WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20120101425A1
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics International AG (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Gray, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,737,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A wireless communication system includes a first device having a communications control circuit configured to initiate transmission of a wireless communication signal, and a second device including a communication interface circuit and a number of other circuits. The communication interface circuit may be responsive to the wireless communication signal to provide information carried by the wireless communication signal to at least one of the other circuits. Alternatively or additionally, the communication interface circuit may be responsive to the wireless communication signal to receive information specified by the wireless communication signal from at least one of the other circuits and to transmit another wireless communication signal carrying the retrieved information back to the first device. In either case, the communication interface circuit is unresponsive to control thereof by any of the number of other circuits. The communications control circuit controls all wireless communication between the first and second devices.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first device having a communications control circuit configured to initiate transmission of a wireless communication signal, and

a second device having a communication interface circuit coupled to a data interface circuit, the communication interface circuit responsive to the wireless communication signal to provide information carried by the wireless communication signal to, or receive information specified by the wireless communication signal from, the data interface circuit,

wherein the communications control circuit controls all wireless communication between the first and second devices via control of the wireless communication signal.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein the communication interface circuit is responsive to the wireless communication signal to convert at least a portion of the wireless communication signal to a command signal, the command signal corresponding to one of a command to provide the information carried by the wireless communication signal to the data interface circuit and a command to receive the information specified by the wireless communication signal from the data interface circuit.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 2 wherein, if the command signal corresponds to a command to receive information specified by the wireless communication signal from the data interface circuit, the communication interface circuit is configured to receive the information specified by the wireless communication signal from the data interface circuit and transmit the received information back to the first device.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 3 wherein the first device includes a wireless communication circuit coupled to the communication control circuit, the communication control circuit controlling all wireless communication between the first and second devices via control of the wireless communication circuit.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 4 wherein the wireless communication circuit includes a first wireless interface and the communication interface circuit includes a second wireless interface,

and wherein the wireless communication between the first and second devices occurs via a wireless communication path established between the first and second wireless interfaces.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 5 wherein the first wireless interface includes a first inductive interface and the second wireless interface includes a second inductive interface configured to inductively couple to the first inductive interface, the wireless communication path being established via the inductively coupled first and second inductive interfaces.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 5 wherein the first wireless interface includes a first radio frequency (RF) antenna and the second inductive interface includes a second RF antenna, the wireless communication path being an RF communication path.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 5 wherein the first wireless interface includes a first infrared (IR) interface and the second wireless interface includes a second IR interface, the wireless communication path being an IR communication path.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 5 wherein the first wireless interface includes a first acoustic interface and the second wireless interface includes a second acoustic interface, the wireless communication path being an acoustic communication path.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 5 wherein the first wireless interface includes a first conductive interface configured to be coupled to a biological body and the second wireless interface includes a second conductive interface configured to be coupled to the biological body, the wireless communication path being the biological body between the first and second conductive interfaces.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein the first device is an ambulatory medical device for providing a treatment to a body of a patient or monitoring a state of the body, and the second device is a remote communication device.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 14 wherein the ambulatory medical device is configured to administer insulin to the body of the patient.

21. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein the first device is a communication device and the second device is an ambulatory medical device for providing a treatment to a body of a patient or monitoring a state of the body.

25. The wireless communication system of claim 21 wherein the ambulatory medical device is configured to administer insulin to the body of the patient.

11-13. -13. (canceled)

15-17. -17. (canceled)

19-20. -20. (canceled)

22-24. -24. (canceled)

26-63. -63. (canceled)

64. An electronic device for controlling wireless communication with a remote device having a communication interface circuit electrically coupled to a data interface circuit, the electronic device comprising:

a control circuit configured to produce first and second types of commands, the first type of command directing the communication interface circuit to provide information carried by the first type of command to the data interface circuit, the second type of command directing the communication interface circuit to retrieve information from the data interface circuit and to wirelessly transmit the retrieved information, and

a wireless communication circuit configured to wirelessly transmit either of the first and second types of commands.

65. The electronic device of claim 64 wherein the control circuit is configured to produce a third type of command directing the communication interface circuit to poll the data interface circuit for information and to wirelessly transmit any polled information.

66. The electronic device of claim 65 wherein the polled information corresponds to new information existing in the remote device since generation of a previous one of the third type of command, the third type of command directing the communication interface circuit to wirelessly transmit the new information only when the new information is available in the remote device.

67. An electronic device for communicating with a remote device configured to wirelessly transmit first and second types of commands, the electronic device comprising:

a data interface circuit, and

a communication interface circuit electrically coupled to the data interface circuit, the communication interface circuit responsive to the first type of command to provide information carried by the first type of command to the data interface circuit, and to the second type of command to retrieve information from the data interface circuit and wirelessly transmit the retrieved information, the communication interface circuit unresponsive to any command other than those of the first and second types to transfer information.

68. The electronic device of claim 67 wherein the remote device is configured to wirelessly transmit a third type of command,

and wherein the communication interface circuit is responsive to the third type of command to poll the data interface circuit for information and to wirelessly transmit any polled information.

69. The electronic device of claim 68 wherein the polled information corresponds to new information existing in the remote device since receipt of a previous one of the third type of command, the communication interface circuit responsive to the third type of command to wirelessly transmit the new information only when the new information is available in the remote device.