System and method for backup communication using power over ethernet

• US 8,693,317 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Fire Protection LP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Total Walther GmbH Feuerschutz und Sicherheit (Johnson Controls International plc), Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Farley, Joseph D., Schuhmann, Werner, Zettler, Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Gidado, Rasheed
• Application Number:
  US13/301,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20130128724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 370/216, 370/220, 370/225, 370/445, 379/131, 379/111, 379/77, 379/215.01
• US Class Current: 370/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24

Abstract

A system and method for providing backup communications using Power over Ethernet (PoE) are disclosed. A backup communication system (BCS) is provided as part of a networked (TCP/IP) hospital communication system. The BCS is coupled to a power line used to provide power to a PoE switch. When TCP/IP communications are interrupted, the BCS receives patient call signals from patient room terminals over a secondary communication mode of the power line, and transmits those call signals to a nurses'"'"' station. The call signals can be generated by coupling a pulse-coded AC signal onto the PoE wires, or by sending voltage coded data in one direction and current-coded data in the other direction. Different signals or signal levels can be used to distinguish normal patient calls, patient emergency calls, and code calls. Thus, basic communications can be achieved when TCP/IP are unavailable. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for providing backup communication, comprising:

determining whether TCP/IP communication using a TCP/IP gateway coupled between a Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch, a call device, and a monitoring device is nonfunctional;

receiving, at a backup communication system (BCS) module coupled between the PoE switch and the monitoring device, a first call signal from the call device based on the determination that TCP/IP communication between the call device and the monitoring device is nonfunctional; and

transmitting, from the BCS module, a second call signal to the monitoring device, said second call signal representative of said first call signal;

wherein the first call signal is transmitted on a power carrying wire of an Ethernet cable and wherein said second call signal is transmitted on a signal wire, said signal wire different than said Ethernet cable.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first call signal comprises voltage coded information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the voltage-coded information includes a voltage representative of a predetermined patient event.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the voltage-coded information represents a call selected from the list consisting of a patient call, a patient emergency call, and a code call.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first call signal comprises current coded information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the current coded information represents a call selected from the list consisting of a patient call, a patient emergency call, and a code call.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, from the monitoring device, a third call signal to a monitoring station, wherein the third call signal is representative of the first and second call signals.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the monitoring station recognizes the third call signal as a predetermined patient event initiated at a patient room associated with the patient call device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the monitoring device is configured to convert the second call signal to a format recognizable by the monitoring station.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first call signal comprises current coded information or voltage coded information, the current coded information comprising a predetermined series of current pulses representative of a predetermined patient call type, the voltage coded information comprising a predetermined series of voltage pulses representative of a predetermined patient call type.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the call device, the BCS module and the monitoring station are part of a local operating network in a hospital.

12. A system for providing backup communication over an Ethernet cable, comprising:

a backup communication system (BCS) module for receiving a first call signal from a patient room terminal, the BCS module coupled between a Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch and a monitoring device;

the BSC module configured to determine whether TCP/IP communication between the patient room terminal and the monitoring device using a TCP/IP gateway coupled between the PoE switch and the monitoring device is nonfunctional; and

the BSC module configured to transmit a second call signal to a monitoring device based on the determination that TCP/IP communication between the patient room terminal and the monitoring device is nonfunctional, said second call signal representative of the first call signal;

wherein said first call signal is transmitted on a power carrying wire of an Ethernet cable and wherein said second call signal is transmitted on a signal wire, said signal wire different than said Ethernet cable.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first call signal comprises voltage coded information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the voltage-coded information includes a voltage representative of a predetermined patient event.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the voltage-coded information represents a call selected from the list consisting of a patient call, a patient emergency call, and a code call.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the first call signal comprises current coded information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the current coded information represents a call selected from the list consisting of a patient call, a patient emergency call, and a code call.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the monitoring device is configured to transmit a third call signal to a monitoring station, wherein the third call signal is representative of the first and second call signals.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the monitoring station recognizes the third call signal as a predetermined patient event initiated at a patient room associated with the patient call device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the monitoring device is configured to convert the second call signal to a format recognizable by the monitoring station.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the patient room terminal, the BCS module, and the monitoring device are part of a local operating network in a hospital.

22. A system for providing backup communication over an Ethernet cable, comprising:

a backup communication system (BCS) module for receiving a first call signal from a patient room terminal;

the BSC module configured to determine whether TCP/IP communication between the patient room terminal and a monitoring device using a TCP/IP gateway is nonfunctional; and

the BSC module configured to transmit a second call signal to a monitoring device based on the determination that TCP/IP communication between the patient room terminal and the monitoring device is nonfunctional, said second call signal representative of the first call signal;

wherein said first call signal is transmitted on a power carrying wire of an Ethernet cable, wherein said second call signal is transmitted on a signal wire, said signal wire different than said Ethernet cable, and wherein the first call signal comprises current-coded information or voltage-coded information, the current-coded information comprising a predetermined series of current pulses representative of a predetermined-patient call type, the voltage-coded information comprising a predetermined series of voltage pulses representative of a predetermined patient call type.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the current-coded information comprises a plurality of AC pulses.