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US5689229A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Patient care and communication system
Assignee: Hill Rom Services Inc
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Filing: 1995-12-14
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Granted: 1997-11-18
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Expires: 2015-12-14
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to a patient care and communication system which utilizes a central processing system and a plurality of remote stations electrically connected to the central processing system to facilitate visual and data communications. Each remote station includes telephone circuitry which is connected to a private branch exchange for telephone communications between stations. In addition, the private branch exchange is connected to a telephone exchange and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication therebetween. The central processing system facilitates the visual and data communications between the plurality of remote stations, and includes a system for determining which of the plurality of remote stations are transmitting the visual and data communications and which of the plurality of remote stations are to receive the visual and data communications. The central processing system also includes a system which establishes a communication link between the transmitting stations and the receiving stations. The remote stations include a processing system which also facilitates the visual, data and telephone communications and a display for displaying the visual communications. The present invention also includes a staff and/or patient locator system, in which each remote station includes an infrared receiver that receives infrared transmissions from a portable transmitter worn by a staff member or patient. The infrared transmissions include identity information associated with the person wearing the transmitter. The identity information is then transferred to the central processing system which determines the identity and location of each person wearing a portable transmitter.
Inventors
- 👤 John Chaco
- 👤 Israel Hersh
- 👤 Dmitry Orlovsky
- 👤 Joe Vincens
- 👤 Yaron Ram
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 06:56
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/10; G06K7/10009; G06K7/10019; G06K7/10079; G07; G07C; G07C9/00; G07C9/20; G07C9/28; G08; G08B; G08B3/00; G08B3/10; G08B3/1008; G08B3/1016; G08B3/1083; G08B5/00; G08B5/22; G08B5/222; G16; G16H; G16H40/00; G16H40/20; G16H40/60; G16H40/67; H; H04; H04M; H04M11/00; H04M11/02; H04M11/027; G16H10/00; G16H10/60; G16H80/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S128/00; Y10S128/903; Y10S128/904
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
177 words
A patient control unit, which comprises: a housing; at least one switch positioned at least partially within said housing and accessible from an exterior surface of said housing; a plurality of conductors extending from said housing for electrically coupling said at least one switch to remote processing circuitry, said plurality of conductors including a test conductor; wherein said at least one switch has a first terminal coupled to a first of said plurality of conductors and said at least one switch has a second terminal coupled to a first voltage reference; and at least one self-test switch positioned within said housing, said at least one self-test switch having a first terminal coupled to said test conductor and a second terminal coupled to said first of said plurality of conductors, such that when said remote processing circuitry provides a test signal to said test conductor said at least one self-test switch actuates to enable a continuity test of at least one connection between the control unit and other electronic equipment to be performed by the remote processing circuitry.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
177 words
A patient control unit, which comprises: a housing; at least one switch positioned at least partially within said housing and accessible from an exterior surface of said housing; a plurality of conductors extending from said housing for electrically coupling said at least one switch to remote processing circuitry, said plurality of conductors including a test conductor; wherein said at least one switch has a first terminal coupled to a first of said plurality of conductors and said at least one switch has a second terminal coupled to a first voltage reference; and at least one self-test switch positioned within said housing, said at least one self-test switch having a first terminal coupled to said test conductor and a second terminal coupled to said first of said plurality of conductors, such that when said remote processing circuitry provides a test signal to said test conductor said at least one self-test switch actuates to enable a continuity test of at least one connection between the control unit and other electronic equipment to be performed by the remote processing circuitry.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The patient control unit according to claim 1 further comprising a speaker connected between a second and a third of said plurality of conductors.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The patient control unit according to claim 1, wherein said at least one switch comprises a manually operable switch.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The patient control unit according to claim 1, wherein said self-test switch includes a transistor having a first terminal coupled to said test conductor and a second terminal coupled to said first of said plurality of conductors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The patient control unit according to claim 4, wherein said transistor is a field effect transistor having a gate defining said first terminal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The patient control unit according to claim 4, wherein said at least one switch is a nurse call switch.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
148 words
A patient control unit having manual switches for signaling a service request and for controlling patient room devices, said patient control unit comprising: a housing having an electrical connector, said electrical connector having a plurality of contacts for electrically coupling said housing to remote processing circuitry external to said housing; at least one of said manual switches positioned at least partially within said housing and accessible from an exterior surface of said housing, said at least one switch being connected between a first of said plurality of contacts and a first voltage reference; and at least one self-test switch coupled between a second of said plurality of contacts and said first of said plurality of conductors, said at least one self-test switch enabling a continuity test of at least one connection between the patient control unit and other electronic equipment to be performed by the remote processing circuitry.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
148 words
A patient control unit having manual switches for signaling a service request and for controlling patient room devices, said patient control unit comprising: a housing having an electrical connector, said electrical connector having a plurality of contacts for electrically coupling said housing to remote processing circuitry external to said housing; at least one of said manual switches positioned at least partially within said housing and accessible from an exterior surface of said housing, said at least one switch being connected between a first of said plurality of contacts and a first voltage reference; and at least one self-test switch coupled between a second of said plurality of contacts and said first of said plurality of conductors, said at least one self-test switch enabling a continuity test of at least one connection between the patient control unit and other electronic equipment to be performed by the remote processing circuitry.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The patient control unit according to claim 7, wherein said at least one switch is connected to a device external to said housing for signalling a request for service.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A patient control unit according to claim 7, further comprising means for facilitating communication of audio information to a user of said patient control unit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
The patient control unit according to claim 7, wherein said self-test switch comprises a transistor having a first terminal connected to said second of said plurality of contacts, a second terminal connected to a third of said plurality of contacts, and a third terminal connected to a second voltage reference.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The patient control unit according to claim 10, wherein said transistor is a field effect transistor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The patient control unit according to claim 10, wherein said remote processing circuitry remotely controls said self-test switch to selectively complete a circuit loop connected to said self-test switch for continuity verification.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
The patient control unit according to claim 12 wherein said switch for signalling a service request includes connections to said self-test switch such that when said self-test switch is turned on remotely by said processing circuitry the continuity of said connections of said switch for service request is verified.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
164 words
A patient care and communication system which comprises: a plurality of remote stations each having processing means for facilitating communications relating to patient care between said plurality of remote stations and a nurse station; and patient control means coupled to at least one of said plurality of remote stations for audio communications with the nurse station, said patient control means including verification means coupled to said processing means of said at least one remote station for verifying the electrical continuity of conductors connected between said at least one remote station and said patient control means, said verification means including at least one self-test switch within said patient control means, coupled to said processing means, wherein said processing means causes said verifying to be performed periodically by controlling switching states of said self-test switch, said at least one self-test switch enabling a continuity test of at least one connection between the patient control means and other electronic equipment to be performed by the processing means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
164 words
A patient care and communication system which comprises: a plurality of remote stations each having processing means for facilitating communications relating to patient care between said plurality of remote stations and a nurse station; and patient control means coupled to at least one of said plurality of remote stations for audio communications with the nurse station, said patient control means including verification means coupled to said processing means of said at least one remote station for verifying the electrical continuity of conductors connected between said at least one remote station and said patient control means, said verification means including at least one self-test switch within said patient control means, coupled to said processing means, wherein said processing means causes said verifying to be performed periodically by controlling switching states of said self-test switch, said at least one self-test switch enabling a continuity test of at least one connection between the patient control means and other electronic equipment to be performed by the processing means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system according to claim 14, wherein said patient control means includes means for controlling patient room appliances including television and lights.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system according to claim 15, wherein said means for controlling patient room appliances are manual switches.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
85 words
The system according to claim 14, wherein said means for verifying continuity of conductors includes a resistor and a field effect transistor connected between a call wire and a nurse call wire such that when said field effect transistor is turned on by an activating signal from said processing means, said field effect transistor completes a conductive path between said call wire and said nurse call wire, so as to permit said processing means to interrogate said nurse call wire to perform a continuity check.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
50 words
The system according to claim 17, wherein said means for verifying continuity of conductors includes at least one transistor operatively connected to said conductors, such that test signals from said remote station through said processing means actuate said at least one transistor which transfers response signals to said processing means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system according to claim 18, wherein if said processing means does not receive said response signals, an alarm is actuated.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-11-17 | 2001-05-19 | 2001-11-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-11-17 | 2005-05-19 | 2005-11-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-11-17 | 2009-05-19 | 2009-11-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |