CONTROL APPARATUS AND AUTHENTICATION METHOD

• US 20130311104A1
• Filed: 07/29/2013
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fukuda Denshi Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Inventors: INOUE, Tomonori
• Granted Patent: US 9,740,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A blood pressure meter, a thermometer, and a pulse oximeter are connected to the control apparatus, and the control apparatus includes an input unit configured to wirelessly input information identifying a measurement time and unique information along with the measurement value from the measurement devices, a processing unit configured to store the inputted measurement value and unique information in a memory, and an authentication unit configured to authenticate the measurement device that inputted the measurement value as being the same as a measurement device that inputted a stored measurement value by comparing the unique information with unique information stored along with a measurement value measured prior to the inputted measurement value. Here, the processing unit is configured to store the inputted measurement value in the ease where the authentication succeeds.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for performing a process of storing a measurement value from a measurement device, the apparatus comprising:

an input unit configured to accept an input of information identifying a measurement time and unique information of the measurement device along with the measurement value from the measurement device;

a storage unit configured to store the information identifying a measurement time and the unique information along with the measurement value; and

a computation unit configured to execute a process for storing the measurement value in the storage unit,

wherein the computation unit includes;

an authentication unit configured to compare the unique information inputted along with the measurement value through the input unit with unique information stored in the storage unit along with a measurement value taken prior to the inputted measurement value and authenticate the measurement device that inputted the measurement value as being the same as a measurement device that inputted the measurement value stored in the storage unit;

a processing unit configured to store the measurement value in the storage unit in accordance with a result of the authentication performed by the authentication unit; and

an output unit configured to output the result of the authentication, and

wherein the processing unit is configured to store the measurement value in the storage unit along with the unique information in a case where the authentication unit has successfully authenticated the measurement device.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control apparatus is included in a first measurement device for measuring biological information;

the storage unit is configured to store a measurement value obtained by the first measurement device and a measurement value obtained by a second measurement device for measuring biological information that is different from the first measurement device; and

the processing unit is configured to associate a first measurement value obtained by the first measurement device with a second measurement value obtained by the second measurement device and store the associated first measurement value and second measurement value in the storage unit along with the unique information in a case where the second measurement device has been successfully authenticated.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the output unit is configured to output information indicating that the authentication unit has failed to authenticate the second measurement device in a case where the authentication unit has failed to authenticate the second measurement device.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the processing unit is configured to store the unique information of the second measurement device in the storage unit along with the measurement value obtained by the second measurement device in a case where the authentication of the second measurement device has failed;

and

the authentication unit is configured to use the unique information of the second measurement device whose authentication has failed in the next authentication after the failed authentication.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the input unit is configured to accept an input of information identifying a measurement subject corresponding to the measurement value obtained by the first measurement device;

and

the processing unit is configured to associate the first measurement value obtained by the first measurement device with the second measurement value obtained by the second measurement device and the information identifying the measurement subject, and store the associated first measurement value, second measurement value, and information identifying the measurement subject in the storage unit along with the unique information, in a case where the second measurement device has been successfully authenticated.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the input unit is configured to accept an input of information identifying a first measurement time that is a measurement time of the first measurement value and a second measurement time that is a measurement time of the second measurement value;

and

the processing unit is configured to associate the first measurement value with the second measurement value and store the associated first measurement value and second measurement value along with the unique information in the storage unit in a case where the second measurement device has been authenticated successfully and the first measurement time and the second measurement time are within a predefined interval.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the processing unit is configured to associate the first measurement value with the second measurement value and store the associated first measurement value and second measurement value along with the unique information in the storage unit on a measurement time-by-measurement time basis.

8. An authentication method for authenticating a measurement device for measuring biological information as a measurement device that is associated with a control apparatus, the control apparatus being connected to a storage device, and the method comprising:

a step of the control apparatus accepting an input of information identifying a measurement time and unique information of the measurement device along with a measurement value from the measurement device;

a step of comparing the inputted unique information with unique information stored in the storage device along with a measurement value taken prior to the inputted measurement value; and

a step of storing the inputted measurement value in the storage device along with the unique information in a case where it has been confirmed in the step of comparing that the inputted unique information matches the unique information stored in the storage device and the measurement device that inputted the measurement value has thus been determined to be the same measurement device as the measurement device that inputted the measurement value stored in the storage device.