Health-related opportunistic networking

• US 8,260,272 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Karkanias, Chris Demetrios, Hodges, Stephen Edward, Scott, James William
• Primary Examiner(s): Addy, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behnamian, Shahriar
• Application Number:
  US13/224,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20110320564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/502, 455/41.2, 370/238, 370/338, 370/260
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• 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: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• 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 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A wireless opportunistic network that can facilitate data transfer by way of interconnected devices is disclosed. In accordance with this opportunistic network, each of the devices effectively contributes to the transfer of the information thereby obviating the need for an external carrier. In this manner, the carrier infrastructure is embodied and distributed throughout the individual devices of the network. In a particular aspect, the opportunistic network is employed to transfer and make available health-related data. This functionality can be used in many scenarios related to heath from, monitoring patients and conveying basic diagnostic data to identifying bioterrorism by way of collaborating data between a number of devices within the network. Essentially, the innovation provides for at least two core functional ideas, the opportunistic network infrastructure and the use of the network in health related scenarios.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing an opportunistic networking infrastructure by occasional or periodic interconnection of a plurality of mobile devices;

receiving data at an origin device to be delivered to a target entity on a mobile device;

aggregating the data on the origin device;

determining whether capacity is still available to capture additional information bound for the target entity;

upon determining that capacity is still available, capturing, on the origin device, additional information from at least one other proximate device;

determining priority of transmission based on an analysis of a content of the data;

identifying a communication path through the opportunistic networking infrastructure as a function of the priority; and

based on an occurrence of an opportunity to transmit the data, transferring the data and the additional information to the target entity by way of the communication path.

2. The method of claim 1, the establishing an opportunistic networking infrastructure including establishing at least one peer-to-peer connection.

3. The method of claim 1, the establishing an opportunistic networking infrastructure including establishing hybrid connections including at least one peer-to-peer connection and at least one hub-and-spoke network connection.

4. The method of claim 1, the identifying the communication path including identifying a next hop toward the target entity based on criteria including at least one of a location, a time of day, traffic or a sender identity.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the aggregated data is complete for transmission; and

upon determining that the aggregated data is not complete for transmission, collecting additional information to complete the aggregated data for transmission.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an alternative entity to the target entity to which to transfer the data and additional information, based at least partly on the priority.

7. A computer storage medium that is not a signal storing instructions, the instructions in response to execution by one or more computing devices implementing the method of claim 1.

8. A mobile communication device comprising at least one processor programmed to carry out the method of claim 1.

9. A method comprising:

aggregating data on a communication device via at least one connection of an opportunistic network;

determining whether additional data capacity is available on the communication device;

based on determining that additional data capacity is available on the communication device, collecting additional information on the communication device via at least one other connection of the opportunistic network; and

based upon occurrence of an opportunity to establish a connection within the opportunistic network to a target device, transmitting the aggregated data and additional information to the target device.

10. The method of claim 9, the transmitting the aggregated data and additional information comprising identifying a path to the target device through the opportunistic network.

11. The method of claim 10, the identifying the path comprising selecting a next hop unit in the opportunistic network to which transfer the aggregated data and additional information.

12. The method of claim 11, the selecting the next hop unit comprising analyzing criteria including at least one of a location or motion of the communication device relative to the target device.

13. A computer storage medium that is not a signal storing instructions, the instructions in response to execution by one or more computing devices implementing the method of claim 9.

14. A mobile communication device comprising at least one processor programmed to carry out the method of claim 9.

15. A portable communication device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions executable by the processor to implement functional components including

an opportunistic network connection component configured to facilitate participation of the portable communication device in an opportunistic communication infrastructure, and

a receiving component configured to

aggregate information from a first participating device of the opportunistic communication infrastructure for transfer to a target device,

determine whether capacity is available to capture additional information to be transferred to the target device, and

based on determining that capacity is available, capture the additional information from a second participating device of the opportunistic communication infrastructure prior to transferring the aggregated information and the additional information to the target device.

16. The portable communication device of claim 15, the receiving component comprising an analysis component configured to evaluate a content of at least one of the aggregated or additional information.

17. The portable communication device of claim 16, the analysis component comprising a target determination component configured to identify the target device based at least partly on the content of the at least one of the aggregated or additional information.

18. The portable communication device of claim 17, further comprising a proximate device locator component configured to identify an in-range device by which information can be transferred.

19. The portable communication device of claim 18, further comprising a transmit path determination component configured to employ proximate device information to specify at least one route through the opportunistic communication infrastructure to the target device.

20. The portable communication device of claim 16, the analysis component comprising a policy component configured to apply rules associated with characteristics of the content of the aggregated or additional information to determine the target device.