Method and apparatus for managing remote devices and accessing remote device information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9817947-B2
Application number	US-201514683973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	Oct 27, 2014
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product are disclosed to track beacons utilizing a device management infrastructure. The method includes registering, by a device management server, at least a first detection device associated with a first location and a second detection device associated with a second location with a device management infrastructure, receiving a beacon identifier associated with a beacon detected by the first detection device, storing a first time stamp associated with detection of the beacon by the first detection device, receiving the beacon identifier associated with the beacon as detected by the second detection device, determining, based on the first time stamp and a second time stamp associated with detection of the beacon by the second detection device, an elapsed time between detection of the beacon by the first detection device and detection of the beacon by the second detection device, and reporting the elapsed time to a healthcare information system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for tracking beacons utilizing a device management infrastructure, the method comprising:
registering, by a device management server, at least a first detection device associated with a first location and a second detection device associated with a second location with a device management infrastructure;
setting a first sensitivity level of the first detection device to a first value based on first expected movement of beacons at the first location;
setting a second sensitivity level of the second detection device to a second value based on second expected movement of beacons at the second location, the first value being different than the second value due to a difference between the first expected movement and the second expected movement;
receiving, via the device management infrastructure and from the first detection device, a beacon identifier associated with a beacon detected by the first detection device;
storing a first time stamp associated with detection of the beacon by the first detection device;
receiving, via the device management infrastructure and from the second detection device, the beacon identifier associated with the beacon as detected by the second detection device;
determining, based on the first time stamp and a second time stamp associated with detection of the beacon by the second detection device, an elapsed time between detection of the beacon by the first detection device and detection of the beacon by the second detection device; and
reporting the elapsed time to a healthcare information system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beacon comprises a wristband provided to a patient of a healthcare organization associated with the healthcare information system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first location is a hospital registration desk and the second location is a hospital treatment room.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beacon is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first detection device and the second detection device are tablet computers.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the tablet computers are configured to communicate with a management server via a device management infrastructure.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the tablet computers communicate with the device management infrastructure via a wireless Internet connection.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the wireless Internet connection comprises a publicly available wireless connection provided by a healthcare organization, a private wireless connection provided by the healthcare organization, and a cellular network.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the elapsed time to the second detection device for display on a display coupled to the second detection device.

10. An apparatus for tracking beacons utilizing a device management infrastructure, the apparatus comprising:
a device management server configured to:
register at least a first detection device associated with a first location and a second detection device associated with a second location with a device management infrastructure, the first detection device having a first sensitivity level based on first expected movement of beacons at the first location, the second detection device having a second sensitivity level based on second expected movement of beacons at the second location, the first sensitivity level being different than the second sensitivity level;
receive, via the device management infrastructure and from the first detection device, a beacon identifier associated with a beacon detected by the first detection device;
store a first time stamp associated with detection of the beacon by the first detection device;
receive, via the device management infrastructure and from the second detection device, the beacon identifier associated with the beacon as detected by the second detection device;
determine, based on the first time stamp and a second time stamp associated with detection of the beacon by the second detection device, an elapsed time between detection of the beacon by the first detection device and detection of the beacon by the second detection device; and
report the elapsed time to a healthcare information system.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the beacon comprises a wristband provided to a patient of a healthcare organization associated with the healthcare information system.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first location is a hospital registration desk and the second location is a hospital treatment room.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the beacon is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first detection device and the second detection device are tablet computers.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the tablet computers are configured to communicate with a management server via a device management infrastructure.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the tablet computers communicate with the device management infrastructure via a wireless Internet connection.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the wireless Internet connection comprises a publicly available wireless connection provided by a healthcare organization, a private wireless connection provided by the healthcare organization, and a cellular network.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the device management server is further configured to provide the elapsed time to the second detection device for display on a display coupled to the second detection device.

Assignees

• Zih Corp

Inventors

• Hermans Sebastiaan Antonius Hendrikus Maria
• Beinat Euro

Classifications

• G06F19/327

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F19/323

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F19/3406 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G16H40/20 Primary

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

• G16H40/00 Primary

  ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices · CPC title