Device for wireless data exchange as well as method for establishment of a wireless connection between in particular a medical sensor unit and a computer

• US 8,554,921 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Hannemann, Thilo, Schild, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Jungwon
• Application Number:
  US11/616,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20070146130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,477 Days
• Field of Search: 378/98.9, 378/168, 378/184, 378/4, 378/91, 378/170, 342/463, 250/370.09, 709/227, 340/539.22
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4233 using matrix detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/512 Intraoral means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/563 involving image data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/566 involving communication between diagnostic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An apparatus and method to enable a simple installation of a sensor unit (in one example an intra-oral x-ray sensor) on a network. The sensor unit is preferably a sensor in the medical field, and it is provided that the sensor unit is itself fashioned as an access point and establishes its own network on which a computer automatically logs on in order to enable a data transfer between the sensor unit and the computer. Due to this measure no expertise is necessary for the installation of the sensor unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless data exchange, comprising:

a wireless intra-oral sensor unit including a medical image sensor operable to obtain intra-oral image data of a patient, said sensor unit including a wireless communication device connected to said medical image sensor; and

a computer system including a wireless communication device through which the computer system communicates with said wireless communication device of said sensor unit for receipt of the intra-oral image data acquired by said sensor unit;

said wireless intra-oral sensor unit comprising a module for establishing a wireless network via the wireless communication device of the sensor unit and defining an access point of a wireless network for connection to said medical image sensor, said wireless network being wirelessly sensed by the computer system and to which the computer system connects;

said sensor unit comprising an IP address module that automatically allocates an IP address to said computer system;

wherein said computer system includes a plurality of computers each with a wireless communication device, said sensor unit includes a decision module that selects one of said plurality of computers for receiving the image data acquired by the sensor unit.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said computer system includes a module that senses the access point of said sensor unit and automatically logs onto a network established by said sensor unit.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said wireless communication devices of said sensor unit and said computer system assign a predetermined network identifier to the network established by the sensor unit, and said network identifier being preset in said computer system.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor unit comprises a module that authenticates said computer system to said network.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a software module operating on said computer system to enable said computer system to communicate with said sensor unit given an established connection.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said decision module of said sensor unit terminates network connections to non-selected computers.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication module of said sensor unit is programmed to be permanently associated with said computer system via an installation routine, such that a wireless connection is established by the sensor unit only with said computer system.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication module of said sensor unit disconnects the network connection with said computer system after effecting a data transfer of medical image data obtained by said sensor to said computer system.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication module of said sensor unit establishes a wireless network at a first frequency range with said computer system and wherein said wireless communication module of said sensor unit switches to a different frequency range given an unsatisfactory radio connection quality on the wireless network at said first frequency range.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of further sensor units including wireless communication devices to operate as a respective plurality of access points.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor unit is an x-ray sensor.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sensor is an intra-oral x-ray sensor for dental medicine.