Automatic wireless PAN/LAN switching

• US 8,172,752 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG & Company KGaA (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Draeger Medical Systems Incorporated (Dragerwerk AG)
• Inventors: Russ, Tomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): JIAN, SHIRLEY XUEYING
• Application Number:
  US12/824,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0017 transmitting optical signals transmission by light H04B10/00
• 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 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A communication system is used by a portable patient monitoring device for connecting to other devices, including a docking station, via one or more networks. The communications system includes an adaptive communication interface which, when the patient monitoring device is docked, establishes communication with a first network, and receives from a first docking station a first unique identifier that identifies the first docking station, allowing the patient monitoring device to communicate patient parameters to the first destination. While the portable patient monitoring device is undocked, the adaptive communication interface is inhibited from establishing communication with a network providing an identifier to the portable patient monitor that does not match the first unique identifier. Upon docking to a second docking station, the patient monitoring device establishes communication with a second network using a new unique identifier received from the second docking station via a second exclusive communication link.

Claims

1. A communication system configured to connect a portable patient monitoring device to a plurality of networks via separate communication links, comprising:

a first patient area network including a first docking station and a first destination;

a second patient area network, different from the first patient area network, including a second docking station and a second destination; and

a portable patient monitoring device including an adaptive communication interface configured to;

establish communication with the first patient area network when the portable patient monitoring device is docked to the first docking station, receive a first unique identifier from the first docking station via a first exclusive communication link between the first docking station and the portable patient monitoring device, and transmit patient parameters to the first destination via the first exclusive communication link, and

maintain communication with the first patient area network when the portable patient monitoring device is undocked from the first docking station and the first exclusive communication link is inoperative, by establishing a first wireless communication link between the portable patient monitoring device and the first patient area network and obtaining the first unique identifier from the first patient area network via the first wireless link, and transmit patient parameters via the first wireless communication link to the first destination,

when the portable patient monitoring device is undocked and is in an area where the first and second patient area networks overlap and are within range of the patient monitoring device, the adaptive communication interface is configured to maintain connection with the first patient area network, and is actively inhibited from establishing communication with the second network when the second network provides an identifier that does not match the first unique identifier, and

when the portable patient monitoring device is docked to the second docking station, the adaptive communication interface is configured to establish a second exclusive communication with the second patient area network, receive a second unique identifier from the second docking station via the second exclusive communication link between the second docking station and the portable patient monitoring device, and transmit patient parameters to the second destination.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first destination is different from the second destination.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first destination is identical to the second destination.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second unique identifiers identifies messages to and from at least one of the first and second network.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second unique identifier identifies a geographic location of at least one of the first and second docking station.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second unique identifiers is part of a message sent from the portable patient monitoring device and identifies the first or second network which sent the message.

7. A method for connecting a portable patient monitoring device to a plurality of networks via separate communication links, comprising:

when the portable patient monitoring device is docked to a first docking station associated with a first network defining a first destination,

establishing communication with the first network,

receiving from the first docking station via a first exclusive communication link between the first docking station and the portable patient monitoring device a first unique identifier that identifies the first docking station, and

transmitting patient parameters to the first destination,

when the portable patient monitoring device is undocked from the first docking station and the first exclusive communication link is inoperative,

establishing a first wireless communication link between the portable patient monitoring device and the first network,

obtaining the first unique identifier from the first network via the first wireless link,

maintaining communication with the first network, and

transmitting patient parameters via the first wireless communication link to the first destination,

when the portable patient monitoring device is docked to a second docking station associated with a second network different from the first network and defining a second destination,

establishing a second exclusive communication with a second network,

receiving from the second docking station via the second exclusive communication link between the second docking station and the portable patient monitoring device a second unique identifier that identifies the second docking station, and

transmitting patient parameters to the second destination, and

when the portable patient monitoring device is undocked and is in an area where the first and second patient area networks overlap and are within range of the patient monitoring device,

maintaining connection with the first network, and actively inhibiting communication with the second network when the second network provides an identifier to the portable patient monitoring device that does not match the first unique identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first destination is different from the second destination.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first destination is identical to the second destination.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the first and second unique identifiers identifies messages to and from at least one of the first and second network.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the first and second unique identifiers identifies a geographic location of at least one of the first and second docking station.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the unique identifier is part of a message sent from the portable patient monitoring device and identifies the first or second network which sent the message.

13. A communication system configured to connect a portable patient monitoring device to a plurality of networks via separate communication links, comprising:

a first patient area network including a first docking station and a first destination;

a second patient area network, different from the first patient area network, including a second docking station and a second destination; and

a portable patient monitoring device including an adaptive communication interface configured to;

establish communication with the first patient area network when the portable patient monitoring device is docked to the first docking station, receive a first unique identifier from the first docking station via a first exclusive communication link between the first docking station and the portable patient monitoring device, and transmit patient parameters to the first destination via the first exclusive communication link, and

maintain communication with the first patient area network when the portable patient monitoring device is undocked from the first docking station and the first exclusive communication link is inoperative, by establishing a first wireless communication link between the portable patient monitoring device and the first patient area network and obtaining the first unique identifier from the first patient area network via the first wireless link, and transmit patient parameters via the first wireless communication link to the first destination,

when the portable patient monitoring device is undocked and is in an area where the first patient area network is not within range and the second network is within range, the adaptive communication interface is configured to establish connection with a third network different from the first and second networks when the third network provides an identifier that matches the first unique identifier, and is actively inhibited from establishing communication with the second network when the second network provides an identifier that does not match the first unique identifier, and

when the portable patient monitoring device is docked to the second docking station, the adaptive communication interface is configured to establish communication with the second patient area network, receive a second unique identifier from the second docking station via a second exclusive communication link between the second docking station and the portable patient monitoring device, and transmit patient parameters to the second destination.