Non-user -specific wireless communication system and method

• US 20040127210A1
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Vocera Communications, Inc. (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Shostak, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,098,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/733 with a plurality of base stations connected to a plurality of lines for selection in cordless PBX H04W84/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A wireless communication system has a central computer, one or more access points and personal badges that communicate with the one or more access points. The central computer includes a database indexed by either user identification codes or badge serial numbers. When a user activates a badge, the central computer assigns the badge to the user who activated the badge so that any message for the user is directed to the badge. The user may also access his personal data section in a central computer database through the badge while the activation is valid. When the user deactivates the badge, the central computer deletes the association and returns the badge to a non-user-specific state. Where docking stations are available to rest the badges not being used, the badges may be configured so that they are activated when decoupled from the docking stations and deactivated when coupled to the docking stations.

Claims

1. A wireless communications system comprising:

a central computer including a database, the database containing a plurality of data sections wherein each data section is associated with one of a list of users, the database also containing a list of badges and user-badge assignments;

a plurality of badges that communicate with the central computer via a communications network wherein each badge is configured to be activated by a user and wherein upon activation, the user is able to use the badge the user activated to gain access to a data section relating to the user.

2. The wireless communications system of claim 1, wherein the activation comprises the central computer'"'"'s identifying the user and assigning the badge the user activated to both the user and the data section relating to the user.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the user is not able to use the badge to gain access to the data section upon deactivation.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 3 wherein upon deactivation, the central computer deletes a user-badge assignment between the badge and the data section relating to the user so that the badge is not assigned to any data section.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 3 wherein upon deactivation, the central computer stops communicating with the badge.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the activation comprises the user'"'"'s providing a user identification code to the badge.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 1 further comprising a docking station for each badge, wherein the badge is decoupled from the docking station prior to activation.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the badge is automatically deactivated when coupled with the docking station.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein each of the badges prompts the user for a user identification code when the user separates the badge from the docking station.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein each of the badges has a rechargeable battery portion and the docking station charges the battery portion when the badge is placed in the docking station.

11. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the badge is configured to power off when coupled with the docking station.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the data section relating to the user includes at least one of the user'"'"'s personal information, information the user previously stored in the database, and the user'"'"'s previous requests.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein access comprises ability to obtain stored information from the data section and ability to upload information to the data section.

14. A method of wirelessly communicating with a remote computer, the method comprising:

receiving from a user an activation command including a user identification code;

forwarding the user identification code to a remote central computer in response to the receiving;

accessing a set of user information that the central computer selected based on the user identification code, wherein the user information is stored in the remote central computer; and

terminating the accessing upon receiving a deactivation command.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of user information includes at least one of personal information relating to a particular user, information the particular user previously stored in the central computer, and the particular user'"'"'s previous commands to the central computer.

16. A method of wirelessly communicating with a plurality of remote devices, the method comprising:

receiving a user identification code from a first remote device;

selecting a set of user information based on the user identification code;

assigning the first remote device to the selected set of user information thereby allowing a user of the first remote device to access and change the selected set of user information; and

revoking the assigning upon receiving a deactivation command from the first remote device thereby wherein after the undoing, the user of the first remote device cannot access the selected set of user information.

17. A wireless communication device comprising:

a chassis designed to be held or worn by a user;

a user input device coupled to the chassis;

a processor inside the chassis, the processor prompting the user for an identification code in response to an activation request; and

a wireless transceiver inside the chassis, the wireless transceiver forwarding the user identification code to a remote central computer, the remote central computer assigning the wireless communication device to a set of user information selected based on the identification code so that the user can access and change the set of user information by using the user input device until a deactivation request is received.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 17 further comprising a sensor located to turn off when the device is coupled to a docking station and turn on when the device is decoupled from the docking station, wherein the sensor being turned on constitutes the activation request and the sensor being turned off constitutes the deactivation request.

19. A computer comprising:

a database including a plurality of data sections wherein each data section is associated with a user identification code, the database further including a list of badge identification codes wherein each badge identification code identifies a remote wireless communication device;

a transceiver for receiving information from and transmitting information to a plurality of badges; and

a processor capable of deciphering the information received from a remote wireless communication device, the processor assigning a first badge identification code to one of the user identification codes in response to an activation request received from a badge associated with the first badge identification code, the processor processing and routing a message to an intended recipient in response to a command identifying the intended recipient, the processor also undoing the assigning in response to a deactivation request received from the badge associated with the first badge identification code.