Portable memory module with wireless emitter to facilitate the provision of location-dependent services

• US 20090140043A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Vezza, Brian, Graves, Alan, Fitchett, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,727,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• 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: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A portable memory module, which comprises an interface allowing the module to be connected to and disconnected from an electronic device by a user of the module such that the electronic device is in close physical proximity to the module when connected thereto; memory storing an identifier of the module; an emitter; and a processing entity configured to encode the identifier of the module into a signal that is transmitted via the emitter as a wireless beacon. The memory contains information that allows the module to be identified by an entity connected to the electronic device. The wireless beacon is configured to enable a location of the module to be determined by a detection sub-system. When the module is connected to the electronic device and the identity of the module is transmitted to a network entity via the electronic device, the location of the module can be used by the network entity to establish the location of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A portable memory module, comprising:

an interface allowing the module to be connected to and disconnected from an electronic device by a user of the module such that the electronic device is in close physical proximity to the module when connected thereto;

memory storing an identifier of the module;

an emitter; and

a processing entity configured to encode the identifier of the module into a signal that is transmitted via the emitter as a wireless beacon;

wherein the memory contains information that allows the module to be identified by an entity connected to the electronic device; and

wherein the wireless beacon is configured to enable a location of the module to be determined by a detection sub-system.

2. The portable memory module defined in claim 1, wherein the processing entity is configured to release via the interface the information that allows the module to be identified.

3. The portable memory module defined in claim 2, wherein the information that allows the module to be identified comprises the identifier of the module.

4. The portable memory module defined in claim 2, wherein the information that allows the module to be identified comprises a secondary identifier different from the identifier of the module.

5. The portable memory module defined in claim 1, wherein the memory stores configuration information allowing the electronic device to be configured for the user.

6. The portable memory module defined in claim 1, wherein the interface is a USB port.

7. The portable memory module defined in claim 1, wherein the memory stores a user identifier, wherein the processing entity is configured to release the user identifier to the electronic device via the interface.

8. The portable memory module defined in claim 7, wherein the user identifier is a clinician identifier.

9. The portable memory module defined in claim 1, wherein the memory stores a device identifier previously collected from another electronic device and data indicative of a time at which the device identifier was collected.

10. The portable memory module defined in claim 1, wherein the wireless beacon includes the identifier of the module.

11. The portable memory module defined in claim 10, wherein the emitter is an active emitter.

12. The portable memory module defined in claim 10, wherein the emitter is a semi-active emitter.

13. The portable memory module defined in claim 10, wherein the emitter is a passive emitter.

14. A system, comprising:

a portable module having an emitter for emitting a wireless beacon that allows a location of the module to be determined by a detection sub-system, the module comprising an interface; and

an electronic device having an interface complementary to the interface of the module such that the electronic device is in close physical proximity to the module when said interfaces are connected, wherein the electronic device is configured to determine an identifier of the module and to inform a network entity of the identifier of the module, thereby allowing the network entity to establish that the electronic device is in close physical proximity to the module when said interfaces are connected.

15. The system defined in claim 14, wherein the module comprises a memory that stores the identifier of the module, and wherein the identifier of the module is accessible to the electronic device via said interfaces.

16. The system defined in claim 15, wherein the memory further stores configuration information allowing the electronic device to be configured for a user, and wherein the configuration information is accessible to the electronic device via said interfaces.

17. The system defined in claim 16, wherein the memory further stores an identity of a clinician associated with the module.

18. The system defined in claim 14, wherein said interfaces are configured to rigidly support the module when connected to the electronic device.

19. The system defined in claim 14, wherein at least one of said interfaces is a USB port.

20. The system defined in claim 14, wherein the wireless beacon includes the identifier of the module.

21. The system defined in claim 14, wherein the identifier of the module is a secondary identifier, wherein the wireless beacon includes an identifier of the module that is different from the secondary identifier.

22. The system defined in claim 14, wherein the emitter is active.

23. The system defined in claim 14, wherein the emitter is semi-active.

24. The system defined in claim 14, wherein the emitter is passive.

25. The system module defined in claim 14, wherein the memory further stores a device identifier previously collected from an other electronic device and data indicative of a time at which the device identifier was collected, wherein the electronic device is configured to inform the network entity of the device identifier and the data indicative of said time, thereby allowing the network entity to establish that said other electronic device was located in close physical proximity to the location of the module at said time.

26. The system defined in claim 14, wherein the electronic device is connected to the network entity via a backbone communications network.

27. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the electronic device is a mobile device capable of remaining connected to the network entity over a connection that is at least partly wireless.

28. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the electronic device is a movable device capable of remaining connected to the network entity over a connection that is at least partly wired.

29. The system defined in claim 28, wherein the electronic device is a medical device.

30. A method, comprising:

communicating with an electronic device to determine that a connection-based association indicative of close physical proximity has been formed between a portable module and the electronic device;

determining a location of the module based on receipt of a wireless beacon emitted by the module;

correlating the location of the module with the association between the portable module and the electronic device to establish that the electronic device has a location in close physical proximity to the location of the module; and

causing the location of the module to be recorded in memory in association with the electronic device.

31. The method defined in claim 30, wherein communicating with the electronic device comprises communicating over a backbone communications network.

32. The method defined in claim 31, wherein communicating over the backbone communications network comprises communicating over a connection that is at least partly wireless.

33. The method defined in claim 31, wherein communicating over the backbone communications network comprises communicating over a connection that is at least partly wired.

34. The method defined in claim 30, wherein determining that the connection-based association indicative of close physical proximity has been formed comprises receiving from the electronic device an identifier of the module.

35. The method defined in claim 34, wherein the wireless beacon includes the identifier of the module.

36. The method defined in claim 34, wherein the identifier of the module is a secondary identifier and wherein the wireless beacon includes an identifier of the module that is different from the secondary identifier.

37. The method defined in claim 30, further comprising receiving the wireless beacon at a detection sub-system.

38. The method defined in claim 37, wherein determining the location of the module comprises processing information regarding at least one of an arrival time and a direction of arrival of the wireless beacon at each of a plurality of detectors in the detection sub-system.

39. The method defined in claim 30, further comprising delivering a service to the electronic device in a manner dependent on the location of the electronic device.

40. The method defined in claim 30, further comprising determining a clinician identifier, the clinician identifier identifying a clinician associated with the module.

41. The method defined in claim 40, further comprising delivering a service to the electronic device in a manner dependent on the location of the electronic device and on the identity of the clinician associated with the module.

42. The method defined in claim 41, wherein determining the clinician identifier comprises receiving the clinician identifier from the electronic device.

43. The method defined in claim 41, further comprising receiving from the electronic device an identifier of the module to determine that the connection-based association indicative of close physical proximity has been formed, wherein determining the clinician identifier comprises querying a database with the identifier of the module in order to obtain the clinician identifier.

44. The method defined in claim 30, further comprising delivering a service to the electronic device in a manner dependent on the location of the electronic device and on a proximity of a clinician to the module.

45. The method defined in claim 44, further comprising determining the proximity of the clinician to the module.

46. The method defined in claim 45, wherein determining the proximity of the clinician to the module comprises determining a location of the clinician based on receipt of a second wireless beacon emitted by the clinician and evaluating the proximity of the clinician to the module by comparing the location of the module to the location of the clinician.

47. The method defined in claim 46, wherein the second wireless beacon includes an identifier of the clinician.

48. The method defined in claim 30, further comprising:

receiving from the electronic device (i) a device identifier previously collected by the module from an other electronic device and (ii) data indicative of a past time at which the device identifier was collected;

consulting historical data regarding the module to establish a location of the module at said past time;

establishing that said other electronic device was located in close physical proximity to the location of the module at said past time; and

causing the location of the module at said past time to be recorded in memory in association with said other electronic device.

49. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for execution by a computing device, wherein execution of the set of instructions by the computing device causes the computing device to execute a method that includes:

communicating with an electronic device to determine that a connection-based association indicative of close physical proximity has been formed between a portable module and the electronic device;

determining a location of the module based on receipt of a wireless beacon emitted by the module;

correlating the location of the module with the association between the portable module and the electronic device to establish that the electronic device has a location in close physical proximity to the location of the module; and

causing the location of the module to be recorded in memory in association with the electronic device.

50. A system, comprising:

a communications network for communicating with a set of electronic devices;

a detection sub-system for determining respective locations of a set of portable modules based on receipt of wireless beacons emitted by the modules; and

a network processing entity configured to determine when a contact-based association indicative of close physical proximity has been formed between a particular module and a particular electronic device and to correlate the location of the particular module with the association between the particular module and the particular electronic device to establish that the particular electronic device has a location that is in close physical proximity to the location of the particular module.

51. The system defined in claim 50, wherein at least some of the electronic devices are medical devices, the system being implemented in a healthcare establishment.