Method and apparatus for accessing medical asset data

• US 20030032416A1
• Filed: 08/08/2001
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Technology Services, Inc. (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Technology Services, Inc. (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Pincus, David
• Granted Patent: US 6,885,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence

Abstract

A wireless communication system to obtain data from a medical asset, such as mobile equipment. The system utilizes a transmitter coupled to a programmable interface. The programmable interface is, in turn, coupled to a device associated with the asset. The device or application communicates data about the asset to the interface. The interface is programmed by a user to communicate with the device and couple the data to the transmitter in a configuration selected by the system user. The transmitter is operable to transmit the information to one or more antennas of the wireless communication system. The information from the antennas is coupled to a cell controller and to an information system.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a programmable interface coupleable between a device and a transmitter, the interface being operable to receive device data from the device and to provide user-configurable data to the transmitter; and

a programming station selectively coupleable to the interface to enable a user to program the interface to provide the user-configurable data to the transmitter.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the device data comprises operational data of the device.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the device data is received by the interface at periodic intervals.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the programming station enables a user to establish the periodic interval that data is received by the interface.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user-configurable data comprises operational data of the device that is processed by the interface in response to programming provided by the programming station.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the desired device data comprises a sum of operational data of the device received by the interface periodically.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the programming station enables the wireless communication system user to reset the sum.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the programming station comprises a computer system coupleable to the interface.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, further comprising a cell controller and an antenna.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the cell controller is coupled to the computer system.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a transponder.

12. An interface for a wireless communication system, wherein the interface is operable to receive a first set of data from a device and to provide a second set of data to the transmitter, further wherein the interface is operable to enable a system user to configure at least a portion of the second set of data provided to the transmitter.

13. The interface as recited in claim 12, wherein the interface is operable to process the first set of data received from the device, further wherein the at least a portion of the second set of data comprises data processed by the interface.

14. The interface as recited in claim 12, wherein the interface is programmable to enable a user to provide programming to the interface to direct the operation of the interface.

15. The interface as recited in claim 14, wherein the interface is coupleable to a programming station, the programming station being operable to provide the interface with programming to enable the interface to communicate with the device using a first communication protocol and with the transmitter using a second communication protocol.

16. The interface as recited in claim 14, wherein the interface is operable to be programmed to communicate with a first device using a first communication protocol and then re-programmed to communicate with a second device using a different communication protocol.

17. The interface as recited in claim 12, wherein the first set of data comprises device operating data.

18. The interface as recited in claim 17, wherein the interface is operable to enable a user to select desired device operating data to be provided to the transmitter.

19. The interface as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least a portion of the second set of data is an ongoing count of a device operating parameter.

20. The interface as recited in claim 12, wherein the interface comprises a first electrical connector configured for mating engagement with a first external electrical connector coupled to a programming system.

21. The interface as recited in claim 20, wherein the interface comprises a second electrical connector configured for mating engagement with a second external electrical connector coupled to the device.

22. The interface as recited in claim 12, wherein the transmitter is a transponder.

23. The interface as recited in claim 21, wherein the interface comprises a third electrical connector configured for mating engagement with the transmitter.

24. A method of operating a wireless communication system to enable a system user to configure device data communicated by a transmitter coupled to a device, comprising the acts of:

connecting a programmable interface to a programming station operated by a system user;

operating the programming station to configure the programming of the programmable interface to provide the device data to the transmitter in a user selected configuration; and

coupling the programmable interface between the device and the transmitter.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, further comprising the act of transmitting a unique identifier for the transmitter with the data from the device.

26. The method as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

reconnecting the programmable interface to the programming station; and

operating the programming station to reconfigure the programming of the programmable interface to provide the device data in a different user selected configuration.

27. A method of operating a wireless communication system to enable a system user to configure data communicated from a medical asset by a transmitter, comprising the acts of:

connecting a programmable interface to a programming station operated by a system user;

operating the programming station to configure the programming of the programmable interface to provide the data to the transmitter from the medical asset in a configuration selected by the system user; and

coupling the programmable interface between the medical asset and the transmitter.

28. The method as recited in claim 27, further comprising the act of transmitting a unique identifier for the transmitter with the data from the device.

29. The method as recited in claim 27, further comprising:

reconnecting the programmable interface to the programming station; and

operating the programming station to reconfigure the programming of the programmable interface to provide the data in a different configuration selected by the system user.

30. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein operating the programming station comprises establishing an interval that a medical asset parameter is to be monitored by the programmable interface.