Computer-Implemented System And Method For Tracking Entity Locations And Generating Histories From The Locations

• US 20150310180A1
• Filed: 04/25/2014
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Pattekar, Ashish V., Chua, Christopher L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,839,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method for tracking entity locations and generating histories from the locations is provided. A tracker is associated with identification data for an entity and placed with the entity. A location of the tracker is determined. Three or more reader systems that receive location readings from the tracker are identified. A reading range of each of the reader systems is determined. An overlapping interrogation zone having a region that is shared by the reading ranges of the reader systems is located. The location of the tracker is calculated based on the overlapping zone. The location and an associated time stamp are stored on a central server with other locations of the tracker and time stamps obtained over time. A request is received for a location history of the entity. A portion of the locations are collected from the central database for the tracker as the location history.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for obtaining entity location histories, comprising:

a tracker associated with identification data for an entity comprising at least one of an individual and an object, wherein the tracker is placed with the entity;

a location determination module to determine a location of the tracker, comprising;

a reader identification module to identify three or more reader systems that receive location readings from the tracker;

a range determination module to determine a reading range of each of the reader systems;

an interrogation determination module to locate an overlapping interrogation zone comprising a region that is shared by the reading ranges of the reader systems; and

a calculation module to calculate the location of the tracker based on the overlapping interrogation zone;

a central database to store the location with a time stamp and other locations of the tracker and time stamps obtained over time;

a request module to receive a request for a location history of the entity;

a collection module to collect at least a portion of the locations from the central database for the tracker as the location history; and

a history distribution module to provide the location history.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a path determination module to determine a path of the entity from the location history; and

a map module to map the path on a map.

3. A system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a map showing a location of the entity via a symbol; and

a symbol module to change a size of the symbol based on an amount of time the entity has spent at the represented location.

4. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a time determination module to determine from the location history, how long the entity has remained in a single location, comprising;

a time stamp identification module to identify consecutive time stamps associated with the single location; and

a duration module to determine a duration between a first consecutive time stamp and a last consecutive time stamp.

5. A system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a threshold applied to the duration of the entity at the single location; and

a notification module to provide notice comprising at least one of the entity has not moved, the entity has fallen, and the entity is out of order.

6. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

the location determination module to determine a location of the entity at or near a hand cleaning station from the location history;

a duration determination module to determine a duration of the entity at the location;

a threshold applied to the duration; and

a cleaning determination module to make a determination that the entity used the hand cleaning station when the duration satisfies the threshold.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an accessibility module to associate with the tracker, at least one of areas of accessibility and areas of inaccessibility by the entity;

an area determination module to determine that the entity is located in an inaccessible area; and

an alarm sounded upon the determination that the entity is in the inaccessible area.

8. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a history comparison module to compare the location history of the entity with a clinical outcome for patients treated by the entity;

an effectiveness determination module to determine an effectiveness of the entity based on the comparison; and

an effectiveness comparison module to compare the effectiveness of the entity with the effectiveness of other entities.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the location readings are obtained via one of RFID, ultrasound, Bluetooth, and infrared technology.

10. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a tracking module to track groups of entities;

a tag association module to associate the identification data of the entity with a category tag for the groups of entities to which the entity belongs;

a location comparison module to compare the location history of the entity with those groups of entities with the associated category tags; and

an analysis module to analyze actions determined from the location history of the entity in relation to actions associated with the groups of entities.

11. A computer-implemented method for obtaining entity location histories, comprising:

associating a tracker with identification data for an entity comprising at least one of an individual and an object, wherein the tracker is placed with the entity;

determining a location of the tracker, comprising;

identifying three or more reader systems that receive location readings from the tracker;

determining a reading range of each of the reader systems;

locating an overlapping interrogation zone comprising a region that is shared by the reading ranges of the reader systems; and

determining a location of the tracker based on the overlapping interrogation zone;

storing on a central database, the location with a time stamp and other locations of the tracker and time stamps obtained over time;

receiving a request for a location history of the entity;

collecting at least a portion of the locations from the central database for the tracker as the location history; and

providing the location history.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining a path of the entity from the location history; and

mapping the path on a map.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

representing a location of the entity on the map with a symbol; and

changing a size of the symbol based on an amount of time the entity has spent at the represented location.

14. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining from the location history, how long the entity has remained in a single location, comprising;

identifying consecutive time stamps associated with the single location; and

determining a duration between a first consecutive time stamp and a last consecutive time stamp.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

applying a threshold to the duration of the entity at the single location; and

providing notice comprising at least one of the entity has not moved, the entity has fallen, and the entity is out of order.

16. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining a location of the entity at or near a hand cleaning station from the location history;

determining a duration of the entity at the location;

applying a threshold to the duration; and

making a determination that the entity used the hand cleaning station when the duration satisfies the threshold.

17. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

associating with the tracker, at least one of areas of accessibility and areas of inaccessibility by the entity;

determining that the entity is located in an inaccessible area; and

sounding an alarm upon the determination that the entity is in the inaccessible area.

18. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

comparing the location history of the entity with a clinical outcome for patients treated by the entity;

determining an effectiveness of the entity based on the comparison; and

comparing the effectiveness of the entity with the effectiveness of other entities.

19. A method according to claim 11, wherein the location readings are obtained via one of RFID, ultrasound, Bluetooth, and infrared technology.

20. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

tracking groups of entities;

associating the identification data of the entity with a category tag for the groups of entities to which the entity belongs;

comparing the location history of the entity with those groups of entities with the associated category tags; and

analyzing actions determined from the location history of the entity in relation to actions associated with the groups of entities.

21. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

configuring nodes that obtain the location readings of the tracker, comprising;

determining a range of each of the nodes;

positioning the nodes within a designated area based on the determined range;

obtaining readings of a tag at various locations within the designated area;

determining whether the tag is read by three of the nodes at each of the locations; and

reconfiguring the nodes such that each location in the designated area is within the range of at least three of the nodes.