Infant monitoring system and method

• US 7,034,690 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaco, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C.
• Application Number:
  US09/960,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20020084903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.15, 340/539.21, 340/539.12, 340/573.4
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0208 Combination with audio or video communication, e.g. combination with "baby phone" function
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A system and a method for monitoring objects including infants. The system and method having a first transmitter attached to the object to be monitored, the first transmitter transmits an ID corresponding to the first transmitter. A transceiver associates transmitters by storing in memory IDs of respective transmitters. The transceiver receives the ID corresponding to the first transmitter and compares the received ID with the stored IDs. An alarm is activated upon failure of a preset condition based on signals received by the transceiver.

Claims

1. An object monitoring system, including:

a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; and

a portable transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory;

wherein the first transmitter remains associated with the transceiver module as the transceiver module is moved from a first position to a second position.

2. An object monitoring system, including:

a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; and

a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory;

wherein the transceiver module indicates an alarm condition by comparing the first ID to the first stored ID.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the alarm condition occurs when the first ID does not match the first stored ID.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the transceiver module further includes a processor for comparing the first ID to the first stored ID.

5. An object monitoring system, including:

a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; and

a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory;

wherein the first ID has an associated energy level, the transceiver module indicating an alarm condition by comparing the energy level to a threshold value.

6. The system of claim 5 further including a comparator for comparing the energy level to the threshold value.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the transceiver module further includes a processor for determining the energy level and evaluating whether the energy level is below the threshold value.

8. An object monitoring system, including:

a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID;

a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; and

a second transmitter for transmitting a second ID, the transceiver module receiver receiving the second ID to electronically associate the second transmitter with the transceiver module and the first transmitter by generating a second stored ID in the memory.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the second transmitter includes a receiver and an alarm, the transceiver module transmitting an alarm signal to the second transmitter receiver upon failure of a preset condition, the second transmitter responding to the alarm signal by activating the alarm.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the transceiver module activates an alarm when the first and the second transmitters are separated by more than a preset distance.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the transceiver module activates an alarm only when both the first and the second transmitters are separated from the transceiver module by more than a preset distance.

12. An object monitoring system, including:

a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; and

a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory;

wherein the transceiver module activates an alarm when the first transmitter is separated from the transceiver module by more than a preset distance.

13. An object monitoring system, including:

a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID;

a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; and

a controller, the transceiver module wirelessly transmitting messages to the controller, the messages including an indication of receipt of the first ID.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the controller receives messages from a plurality of transceiver modules, the controller determining a location of the transmitter and the locations of the transceiver modules from the messages.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the controller includes a processor for determining the locations of the transmitter and the transceiver modules.

16. An object monitoring system, including:

a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID;

a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; and

an actuator connected to the transceiver module, the actuator being actuated upon an indication by the transceiver module of an alarm condition.

17. A method of monitoring objects including the steps of:

transmitting a first ID signal from a first transmitter corresponding to a first object;

receiving the first ID signal at a transceiver module;

associating the first transmitter with the transceiver module by storing a first ID corresponding to the first ID signal;

comparing the first ID signal to the first ID to determine whether a preset condition is satisfied; and

signaling an alarm when the preset condition is not satisfied.

18. The method of claim 17 further including the step of:

determining an energy level of the first ID signal, the preset condition including a condition wherein the energy level is greater than or equal to a preset energy level.

19. The method of claim 17 further including the steps of:

transmitting a second ID signal from a second transmitter corresponding to a second object;

associating the second transmitter with the first transmitter and the transceiver module by storing a second ID corresponding to the second ID signal; and

comparing the second ID signal to the second ID to determine whether the preset condition is satisfied.

20. The method of claim 19 further including the steps of:

receiving at the second transmitter an alarm signal transmitted from the transceiver module when the preset condition is not satisfied; and

activating an alarm indicator at the second transmitter upon receipt of the alarm signal.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the preset condition includes a condition wherein the first transmitter is within the preset distance from the transceiver module.

22. The method of claim 17 further including the steps of:

transmitting messages from the transceiver module to a controller, the messages including an indication of receipt by the transceiver module of the first ID signal; and

determining the location of the first transmitter from the messages.

23. An object monitoring system including:

a plurality of transmitters corresponding to objects to be monitored, the transmitters each transmitting a respective, unique ID;

a plurality of transceiver modules, each transceiver module including a receiver for receiving IDs from the transmitters to associate with the transceiver module the transmitters from which IDs are received and to associate the transmitters from which IDs are received with one another by storing IDs corresponding to the received IDs; and

a central processing unit for receiving messages from the transceivers including IDs of the transmitters for determining locations of the transmitters.