ULTRASONIC COMPLIANCE ZONE SYSTEM

• US 20100321180A1
• Filed: 06/18/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Newbower, Ronald S., DEMPSEY, Michael K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,164,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A system is provided for establishing a compliance zone and monitoring interactions therewith. The system includes a compliance zone designator and a wearable device. The compliance zone designator transmits an ultrasound signal to establish the compliance zone. The ultrasound signal may be encoded with information on the compliance zone. The compliance zone designator is configured for placement at a location in which the compliance zone is desired. The wearable device is separate from the compliance zone designator. The wearable device includes a compliance zone recognition component configured to recognize the compliance zone and identify one or more pre-defined interaction criteria for the compliance zone. When the wearable device is within the compliance zone, the compliance zone recognition component recognizes the compliance zone and identifies the interaction criteria of the compliance zone. Based on the interaction criteria the wearable device determines and records compliance with the interaction criteria. The recorded data is optionally used to set off real-time alerts. The recorded data is also optionally used in subsequent analysis and documentation of compliance with protocols.

Claims

1. A system for establishing a compliance zone and interacting therewith, the system comprising:

a compliance zone designator configured to transmit data using an ultrasound signal in such a way that results in creation of the compliance zone in a vicinity of the compliance zone designator, the ultrasound signal comprising a plurality of bursts, wherein consecutive bursts within the plurality of bursts are separated in time by predefined time intervals, and wherein a sequence of all the predefined time intervals between the consecutive bursts within the plurality of bursts uniquely identifies the compliance zone; and

a wearable device separate from the compliance zone designator, the wearable device comprising a compliance zone recognition component configured to identify a pre-defined interaction criterion for the compliance zone when the wearable device receives the data through the ultrasound signal within the compliance zone;

wherein upon the wearable device being disposed within the compliance zone, the compliance zone recognition component identifies the interaction criterion of the compliance zone and operates in accordance with the interaction criterion.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the compliance zone designator is mobile.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the compliance zone designator transmits 7 bursts of the ultrasound signal, and 8-10 carrier cycles per burst, each burst being a sequence of 6 pulses in which all time intervals between consecutive pulses are within a valid range.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the valid range is between 23 and 27 microseconds, inclusive.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the data on the compliance zone is encoded in all the predefined time intervals between consecutive bursts within the 7 bursts of the ultrasound signal.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein:

each time interval between two consecutive bursts corresponds to an alphanumeric character of data; and

a collection of all characters of the data encoded in the 7 bursts corresponds to the data on the compliance zone.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein, for each burst of the ultrasound signal the compliance zone recognition component is further configured to:

recognize a single burst of ultrasound signal after receiving the 6 pulses in which all the time intervals between consecutive pulses are within the valid range; and

minimize multipath interference of the ultrasound signal received at the compliance zone recognition component by ignoring additional pulses received after recognizing the single burst for a blackout period.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the blackout period is at least 30 milliseconds.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the wearable device further comprises:

a processor which processes a received ultrasound signal to decode the data encoded in the ultrasound signal; and

a controller which controls the processor of the wearable device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a clock of the controller is a low-power RC timer oscillator.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the wearable device further comprises:

a filter that filters out components of a received signal that do not correspond to an ultrasound signal, wherein the controller and processor are activated only when an ultrasound signal passes through and is output by the filter.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the data on the compliance zone comprises:

a zone identifier for the compliance zone; and

a CRC checksum that is used to determine if the zone identifier is valid.

13. A method of establishing a compliance zone and interacting therewith, the method comprising:

transmitting data using an ultrasound signal using a compliance zone designator in such a way that results in creation of the compliance zone in a vicinity of the compliance zone designator, the ultrasound signal comprising a plurality of bursts, wherein consecutive bursts within the plurality of burst are separated in time by predefined time intervals, and wherein a sequence of all the predefined time intervals between the consecutive bursts within the plurality of bursts uniquely identifies the compliance zone; and

identifying a pre-defined interaction criterion for the compliance zone using a compliance zone recognition component of a wearable device when the wearable device receives the data through the ultrasound signal within the compliance zone, wherein the compliance zone recognition component operates in accordance with the interaction criterion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the compliance zone designator is mobile.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting 7 bursts of the ultrasound signal using the compliance zone designator, and 8-10 carrier cycles per burst, each burst being a sequence of 6 pulses in which all time intervals between consecutive pulses are within a valid range.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the valid range is between 23 and 27 microseconds, inclusive.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the data on the compliance zone is encoded in all the predefined time intervals between consecutive bursts within the 7 bursts of the ultrasound signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

each time interval between two consecutive bursts corresponds to an alphanumeric character of data; and

a collection of all characters of the data encoded in the 7 bursts corresponds to the data on the compliance zone.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising, for each burst of the ultrasound signal:

recognizing a single burst of ultrasound signal using the compliance zone recognition component after receiving the 6 pulses in which all the time intervals between consecutive pulses are within the valid range; and

minimizing multipath interference in the ultrasound signal received at the compliance zone recognition component by ignoring additional pulses received at the compliance zone recognition component after recognizing the single burst for a blackout period.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the blackout period is at least 30 milliseconds.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

processing a received ultrasound signal using a processor to decode the data encoded in the ultrasound signal; and

controlling the processor using a controller.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

tracking time in the controller using a low-power RC timer oscillator.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

filtering out components of a received signal that do not correspond to an ultrasound signal using a filter; and

activating the controller and the processor only when an ultrasound signal passes through and is output by the filter.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the data on the compliance zone comprises:

a zone identifier for the compliance zone; and

a CRC checksum that is used to determine if the zone identifier is valid.

25. A method comprising:

transmitting a first ultrasound signal in such a way that results in creation of a compliance zone in a vicinity of the transmission of the first ultrasound signal;

receiving the first ultrasound signal at a first wearable device;

identifying an interaction criterion associated with the compliance zone using the first wearable device when the first wearable device receives the first ultrasound signal within the compliance zone;

performing an action associated with the interaction criterion using the first wearable device, the action including transmitting a second ultrasound signal communicating with a second wearable device;

receiving the second ultrasound signal from the first wearable device at the second wearable device; and

recording receipt of the second ultrasound signal at the second wearable device.

26. A system for establishing a compliance zone, the system comprising:

a controller programmed to control a transmitter to transmit a plurality of bursts of the ultrasound signal, wherein consecutive bursts within the plurality of bursts are separated in time by predefined time intervals, and wherein a sequence of all the predefined time intervals between the consecutive bursts within the plurality of bursts uniquely identifies the compliance zone;

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the plurality of bursts of the ultrasound signal in such a way that results in creation of the compliance zone in a vicinity of the system.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the transmitter transmits 7 bursts of the ultrasound signal, and 8-10 carrier cycles per burst, each burst being a sequence of 6 pulses in which all time intervals between consecutive pulses are within a valid range.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the valid range is between 23 and 27 microseconds, inclusive.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein:

each time interval between two consecutive bursts corresponds to an alphanumeric character of data; and

a collection of all characters of the data encoded in the 7 bursts corresponds to the data on the compliance zone.

30. A system for recognizing a compliance zone, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an ultrasound signal establishing the compliance zone; and

a processor programmed to;

recognize a plurality of bursts of the ultrasound signal, wherein consecutive bursts within the plurality of bursts are separated in time by predefined time intervals;

decode a sequence of all the predefined time intervals between the consecutive bursts within the plurality of bursts, the sequence uniquely identifying the compliance zone; and

identify a pre-defined interaction criterion for the compliance zone based on the identity of the compliance zone.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein, for each burst of the ultrasound signal, the processor is programmed to:

recognize a single burst of ultrasound signal after receiving a first number of pulses in which all the time intervals between consecutive pulses are within a valid range; and

minimize multipath interference of the ultrasound signal received at the receiver by ignoring additional pulses received after recognizing the single burst for a blackout period.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the first number of pulses is 6.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the valid range is between 23 and 27 microseconds, inclusive.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the blackout period is at least 30 milliseconds.