SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING AND IDENTIFYING DEVICE UTILIZATION

• US 20140218173A1
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avery Dallas Long, Harvey A. Nix, Rome Maurice Burtis
• Original Assignee: Avery Dallas Long, Harvey A. Nix, Rome Maurice Burtis
• Inventors: Long, Avery Dallas, Nix, Harvey A, Burtis, Rome Maurice
• Application Number:
  US14/240,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20140218173A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A control unit associated with a monitored device, wherein the control unit has a tag radio and a main radio. The tag radio has a first antenna operable to detect and communicate with a wearable tag associated with an asset, such as a person, a piece of equipment, or a supply, over a first communications channel. The main radio has a second antenna operable to communicate data over a second communications channel. In a preferred embodiment, the control unit is operable to communicate simultaneously with a wearable tag and with a communications network using the tag radio and the main radio, respectively. Further, the tag radio is operable to determine actions of a person associated with a wearable tag based upon Radio Signal Strength Identification (RSSI) values detected in short-range communications from the wearable tag.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a control unit associated with a monitored device, the control unit comprising a tag radio and a main radio, the tag radio comprising a first antenna operable to detect and communicate with a wearable tag associated with an asset over a first channel, the main radio comprising a second antenna operable to communicate data over a communications network over a second channel, wherein the control unit is operable to communicate simultaneously with a wearable tag and with a communications network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the monitored device is a hand hygiene dispenser.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first antenna is a directional, short-range antenna, and the second antenna is an omnidirectional, long-range antenna.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the tag radio is operable to detect short-range communications over the first channel originating from a wearable tag associated with a person, said short-range communications comprising at least an identification code and a Radio Signal Strength Identification (RSSI) value associated with the wearable tag.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the tag radio is operable to determine activity of the person based upon the RSSI value.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein activity is selected from the group consisting of:

entry or exit of a physical area in which a monitored device is located; and

proximately to a monitored device.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the tag radio is operable to monitor signals indicating use of monitored device and record such use.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the tag radio is operable to record use of a monitored device by a wearable tag associated with a person if, upon receiving said signal, the tag radio detects an RSSI value associated with the tag that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the tag radio is operable to communicate at least an identification code associated with the wearable tag to the main radio for communication to a server over the network.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the control unit is operable to display items of interest on a feedback device associated with the control unit received from the server in response to the identification code.

11. In a hand hygiene compliance system in which monitored assets comprise identifying tags capable of radio frequency communications and in which data relating to monitored assets is communicated over a communications network to a server, a method comprising:

monitoring a first channel with a tag radio to monitor actions of a monitored asset associated with a tag;

simultaneously maintaining a communications link over a second channel between a main radio and the communications network; and

communicating data regarding the monitored asset from the tag radio to the main radio for communication to the network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the monitoring step is performed with a directional antenna associated with the tag radio.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the tag radio operates at a lower power than the main radio.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the monitoring step further comprises detecting short-range communications originating from a tag, said short-range communications comprising at least an identification code and a Radio Signal Strength Identification (RSSI) value associated with the tag.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the monitoring step further comprises determining activity of a monitored asset based upon the RSSI value.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating with the tag radio, a timestamp associated with activity of the monitored asset.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said activity is selected from the group consisting of:

entry or exit of a physical area in which a monitored device is located; and

proximately to a monitored device.

18. A system comprising

a wearable tag associated with an asset, the wearable tag operable to communicate over a first channel via radio frequency (RF);

and

a control unit associated with a monitored device, the control unit comprising a tag radio and a main radio, the tag radio comprising a first antenna operable to detect and communicate with the wearable tag over the first channel, the main radio comprising a second antenna operable to communicate data over a communications network over a second channel, wherein the control unit is operable to communicate simultaneously with the wearable tag and the communications network

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the wearable tag is operable to transmit short-range communications over the first channel at predetermined time intervals.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the wearable tag further includes an accelerometer and is operable to transmit short-range communications over the first channel each time the accelerometer detects movement.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the wearable tag further includes two RF antennas and is operable to select one of the two RF antennas to transmit short-range communications over the first channel based upon orientation of the wearable tag.