Wireless Relay Module For Monitoring Network Status

• US 20120182927A1
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kpr U.S., LLC (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Wiesner, Joel D., Breitweiser, Kenneth M., Harrington, Stacey B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,811,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• 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: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless relay module for networked communications between a series of medical devices and a remote monitoring device. An interface circuit coupled to each medical device communicates with the wireless relay module via a wireless relay network. The relay module communicates with the remote monitoring device over an internet-accessible wireless communication network. The controller determines a status of the networks. When the status indicates that the internet-accessible wireless communications network is available, a transmitter transmits medical device data over this network. When the internet-accessible wireless communications network is not accessible, another transmitter transmits the data to another wireless relay module. In addition, the controller obtains status information the two networks, and either transmits this information to one of the medical devices or prepares the information for display on a display of the wireless relay module.

Claims

1. A wireless relay module comprising:

a first receiver capable of wirelessly receiving medical device data over a wireless relay network from at least one medical device;

a first transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting the medical device data over the wireless relay network; and

a second transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting the medical device data over an internet-accessible wireless communications network;

a controller coupled to the first and second transmitters, said controller capable of controlling said wireless relay module to select one of said first or second transmitter for transmitting medical device data received by said first receiver, wherein said first transmitter is further capable of transmitting information to the at least one medical device indicative of a status of network communications of at least one of the wireless relay network and the internet-accessible wireless communications network.

2. The wireless relay module of claim 1, further comprising:

a display having a first indicator indicative of status of network communications.

3. The wireless relay module of claim 2, further comprising:

a second receiver capable of receiving data over the internet-accessible wireless communications network.

4. The wireless relay module of claim 2, further comprising:

a status module coupled to the second transmitter and controller, said status module capable of determining a status of accessibility of communications over said internet-accessible wireless communications network and providing said status of accessibility to the controller.

5. The wireless relay module of claim 4, wherein said display further comprises a second indicator representative of the status of accessibility of communications over said internet-accessible wireless communications network.

6. The wireless relay module of claim 2, wherein said display further comprises a second indicator representative of a status of the wireless relay network.

7. The wireless relay module of claim 2, wherein said display is further capable of providing a status indication of the wireless relay network.

8. The wireless relay module of claim 1 wherein said wireless relay network is a ZIGBEE network.

9. The wireless relay module of claim 1 wherein said wireless relay network is a relay-enabled Bluetooth network.

10. The wireless relay module of claim 1, wherein the internet-accessible wireless communications network is a mobile communications network.

11. The wireless relay module of claim 10 wherein said mobile communications network is a CDMA or GSM-based network.

12. The wireless relay module of claim 1 wherein said medical device data is encrypted medical device data.

13. A wireless relay module comprising:

a first receiver capable of wirelessly receiving medical device data over a wireless relay network from at least one medical device;

a first transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting the medical device data to a second wireless relay module over the wireless relay network;

a second transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting the medical device data over an internet-accessible wireless communications network;

a controller coupled to the first and second transmitters, said controller capable of controlling said wireless relay module to select one of said first or second transmitter for transmitting the medical device data received by said first receiver, and

a display coupled to the controller, said display capable of displaying information indicative of status of network communications of at least one of the wireless relay network and the internet-accessible wireless communications network.

14. The wireless relay module of claim 13, further comprising:

a first status module coupled to the second transmitter and controller, said status module capable of determining a status of potential communications over said interne-accessible wireless communications network and providing said potential communications status to the controller for selecting said first or second transmitter based on said status.

15. The wireless relay module of claim 14, wherein said display is further capable of providing a status indication of a determined status of potential communications over said internet-accessible wireless communications network.

16. The wireless relay module of claim 14, further comprising a second status module coupled to the first transmitter, the second status module capable of determining a status of communications over said wireless relay network.

17. The wireless relay module of claim 16, wherein said display is further capable of providing a status indication of potential communications over said wireless relay network.

18. The wireless relay module of claim 13 wherein said wireless relay network is a ZIGBEE network.

19. The wireless relay module of claim 13 wherein said wireless relay network is a relay-enable Bluetooth network.

20. The wireless relay module of claim 13, wherein said an internet-accessible wireless communications network is a mobile communications network.

21. The wireless relay module of claim 20 wherein said mobile communications network is a CDMA or GSM-based network.

22. The wireless relay module of claim 13 wherein said medical device data is encrypted medical device data.

23. The wireless relay module of claim 13 wherein said first transmitter is further capable of transmitting information to the at least one medical device indicative of status of network communications of at least one of the wireless relay network and the internet-accessible wireless communications network.

24. A process for operating a relay module in a medical device wireless network, comprising the steps of:

receiving medical device data from at least one medical device over a wireless relay network;

determining the status of an internet-accessible wireless communications network in communication with a first transmitter of said relay module;

transmitting said medical device data from said at least one medical devices over said communications network by said first transmitter if said determined status satisfies a particular criteria; and

transmitting said medical device data from said at least one medical devices by a second transmitter in communication with the wireless relay network to a second relay module over the wireless relay network if said determined status fails to satisfy the particular criteria; and

determining information indicative of status of network communications of at least one of the wireless relay network and the internet-accessible wireless communications network.

25. The process of claim 24 further comprising the step of

transmitting said medical device data from said at least one medical devices by a second transmitter in communication with the wireless relay network to a second relay module over the wireless relay network if said determined status fails to satisfy the particular criteria.

26. The process of claim 24 further comprising the steps of:

displaying the determined information indicative of status of network communications.

27. The process of claim 24 further comprising the step of:

transmitting the determined information indicative of status of network communications to the medical device.

28. The process of claim 24 further comprising the step of:

transmitting the determined information indicative of status of network communications via the first transmitter to a device in communication with the internet-accessible wireless communications network.