Systems And Methods For Locating Hospital Assets

• US 20070252695A1
• Filed: 05/01/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tagnos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tagnos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bhavani, Neeraj
• Granted Patent: US 7,492,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles

Abstract

A VoIP communicator utilizes an ultrawhite band frequency, sufficient to determine a location of the communicator to within i meter, 0.1 meters, or less. The communicator preferably includes a display screen that displays a rich colored asset map. Several novel software functionalities are contemplated, including: (a) reporting the location of the responder as being within one of a plurality of business locations; (b) using scalar vector graphics to display the locations with varying degrees of detail; (c) displaying replay of movements of the assets; (d) displaying utilization profiles of the assets; and (e) coordinating the locations of the at least some of the assets data from a global satellite positioning system (GPS). It is still further contemplated that the inventive system can consolidates output from the different types of nominally incompatible equipment.

Claims

1. A communicator comprising:

a circuit, a microphone, and a speaker that cooperate to perform VoIP; and

an active radio-frequency ID responder that utilizes an ultrawhite band frequency.

2. The communicator of claim 1, further comprising a display screen.

3. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the display screen comprises a rich colored asset mapper.

4. The communicator of claim 1, further comprising a biometric scanner.

5. A system comprising:

a portable communicator that includes a circuit, a microphone, and a speaker that cooperate to perform VoIP, and an active radio-frequency ID responder; and

a processor that cooperates with the responder to determine a location of the responder to within 1 meter.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the responder uses an ultrawhite band frequency.

7. A method of identifying a location of an asset to a user, comprising:

the user speaking an identifier of the asset into a communicator;

a computer system using the identifier to select the asset from among a plurality of other assets within a class, and automatically determining the location of the asset to within 10 meters; and

displaying information regarding the location of the asset on the communicator.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the asset is mobile.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of speaking an identifier comprises speaking an identifier of the class.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprises the computer system determining which of the plurality of assets of the class is physically nearest to the user.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of automatically determining the location comprises triangulating a signal from a voice communicator carried by the user.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of automatically determining the location comprises triangulating a signal from a voice communicator.

13. A system comprising:

a plurality of portable communicators, each of which includes a circuit, a microphone, and a speaker that cooperate to communicate voice content;

a plurality of assets tagged, each of which is tagged with an active radio-frequency ID responder; and

a processor that cooperates with the communicators and the responders to determine their locations to within 1 meter.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is implemented at a site of a first business, and the processor is local to the site.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is implemented at a site of a first business, and the processor is distal to the site.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first business comprises a hospital.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is implemented at a site of a first business, and the processor is operated by a second business that is located distal to the site of the first business.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising software that reports the location of at least one of the responders as being within one of a plurality of business locations.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein first and second ones of the responders operate with first and second different middleware, respectively, and further comprising software that consolidates output from the different middleware.

21. The system of claim 13, further comprising software that uses scalar vector graphics to display the locations with varying degrees of detail.

22. The system of claim 13, further comprising software that displays replay of movements of the assets.

23. The system of claim 13, further comprising software that displays utilization profiles of the assets.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the responders contains memory that can store information communicated orally from a user through the communicator.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein least one of the responders contains memory that stores information regarding status of one of the plurality of assets.

26. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the responders cooperates with the communicator to effect voice-to-write status and voice-to-read.

27. The system of claim 13, further comprising a subsystem that coordinates the locations of the at least some of the assets with data from a global satellite positioning system (GPS).