HOSPITAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM HAVING PROVISION FOR CONNECTING PATIENT WITH NEAREST NURSE-OCCUPIED STATION

• US 3,553,383 A
• Filed: 03/19/1968
• Issued: 01/05/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1967
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rochtus Gustaaf
• Inventors: ROCHTUS GUSTAAF
• Application Number:
  US04/714,273
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• US Class Current: 379/217.01
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1008 Personal calling arrangements or devices, i.e. paging systems selective calling systems and call receivers H04W84/00, H04W68/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/027 Annunciator systems for hospitals

Abstract

A communication system adapted to find the closest available station to the calling station. The attempt to reach an available station out of a plurality of stations is accomplished by test means which test the availability of the plurality of stations so that they are selected in an order depending on the identity of the calling stations.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication stations, any one of which may be a calling station;

means for generating an availability criterion at each station;

means for testing said plurality of stations for said availability criterion in an order depending upon the identity of the calling station; and

means for establishing a communication path between the calling station and the first station in said order exhibiting said availability criterion.

2. Communication system according to claim 1, wherein said order depends on the location of said stations with respect to said calling station.

3. Communication system according to claim 2, wherein said order corresponds to increasing distances between said calling station and the tested stations.

4. Communication system according to claim 3, in which said test means include two test devices which are capable of testing all said communication stations in a first predetermined order and in a second order which is the reverse of said first order respectively.

5. Communication system according to claim 4, in which said test devices start said test for availability in a synchronous manner beginning with the stations nearest to said calling station.

6. Communication system according to claim 5, wherein said test devices, before executing said tests for availability, execute a test to find said calling station.

7. Communication system according to claim 1, further including a main station, and wherein each of said plurality of communication stations includes a calling condition registering circuit and an availability condition registering circuit, both coupled to said main station, and a communication circuit involved in the communication between stations coupled at one end to corresponding one ends of the communication circuits of the other communication stations and to one pole of a DC source in the main statioN, and coupled at the other end individually to the other pole of said DC source.

8. Communication system according to claim 7, wherein said one ends of the communication circuits of all the communication stations are connected to said one pole via a resistance.

9. Communication system according to claim 7 in which said main station includes a common calling condition registering circuit coupled to said communication station calling condition registering circuits, a calling station first control unit, an available station second control unit and a plurality of marking leads between said calling station first control unit and said available station first second control unit wherein said calling station first control unit includes a detection device, coupled to the communication station calling condition registering circuits and adapted to detect a calling station, a first common communication control circuit, coupled to said other ends of the communication station communication circuits and adapted to control the communication circuit of a detected calling station, and a marking circuit to mark the identity of each detected calling station in said available station second control unit via a respective one of said marking leads, and wherein said available station control unit includes said test means in the form of two test devices, which test devices are each coupled to the communication station availability condition registering circuits and to all said marking leads and which are each adapted to detect a marked calling station and an available station, and second common communication control circuits, each associated to a respective test device and coupled to said other ends of the communication station communication control circuits and adapted to control the communication circuit of an available communication station.

10. Communication system according to claim 9, wherein said main station common calling condition registering circuit when operated is adapted to initiate said detection device, and wherein said main station common calling condition registering circuit and said detection device when operated simultaneously are adapted to start said test means.

11. Communication system according to claim 10, including means for registering the fact that both of said test devices have tested said calling station, said register means in the nonoperated condition and in the operated condition preventing and enabling said test devices respectively in order that said test devices should execute tests for availability.

12. Communication system according to claim 11, in which when a communication station calling condition registering circuit is operated said main station common calling condition registering circuit is operated due to which the operation of said detection device is started, wherein upon the detection of said calling station by said detection device said first common communication control circuit is operated so as to prime the communication circuit of said calling station for operation, and the identity of said calling station is marked by said marking circuit in said test devices and said test devices are operated, wherein upon the test of the marked calling station by a test device the operation thereof is stopped and afterwards restarted synchronously with the other test device when the latter has also tested the calling station, and wherein when an available station is tested by one of said test devices its operation is stopped and one of said second common communication control circuits is operated so as to prepare for operation the communication circuit of said available station.

13. Communication system according to claim 9, in which each said communication station includes an operation registering means adapted to register the operation of one of said first and second common communication control circuits.

14. Communication system according to claim 13, wherein said main station includes an audible tone oscillator coupled to a loudspeaker in eaCh of said communication stations, said audible tone oscillator being operated when said main station common calling condition registering means have been operated, and wherein said communication station operation registering means, when operated, effectively connect said loudspeaker to said main station.

15. Communication system according to claim 14, wherein said communication station communication circuit includes a telephone which when hooked-off breaks the connection between said tone oscillator and said loudspeaker and prepares the communication station communication circuit for operation.

16. Communication system according to claim 13 wherein each communication station calling condition registering circuit is coupled to the calling condition registering circuits of the other communication stations and are each coupled to a first key which when operated in an available station, wherein said availability condition registering circuit and said operation registering means thereof have been operated, is able to render inoperative the calling condition registering circuit in a calling station in which said operation registering means has been operated.

17. Communication system according to claim 16, wherein each of said communication stations includes a waiting condition indicating circuit which when operated indicates that the corresponding station is placed in stand-by condition and which is coupled to the waiting condition indicating circuits of the other communication stations, and wherein each said communication station includes a second key which is connected to said waiting condition indicating circuit and which when operated in an available station, wherein said availability condition registering circuit and said operation registering means have been operated, is able to operate the waiting condition indicating circuit in another calling station which said operation registering means has been operated.

18. Communication system according to claim 17, in which said second key is associated to a telephone in said communication station communication circuit and is temporarily operated when said telephone is hooked-on.

19. Communication system according to claim 9, wherein said calling station first control unit of said main station includes a first three-level selector switch, the first, second and third levels of which form part of said detection device, said first common communication control circuit, and said marking circuit respectively and the plots of which are coupled to said communication station calling condition registering circuits, to communication station operation registering means in each of said communication stations, and to said marking leads respectively, and wherein said available station second control unit in said main station includes two second selector switches with at least three levels, two levels of each of which form part of a respective one of said test devices and the third level of which forms part of a respective one of said second common communication control circuits and the plots of said two levels being coupled to said communication station availability condition registering circuits and to said marking leads respectively and said third level being coupled to said communication station operation registering means.

20. Communication system according to claim 19, wherein all the communication stations are arranged in a plurality of groups to each of which is associated a said test means, the various test means being coupled together by automatic switching means in such a manner that when a test means does not find an available station in the associated group a test means associated to another group is automatically operated via said automatic switching means.

21. Communication system according to claim 20, in which a main station is associated with each of said plurality of groups, wherein each said main station includes a request emitting circuit, which is operated when the associated test means does not find an availablE station, and a request registering circuit which is coupled to the request emitting circuits of the other main stations, to said detection device, and to said common calling condition registering circuit in such a manner that when a request emitting circuit in a main station is operated, a request registering circuit is operated in at least one of said other main stations due to which said common calling condition registering circuit thereof is brought into operation and a calling condition is thus simulated therein.

22. Communication system according to claim 21, in which said automatic switching means are controlled by said request emitting and request registering circuits.

23. Communication system according to claim 22, in which each said main station includes means to prevent the simultaneous operation in a same main station of said request emitting circuit and said request registering circuit.

24. Communication system according to claim 23, wherein each of said plurality of groups is associated to availability indicating means, which when operated indicates that at least one of the communication stations of this group is available and enables the operation of said automatic switching means whose operation is prevented when said availability indicating means is in the nonoperated condition.