Ultrasonic compliance zone system

• US 8,547,220 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dempsey, Michael, Newbower, Ronald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): CROSLAND, DONNIE L
• Application Number:
  US12/767,023
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.12
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1618 using ultrasonic detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1627 using Doppler shift detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

A system is provided for establishing a compliance zone and monitoring interactions therewith. The system includes a compliance zone designator and a wearable device. The compliance zone designator transmits an ultrasound signal to establish the compliance zone. The ultrasound signal may be encoded with information on the compliance zone. The compliance zone designator is configured for placement at a location in which the compliance zone is desired. The wearable device is separate from the compliance zone designator. The wearable device includes a compliance zone recognition component configured to recognize the compliance zone and identify one or more pre-defined interaction criteria for the compliance zone. When the wearable device is within the compliance zone, the compliance zone recognition component recognizes the compliance zone and identifies the interaction criteria of the compliance zone. Based on the interaction criteria the wearable device determines and records compliance with the interaction criteria. The recorded data is optionally used to set off real-time alerts. The recorded data is also optionally used in subsequent analysis and documentation of compliance with protocols.

Claims

1. A device for establishing two compliance zones within a room, the room having a back wall and two generally opposed walls, the device interacting with a dual ultrasonic transmitter, the dual ultrasonic transmitter having first and second ultrasonic transmitters located on the back wall with the first ultrasonic transmitter directed generally toward a first of the two generally opposed walls for establishing a first compliance zone and the second ultrasonic transmitter directed generally toward a second of the two generally opposed walls for establishing a second compliance zone, the first and second ultrasonic transmitters transmitting ultrasonic signals at predetermined intervals of time, the device comprising:

a processor connected to a memory and an ultrasound signal receiver, the memory storing an executable program, the program instructing the processor to;

receive, through the ultrasound signal receiver, a first ultrasound transmission from the first ultrasonic transmitter and record a first time at which the first ultrasound transmission is received;

receive, through the ultrasound signal receiver, a second ultrasound transmission from the second ultrasonic transmitter and record a second time at which the second ultrasound transmission is received;

comparing the first and second times to determine whether the device is located in the first compliance zone or the second compliance zone.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein comparing the first and second times includes comparing the first time to the second time minus the predetermined interval to thereby determine whether the device is in the first compliance zone or the second compliance zone.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second ultrasound transmissions comprise a series of bursts, the timing of the bursts within the ultrasound transmission encoding data, the steps of receiving the first and second ultrasound transmissions further including decoding the data contained in the ultrasound transmissions.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the first and second ultrasound transmissions encode a unique identifier for the first and second transmitters, respectively, and the steps of receiving the first and second ultrasound transmissions include relating the first and second times to the first and second ultrasound transmitters, respectively, based on the unique identifiers.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the first and second ultrasound transmissions encode a transmission time at which the transmissions are sent, and the steps of receiving the first and second ultrasound transmissions include relating the first and second times to first and second transmission times, respectively.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the step of comparing the first and second times includes calculating travel times for each ultrasound transmission and comparing the calculated travel times.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further includes a filter that filters out components of a received signal that does not correspond to an ultrasound signal and the processor records a received signal time only when a signal passes through and is output by the filter.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a controller in communication with the processor, the controller including a clock.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the clock comprises a low power RC timer oscillator.

10. A method of making the device of claim 1 comprising:

downloading the program instructions from a non-volatile computer readable memory to the memory of the device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the non-volatile computer readable memory is associated with a server computer.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein comparing the first and second times includes comparing the first time to the second time minus the predetermined interval to thereby determine whether the device is in the first compliance zone or the second compliance zone.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second ultrasound transmissions comprise a series of bursts, the timing of the bursts within the ultrasound transmission encoding data, the steps of receiving the first and second ultrasound transmissions further including decoding the data contained in the ultrasound transmissions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second ultrasound transmissions encode a unique identifier for the first and second transmitters, respectively, and the steps of receiving the first and second ultrasound transmissions include relating the first and second times to the first and second ultrasound transmitters, respectively, based on the unique identifiers.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second ultrasound transmissions encode a transmission time at which the transmissions are sent, and the steps of receiving the first and second ultrasound transmissions include relating the first and second times to first and second transmission times, respectively.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of comparing the first and second times includes calculating travel times for each ultrasound transmission and comparing the calculated travel times.

17. A system for establishing two compliance zones within a room, the room having a back wall and two generally opposed walls, the system comprising:

a dual ultrasonic transmitter, the dual ultrasonic transmitter having first and second ultrasonic transmitters located on the back wall with the first ultrasonic transmitter directed generally toward a first of the two generally opposed walls for establishing a first compliance zone and the second ultrasonic transmitter directed generally toward a second of the two generally opposed walls for establishing a second compliance zone, the first and second ultrasonic transmitters transmitting ultrasonic signals at predetermined intervals of time;

the device comprising a processor connected to a memory and an ultrasound signal receiver, the memory storing an executable program, the program instructing the processor to;

receive, through the ultrasound signal receiver, a first ultrasound transmission from the first ultrasonic transmitter and record a first time at which the first ultrasound transmission is received;

receive, through the ultrasound signal receiver, a second ultrasound transmission from the second ultrasonic transmitter and record a second time at which the second ultrasound transmission is received;

comparing the first and second times to determine whether the device is located in the first compliance zone or the second compliance zone.

18. In a device for establishing multiple compliance zones within a room, the room having a back wall and two generally opposed walls, the device interacting with a dual ultrasonic transmitter, the dual ultrasonic transmitter having first and second ultrasonic transmitters located on the back wall with the first ultrasonic transmitter directed generally toward a first of the two generally opposed walls for establishing a first compliance zone and the second ultrasonic transmitter directed generally toward a second of the two generally opposed walls for establishing a second compliance zone, the first and second ultrasonic transmitters transmitting ultrasonic signals at predetermined intervals of time, the device comprising a processor connected to a memory and an ultrasound signal receiver, an executable program for storage in the memory, the program instructing the processor to:

receive, through the ultrasound signal receiver, a first ultrasound transmission from the first ultrasonic transmitter and record a first time at which the first ultrasound transmission is received;

receive, through the ultrasound signal receiver, a second ultrasound transmission from the second ultrasonic transmitter and record a second time at which the second ultrasound transmission is received;

comparing the first and second times to determine whether the device is located in the first compliance zone or the second compliance zone.