IDENTIFICATION DEVICES

• US 20110018710A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonitor Technologies AS
• Original Assignee: Sonitor Technologies AS
• Inventors: Oyen, Arne, Booij, Wilfred Edwin
• Granted Patent: US 9,041,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/005 Identification bracelets, e.g. secured to the arm of a person

Abstract

An identification device comprising an ultrasound transmitter unit (16) and an outer housing (6) which receives said transmitter unit (16), said outer housing (6) comprising one or more apertures (32) which are sealed by a membrane, said membrane being substantially transparent to ultrasound when compared to the rest of the housing.

Claims

1. An identification device comprising an ultrasound transmitter unit and an outer housing which receives said transmitter unit, said outer housing comprising one or more apertures which are sealed by a membrane, said membrane being substantially transparent to ultrasound when compared to the rest of the housing.

2. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the membrane is thinner than the rest of the housing.

3. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the membrane is of a different material to the rest of the housing.

4. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a liquid-tight seal across at least the aperture(s) is provided.

5. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the membrane comprises a polymer film.

6. An identification device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the film has a thickness of less than 50 μ

m.

7. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the membrane attenuates ultrasound at 40 kHz by less than 6 decibels.

8. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 comprising an arrangement for attaching the device to the body of a person.

9. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 comprising an integral wrist or ankle strap.

10. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 comprising an arrangement for attaching the device to a wrist strap.

11. An identification device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said attaching arrangement is configured so as to be single-use.

12. An identification device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said strap comprises a one-way catch.

14. An identification device as claimed in claim 9 configured to allow attachment when the strap is being worn.

15. An identification device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the attachment arrangement comprises a flap adapted to slide between the strap and the patient in order to clamp the strap between said flap and the body of the outer housing.

19. A portable identification device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the transmitter unit also comprises a receiver for receiving a signal.

20. A portable identification device as claimed in claim 19 wherein said receiver is an ultrasonic receiver.

21. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer housing is configured so that the transmitter unit can be sealed into the outer housing before attachment to a patient or a patient'"'"'s strap.

22. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer housing can be closed by a single-use catch which, once broken to allow release, cannot be re-used.

23. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a battery is provided within the outer housing such that the battery can be connected to the transmitter unit when the transmitter unit is inserted in the outer housing.

24. An identification device as claimed in claim 23 wherein the battery is integral to the outer housing.

25. An identification device as claimed in claim 23 wherein the battery is so arranged within the outer housing that connection between the battery and the transmitter unit is made automatically upon installation of the transmitter unit.

26. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the transmitter unit is adapted so that the transmitter unit can be activated upon receipt of a suitable signal.

27. An identification device as claimed in claim 26 wherein said activation signal is an ultrasonic signal.

28. An identification device as claimed in claim 26 wherein the transmitter unit is configured to have at least two modes:

a sleep mode, in which the transmitter unit is receptive only to said activation signal; and

an active mode into which the transmitter unit is switched upon receipt of the activation signal and in which the transmitter unit can or does transmit signals.

29. An identification device as claimed in claim 28 wherein said sleep mode is configured so that the identification device consumes substantially less power in sleep mode than in active mode.

30. An identification device as claimed in claim 26 wherein said activation signal is at a higher power than other signals received by the identification device or signals transmitted by the identification device.

31. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the transmitter unit is arranged to receive configuration information encoded on a wireless signal.

32. An identification device as claimed in claim 31 wherein said wireless signal is an ultrasonic signal.

33. An identification device as claimed in claim 31 wherein said wireless signal includes identification information which the transmitter unit is to give once in use.

34. An identification device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the transmitter unit is arranged to transmit information during a configuration or commissioning process.

13. An identification device comprising a transmitter unit received in an outer housing, the outer housing comprising a single-use attachment arrangement for attaching the device to a wrist strap.

17. A portable identification device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the transmitter unit is an ultrasonic transmitter unit.

18. A portable identification device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the outer housing comprises one or more apertures which are sealed by a membrane, said membrane being substantially transparent to ultrasound when compared to the rest of the housing.

16. A portable identification device comprising a transmitter unit and a battery for the transmitter unit which are received separately in an outer housing so that the transmitter unit can be removed from or installed into the outer housing independently of the battery.