Method and apparatus for tracking a device

• US 10,598,761 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2017
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Coffeng, Rene J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US15/602,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20170336491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 342363, 342463, 34053915, 34053913
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/01 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for tracking a device not actively sending patient data to a network of medical devices is disclosed. The method comprises the device giving a signal at a time interval; an active hub listening to the device at the time interval; the active hub storing information about the device; and the active hub continuing to listen at the time interval to the device until the device actively sends patient data, or until no more signals are heard from the device. A system for tracking a device of a network of medical devices is also disclosed. The network comprises a hub and at least one device. The at least one device is configured to give a signal to the hub at a time interval, if the at least one device does not actively send patient data. The hub is configured to listen at the time interval to any devices not actively sending patient data. The hub is configured to store information about any devices not actively sending patient data. The hub is configured to continue listening to any devices not actively sending patient data until all devices actively send patient data, or until no more signals are heard from any devices not actively sending patient data.

Claims

1. A method for tracking a device for a medical body area network (MBAN), the device being a medical sensor not actively sending patient data to the MBAN, the method comprising:

the device giving a signal at a time interval;

an active hub listening to the device at the time interval;

the active hub storing information about the device; and

the active hub continuing to listen at the time interval to the device until the device actively sends patient data, or until no more signals are heard from the device; and

storing when no more signals are heard from the device an identifier of the device and a location of the active hub.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time interval is a time interval in the range of 5 seconds to 5 minutes, preferably 1 minute.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device is a medical sensor with a battery, the medical sensor being connectable to the MBAN.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

if the device leaves the reach of the active hub and enters the reach of another active hub, then the another active hub takes over listening to the device from the active hub.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein more than one active hub listens to the device and stores information about the device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein distance between the device and the more than one active hub is used for tracking and locating the device, and triangulation is used for locating the device and other devices.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information is stored on a central database external to the hub.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising that the device not actively sending patient data indicates that it is being tracked.

9. A system for tracking a device of a medical body area network (MBAN) of medical devices, the MBAN comprising a hub and at least one device,

the at least one device being configured to give a signal to the hub at a time interval, if the at least one device does not actively send patient data;

the hub being configured to listen at the time interval to any devices not actively sending patient data;

the hub being configured to store information about any devices not actively sending patient data; and

the hub being configured to continue listening to any devices not actively sending patient data until all devices actively send patient data, or until no more signals are heard from any devices not actively sending patient data, and to store when no more signals are heard from one device among the devices an identifier of the one device and a location of the hub.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the time interval is a time interval in the range of 5 seconds to 5 minutes, preferably 1 minute.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one device is medical sensor with a battery, the medical sensor being connectable to the MBAN of medical devices.

12. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

if a device not actively sending patient data leaves the reach of the hub and enters the reach of another hub of a corresponding MBAN of medical devices that can track devices, then the another hub is configured to take over listening to the device not actively sending patient data from the hub.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein more than one hub is configured to listen to any device not actively sending patient data and store information about any such devices.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the system is configured to use distance between any device not actively sending patient data and the more than one hub for tracking and locating any devices not actively sending patient data, and triangulation for locating any device not actively sending patient data.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the system is configured to store the information on a central database external to the hub.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the system is configured to indicate that the device not actively sending patient data is being tracked.