Object location monitoring within buildings
US6529164B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 30, 2001 |
| Grant date | Mar 4, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 30, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S2205/02
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An object location monitoring system tracks the locations of portable transceivers that attach to movable objects, such as patients within a hospital. The system preferably tracks the locations of the transceivers by combining a signal strength based locating process with a topological tracking process. Beacons that intermittently transmit unique ID codes are mounted to walls or other structures throughout a building, and are maintained in synchronization using the 60 Hz cycle of a standard 120V AC power signal, either directly or by monitoring flicker of fluorescent lighting. The transceivers receive the transmissions of nearby beacons, determine the signal strengths of such transmissions, and forward associated data to a server. The server uses this data to determine the location of each transceiver, and uses expected travel times between specific locations to resolve ambiguities. In a preferred embodiment, the transceivers are ambulatory transceivers that also sense and transmit physiologic data of patients.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.