Method and system for multi-device communication

• US 20090150175A1
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG), Software Engineering Professionals, Inc.
• Inventors: Markisohn, David Bradley, Young, Morris J., Cummings, Allen B., Scroggin, Adam R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,979,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• 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 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/753 where the polling of the sub-stations is synchronous
• 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

Abstract

A medical data system including a plurality of receivers configured to wirelessly receive medical data via a signal.

Claims

1. A medical data transmission system including:

a first transceiver coupled to a first computing entity and configured to wirelessly receive data via a signal generated by a first medical device; and

a second transceiver coupled to the first computing entity and configured to wirelessly receive data via a signal generated by a second medical device;

the second dongle being configured to wirelessly receive data simultaneously with the first dongle wirelessly receiving data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver is a first dongle and the second transceiver is a second dongle.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second dongles includes an externally perceptible indicator of signal strength.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the indicator includes a set of intensity indicators such that a greater number of activated intensity indicators indicates a greater signal strength than a signal strength indicated by a smaller number of activated intensity indicators.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second dongles further includes an externally perceptible indicator of data transmission.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the indicator of data transmission is activated concurrently with the data transmission.

7. The system of claim 2, further including a processor within at least one of the first and second computing entities configured to execute instructions to effect automatic data transfer upon detection of a signal of sufficient strength for data transfer.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second dongles includes an emitter that emits a beacon to be detected by the first and second medical devices such that when the beacon is detected by the first medical device, the first medical device attempts to engage in a handshaking operation with the dongle that is emitting the detected beacon.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the first dongle is integrated into the first medical device, the first medical device having a glucose measurement engine therein.

10. A computer readable medium, including operating instructions thereon such that when interpreted by a processor cause the processor to perform the step of:

simultaneously wirelessly downloading medical information from a first and second medical data devices.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the downloading of medical information from the first and second medical data devices is performed via first and second dongles, respectively.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operating instructions further cause the processor to perform the step of storing the medical information in a database.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operating instructions further cause the emitting of a beacon from a medical device interface.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the medical device interface includes a dongle.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operating instructions further cause the processor to perform the step of:

wirelessly detecting the presence of a medical device capable of wireless communication.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operating instructions further cause the processor to perform the step of:

providing an indication of signal strength of a signal received from a detected medical device.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operating instructions further cause the processor to perform the step of:

providing an indication of data transfer to a user.

18. A medical data transmission system including:

a first transceiver configured to wirelessly receive medical data from a first medical device via a first data signal;

the first transceiver emitting a first beacon signal detectable by the first medical device, and

a second transceiver configured to wirelessly receive medical data from a second medical device via a second data signal;

the second transceiver emitting a second beacon signal detectable by the second medical device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the signal, when received by the medical device causes the medical device to enter an active state.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first transceiver is configured to wirelessly receive medical data from the second medical device via the second data signal;

the first transceiver emitting the first beacon signal detectable by the second medical device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein each of the first and second devices have a listening mode of decreased power consumption relative to an active state.

22. A computer readable medium, including operating instructions thereon such that when interpreted by a processor cause the processor to perform the step of:

simultaneously scanning multiple ports of a computing device in search of at least one transceiver for downloading medical information from a first medical data device.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the step of simultaneous scanning includes searching for at least one wireless transceiver.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the processor further performs the steps of:

emitting a first beacon from a first transceiver, and emitting a second beacon from a second transceiver.