PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

• US 20150082542A1
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Hayes, Michael Joseph, Sidhu, Anuj K., Greenbank, Jonathan Mark, Furman, Aaron Douglas, Mayoras, Richard C. Jr., Becker, David Terrance
• Granted Patent: US 9,838,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/600
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/12 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/42 for inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/012 raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A location detection system for person support apparatuses includes multiple network wireless access points that communicate with a plurality of mobile transceivers positioned on board the person support apparatuses. Based upon signal strength data (e.g. RSSI or RCPI) of messages from the access points to the transceivers, the locations of the person support apparatuses are determined. In some embodiments, the person support apparatuses include an additional location detection system that utilizes fixed locators having short range transceivers to generate a second location determination of the person support apparatuses. In still other embodiments, the person support apparatuses utilize the second location detection system to determine the location of the wireless access points. The person support apparatuses may also broadcast their location to other devices that then utilize the received signal strengths of those messages to determine their own location.

Claims

1. A location detection system comprising:

a person support apparatus having a support surface and a wireless transceiver, the support surface adapted to support a person thereon, and the wireless transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of access points of a computer network and to receive messages from the plurality of access points; and

a controller adapted to generate a location estimate of the person support apparatus within a facility based upon a signal strength of the messages received from the plurality of access points.

2. The location detection system of claim 1 wherein the messages include a media access control (MAC) address for each of the access points.

3. The location detection system of claim 2 wherein the wireless transceiver wirelessly communicates with the plurality of access points in accordance with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11.

4. The location detection system of claim 1 further comprising an infrared receiver adapted to receive an infrared signal from a fixed locator positioned off of the person support apparatus, the infrared signal including a locator identifier unique to the fixed locator, and wherein the wireless transceiver transmits the locator identifier to one of the access points.

5. The location detection system of claim 1 wherein the person support apparatus is one of a bed, a stretcher, and a recliner.

6. The location detection system of claim 1 wherein the controller is positioned on the person support apparatus.

7. The location detection system of claim 1 wherein the wireless transceiver is further adapted to transmit the location estimate of the person support apparatus, as determined by the controller, to other devices.

8. The location detection system of claim 7 wherein the other devices includes other patient support apparatuses.

9. A location detection system comprising:

a person support apparatus having a frame, a support surface adapted to support a person thereon, and a wireless transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of access points of a computer network, the wireless transceiver adapted to receive messages from the plurality of access points;

a processing station located remotely from the person support apparatus and communicatively coupled to the computer network; and

a controller on board the person support apparatus, the controller adapted to send to the processing station signal strength data of the messages.

10. The location detection system of claim 9 wherein the processing station is adapted to access data indicating locations of each of the plurality of access points, and the processing station is further adapted to generate a location estimate of the person support apparatus within a facility based upon the signal strength data and the data indicating locations of each of the plurality of access points.

11. The location detection system of claim 10 wherein the controller is adapted to send the signal strength data to the processing station using the wireless transceiver, and wherein the processing station includes map data indicating locations of the access points within the facility.

12. The location detection system of claim 11 wherein the person support apparatus is one of a bed and a stretcher, and the computer network is an Ethernet-based computer network.

13. The location detection system of claim 9 further comprising:

an infrared transceiver supported on the person support apparatus, the infrared transceiver adapted to transmit an interrogation signal; and

a plurality of locators positioned at fixed locations, each of the locators adapted to wirelessly transmit a unique identifier in response to the interrogation signal from the infrared transceiver; and

wherein the controller is adapted to send the unique identifier to the processing station, the processing station being further adapted to generate a location estimate of the person support apparatus within a facility based upon the unique identifier.

14. The location detection system of claim 13 wherein the processing station is further adapted to generate a location estimate of at least one of the access points based upon the location estimate of the person support apparatus and the signal strength data.

15. The location detection system of claim 13 wherein the processing station is adapted to access data indicating locations of each of the plurality of access points, to generate a first location estimate of the person support apparatus based upon the signal strength data and the data indicating locations of each of the plurality of access points, and to generate a second location estimate of the person support apparatus based upon the unique identifier.

16. The location detection system of claim 15 wherein the processing station is further adapted to generate a third location estimate of the person support apparatus by combining the first and second location estimates.

17. The location detection system of claim 15 wherein the processing station is further adapted to forward at least one of the first and second location estimates to a second processing station communicatively coupled to the computer network.

18. The location detection system of claim 17 wherein the processing station forwards the first location estimate to the second processing station if the person support apparatus is moving, and the processing station forwards the second location estimate to the second processing station if the person support apparatus is stationary and positioned adjacent to one of the locators.

19. The location detection system of claim 17 wherein the processing station forwards the first location estimate to the second processing station if the person support apparatus has a brake off;

and the processing station forwards the second location estimate to the second processing station if the person support apparatus has the brake on.

20. The location detection system of claim 10 wherein the processing station is adapted to transmit the location estimate to the person support apparatus.

21. The location detection system of claim 20 wherein the controller is adapted to transmit the location estimate of the person support apparatus wirelessly to another device.

22. A person support apparatus comprising:

a frame;

a support surface adapted to support a person thereon;

a first wireless transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of access points of a computer network, the first wireless transceiver adapted to receive messages from the plurality of access points;

a second wireless transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with locator positioned at a fixed location within a facility, the second wireless transceiver adapted to receive a unique identifier from the locator; and

a controller adapted to generate a location estimate of the person support apparatus within the facility based upon at least one of the following;

signal strength data of the messages and the unique identifier.

23. The person support apparatus of claim 22 wherein the controller generates the location estimate based upon both the signal strength data and the unique identifier.

24. The person support apparatus of claim 22 wherein the controller is further adapted to transmit the location estimate to a processing station located remotely from the person support apparatus and communicatively coupled to the computer network.

25. The person support apparatus of claim 22 wherein the controller bases the location estimate of the person support apparatus upon the signal strength data when a brake on the person support apparatus is off.

26. The person support apparatus of claim 25 wherein the messages further include a media access control (MAC) address for each of the access points.

27. The person support apparatus of claim 26 wherein the first wireless transceiver wirelessly communicates with the plurality of access points in accordance with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, and the second wireless transceiver is an infrared receiver adapted to receive an infrared signal from the locator.

28. A person support apparatus comprising:

a frame;

a support surface adapted to support a person thereon;

a first wireless transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of access points of a computer network, the first wireless transceiver adapted to receive messages from the plurality of access points;

a second wireless transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with a locator positioned at a fixed location within a facility, the second wireless transceiver adapted to receive a unique identifier from the locator; and

a controller adapted to generate a location estimate of at least one of the access points of the computer network based upon the unique identifier.

29. The person support apparatus of claim 28 further including a memory in which map data indicating a location of the locator is stored, the controller adapted to use the map data in generating the location estimate of the at least one of the access points.

30. The person support apparatus of claim 29 wherein the controller is further adapted to wirelessly receive location data from another person support apparatus that is in communication with the at least one of the access points, to determine signal strength data of the messages, and to use the location data and signal strength data in generating the location estimate of the at least one of the access points.

31. The person support apparatus of claim 29 wherein the controller is further adapted to wirelessly transmit the location estimate to another person support apparatus that is in communication with the at least one of the access points.

32. The person support apparatus of claim 31 wherein the first wireless transceiver wirelessly communicates with the plurality of access points in accordance with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, and the second wireless transceiver is an infrared receiver adapted to receive an infrared signal from the locator.