Method and system for wireless device communication

• US 8,103,241 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Young, Morris J., Baker, Christopher Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US11/999,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20090149131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/3.06, 455/404.2, 455/412.2, 455/41.2, 455/521, 455/67.11, 600/508, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• 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 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A medical data receiver configured to wirelessly receive medical data via a signal and having an externally perceptible indicator of signal reception.

Claims

1. A medical data transmission system including:

a dongle configured to wirelessly receive medical data via a signal;

the dongle including an externally perceptible indicator of the strength of signal reception;

a device configured to generate health data;

the device being capable of generating the signal; and

a processor configured to execute instructions to effect automatic data transfer upon detection of a signal of sufficient strength for data transfer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dongle further includes an externally perceptible indicator of data transmission.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is a medical device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes a set of selectively illuminated lights.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the dongle includes an emitter that emits a beacon to be detected by the medical device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the beacon, when detected by the medical device causes the device to attempt to engage in a handshaking operation with the dongle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the dongle is integrated into the medical device, the medical device having a glucose measurement engine therein.

8. A medical data transmission system including:

a dongle configured to wirelessly receive medical data via a signal;

the dongle including an externally perceptible indicator of the strength of signal reception, and

a device configured to generate health data the device being capable of generating the signal, the indicator including;

a set of selectively illuminated lights, and

a set of intensity indicators such that a greater number of activated intensity indicators indicates a greater signal strength than a signal strength indicated by a smaller number of activated intensity indicators.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the set of selectively illuminated lights is also the set of intensity indicators.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the dongle further includes an externally perceptible indicator of data transmission.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the dongle includes an emitter that emits a beacon to be detected by the device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the beacon, when detected by the medical device causes the device to attempt to engage in a handshaking operation with the dongle.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the dongle is integrated into the medical device, the medical device having a glucose measurement engine therein.

14. A medical data transmission system including:

a medical data device configured to wirelessly communicate medical data to a receiver via a data signal in an active state;

the medical device having a listening mode in which the device monitors for a beacon signal emitted by the receiver and the device switches out of the listening mode within five seconds of detecting the beacon signal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the listening mode is a mode of decreased power consumption relative to the active state.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the medical device includes an indicator that indicates when the beacon signal is detected.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the medical device includes an indicator that indicates when the device is communicating with the receiver.