Use of location awareness to control radio frequency interference in a healthcare environment

• US 20060183426A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Brian, Fitchett, Jeff, Vezza, Brian, Graves, Alan F., Duxbury, Guy
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/24 using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/248 where transmission power control commands are generated based on a path parameter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment

Abstract

A method of controlling RF interference in a healthcare establishment. The method comprises receiving data regarding a wirelessly detectable tag associated to a first piece of equipment within the healthcare establishment; determining whether the first piece of equipment is positioned relative to a second piece of equipment within the healthcare establishment such that an RF interference constraint is violated, based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag; and responsive to the RF interference constraint being violated, causing a variation in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment. In this way, wireless communication equipment can be used in the healthcare establishment without deleterious effects on sensitive medical equipment.

Claims

1. A method of controlling RF interference in a healthcare establishment, said method comprising:

receiving data regarding a wirelessly detectable tag associated to a first piece of equipment within the healthcare establishment;

determining whether the first piece of equipment is positioned relative to a second piece of equipment within the healthcare establishment such that an RF interference constraint is violated, based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag;

responsive to the RF interference constraint being violated, causing a variation in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag comprises:

data indicative of an identifier of the wirelessly detectable tag; and

data indicative of a respective distance between the wirelessly detectable tag and each one of at least three detectors spatially distributed in the healthcare establishment, each one of the at least three detectors being operative to detect a signal provided by the wirelessly detectable tag.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the data indicative of a respective distance between the wirelessly detectable tag and each one of at least three detectors spatially distributed in the healthcare establishment comprises data indicative of a respective travel time of the signal detected by each one of the at least three detectors.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the data indicative of a respective distance between the wirelessly detectable tag and each one of at least three detectors spatially distributed in the healthcare establishment comprises data indicative of a respective intensity of the signal detected by each one of the at least three detectors.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining whether the first piece of equipment is positioned relative to a second piece of equipment within the healthcare establishment such that an RF interference constraint is violated, based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag comprises:

obtaining an indication of a location of the first piece of equipment within the healthcare establishment based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag;

obtaining an indication of a distance between the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment based at least in part on the location of the first piece of equipment and a location of the second piece of equipment within the healthcare establishment;

obtaining an indication of RF power transmitted by one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment;

obtaining an indication of an exposed RF field strength limit at the other of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment;

deriving an indication of an exposed RF field strength at the other of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment based at least in part on the distance between the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment and the RF power transmitted by the one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment; and

concluding that the RF interference constraint is violated if the exposed RF field strength at the other of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment exceeds the exposed RF field strength limit at the other of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the wirelessly detectable tag is a first wirelessly detectable tag, said method further comprising, prior to obtaining an indication of a distance between the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment based at least in part on the location of the first piece of equipment and a location of the second piece of equipment within the healthcare establishment:

receiving data regarding a second wirelessly detectable tag associated to the second piece of equipment;

obtaining an indication of a location of the second piece of equipment within the healthcare establishment based at least in part on the data regarding the second wirelessly detectable tag.

7. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein obtaining an indication of RF power transmitted by one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment comprises consulting a database containing data indicative of the RF power transmitted by the one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment.

8. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein obtaining an indication of an exposed RF field strength limit at the other of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment comprises consulting a database containing data indicative of an exposed RF field strength limit at the other of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment.

9. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein deriving an indication of an exposed RF field strength at the other of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment based at least in part on the distance between the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment and the RF power transmitted by the one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment, comprises deriving the indication of an exposed RF field strength at the other of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment also based at least in part on data regarding propagation of RF radiation within the healthcare establishment.

10. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein deriving an indication of an exposed RF field strength at the other of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment based at least in part on the distance between the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment and the RF power transmitted by the one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment, comprises deriving the indication an exposed RF field strength at the other of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment also based at least in part on topographical and structural data regarding the healthcare establishment.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein causing a variation in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment comprises causing a reduction in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein causing a reduction in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment comprises causing a reduction in RF power transmitted such that the RF power transmitted is reduced to a specific level.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein causing a variation in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment comprises causing generation of a signal to effect the variation in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment.

14. A method as defined in claim 7, further comprising updating the database containing data indicative of the RF power transmitted by the one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment following to reflect the variation in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment.

15. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the healthcare establishment includes a communications network having a healthcare information system, wherein the one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment is a terminal supporting a session with the healthcare information system, said method further comprising, prior to causing a variation in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment, causing a variation in a rate of transmission of data from the terminal to the healthcare information system.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein causing a variation in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment comprises causing a reduction in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment, and wherein causing a variation in a rate of transmission of data from the terminal to the healthcare information system comprises causing a reduction in a rate of transmission of data from the terminal to the healthcare information system.

17. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the RF interference constraint not being violated, determining whether a hypothetical increase in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment would result in the RF interference constraint being violated; and

responsive to determining that the hypothetical increase in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment would not result in the RF interference constraint being violated, causing an increase in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment in accordance with the hypothetical increase.

18. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the terminal is a mobile terminal.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the mobile terminal is a hand-held device.

20. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the terminal is a stationary terminal.

21. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the healthcare establishment includes a communications network, wherein at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment is a terminal of the communications network.

22. A method as defined in claim 21, wherein the terminal is a mobile terminal.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the mobile terminal is a hand-held device.

24. A method as defined in claim 21, wherein the terminal is a stationary terminal.

25. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the healthcare establishment includes a communications network, wherein at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment is a wireless local area network phone of the communications network.

26. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment is a wireless telephone.

27. A system for controlling RF interference in a healthcare establishment, comprising:

a first functional entity adapted to receive location data regarding a medical device and location data regarding a mobile communication device that transmits RF power at a certain level, the location data regarding the mobile communication device being determined on a basis of signals received from a wirelessly detectable tag associated with the mobile communication device;

a second functional entity adapted to determine, at least partly based on the location data regarding the mobile communication device and the location data regarding the medical device, whether the mobile communication device and the medical device are positioned relative to one another such that a RF interference condition is met; and

a third functional entity adapted to cause the mobile communication device to reduce the level at which it transmits RF power in response to the RF interference condition being met.

28. The system defined in claim 27, wherein the location data regarding the medical device is determined on a basis of signals received from a wirelessly detectable tag associated with the mobile communication device.

29. The system defined in claim 27, wherein the mobile communication device transmits data at a certain rate over a communications network of the healthcare establishment, the third functional entity being further adapted to cause the mobile communication device to reduce the rate at which it transmits data.

30. The system defined in claim 27, wherein the mobile communication device transmits data at a certain rate over a communications network of the healthcare establishment, the third functional entity being further adapted to cause the mobile communication device to reduce the rate at which it transmits data prior to causing the mobile communication device to reduce the level at which it transmits RF power.

31. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a program element for execution by a computing device to control RF interference in a healthcare establishment, the program element including:

computer-readable program code for receiving location data regarding a medical device and location data regarding a mobile communication device that transmits RF power at a certain level, the location data regarding the mobile communication device being determined on a basis of signals received from a wirelessly detectable tag associated with the mobile communication device;

computer-readable program code for determining, at least partly based on the location data regarding the mobile communication device and the location data regarding the medical device, whether the mobile communication device and the medical device are positioned relative to one another such that a RF interference condition is met; and

computer-readable program code for causing the mobile communication device to reduce the level at which it transmits RF power in response to the RF interference condition being met.