Historical identification and accuracy compensation for problem areas in a locating system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11152111-B2
Application number	US-202017091046-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2020
Priority date	Feb 14, 2018
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A caregiver location system includes a computer configured to track a location of a caregiver in a healthcare facility. A caregiver identification (ID) tag is worn by a caregiver and has a tag transmitter configured to communicate with a plurality of receivers. The plurality of receivers and the computer cooperate to form a locating system that is operable to determine a location of the caregiver ID tag. The computer collects data over time related to a caregiver location within the healthcare facility and determines a problem area within the healthcare facility where a determined caregiver location is inaccurate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A caregiver location system comprising:
a computer configured to track a location of a caregiver in a healthcare facility,
a plurality of receivers mounted at fixed locations throughout the healthcare facility and communicatively coupled to the computer, and
a caregiver identification (ID) tag that is worn by the caregiver, the caregiver ID tag having a tag transmitter configured to communicate with the plurality of receivers, wherein the plurality of receivers and the computer cooperate to form a locating system that is operable to determine a location of the caregiver ID tag, wherein the computer collects data over time related to a caregiver location within the healthcare facility and determines a problem area within the healthcare facility where a determined caregiver location is inaccurate, wherein a setting of the caregiver location system is altered to improve the accuracy of determining the caregiver location in the problem area,
wherein the computer operates a first algorithm to determine the caregiver location using a detecting receiver of the plurality of receivers, and wherein the computer operates a second algorithm to improve the accuracy of determining the caregiver location using the detecting receiver of the plurality of receivers if the caregiver is within the problem area, wherein the computer does not operate the second algorithm if the caregiver is not within the problem area.

2. The caregiver location system of claim 1 , wherein the computer determines the problem area based on a set of rules stored within a memory of the computer.

3. The caregiver location system of claim 2 , wherein the set of rules includes determining that a distance of a first location of the caregiver at a first time from a second location of the caregiver at a second time is greater than a predetermined distance.

4. The caregiver location system of claim 3 , wherein at least one second lapses between the first time and the second time.

5. The caregiver location system of claim 2 , wherein the set of rules includes determining that an obstacle is positioned between a first location of the caregiver at a first time and a second location of the caregiver at a second time.

6. The caregiver location system of claim 5 , wherein the obstacle comprises a wall.

7. The caregiver location system of claim 5 , wherein the obstacle comprises a patient support apparatus.

8. The caregiver location system of claim 1 , wherein the second algorithm has a higher accuracy than the first algorithm.

9. The caregiver location system of claim 1 , wherein the second algorithm consumes more power than the first algorithm.

10. The caregiver location system of claim 1 , wherein the caregiver location system is altered by increasing a rate at which the tag transmitter transmits to the plurality of receivers.

11. The caregiver location system of claim 1 , wherein the caregiver location system is altered by adding additional receivers to the plurality of receivers.

12. The caregiver location system of claim 11 , wherein the additional receivers are added in the problem area.

13. The caregiver location system of claim 1 , wherein a setting of the caregiver location system is altered in response to the caregiver entering the problem area.

14. A caregiver location system comprising:
a computer configured to track a location of a plurality of caregivers in a healthcare facility,
a plurality of receivers mounted at fixed locations throughout the healthcare facility and communicatively coupled to the computer, and
a plurality of caregiver identification (ID) tags, each caregiver ID tag worn by one of the plurality of caregivers, each caregiver ID tag having a tag transmitter configured to communicate with the plurality of receivers, wherein the plurality of receivers and the computer cooperate to form a locating system that is operable to determine a location of each caregiver ID tag, wherein the computer operates in a first mode to collect data over time related to caregiver locations within the healthcare facility and determines problem areas within the healthcare facility where a determined caregiver location is inaccurate, wherein the computer operates in a second mode to improve the accuracy of determining the caregiver location in each of the problem areas,
wherein the computer operates a first algorithm in the first mode to determine the caregiver location using a detecting receiver of the plurality of receivers, and wherein the computer operates a second algorithm in the second mode to improve the accuracy of determining the caregiver location using the detecting receiver of the plurality of receivers if the caregiver is within the problem area, wherein the computer does not operate the second algorithm if the caregiver is not within the problem area.

15. The caregiver location system of claim 14 , wherein the computer determines the problem areas based on a set of rules stored within a memory of the computer.

16. The caregiver location system of claim 15 , wherein the set of rules includes determining that a distance of a first location of a caregiver at a first time from a second location of the caregiver at a second time is greater than a predetermined distance.

17. The caregiver location system of claim 16 , wherein at least one second lapses between the first time and the second time.

18. The caregiver location system of claim 15 , wherein the set of rules includes determining that an obstacle is positioned between a first location of a caregiver at a first time and a second location of the caregiver at a second time.

19. The caregiver location system of claim 18 , wherein the obstacle comprises a wall.

20. The caregiver location system of claim 18 , wherein the obstacle comprises a patient support apparatus.

21. The caregiver location system of claim 14 , wherein the second algorithm has a higher accuracy than the first algorithm.

22. The caregiver location system of claim 14 , wherein the second algorithm consumes more power than the first algorithm.

23. The caregiver location system of claim 14 , wherein each tag transmitter transmits a message at a first rate in the first mode, and each tag transmitter transmits the message at a second rate in the second mode.

24. The caregiver location system of claim 14 , wherein the computer operates in the second mode in response to the caregiver entering each of the problem areas.

Assignees

• Hill Rom Services Inc

Inventors

• Pipher Britten J
• Mudge Kenzi L
• Embree Stephen R
• Ayers Brandon M

Classifications

• G06K19/07713

  the interface, upon reception of an interrogation signal, being capable of signaling to indicate its position to a user or a detection device · CPC title

• A61B90/98

  using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders · CPC title

• G16H40/20 Primary

  for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms · CPC title