Wireless tracking system and method utilizing near-field communication devices
First Claim
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1. A system utilizing near-field communications for monitoring hand sterilization, the system comprising:
- a plurality of sensors located in a facility;
a plurality of near-field communication devices, each of the plurality of near-field communication devices transmitting a beacon signal using a short range communication format receivable by another near-field communication device when the near-field communication devices are within a predetermined distance of each other, and each of the plurality of near-field communication devices transmitting interaction data using a medium range communication format to at least one of the plurality of sensors;
a hand sterilization station comprising a hand washing facet activated by an infrared sensor and in communication with a near-field communication device using the short range communication format; and
an information engine in communication with the plurality of sensors, the information engine processing the interaction data;
wherein a near-field communication interaction is recorded at the near-field communication device when a bearer of a near field communication device of the plurality of near-field communication devices activates the infrared sensor of the hand washing facet during a hand washing event, the recordation of the near-field communication interaction is transmitted to at least one of the plurality of sensors utilizing the medium range communication format and then transmitted to the information engine for storage.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a solution to determining a near-field communication interaction in a wireless tracking mesh network. The present invention utilizes near-field communication devices in conjunction with tracking tags to transmit signals for reception by sensors stationed throughout a facility which form a mesh network and forward the signals to an information engine for analysis.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A system utilizing near-field communications for monitoring hand sterilization, the system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors located in a facility; a plurality of near-field communication devices, each of the plurality of near-field communication devices transmitting a beacon signal using a short range communication format receivable by another near-field communication device when the near-field communication devices are within a predetermined distance of each other, and each of the plurality of near-field communication devices transmitting interaction data using a medium range communication format to at least one of the plurality of sensors; a hand sterilization station comprising a hand washing facet activated by an infrared sensor and in communication with a near-field communication device using the short range communication format; and an information engine in communication with the plurality of sensors, the information engine processing the interaction data; wherein a near-field communication interaction is recorded at the near-field communication device when a bearer of a near field communication device of the plurality of near-field communication devices activates the infrared sensor of the hand washing facet during a hand washing event, the recordation of the near-field communication interaction is transmitted to at least one of the plurality of sensors utilizing the medium range communication format and then transmitted to the information engine for storage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for monitoring hand sterilization utilizing near-field communications, the method comprising:
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sensing for a near-field communication interaction at a hand washing station; verifying activation of a infrared sensor for activation of a hand washing facet of the hand washing station; verifying a near-field communication interaction with a bearer of a near-field communication device and an activator of the infrared sensor, wherein the near-field communication device and the activator communicate utilizing a short-range communication format; recording data concerning the near-field communication interaction at at least one of an interacting near-field communication device; and transmitting the data concerning the near-field communication interaction to at least one sensor of a plurality of sensors using a medium range communication format for transmission to a processing engine. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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Specification