US7034690B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Infant monitoring system and method
Assignee: Hill Rom Services Inc
•
Filing: 2001-09-21
•
Granted: 2006-04-25
•
Expires: 2021-09-21
Abstract
Abstract A system and a method for monitoring objects including infants. The system and method having a first transmitter attached to the object to be monitored, the first transmitter transmits an ID corresponding to the first transmitter. A transceiver associates transmitters by storing in memory IDs of respective transmitters. The transceiver receives the ID corresponding to the first transmitter and compares the received ID with the stored IDs. An alarm is activated upon failure of a preset condition based on signals received by the transceiver.
Inventors
- 👤 John Chaco
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 18:58
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07C; G07C1/00; G07C1/10; G07C9/00; G07C9/20; G07C9/28; G08; G08B; G08B21/00; G08B21/02; G08B21/0202; G08B21/0205; G08B21/0208; G08B21/0275; G08B21/0288; G08B21/18; G08B21/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; and a portable transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; wherein the first transmitter remains associated with the transceiver module as the transceiver module is moved from a first position to a second position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
69 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; and a portable transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; wherein the first transmitter remains associated with the transceiver module as the transceiver module is moved from a first position to a second position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; and a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; wherein the transceiver module indicates an alarm condition by comparing the first ID to the first stored ID.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
62 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; and a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; wherein the transceiver module indicates an alarm condition by comparing the first ID to the first stored ID.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 2 wherein the alarm condition occurs when the first ID does not match the first stored ID.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 2 wherein the transceiver module further includes a processor for comparing the first ID to the first stored ID.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
69 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; and a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; wherein the first ID has an associated energy level, the transceiver module indicating an alarm condition by comparing the energy level to a threshold value.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
69 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; and a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; wherein the first ID has an associated energy level, the transceiver module indicating an alarm condition by comparing the energy level to a threshold value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 5 further including a comparator for comparing the energy level to the threshold value.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 5 wherein the transceiver module further includes a processor for determining the energy level and evaluating whether the energy level is below the threshold value.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
83 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; and a second transmitter for transmitting a second ID, the transceiver module receiver receiving the second ID to electronically associate the second transmitter with the transceiver module and the first transmitter by generating a second stored ID in the memory.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
83 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; and a second transmitter for transmitting a second ID, the transceiver module receiver receiving the second ID to electronically associate the second transmitter with the transceiver module and the first transmitter by generating a second stored ID in the memory.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
The system of claim 8 wherein the second transmitter includes a receiver and an alarm, the transceiver module transmitting an alarm signal to the second transmitter receiver upon failure of a preset condition, the second transmitter responding to the alarm signal by activating the alarm.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 8 wherein the transceiver module activates an alarm when the first and the second transmitters are separated by more than a preset distance.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 8 wherein the transceiver module activates an alarm only when both the first and the second transmitters are separated from the transceiver module by more than a preset distance.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
67 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; and a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; wherein the transceiver module activates an alarm when the first transmitter is separated from the transceiver module by more than a preset distance.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
67 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; and a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; wherein the transceiver module activates an alarm when the first transmitter is separated from the transceiver module by more than a preset distance.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
66 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; and a controller, the transceiver module wirelessly transmitting messages to the controller, the messages including an indication of receipt of the first ID.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
66 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; and a controller, the transceiver module wirelessly transmitting messages to the controller, the messages including an indication of receipt of the first ID.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 13 wherein the controller receives messages from a plurality of transceiver modules, the controller determining a location of the transmitter and the locations of the transceiver modules from the messages.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 14 wherein the controller includes a processor for determining the locations of the transmitter and the transceiver modules.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
66 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; and an actuator connected to the transceiver module, the actuator being actuated upon an indication by the transceiver module of an alarm condition.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
66 words
An object monitoring system, including: a first transmitter for transmitting a first ID; a transceiver module having a receiver for receiving the first ID to electronically associate the first transmitter with the transceiver module by generating a first stored ID in a memory; and an actuator connected to the transceiver module, the actuator being actuated upon an indication by the transceiver module of an alarm condition.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
79 words
A method of monitoring objects including the steps of: transmitting a first ID signal from a first transmitter corresponding to a first object; receiving the first ID signal at a transceiver module; associating the first transmitter with the transceiver module by storing a first ID corresponding to the first ID signal; comparing the first ID signal to the first ID to determine whether a preset condition is satisfied; and signaling an alarm when the preset condition is not satisfied.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
79 words
A method of monitoring objects including the steps of: transmitting a first ID signal from a first transmitter corresponding to a first object; receiving the first ID signal at a transceiver module; associating the first transmitter with the transceiver module by storing a first ID corresponding to the first ID signal; comparing the first ID signal to the first ID to determine whether a preset condition is satisfied; and signaling an alarm when the preset condition is not satisfied.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 17 further including the step of: determining an energy level of the first ID signal, the preset condition including a condition wherein the energy level is greater than or equal to a preset energy level.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 17 further including the steps of: transmitting a second ID signal from a second transmitter corresponding to a second object; associating the second transmitter with the first transmitter and the transceiver module by storing a second ID corresponding to the second ID signal; and comparing the second ID signal to the second ID to determine whether the preset condition is satisfied.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 19 further including the steps of: receiving at the second transmitter an alarm signal transmitted from the transceiver module when the preset condition is not satisfied; and activating an alarm indicator at the second transmitter upon receipt of the alarm signal.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the preset condition includes a condition wherein the first transmitter is within the preset distance from the transceiver module.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 17 further including the steps of: transmitting messages from the transceiver module to a controller, the messages including an indication of receipt by the transceiver module of the first ID signal; and determining the location of the first transmitter from the messages.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
96 words
An object monitoring system including: a plurality of transmitters corresponding to objects to be monitored, the transmitters each transmitting a respective, unique ID; a plurality of transceiver modules, each transceiver module including a receiver for receiving IDs from the transmitters to associate with the transceiver module the transmitters from which IDs are received and to associate the transmitters from which IDs are received with one another by storing IDs corresponding to the received IDs; and a central processing unit for receiving messages from the transceivers including IDs of the transmitters for determining locations of the transmitters.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
96 words
An object monitoring system including: a plurality of transmitters corresponding to objects to be monitored, the transmitters each transmitting a respective, unique ID; a plurality of transceiver modules, each transceiver module including a receiver for receiving IDs from the transmitters to associate with the transceiver module the transmitters from which IDs are received and to associate the transmitters from which IDs are received with one another by storing IDs corresponding to the received IDs; and a central processing unit for receiving messages from the transceivers including IDs of the transmitters for determining locations of the transmitters.
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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) | 2009-04-24 | 2009-10-24 | 2010-04-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2013-04-24 | 2013-10-24 | 2014-04-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2017-04-24 | 2017-10-24 | 2018-04-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |