Discovery and connection management with mobile systems manager

• US 20050135306A1
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Batch, Richard M., Borges, Gregory A., Dern, Christopher W., McAllen, Christopher M., Reed, Michael Scott
• Application Number:
  US11/005,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20050135306A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• 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: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention provides for a system and method of discovering whether a medical device is connected to a network, establishing secure communications between and a server and the medical device, and communicating with the medical device. Also disclosed is a method of encryption to ensure secure communications within the network between a server and medical devices connected to the network. The invention also includes a system and method for determining the location of medical devices within an institution. Also disclosed is a mobile server functioning as a mobile systems manager.

Claims

1. A system for managing patient care in an institution, comprising:

a wireless network for carrying data between devices connected to the network;

a mobile server having wireless communication capability in communication with the network through a selected port of the server, the server having a processor programmed to broadcast a beacon signal over the network at a selected interval;

a client device in communication with the network and programmed to listen for the beacon signal from the selected port and respond to the signal with a status message, the status message including information for use by the server in establishing a secure communication session with the client device;

wherein upon receiving the status message, the server uses the information contained in the status message to establish a communication session with the client device.

2. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured with a systems manager program, wherein the mobile server operates as a mobile systems manager.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the client device is programmed listen for the beacon signal, determine if the beacon signal is valid, and respond only to a valid beacon signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication capability of the mobile server has a selected range such that the beacon signal broadcast by the mobile server cannot be detected by clients located beyond the selected range.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile server is connected to a wireless access module.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication capability of the mobile server is integral with the mobile server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile server is disposed on a moveable platform configured to be rolled about a care facility.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the moveable platform is a remotely controlled cart, the cart including sensors responsive to instructions communicated to the cart to control the movement of the cart.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile server is a laptop computer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the laptop computer is in wireless communication with a database.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile service is a PDA.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the PDA is in wireless communication with a database.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile server is programmed to encrypt the beacon signal before the beacon signal is broadcast.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the client is programmed to decrypt the received encrypted beacon signal.