System and method for providing need specific service identifiers

• US 9,286,771 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bruce Llewellyn Jr
• Original Assignee: Bruce Llewellyn Jr
• Inventors: Llewellyn, Bruce Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US13/651,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20130099930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,248 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: A61G 12/00 Accommodation for nursing, e.g. in hospitals, not covered by groups A61G1/00 - A61G11/00, e.g. trolleys for transport of medicaments or food service or tea-tables, trolleys or wagons A47B31/00; Prescription lists
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/12 Manually actuated calamity alarm transmitting arrangements emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm, activators, e.g. details of alarm push buttons mounted on an infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/222 Personal calling arrangements or devices, i.e. paging systems selective calling systems and call receivers H04W84/00, H04W68/00
• 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 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to healthcare call bells. Specifically, this invention relates to a call bell system and method for providing a need specific service identifiers and requests based on one or more criteria identified by the system.

Claims

1. A need specific call bell system, said call bell system comprising:

a call bell device, comprising

a processor;

a first communication means; and

a plurality of need specific buttons,

wherein selecting a need specific button of the plurality of need specific buttons initiates a need specific call request corresponding to the need specific button, wherein each button of the plurality of need specific buttons corresponds to a different need and/or condition including;

pain, hunger, bathroom, emergency, and general assistance, wherein said need specific call request identifies a location of the call bell device, wherein one or more need specific call request is transmitted from said call bell device, via said first communication means, when one or more of said buttons corresponding to said respective needs and/or conditions is selected by a requester, wherein two or more need specific call requests are transmitted simultaneously from said call bell device, via said first communication means, when two or more of said buttons corresponding to said respective needs and/or conditions are selected by the requester;

a remote computing device comprising

a second communication means; and

a call processing module;

wherein said call processing module is configured to receive, via said second communication means, one or more need specific call requests from said call bell device;

wherein said call processing module assigns each of said one or more need specific call requests to a specific responder of one or more responders based on one or more qualifications of the specific responder with respect to the need and/or condition of each of said one or more need specific call requests, wherein the one or more qualifications are based on the job responsibilities of the responder or the responders department;

wherein said call processing module is further configured to process said one or more need specific call requests, generate a notification event based on each need specific call request, and transmit, via said second communication means, said notification event to an assigned responder;

wherein said call processing module transmits each notification event to a corresponding assigned responder, wherein said each notification event is displayed on a notification receiver, wherein an assigned responder who receives the need specific call request is prompted to selectively either respond to the request or transfer the request to another responder.

2. The need specific call bell system of claim 1, wherein said call bell device is an analog device.

3. The need specific call bell system of claim 1, wherein said call bell device is a remote computing device.

4. The need specific call bell system of claim 1, wherein said call processing module is configured to receive one or more need specific call requests simultaneously.

5. The need specific call bell system of claim 1, wherein said call processing module is configured to compile a prioritized list of said one or more need specific call requests, wherein said one or more need specific call requests are prioritized based on one or more of the following:

(1) urgency of the need specific call request, (2) seriousness of the need specific call request, and (3) length of time a requester has been waiting to receive assistance.

6. The need specific call bell system of claim 1, wherein the notification event further comprises information identifying the type of responder that is most appropriate to respond to the need specific call request.

7. The need specific call bell system of claim 6, wherein the most appropriate type of responder is a nutritionist.

8. The need specific call bell system of claim 6, wherein when the need specific call request is a request for bathroom assistance the most appropriate responder is determined based at least in part on the gender of the requester and responder.

9. The need specific call bell system of claim 6, wherein the most appropriate type of responder is determined based at least in part on medical records.

10. The need specific call bell system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to detect when the assigned responder enters or exits a requester'"'"'s area.

11. The need specific call bell system of claim 10, wherein a need specific call request status is marked as “

in progress”

when said sensor detects that the assigned responder has entered the requester'"'"'s area.

12. The need specific call bell system of claim 10, wherein a need specific call request status is marked as complete when the assigned responder is done and said sensor detects that the assigned responder has exited the requester'"'"'s area.

13. The need specific call bell system of claim 1, wherein a need specific call request status is selected from the group consisting of:

active, in-progress, on hold, reserved, high-priority, or complete.

14. The need specific call bell system of claim 1, wherein a need specific call request status remains active until the assigned responder services the request.

15. The need specific call bell system of claim 1, wherein the call bell device includes a capacitive touch screen, wherein the need specific buttons are selectable computer generated graphical representations depicted on said touch screen, wherein said buttons may be programmatically added, deleted, or substituted as needed.

16. A method for providing a need specific call bell system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a call bell device, wherein said call bell device comprises a plurality of need specific buttons, wherein each need specific button of the plurality of need specific buttons corresponds to a different need and/or condition including;

pain, hunger, bathroom, emergency, and general assistance;

selecting one or more need specific button to initiate corresponding one or more need specific call request corresponding to the one or more need specific button, wherein said one or more need specific call request identifies a location of the call bell device;

transmitting one or more need specific call request from said call bell device when one or more of said buttons corresponding to said respective needs and/or conditions is selected by a requester;

transmitting two or more need specific call requests simultaneously from said call bell device when two or more of said buttons corresponding to said respective needs and/or conditions are selected by the requester;

receiving the one or more need specific call requests at a call processing module of a remote computing device;

processing the one or more need specific call requests via said call processing module;

assigning each of said one or more need specific call requests to a specific responder of one or more responders based on one or more qualifications of the specific responder with respect to the need and/or condition of each of said one or more need specific call requests, wherein the one or more qualifications are based on the job responsibilities of the responder or the responders department;

generating a notification event, wherein said notification event is based at least in part on one or more of said need specific call requests; and

transmitting said notification event to a corresponding assigned responder, wherein said notification event is displayed on a notification receiver, wherein an assigned responder who receives the need specific call request is prompted to selectively either respond to the request or transfer the request to another responder.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of compiling a prioritized list of said one or more need specific call requests, wherein said one or more need specific call requests are prioritized based on one or more of the following:

(1) urgency of the need specific call request, (2) seriousness of the need specific call request, and (3) length of time a requester has been waiting to receive assistance.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the notification event is marked as complete after the need specific call request has been answered.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a report is generated that contains details about how the need specific call request was resolved and what additional actions may be required.