Dual band nurse call system

• US 9,183,732 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TekTone Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc.
• Original Assignee: TekTone Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc.
• Inventors: Wagner, Henry N., Neperud, David, Lederer, Scott, Steinike, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Trieu, Van
• Application Number:
  US13/961,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20140043150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.01, 340/286.07, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/539.16, 340/539.17, 340/7.25, 340/7.28, 455/12.1, 455/41.2, 455/423, 455/428, 455/552.1, 455/553.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/00 Constructional details of operational features of apparatus; Accessories for medical measuring apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7465 Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• 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: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A nurse call station and system capable of scalable accommodating a plurality of wireless nodes by incorporating a dual band of 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz for use in transmission and repeating an identification signal. The nurse call system is comprised of various components that includes but is not limited to gateway nodes, transmitter nodes, repeaters, end nodes and locators. Transmitter nodes may be comprised of various transmitter styles including wireless check in stations, wireless emergency call stations and resident bed stations.

Claims

1. A dual band nurse call system comprising:

at least one transmitter assembly to be carried by a health care patient wherein said transmitter is a 900 MHz DSSS radio sub-system using asynchronous frequency hopping, said transmitter providing a transmitter identification signal at 900 MHz;

at least one locator assembly constructed and arranged to receive said identification signal at 900 MHz,

at least one repeater assembly constructed and arranged to receive said identification signal at 900 MHz and transmit said identification signal at 2.4 GHz;

a gateway assembly constructed and arranged to receive said identification signal at 2.4 GHz and forward said identification signal to at least one receiver node for distribution;

a network control software constructed and arranged to operate in a plurality of modes to determine network events, said network control software communicates with said nurse call system at 900 MH and operates as a generic interface that controls communication between said repeater, said gateway, said locator and said receiving node.

2. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 1 wherein each said transmitter implements a Carrier Sense Multiple Access protocol.

3. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 1 wherein said repeater implements a Carrier Sense Multiple Access protocol.

4. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 1 wherein said repeater receiving identification signals will aggregate said signals together through said microprocessor before forwarding to said gateway link.

5. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 1 wherein said identification signal is an audible warning sound and said identification signal is audibly outputted to a central station.

6. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 5 wherein said audible warning is a voice.

7. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 1 wherein said identification signal is an audible warning sound and said identification signal is visually outputted to a central station.

8. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 1 wherein said transmitter enters a low power mode when not communicating and said repeater periodically polling said transmitter.

9. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 1 including an end node constructed and arranged to alert a health care employee of a transmitter identification signal.

10. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 9 wherein said end node is a route based packet communication deliverable over a high speed link.

11. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 10 wherein said packet communication is used to activate a switch.

12. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 1 wherein said repeater will automatically change frequencies to mitigate potential radio interference.

13. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 1 wherein said transmitter is a pendant having at least two depressible buttons, whereby depression of either said buttons will transmit a discrete identification signal.

14. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 1 wherein said universal device software is configured with default behaviors for input/output pins.

15. A dual band nurse call system comprising:

at least one transmitter assembly to be carried by a health care patient, said transmitter providing a transmitter identification signal using a DSSS radio sub-system at 900 MHz using an asynchronous frequency hopping;

at least one locator assembly constructed and arranged to receive said identification signal at 900 MHz,

at least one repeater assembly constructed and arranged to receive said identification signal at 900 MHz and transmit said identification signal at 2.4 GHz, said repeater will automatically change frequencies to mitigate potential radio interference;

a gateway assembly constructed and arranged to receive said identification signal at 2.4 GHz and forward said identification signal to at least one receiver node for distribution;

a network control software constructed and arranged to operate in a plurality of modes to determine network events, said network control software communicates with said nurse call system at 900 MH and operates as a generic interface that controls communication between said repeater, said gateway, said locator and said receiving node;

said transmitter enters a low power mode when not communicating and said repeater periodically polling said transmitter.

16. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 15 wherein each said transmitter implements a Carrier Sense Multiple Access protocol.

17. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 15 wherein said repeater implements a Carrier Sense Multiple Access protocol.

18. The dual band nurse call system according to claim 15 wherein said transmitter is a pendant having at least two depressible buttons, whereby depression of either said buttons will transmit a discrete identification signal.