Method and device for locating wireless fetal monitoring probes in set area

• US 20170100090A1
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edan Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Edan Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: TANG, Lin, CHEN, Dewei, YIN, Xin
• Granted Patent: US 9,931,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0011 Foetal or obstetric data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0015 characterised by features of the telemetry system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4245 involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• 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

The invention relates to a method and device for locating wireless fetal monitoring probes in a set area. The method comprises the following steps: instructions are sent via a plurality of wireless base stations to instruct the wireless probes in the action scopes of the wireless base stations to send base station signal intensity data tables; the wireless probes search all receivable base station signals, establish the base station signal intensity data tables; operations are carried out based on the received current base station signal intensity data tables and base station signal intensity data tables of reference points to obtain a distance reference table; the position of one with the smallest distance value is selected to be regarded as the current position of the corresponding probe. The method and the device have the benefits of quickly locating each wireless probe and avoiding loss of monitoring data.

Claims

1. A method for locating wireless fetal monitoring probes in a set area, comprising the following steps:

A) a data management center sends instructions via a plurality of wireless base stations arranged at different positions in the set area to instruct the wireless fetal monitoring probes in the action scopes of the wireless base stations to send base station signal intensity data tables of received base station signals;

B) the wireless fetal monitoring probes search all receivable signals of the base stations after receiving the instructions, quantize the intensities of the received signals of the base stations, establish base station signal intensity data tables in which the signal intensities of the base stations are arranged according to the serial numbers of the base stations, and send the base station signal intensity data tables to the data management center via the base station of which the received signal intensity is the largest; and

C) operations are carried out based on each received current base station signal intensity data table sent by the corresponding wireless fetal monitoring probe and reference point base station signal intensity data tables which are obtained in advance and comprise base station signal intensities at a plurality of reference points in the set area to obtain a distance reference table expressing distance between the current position of the wireless fetal monitoring probe and each reference point; and

the position of one reference point with the smallest distance value is selected to be regarded as the current position of the wireless fetal monitoring probe.

2. The method for locating the wireless fetal monitoring probes in the set area of claim 1, further comprising the following steps before the step A:

M) the wireless base stations are arranged at different positions in the set area; and

N) the set area is divided into a plurality of locating sub-areas, and a reference point is arranged for each locating sub-area;

the base station signal intensities at the reference points are acquired, and quantized to obtain the reference point base station signal intensity data tables;

the reference point base station signal intensity data tables are saved.

3. The method for locating the wireless fetal monitoring probes in the set area of claim 1, wherein quantizing in the step B or the step N comprises:

the receivable signal intensity value of each wireless base station is regarded as the signal intensity value of the base station, while if no signal intensity value of a base station is receivable, zero is regarded as the signal intensity value of the base station;

signal intensity values acquired by each wireless fetal monitoring probe or at a certain point are arranged according to the serial number sequence of the wireless base stations, so as to obtain the base station signal intensity data table or the reference point base station signal intensity data table at the point.

4. The method for locating the wireless fetal monitoring probes in the set area of claim 3, wherein in the reference point base station signal intensity data table, the signal levels of all of the receivable signals of the wireless base stations are required to be larger than a set signal level or signal intensity, otherwise, the requirement shall be met by moving a corresponding wireless base station(s) or increasing the number of the wireless base stations.

5. The method for locating the wireless fetal monitoring probes in the set area of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the following steps:

D) the current positions of the wireless fetal monitoring probes are marked in a map drawn in advance.

6. The method for locating the wireless fetal monitoring probes in the set area of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the following steps:

the data management center sends probe sounding instructions with identification numbers of the wireless fetal monitoring probes to enable buzzers on the wireless fetal monitoring probes matched with the identification numbers to sound after the wireless fetal monitoring probes receive the instructions.

7. The method for locating the wireless fetal monitoring probes in the set area of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the following steps:

when a wireless fetal monitoring probe(s) cannot receive any signal of the wireless base stations, physiological data obtained by the wireless fetal monitoring probe(s), current state data of the wireless fetal monitoring probe(s) and time data are saved in the wireless fetal monitoring probe(s), and are sent to the data management center as long as the wireless fetal monitoring probe(s) can receive a signal(s) of the wireless base stations.

8. The method for locating the wireless fetal monitoring probes in the set area of claim 1, wherein the data management center sends instructions to search the wireless fetal monitoring probes or exchange data with the wireless fetal monitoring probes via the wireless base stations connected with the data management center or wireless base stations of the data management center.

9. The method for locating the wireless fetal monitoring probes in the set area of claim 8, wherein the method further relates to a mobile terminal configured to download the current position data of the wireless fetal monitoring probes from the data management center via the wireless base stations, and display the current position data;

when finding out that the current wireless fetal monitoring probes disappear, a searching mode of the mobile terminal is started, and the mobile terminal emits electromagnetic waves the same as that of the wireless base stations, and displays response information of the wireless fetal monitoring probes, so as to search the wireless fetal monitoring probes.

10. A device for implementing the method for locating the wireless fetal monitoring probes in the set area of claim 1, comprising:

a locating instruction sending unit configured to enable the data management center to send instructions via the wireless base stations arranged at different positions in the set area, so as to require the wireless fetal monitoring probes in the action scopes of the wireless base stations to send base station signal intensity data tables of received base station signals;

a base station signal intensity data table establishing unit configured to enable each wireless fetal monitoring probe to search receivable signals of the base stations after receiving the instructions, quantize the intensities of the received signals of the base stations, establish a base station signal intensity data table in which signal intensities of the base stations are arranged according to the serial numbers of the base stations, and send the base station signal intensity data table to the data management center via the base station of which the signal intensity is the largest; and

a locating unit configured to carry out operations based on each received current base station signal intensity data table sent by the corresponding wireless fetal monitoring probe and reference point base station signal intensity data tables which are obtained in advance and comprise the base station signal intensities at a plurality of reference points in the set area to obtain a distance reference table of distance values between the wireless fetal monitoring probe and the reference points, wherein the position of a reference point with the smallest distance value is selected to be regarded as the current position of the wireless fetal monitoring probe.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the device further comprises:

a reference point base station signal intensity data table establishing unit configured to divide the set area into a plurality of locating sub-areas, collect the base station signal intensities at the reference points, and quantize the base station signal intensities to obtain the reference point base station signal intensity data tables, and save the reference point base station signal intensity data tables, wherein a reference point is arranged for each locating sub-area.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the device further comprises:

a saving unit configured to save physiological data obtained by a wireless fetal monitoring probe(s), current state data of the wireless fetal monitoring probe(s) and time data in the wireless fetal monitoring probe(s) when the wireless fetal monitoring probe(s) cannot receive any signal of the wireless base stations, and send the saved data to the data management center as long as the wireless fetal monitoring probe(s) can receive a signal(s) of the wireless base stations; and

a position marking unit configured to mark the current positions of the wireless fetal monitoring probes in a map drawn in advance.