Using Near-Field Communication Both for Out-Of-Band Pairing and Physiological Data Transfer

• US 20170181627A1
• Filed: 01/17/2017
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Baker, Steven D., Olson, David Harmon
• Granted Patent: US 10,085,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method for obtaining physiological data from a medical sensor device includes detecting a proximity of the medical sensor device by an electronic computing device. After the proximity is detected, a message is received from the medical sensor device. A determination is made as to whether the received message includes configuration information for a wireless communication link. When the received message includes the configuration information for the wireless communication link, the wireless communication link is used to receive physiological data from the medical sensor device and the received physiological data is processed at the electronic computing device. When the received message does not include configuration information for the wireless communication link, a determination is made as to whether the received message includes physiological data. When the received message includes the physiological data, the physiological data is processed at the electronic computing device.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method for obtaining physiological data from a physiological sensor device, the method comprising:

transmitting an initiator signal to the physiological sensor device;

receiving a response to the initiator signal from the physiological sensor device;

transmitting an un-modulated signal to the physiological sensor device; and

receiving load-modulated data from the physiological sensor device, the load-modulated data including physiological data.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the initiator signal includes capability information for a patient monitoring device.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the capability information includes supported protocols.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein receiving the response to the initiator signal occurs when the physiological sensor device is within a range of the patient monitoring device.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the range is no greater than 3 inches.

27. The method according to claim 22, wherein the initiator signal is a continuous-wave signal.

28. The method according to claim 22, wherein the initiator signal is a pulse.

29. The method according to claim 22, further comprising receiving temperature data from a wireless thermometry device.

30. The method according to claim 22, further comprising, upon receiving the response to the initiator signal, determining a card-emulation protocol, wherein the un-modulated signal is inductively coupled to circuitry in the physiological sensor device.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising converting the load-modulated data into a digital signal for processing using an NFC receiver, wherein the load-modulated data includes patient information.

32. A method for obtaining physiological data from a physiological sensor device, the method comprising:

transmitting an initiator signal to the physiological sensor device;

receiving a response to the initiator signal from the physiological sensor device;

transmitting an un-modulated signal to the physiological sensor device;

receiving load-modulated configuration data from the physiological sensor device;

receiving wireless link configuration data from the physiological sensor device;

using the load-modulated configuration data and the wireless link configuration data, forming a wireless connection with the physiological sensor device; and

receiving physiological data from the physiological sensor device.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the initiator signal includes capability information for a patient monitoring device.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the capability information includes supported protocols.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein receiving the response to the initiator signal occurs when the physiological sensor device is within range of the patient monitoring device.

36. The method according to claim 32, wherein the response to the initiator signal includes:

confirmation that there is a proximal device with which to connect; and

handshakes to negotiate a near-field channel (NFC) protocol.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the un-modulated signal is a continuous-wave signal.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the un-modulated signal is inductively coupled to circuitry in the physiological sensor device.

39. The method according to claim 32, wherein the load-modulated data includes radio configuration data.

40. The method according to claim 39, further comprising transmitting the physiological data to a device for processing, wherein the wireless connection is via Bluetooth or near field communication protocol.

41. A mobile computing monitoring device, comprising:

a processing unit; and

system memory, the system memory including instructions that when executed by the processing unit cause the mobile computing monitoring device to;

transmit an initiator signal to a physiological sensor device, wherein the initiator signal includes capability information for a patient monitoring device, the capability information including supported protocols;

when the physiological sensor device is within range of the patient monitoring device, receive a response to the initiator signal from the physiological sensor device, the response to the initiator signal including;

confirmation that there is a proximal device with which to connect; and

handshakes to negotiate a near-field channel (NFC) protocol;

transmit an un-modulated signal to the physiological sensor device;

receive load-modulated configuration data from the physiological sensor device, wherein the load-modulated data includes radio configuration data;

receive wireless link configuration data from the physiological sensor device;

receive physiological data from the physiological sensor device; and

transmit the physiological data to a device for processing.