the exit.

25. The exit sensor of claim 22, wherein the activation signal includes a low frequency signal.

26. The exit sensor of claim 22, wherein the modulator includes an amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulator.

27. The exit sensor of claim 22, wherein the radiant energy transmission includes one of a radio frequency transmission and an infrared transmission.

28. The exit sensor of claim 22 further comprising a network adapter adapted to couple the exit sensor and an electronic network.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the exit parameter includes one of an exit identification code and an exit alarm indication code.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the exit identification code is associated with an exit.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the exit identification code includes one of a numeric code, an alphabetic code, and an alpha-numeric code.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the infant badge identification code includes one of a numeric code, an alphabetic code, and an alpha-numeric code.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the activation signal includes a low frequency signal.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the radiant energy transmission includes one of a radio frequency transmission and an infrared transmission.

29. In a security system having a plurality of exit areas, wherein each exit area is associated with an exit, a method for monitoring a plurality of infant badges comprising the steps of:

receiving an activation signal having an exit parameter; and

transmitting an exit alarm indication signal through a radiant energy transmission in response to the activation signal,

wherein the exit alarm indication signal includes an infant badge identification code associated with the infant badge and the exit parameter.