Activity based cost tracking systems
First Claim
1. An activity-based cost tracking system for tracking the costs of an activity undertaken within a defined space by a person or an object having an assignable cost, comprisinga first transponder attached to a person or an object participating in said activity, said first transponder providing a unique identifying code,a transponder reader associated with said defined space reading said first transponder and receiving said code to identify said first transponder,a database associating said code with said person or object to which said first transponder is attached, and assigning a cost to said person or object, anda cost computer responsive to said transponder reader and said database for identifying said person or object to which said first transponder is attached, identifying an activity being undertaken by said person or object, from a plurality of activities that might be undertaken in said defined space, determining the time during which said person or object is occupied in said activity, and computing therefrom a cost of said activity undertaken by said person or object within said defined space.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for tracking costs of medical procedures by monitoring the movements of personnel, supplies and equipment and processing data on these movements to produce detailed and accurate cost accounting records associated with particular services rendered. Transponder tags are associated with each person and object for which costs are to be tracked. The detected movements of the tags are combined with scheduling, procedure and cost information to build detailed records of activities and the costs thereof in a manner permitting a wide variety of statistical and other analyses.
614 Citations
31 Claims
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1. An activity-based cost tracking system for tracking the costs of an activity undertaken within a defined space by a person or an object having an assignable cost, comprising
a first transponder attached to a person or an object participating in said activity, said first transponder providing a unique identifying code, a transponder reader associated with said defined space reading said first transponder and receiving said code to identify said first transponder, a database associating said code with said person or object to which said first transponder is attached, and assigning a cost to said person or object, and a cost computer responsive to said transponder reader and said database for identifying said person or object to which said first transponder is attached, identifying an activity being undertaken by said person or object, from a plurality of activities that might be undertaken in said defined space, determining the time during which said person or object is occupied in said activity, and computing therefrom a cost of said activity undertaken by said person or object within said defined space.
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15. A system for tracking activities in a defined space, comprising
a transponder attached to a person or object participating in an activity, said transponder providing a unique code signal identifying said transponder, a portable transponder reader associated with said defined space to monitor activities in that space, said reader reading said transponder and receiving said code to identify said transponder, said reader transmitting said received code via radio frequency communication, a database associating said code with said person or object to which said transponder is attached, and a tracking computer receiving said code from said reader via said radio frequency communication, and reading said database to identify said person or object within said defined space.
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17. A method of tracking a cost of an activity undertaken in a defined space by a person or object having an assignable cost, comprising
attaching a first transponder to a person or an object participating in said activity, said first transponder providing a unique identifying code, associating a transponder reader with said defined space to read said first transponder and receive said code to identify said first transponder, storing in a database an association between said code and said person or object to which said first transponder is attached, and a cost for said person or object, reading said code from said first transponder using said transponder reader, identifying an activity being undertaken by said person or object, from a plurality of activities that might be undertaken in said defined space, determining the time during which said person or object is occupied in said activity, computing a cost of said activity undertaken within said defined space by said person or object, using said determined time and said cost from said database.
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30. A method for tracking activities in a defined space, comprising
attaching a transponder to a person or object participating in an activity, said transponder providing a unique code signal identifying said transponder, reading said transponder and receiving said code to identify said transponder, and then transmitting said code via radio frequency communication, storing in a database an association between said code and said person or object to which said transponder is attached, and receiving said code via said radio frequency communication, and reading said database to identify the presence of said person or object within said defined space.
Specification