Wireless tracking system and method for backhaul of information

• US 8,089,354 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Centrak Incorporated (Halma PLC)
• Original Assignee: Awarepoint Corporation
• Inventors: Perkins, Matthew R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alizada, Omeed
• Application Number:
  US12/899,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20110084806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6889 Rooms
• 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: H04Q 2209/25 using a mesh network, e.g. a public urban network such as public lighting, bus stops or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• 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

The present invention provides a solution to backhauling health information. The present invention utilizes a mesh network to backhaul the health information. The system includes a plurality of first tags, a mesh network, and an information engine. Each of the tags represents a first object. The mesh network preferably includes a plurality of plug-in sensors located within the facility. At least one node in the mesh network operates as healthcare device. The information engine is in communication with the mesh network and determines a position location of the healthcare device and an operation of the healthcare device.

Claims

1. A system for backhauling health information over a mesh network, the system comprising:

a plurality of tags, each of the plurality of tags representing a first object, each of the plurality of tags transmitting a wireless signal using a first wireless communication format;

a mesh network comprising a plurality of sensors located within a facility, each sensor of the plurality of sensors communicating with at least one other sensor of the plurality of sensors utilizing the first wireless communication format wherein at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors also operates as an end point in the mesh network using a second wireless communication format selected from one of ultrasound, infrared, and a radiofrequency medium, wherein the at least one end point transmits only to at least one of the other sensors of the plurality of sensors in the mesh network utilizing the second wireless communication format to backhaul information over the mesh network; and

an information engine in communication with the mesh network to receive backhaul information from the at least one end point, the backhaul information comprising at least one of a status of a healthcare device, a service date of the healthcare device, a chemical in the healthcare device, a temperature of the healthcare device, a chemical level of the healthcare device, a motion signature of a healthcare device, and a last person that accessed the healthcare device, the information engine determining a position location of the each of the plurality of tags;

wherein the mesh network routes information from each of the at least one end points and each of the plurality of tags to the information engine for processing to track each first object and to collect backhaul information.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first object is fixed or mobile.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the healthcare device is at least one of a fluid pump, heart monitor, ventilation pump and electrocardiogram.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the mesh network routes information from the healthcare device to a predetermined destination.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the mesh network transmits data related to who accessed the healthcare device last.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the mesh network transmits data related to how much time is left before the device needs to be serviced.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the mesh network transmits data related to what type of chemicals are in the healthcare device.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the mesh network transmits data related to the status of the device.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein the mesh network provides firmware upgrades to the healthcare device.

10. An Enhanced-Accuracy Enterprise-Wide Real-Time Locating System (RTLS), the system comprising:

a plurality of tags, each of the plurality of tags representing a first object, each of the plurality of tags transmitting a wireless signal using a first wireless communication format;

a mesh network comprising a plurality of sensors located within the facility, each sensor of the plurality of sensors communicating with at least one other sensor of the plurality of sensors utilizing the first wireless communication format wherein sensors of the plurality of sensors also operate as a plurality of end points in the mesh network that operate as RTLS devices using a second wireless communication format selected from one of ultrasound, infrared, and a radiofrequency medium, wherein each of the plurality of end points transmit only to at least one of the other sensors of the plurality of sensors in the mesh network;

wherein the mesh network routes backhaul information from each of the plurality of end points to a predetermined destination, the backhaul information comprising at least one of a status of a healthcare device, a service date of the healthcare device, a chemical in the healthcare device, a temperature of the healthcare device, a chemical level of the healthcare device, a motion signature of the healthcare device, and a last person that accessed the healthcare device;

wherein the mesh network routes information from each of the plurality of end points and each of the plurality of tags to the predetermined destination for processing to track each first object and to collect backhaul information.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the mesh network operates as an RTLS system and a backhaul for information from each of the plurality of end points.

12. The system according to claim 10 wherein the mesh network operates as a secondary RTLS system and a backhaul for information from each of the plurality of end points.

13. The system according to claim 10 wherein the each of the plurality of end points operates as a healthcare device.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the healthcare device is at least one of a fluid pump, heart monitor, ventilation pump and electrocardiogram.

15. The system according to claim 13 wherein the mesh network routes information from the healthcare device to a predetermined destination.

16. The system according to claim 13 wherein the mesh network transmits data related to who accessed the healthcare device last.

17. The system according to claim 13 wherein the mesh network transmits data related to how much time is left before the device needs to be serviced.

18. The system according to claim 13 wherein the mesh network transmits data related to the status of the device.

19. The system according to claim 13 wherein the mesh network provides firmware upgrades to the healthcare device.