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Communication systems for patient support apparatuses

  • US 9,966,997 B2
  • Filed: 03/14/2013
  • Issued: 05/08/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A patient support apparatus comprising:

  • a patient support deck adapted to support a patient thereon;

    a near field communication transceiver adapted to communicate with a footboard if said footboard is positioned within a near field vicinity of said near field communication transceiver, said footboard being attachable to, and detachable from, said patient support apparatus and said footboard having an identifier associated therewith;

    a first far field communication transceiver adapted to communicate with the footboard;

    a second far field communication transceiver incorporated into the footboard, the second far field communication transceiver adapted to communicate with said first far field communication transceiver; and

    a controller in communication with said near field communication transceiver and said first far field communication transceiver, said controller adapted to use the identifier received from the footboard via the near field communication transceiver to associate said patient support apparatus and said footboard and to use the identifier when transmitting a message to the footboard via the first far field communication transceiver such that another device positioned within reception range of the first far field communication transceiver does not utilize the message.

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