PRIVACY SETTING FOR MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS

• US 20140267582A1
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Andrew Schultz
• Inventors: BEUTTER, Rick, SOUTHWORTH, Andrew J., SCHULTZ, Andrew, HIRSCH, Bernard S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,258,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/00 Indexing scheme relating to scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, and to details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A communication arrangement including a room having at least one communication device therein, the at least one communication device receiving in-room images, in-room video and/or in-room audio within the room. The communication arrangement also includes a communication system for transmitting the in-room images, in-room video and/or in-room audio from within the room to a location remote from the room. The communication system has a privacy setting that, when activated, prevents viewing of the in-room images or in-room video and/or hearing of the in-room audio from within the room at the location remote from the room and communicates to the location remote from the room that the privacy setting is activated.

Claims

1. A communication arrangement comprising:

a room having at least one communication device therein, the at least one communication device receiving in-room images, in-room video and/or in-room audio within the room; and

a communication system for transmitting the in-room images, in-room video and/or in-room audio from within the room to a location remote from the room;

the communication system having a privacy setting that, when activated, prevents viewing of the in-room images or in-room video and/or hearing of the in-room audio captured from the room at the location remote from the room and communicates to the location remote from the room that the privacy setting is activated.

2. The communication arrangement of claim 1, wherein:

the communication system receives remote images, remote video and/or remote audio from within the location remote from the room; and

the privacy setting, when activated, prevents viewing of the remote images or remote video or hearing of the remote audio from within the location remote from the room at the room.

3. The communication arrangement of claim 2, wherein:

the privacy setting, when not activated, allows viewing of the in-room images or in-room video and/or hearing of the in-room audio from within the room at the location remote from the room and communicates to the location remote from the room that the privacy setting is not activated.

4. The communication arrangement of claim 3, wherein:

the privacy setting, when not activated, allows viewing of the remote images or remote video and/or hearing of the remote audio from within the location remote from the room at the room.

5. The communication arrangement of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one communication device includes at least one camera for receiving the in-room images and in-room video.

6. The communication arrangement of claim 5, wherein:

the at least one camera comprises a plurality of cameras.

7. The communication arrangement of claim 5, wherein:

the communication system allows for control of the at least one camera within the room by a user in the location remote from the room.

8. The communication arrangement of claim 1, wherein:

the communication system allows for a user in the location remote from the room to request that the privacy setting be temporarily deactivated by providing a prompt to a display in the room.

9. The communication arrangement of claim 8, wherein:

the privacy setting is temporarily deactivated by accepting the request that the privacy setting be temporarily deactivated.

10. The communication arrangement of claim 9, wherein:

the privacy setting remains activated by declining the request that the privacy setting be temporarily deactivated.

11. A method of communicating between a room and a location remote from the room comprising:

providing the room with at least one communication device therein;

receiving in-room images, in-room video and/or in-room audio within the room with the at least one communication device;

providing a communication system for transmitting the in-room images, in-room video and/or in-room audio from within the room to a location remote from the room;

providing the communication system with a privacy setting;

preventing viewing of the in-room images or in-room video and/or hearing of the in-room audio from within the room at the location remote from the room when the privacy setting is activated;

allowing viewing of the in-room images or in-room video and/or hearing of the in-room audio from within the room at the location remote from the room when the privacy setting is not activated; and

communicating to the location remote from the room that the privacy setting is activated when the privacy setting is activated.

12. The method of claim 11, further including:

receiving remote images, remote video and/or remote audio from within the location remote from the room in the communication system; and

preventing viewing of the remote images or remote video or hearing of the remote audio from within the location remote from the room at the room when the privacy setting is activated.

13. The method of claim 12, further including:

allowing viewing of the in-room images or in-room video and/or hearing of the in-room audio from within the room at the location remote from the room when the privacy setting is not activated; and

communicating to the location remote from the room that the privacy setting is not activated when the privacy setting is not activated.

14. The method of claim 13, further including:

allowing viewing of the remote images or remote video or hearing of the remote audio from within the location remote from the room at the room when the privacy setting is not activated.

15. The method of claim 11, further including:

providing the at least one communication device with at least one camera for receiving the in-room images and/or in-room video.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one camera comprises a plurality of cameras.

17. The method of claim 15, further including:

remotely controlling the at least one camera within the room from the location remote from the room.

18. The method of claim 11, further including:

allowing a user in the location remote from the room to request that the privacy setting be temporarily deactivated by providing a prompt to a display in the room.

19. The method of claim 18, further including:

temporarily deactivating the privacy setting by accepting the request that the privacy setting be temporarily deactivated.

20. The method of claim 19, further including:

maintaining the privacy setting as activated by declining the request that the privacy setting be temporarily deactivated.

21. A communication arrangement comprising:

a room having at least one communication device therein, the at least one communication device receiving in-room images, in-room video and/or in-room audio within the room; and

a communication system for transmitting the in-room images, in-room video and/or in-room audio from within the room to a plurality of locations remote from the room;

the communication system having a privacy setting that, when activated, prevents viewing of the in-room images or in-room video and/or hearing of the in-room audio from within the room at any of the locations remote from the room by a request initiated from any of the locations remote from the room.

22. The communication arrangement of claim 21, wherein:

the communication system communicates to the locations remote from the room that the privacy setting is activated.

23. The communication arrangement of claim 21, wherein:

the communication system receives remote images, remote video and/or remote audio from within the locations remote from the room; and

the privacy setting, when activated, prevents viewing of the remote images or remote video and/or hearing of the remote audio from within the locations remote from the room at the room.

24. The communication arrangement of claim 23, wherein:

the privacy setting, when not activated, allows viewing of the in-room images or in-room video or hearing of the in-room audio from within the room at the locations remote from the room and communicates to the locations remote from the room that the privacy setting is not activated.

25. The communication arrangement of claim 24, wherein:

the privacy setting, when not activated, allows viewing of the remote images or remote video or hearing of the remote audio from within the locations remote from the room at the room.

26. The communication arrangement of claim 21, wherein:

the at least one communication device includes at least one camera for receiving the in-room images and in-room video.

27. The communication arrangement of claim 26, wherein:

the at least one camera comprises a plurality of cameras.

28. The communication arrangement of claim 26, wherein:

the communication system allows for control of the at least one camera within the room by a user in any of the locations remote from the room.

29. The communication arrangement of claim 21, wherein:

the communication system allows for a user in any of the locations remote from the room to request that the privacy setting be temporarily deactivated by providing a prompt to a display in the room.

30. The communication arrangement of claim 29, wherein:

the privacy setting is temporarily deactivated by accepting the request that the privacy setting be temporarily deactivated.

31. The communication arrangement of claim 30, wherein:

the privacy setting remains activated by declining the request that the privacy setting be temporarily deactivated.