Office communication system

• US 8,035,519 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Davis Medical Communications LLC
• Original Assignee: Andrew P. Davis
• Inventors: Davis, Andrew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US12/784,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20100240305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

An office communication system provides intra-office communication within a medical or dental office, for example. The system includes a door or wall unit, a table or desk unit, and a wearable or portable unit. The door and desk units are configured to transmit and receive both infrared and radio frequency type wireless signals. The portable unit may include an infrared light transmitter configured to transmit infrared light encoded with a unique address or identifier. The system operates to non-obtrusively notify office personnel whether a practitioner has entered or is presently within a particular exam room of the office, even if a door of the exam room is closed.

Claims

1. An office communication system for an office comprising:

a wearable communication unit, the wearable communication unit comprising;

a wireless transceiver in cooperation with a microprocessor operable to send a wireless signal encoding a unique identifier associated with the wearable communication unit; and

a sensory output device in communication with the microprocessor to provide a user detectable output in response to a wireless signal received at the transceiver;

a first communication unit having a wireless transceiver in cooperation with a microprocessor operable to receive the wireless signal from the wearable communication unit such that when a particular wearable communication unit is within a predetermined vicinity from the first communication unit, the first communication unit is configured to transmit a wireless signal indicative of the particular wearable communication unit being located within the predetermined vicinity; and

a second communication unit having a receiving module to receive the wireless signal from the first communication unit, the receiving module electronically coupled to an indicator detectable by a human sensory system, wherein upon receipt of the wireless signal a microprocessor in the second communication unit activates the indicator to notify others that the particular wearable communication unit is located within the predetermined vicinity.

2. A method of communicating information within an office, the method comprising:

transmitting a first wireless signal from a wearable communication unit, the first wireless signal comprising information indicating proximity of the wearable communication unit to a first communication unit positioned within a particular region of the office and a unique identifier associated with the particular wearable communication unit;

receiving the first wireless signal at the first communication unit;

transmitting a second wireless signal from the first communication unit, the second wireless signal indicative of the particular wearable communication unit being located within the particular region of the office associated with the first communication unit when a microprocessor of the first communication unit determines if the wearable communication unit is within a predetermined vicinity from the first communication unit based on the received proximity information;

receiving the second wireless signal at a second communication unit;

activating an indicator coupled to the second communication unit to notify office personnel outside of the particular region of the office that the wearable communication unit is located within the particular region of the office associated with the first communication unit;

transmitting a third wireless signal from the first or second communication units to the wearable communication unit; and

providing a user detectable output at the wearable communication unit in response to the third wireless signal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein transmitting the first wireless signal from the wearable communication unit includes transmitting a wireless signal from an infrared light source.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein transmitting the second wireless signal from the first communication unit includes transmitting a radio frequency.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein activating the indicator coupled to the second communication unit includes energizing a light emitting diode.

6. An office communication system for use in an office having a plurality of examination rooms, the office comprising:

a first communication unit associated with at least one of the plurality of examination rooms, the first communication unit comprising;

a wireless transceiver; and

a microprocessor in signal communication with the wireless transceiver;

a second communication unit located at a monitoring station of the office, the second communication unit comprising;

a receiving module configured to receive the wireless signal from the first communication unit;

an indicator; and

a microprocessor in signal communication with the receiving module and the indicator; and

a wearable communication unit comprising a housing configured to be attachable to a clothing item of a person associated with the business operating in the office, the housing comprising a wireless transceiver configured to receive a wireless signal from the first communication unit;

wherein the first communication unit receives a wireless signal from the wearable communication unit, the wireless signal comprises information indicating proximity to the first communication unit and identification information of the user of the wearable communication unit, the first communication unit transmits a wireless signal indicative of the wearable communication unit being located within one of the plurality of examination rooms associated with the first communication unit when the microprocessor determines if the wearable communication unit is within a predetermined vicinity from the first communication unit based on the received proximity information,

wherein when the second communication unit receives the wireless signal transmitted by the first communication unit, the microprocessor of the second communication unit activates the indicator to notify others within the office that the wearable communication unit is located within the office associated with the first communication unit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the wireless transceiver of the wearable communication unit includes a transmitting component and a receiving component to respectively transmit and receive a wireless signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the transmitting and receiving components operate within a desired radio frequency range.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensory device of the wearable communication unit includes a light emitting diode (LED) coupled to the housing and wherein the LED is visible to the human sensory system.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the wearable communication unit further comprises a motor unit having a vibration mechanism for providing a vibratory output signal detectable by the human sensory system.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensory device of the wearable communication unit includes a mechanism for providing an audible output signal.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the mechanism is a piezoelectric beeper.

13. The office communication system of claim 6, further comprising a sensory output device configured to provide a user detectable output in response to a wireless signal from the first communication unit.

14. The system of claim 6, further comprising a switch located on the housing of the wearable communication unit configured to be manually activated for placing the sensory device in one of a detectable or a non-detectable state.

15. The system of claim 6, wherein the wireless transceiver of the wearable communication unit is configured to receive a signal initiated by user interaction performed on one of the first or second communication units, wherein the microprocessor of the wearable communication unit is operable to receive the signal from the wearable communication unit wireless transceiver and the sensory output device is configured to output a user detectable action based on the received signal.

16. The system of claim 6 wherein the wireless signal from the wearable communication unit includes infrared light.

17. The system of claim 6 wherein the wireless signal from the first communication unit includes a radio frequency.

18. The system of claim 6 wherein the indicator is a light emitting diode.

19. The system of claim 6 wherein the predetermined vicinity includes a room within the office.

20. An office communication system for an office comprising:

a first communication unit having a wireless transmitter in cooperation with a microprocessor operable to broadcast a wireless signal within a predetermined vicinity from the first communication unit;

a wearable communication unit, the wearable communication unit comprising a wireless transceiver in cooperation with a microprocessor operable to receive a broadcast wireless signal from the first communication unit when the wearable communication unit is within a predetermined vicinity from the first communication unit and configured to transmit a wireless signal encoding a unique identifier associated with the wearable communication unit indicative of the particular wearable communication unit being located within the predetermined vicinity; and

a second communication unit having a receiving module to receive the wireless signal encoding a unique identifier associated with the wearable communication unit, the receiving module electronically coupled to an indicator detectable by a human sensory system, wherein upon receipt of the wireless signal a microprocessor in the second communication unit activates the indicator to notify others that the particular wearable communication unit is located within the predetermined vicinity.

21. The office communication system of claim 20, wherein the wearable communication unit further comprises a sensory output device in communication with the microprocessor to provide a user detectable output in response to a wireless signal received at the transceiver.