DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-3,5-15 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hayes (US 20160296143 A1) , Dvorak (US 8972272 B1) and further in view of Dixon (US 20150081335 A1).
Claim 1. Hayes teaches a stationary communication unit (Fig 1, Stationary module 26 ) adapted to be mounted in a room of a healthcare facility,
the stationary communication unit comprising:
a wireless transceiver adapted to communicate with a patient support apparatus when the patient support apparatus is adjacent to the stationary communication unit, and to not communicate with the patient support apparatus when the patient support apparatus is not positioned adjacent to the stationary communication unit
([0047] Stationary module 26 also receives a patient support apparatus identifier that corresponds to unique patient support apparatus 22 when the patient support apparatus 22 is positioned within close proximity (e.g. within about 5-10 feet) to stationary module 26.);
a display
([0055] environmental controls 84 (e.g. television, temperature, curtains, etc.).);
a memory including a location identifier
([0049][0101] each stationary module 26 is configured during set-up to have stored in its memory a unique identifier 98 that distinguishes itself from the unique identifiers 98 of the other stationary modules 26.).
Hayes further discloses a controller which wireless communicate but does not specifically disclose
a controller adapted to use the wireless transceiver to detect when a mobile electronic device carried by a caregiver is positioned in the room and when the mobile electronic device is not positioned in the room, the controller further adapted to display a set of data received from the patient support apparatus on the display when the mobile electronic device is positioned in the room and to not display the set of data received from the patient support apparatus when the mobile electronic device is positioned outside of the room.
However, Dvorak teaches a controller adapted to use the wireless transceiver to detect when a mobile electronic device carried by a caregiver is positioned in the room and when the mobile electronic device is not positioned in the room
(Col 13 lines 55-65 The proximity sensor 54 in this case may use a service discovery protocol, for example, Zeroconf, or its implementation of Bonjour by Apple Computer, to detect the presence of the portable handheld electronic device 180. Discovery of the portable handheld electronic device 180 may be used to trigger a change in the mode of display 34 automatically or by command from the user of the portable handheld device 180 using the portable handheld device 180.
e.g. when a device is present then display mode changes otherwise nothing happens and can be interpreted as not positioned in the room),
the controller further adapted to display a set of data received from the patient support apparatus on the display when the mobile electronic device is positioned in the room and to not display the set of data received from the patient support apparatus when the mobile electronic device is positioned outside of the room
(Col 7 lines 25-45 an RFID tag associated with the device 28 and/or the user may be used to determine that the device is in a specific patient room. This information may be used to determine the display mode and information that is displayed on the room-based terminal 34 for that patient's room. Advantageously, determining a location ensures that the information is displayed based on the presence of the user of the device 28.
Standard security procedures such as an automatic log-out, indicated by process block 74, may be implemented to reduce the chance that unauthorized access to medical database system 30 is obtained, particularly in situations where the healthcare provider may be moving between the patient 15 in a patient room and a remotely stationed mobile work unit 18. (e.g. to not display the set of data received from the patient support apparatus when the mobile electronic device is positioned outside of the room i.e. automatic logout can be interpreted as no data showing because it is logged out)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of invention to use a communication unit as taught by Dvorak within the system of Hayes for the purpose of enhancing the system to automate and optimize patient-physician interaction while protecting privacy of the patient.
Hayes and Dvorak teaches the process of having memory within the stationary unit which has the unique identifier ([0101]) but do not specifically disclose the controller further adapted to wirelessly transmit the location identifier to the patient support apparatus when the patient support apparatus is positioned adjacent to the stationary communication unit.
However, Dixon teaches the controller further adapted to wirelessly transmit the location identifier to the patient support apparatus when the patient support apparatus is positioned adjacent to the stationary communication unit.
([0154] As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 16, a monitor ID 170 is transmitted from location unit 120, referred to in FIG. 16 as an RTLS location beacon, to an RTLS tag 118 mounted to bed 20. Monitor ID 170 is transmitted as a low frequency or infrared (IR) signal from beacon 120 as indicated by block 172. Thus, it is contemplated by this disclosure that only the tags 118 of beds in the same room or in close proximity to beacon 120 are able to receive monitor ID 170.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of invention to use the controller further adapted to wirelessly transmit the location identifier to the patient support apparatus as taught by Dixon within the system of Hayes for the purpose of enhancing the patient support apparatus to report its location when the stationary communication unit is in proximity to the patient support apparatus.
Claim 2.Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to receive a second set of data from a medical device positioned in the room and to display the second set of data on the display when the mobile electronic device is positioned in the room and to not display the second set of data when the mobile electronic device is
positioned outside of the room
(Dvorak Col 11 lines 30-40 e.g. family mode 154, a case manager mode 159, a nurse mode 156 (providing information traditionally useful for a nurse, but not necessarily limited to use by nurses), and multiple physician modes 158a-c usable for particular specialists. Col 13 lines 60-67 e.g. Discovery of the portable handheld electronic device 180 may be used to trigger a change in the mode of display 34 automatically or by command from the user of the portable handheld device 180 using the portable handheld device 180. ).
Claim 3. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 wherein the mobile electronic device is one of a smart phone or tablet computer
(Dvorak Col 13 lines 55-60 e.g. cell phone, PDA or the like. ).
Claim 5. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 wherein the controller is further adapted to receive an authorization identifier from the mobile electronic device and to use the authorization identifier to determine what data to include in the set of data
(Dvorak Col 7 lines 10-20 Generally, the patient care computing device 28 receives security information 70 from the healthcare provider identifying the healthcare provider and the authority of the healthcare provider to access the records 49 of the medical database system 30.
Col8 lines 45-55 (40) Typically, before the room-based terminal 34 is changed to the provider mode per process blocks 97 or 101, the room-based terminal 34 may operate in a different mode to provide alternative functions that provide an option to idling the display, for example, by blanking its screen. This mode switching helps prevent sensitive information from being displayed publicly through the room-based terminal 34 without the control normally enforced by the healthcare provider.)
Claim 6. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 wherein set of data includes data from a medical device in communication with the patient support apparatus
(Dvorak Col 6 lines 40-50 Computer 50 may also communicate with a network circuit 51 providing for wired or wireless communication with the medical database system 30 and may include a proximity sensor 54 such as an RFID tag reader that may read RFID tags or the like worn by physicians or others to identify possible viewers of the display area 36.
Hayes [0082] Any data or messages from patient support apparatus 22 that are destined to headwall connector 80 (and any of the downstream components, such as nurse call system 76, nurses' station 78, and/or the entertainment controls 84) are transmitted from patient support apparatus 22 via cable 82.).
Claim 7. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 wherein the set of data includes data indicating at least one of the following: a current status of a brake onboard the patient support apparatus; a current status of a height of a component of the patient support apparatus; a current status of an exit detection system onboard the patient support apparatus; a current status of an AC power cable of the patient support apparatus; or a current status of a battery onboard
the patient support apparatus
(Hayes [0029] The status of the component may be any one or more of the following: a position of a siderail, a state of a brake, a height of the support surface, and a state of an exit detection system.).
Claim 8. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 wherein the wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver
(Hayes [0056] Mobile wireless unit 24 communicates wirelessly with stationary module 26 via radio module 54. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, radio module 54 includes four separate transceivers: a Bluetooth transceiver (IEEE 802.15.1)).
Claim 9. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 further including a wired transceiver adapted to directly communicate with a port installed on a wall of the room, wherein the port includes a plurality of pins and the controller is adapted to forward audio signals
received by the stationary communication unit from the patient support apparatus to a particular
pin of the plurality of pins using the wired transceiver
(Hayes [0090] Stationary module 26 is therefore adapted, in at least one embodiment, to provide bidirectional communication between patient support apparatus 22 and headwall connector 80. Such bidirectional communication includes, but is not limited to, communicating audio signals between a person supported on patient support apparatus 22 and a caregiver positioned remotely from patient support apparatus 22 (which is accomplished by stationary module 26 forwarding the audio signals of the person on patient support apparatus 22 to nurse call system 76, and vice versa).
[0095] In the embodiment of location detection system 20 shown in FIGS. 2-5, stationary module 26 communicates the data and signals it receives from mobile wireless unit 24 to connector 80 by directing the incoming data and signals it receives to the appropriate pin or pins of headwall connector 80.).
Claim 10. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 9 wherein the stationary communication unit is further adapted to receive a request to communicate with a caregiver when the caregiver is remotely located, the request being initiated by a patient supported on the patient support apparatus, and wherein the controller is further adapted to forward the request to
the port via the wired transceiver
(Hayes [0095] For example, when headwall connector 80 includes 37 sockets for coupling to a 37 pin plug, or vice versa, it is common for pin numbers 30 and 31 of connector 80 to be used for indicating a “priority alert,” which is often synonymous with an alert that is issued when a patient exits from patient support apparatus 22.
[0099] a nurse-call communication link (e.g. messages used for turning on and off a “nurse answer” light on patient support apparatus 22); and messages containing audio packets of a caregiver's voice (generated from a microphone into which the caregiver speaks and forwarded to the appropriate pins of connector 80).).
Claim 11. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 further including a network transceiver adapted to communicate with a server within the healthcare facility
(Hayes [0101] having each stationary module 26 connect to a server on a local area network using, for example, WiFi transceiver 88b, and downloading from the server the corresponding unique identifiers 98;),
and wherein the controller is adapted to receive medical device data from a medical device positioned in the room and to forward the medical device data to the server via the network transceiver
(Dvorak Col 5 lines 35-45 (19) The patient care computing device 28 will be in communication with a medical database system 30 typically located in an environmentally controlled room 31 removed from the patient room 10 and the hallway 20. The communication may be conducted by signals 32 passing wirelessly, for example, by radio link connected to the medical database system 30 possibly through repeaters and the like as is generally understood in the art.).
Claim 12. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 wherein the controller is adapted to receive medical device data from a medical device positioned in the room and store the medical device data in the memory, and the controller is further adapted to receive a request for the medical device data from a requesting device positioned in the room and to transmit the medical device data to the requesting device in response thereto
(Dvorak Col 7 lines 15-20 Generally, the patient care computing device 28 receives security information 70 from the healthcare provider identifying the healthcare provider and the authority of the healthcare provider to access the records 49 of the medical database system 30.).
Claim 13. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 wherein the controller is adapted to receive medical device data from a medical device positioned in the room, to store the medical device data in the memory, and to include at least some of the medical device data in the set of data
(Dvorak Col 10 lines55-65 e.g. for example at the patient's bedside, during the administration of the medication, these notifications 150 might not be visible to the healthcare provider contemporaneously with the administration of the medicine. The present invention therefore allows this these notifications 150 or updates to be broadcast both to the patient care computing device 28 and the room-based terminal 34.
Hayes [0095] whenever stationary module 26 receives a message from mobile wireless unit 24 that a person has exited from patient support apparatus 22, stationary module 26 changes the status of pins 30 and 31 such that they switch from whatever state they are normally in to their opposite state.).
Claim 14. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 further including a wired transceiver adapted to directly communicate with a port installed on a wall of the room, wherein the port includes a plurality of pins and the controller is adapted to forward a room light request received by the stationary communication unit from the patient support apparatus to a particular pin of the plurality of pins using the wired transceiver
(Hayes [0095] The nurse call system 76 that is communicatively coupled to headwall connector 80 interprets this opening or closing of pins 30 and 31 in the same manner as if a cable were coupled between patient support apparatus 22 and headwall connector 80, such as by sending the appropriate signals to one or more nurse's stations, flashing a light outside the room of patient support apparatus 22, forwarding a call to a mobile communication device carried by the caregiver assigned to the occupant of patient support apparatus 22,
[0096] wirelessly send to stationary module 26 at least the following additional messages: messages to turn on or off one or more room lights; messages to turn on or off one or more reading lights;).
Claim 15. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 wherein the controller is further adapted to forward a second set of data to a television positioned in the room for the television to display the second set of data thereon
(Dvorak Col 11 lines 30-40 e.g. family mode 154, a case manager mode 159, a nurse mode 156 (providing information traditionally useful for a nurse, but not necessarily limited to use by nurses), and multiple physician modes 158a-c usable for particular specialists. Col 13 lines 60-67 e.g. Discovery of the portable handheld electronic device 180 may be used to trigger a change in the mode of display 34 automatically or by command from the user of the portable handheld device 180 using the portable handheld device 180. ).
Claim 17. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 wherein the controller is in communication with an entertainment device positioned in the room, and the controller is adapted to automatically send a volume change command to the entertainment device in
response to detecting the mobile electronic device being in the room
([0096] to wirelessly send to stationary module 26 at least the following messages...to increase or decrease the volume of a nearby television set; messages to change a channel of the nearby television set; ).
Claim 18. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 wherein the controller is further adapted to allow the caregiver to use the mobile electronic device to instruct the controller as to what data is in the set of data
(Dvorak Col 11 lines 30-40 e.g. family mode 154, a case manager mode 159, a nurse mode 156 (providing information traditionally useful for a nurse, but not necessarily limited to use by nurses), and multiple physician modes 158a-c usable for particular specialists. Col 13 lines 60-67 e.g. Discovery of the portable handheld electronic device 180 may be used to trigger a change in the mode of display 34 automatically or by command from the user of the portable handheld device 180 using the portable handheld device 180. ).
Claim 19. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 wherein the controller is further adapted to allow the caregiver to use the mobile electronic device to instruct the controller to send the set of data to a second display positioned offboard the stationary communication unit
(Dvorak Col 5/6 lines 60-65,1-5 The room-based terminal 34 provides a display area 36 visible to those attending to the patient and optionally visible to the patient and patient's family and provides for a network circuit for communication with the medical database system 30 either wirelessly or by wire connections or a combination of both. The room-based terminals 34 may optionally also communicate with the patient care computing device 28.).
Claim 20. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 wherein in the controller is further adapted to transmit the set of data to the mobile electronic device
(Dixon [0110] Throughout FIGS. 1-28, a bed 20 has circuitry 22 that transmits data of various types in various embodiments as discussed below via a network 24 to one or more remote computer devices 26.
Hayes [0095] forwarding a call to a mobile communication device carried by the caregiver assigned to the occupant of patient support apparatus 22,).
6. Claim(s) 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hayes, Dvorak, Dixon and further in view of Felton(US 20180330115 A1).
Claim 16. Hayes, Dvorak and Dixon teach the stationary communication unit of claim 1 and further discloses the use of authentication procedure using a log in, and a server which provides a data table and a map with location of the patient support apparatus provided by the stationary unit ([0047]) but does not specifically disclose wherein the controller is further adapted to transmit a uniform resource locator (URL) to the mobile electronic device carried by the caregiver when the caregiver is in the room, the URL identifying a location where the set of data is stored such that the mobile electronic device can display the set of data on the mobile electronic device using web browsing software installed on the mobile electronic device.
However, Felton teaches the controller is further adapted to transmit a uniform resource locator (URL) to the mobile electronic device carried by the caregiver when the caregiver is in the room, the URL identifying a location where the set of data is stored such that the mobile electronic device can display the set of data on the mobile electronic device using web browsing software installed on the mobile electronic device
([0005] The MDM server is configured to manage mobile devices of the healthcare facility. The MDM server determines that a patient is assigned to a location (e.g., the hospital bed) in response to determining that the second message indicates that the patient has been assigned to the location upon admittance to the healthcare facility or that the patient has been transferred to the location... The application data includes the application (e.g., an executable file), an identifier of the application, a universal resource locator (URL) associated with the application,
[0047] The download URL indicates a location from which the selected application is retrievable. The location may be associated with the MDM server 130 or another device.]
[0058] The mobile device 150 may receive the push notification 131 from the push notification service 140 subsequent to powering up...
[0065][0066]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of invention to use the controller as taught by Felton within the system of Hayes for the purpose of providing a convenience of using a centralized web based protocol without additional software in order to simplify record keeping and maintain patient history.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6-7, filed 24 December, 2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-3 and 5-15 and 16-20 under U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Hayes (US 20160296143 A1) , Dvorak (US 8972272 B1) and further in view of Dixon (US 20150081335 A1); and claim 16 is further rejected in view of Felton.
The newly found prior art of Hayes teaches Applicant’s claimed invention as well as the memory including a location identifier. The prior art of Dvorak teaches the obviousness improvement of the controller and displaying the set of data when the mobile electronic device is positioned in the room. The newly found prior art Dixon provides the obviousness improvement of the controller further adapted to wirelessly transmit the location identifier to the patient support apparatus when the patient support apparatus is positioned adjacent to the stationary communication unit.
Therefore, the prior art of Hayes, Dvorak and further in view of Dixon are obvious over the claimed invention.
Conclusion
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/RUFUS C POINT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689