Determining validity of location system assisted asset acquisition

Abstract

A system and method are provided for determining the effectiveness of a positioning system to assist a user in obtaining an asset in a building, where the asset is locatable within a communication range of one or more building components of the positioning system based on asset components of the positioning system, where the asset component of the positioning system is located within the communication range of the one or more building components of the positioning system. The positioning system includes a user interface for enabling a user to obtain an estimated position of the asset. The simulation may include accessing layout planning data indicative of relative locations of rooms and corridors in a building; accessing system data indicative of a type and configuration of the positioning system, where the configuration includes at least a location of the building component in the building; and simulating to position one or more assets in the building using a positioning system, where the simulating comprises: for at least one simulated location of the assets and at least one simulated location of the user in the building, and based on location and layout planning data of building components in the building, determining a location of the assets in the building; the time taken by the user to obtain the asset or the covered distance is estimated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processor system and a computer-implemented method for determining the effectiveness of a positioning system in assisting a user in obtaining an asset in a building. The present invention also relates to a computer-readable medium comprising instructions for a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions to cause the processor system to perform the computer-implemented method. Background Art

[0002] It is known to use a positioning system to assist a user in obtaining an asset in a building. Such a positioning system can typically operate in real time and can thus also be referred to as a real-time location system (RTLS). Positioning systems have uses in a variety of application areas. One such application area is the healthcare field, particularly hospitals, where healthcare professionals often have to search for assets such as medical equipment (e.g., patient monitors, breathing equipment), facility assets (e.g., beds, wheelchairs), IT assets (e.g., laptop computers, tablet devices), etc. An example of an RTLS that provides asset tracking in a hospital is CenTrak's active RFID hospital asset tracking system, as described in a brochure available from http.content.sourck.comtherfsther RTLS%20Brochures / Asset_Management_06.18.20.pdf.

[0003] There is a desire to quantify the effectiveness of a positioning system in assisting a user in obtaining an asset in a building such as the hospital described above. Such quantification not only allows comparison of the positioning system with alternatives (e.g., no positioning system or an alternative positioning system), thus influencing commercial decisions regarding adoption or non-adoption of the positioning system, but also allows optimization of the configuration of the positioning system. However, quantifying the effectiveness of a positioning system is difficult because users typically do not know how much time was spent searching for an asset.

[0004] In the healthcare field, it has been envisaged to manually quantify the effectiveness of a positioning system by estimating the time taken to search for an asset. One example involves tracking hospital staff to collect information regarding search duration. However, this method is labor-intensive, prone to human error, and may disrupt the workflow of hospital staff. A second example involves asking hospital staff to use a button to indicate a search event. For example, a nurse may be asked to press a button at the start and end of a search. By analyzing the timestamps of button presses, an estimate of the search duration can be created. However, with this method, when hospital staff have more urgent priorities, they are likely not to use the button, resulting in an incorrect estimate of the search time. It has also been envisaged to automatically estimate the search time, for example, by having hospital staff wear a tracking system that indicates their location during a search. However, this method violates the privacy of the staff.

[0005] Accordingly, it is desirable to quantify the effectiveness of a positioning system to address one or more of the above disadvantages. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-implemented method for determining the effectiveness of a positioning system to assist a user in obtaining an asset in a building, wherein the positioning system includes an asset component provided together with the asset and a plurality of building components provided at known locations in the building, wherein the asset can be located based on the asset component being within the communication range of one or more of the building components, wherein the positioning system includes a user interface for enabling the user to obtain an estimated location of the asset, and wherein the method includes:

[0007] Accessing layout planning data, wherein the layout planning data indicates the relative positions of rooms and corridors in the building;

[0008] Accessing system data, wherein the system data indicates the type and configuration of the positioning system, and wherein the configuration indicated by the system data at least includes the positions of the building components in the building;

[0009] Simulating the use of the positioning system to locate one or more assets in the building, wherein the simulation includes: estimating the time taken or the distance covered by the user to obtain the asset for at least one simulated position of the asset in the building and at least one simulated position of the user and based on the positions of the building components in the building and the layout planning data.

[0010] In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transient or non-transient computer-readable medium comprising data representing a computer program, the computer program including instructions for causing a processor system to execute the computer-implemented method as described in this specification.

[0011] In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processor system for determining the effectiveness of a positioning system to assist a user in obtaining an asset in a building, wherein the positioning system includes an asset component provided together with the asset and a plurality of building components provided at known locations in the building, wherein the asset can be located based on the asset component being within the communication range of one or more of the building components, wherein the positioning system includes a user interface for enabling the user to obtain an estimated location of the asset, and wherein the processor system includes:

[0012] An input interface for accessing:

[0013] Layout planning data, wherein the layout planning data indicates the relative positions of rooms and corridors in the building; and system data, wherein the system data indicates the type and configuration of the positioning system, and the configuration indicated by the system data includes at least the positions of the building components in the building;

[0014] A processing subsystem for simulating the use of the positioning system to locate one or more assets in the building, wherein the simulation includes: estimating the time taken or the distance covered by the user to obtain the asset based on at least one simulated position of the asset and at least one simulated position of the user in the building and based on the positions of the building components in the building and the layout planning data.

[0015] The above measures relate to determining the effectiveness of a positioning system in assisting a user in obtaining an asset in a building. According to these measures, the effectiveness can be determined based on simulation to obtain an estimate of the time taken or the distance covered by the user in using the positioning system to obtain an asset in the building. To enable such simulation, layout planning data in a computer-readable version representing at least a part of the layout of the building can be accessed. The layout planning data can indicate the relative positions of at least some rooms and corridors in the building. Thus, based on the layout planning map data, the approximate distance or walking time between the corresponding rooms can be determined. In addition, system data that can characterize the positioning system can be accessed. The positioning system can include components installed in the building, also referred to elsewhere as "building components". For example, these can include Wi-Fi access points for a Wi-Fi-based positioning system and infrared detectors for an infrared-based positioning system. The positions of such building components in the building can be known and can be included in the system data, as the system data can indicate, for example, in which room a particular building component is installed. Additionally, the system data can indicate which type of positioning system is used, which can refer to the general type of technology used (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, Li-Fi, infrared, etc.), but can also further characterize the positioning system (e.g., for Wi-Fi, the range of the corresponding access points, which can be indicated by the frequency at which they operate (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz)).

[0016] Based on layout planning data and system data, it is possible to simulate the use of a positioning system to locate one or more assets in a building. That is, in the simulation, the assets can be placed in the building, typically in specific rooms. Such assets may also be referred to hereinafter as "simulated" or "virtual" assets, and these two terms are used interchangeably throughout the specification. Additionally, in the simulation, a user can be placed in the building, typically in a room other than the room containing the asset. Then, the simulation can simulate the user obtaining the asset in the building to simulate a real search for the asset using the positioning system. In the simulation, the user can access the positioning system and thus obtain an estimated location of the asset from the positioning system. In some embodiments, the simulation can also involve simulating the user's search behavior. As in real life, such simulated search behavior can depend on the type of positioning system, particularly its accuracy. For example, if the positioning system provides a room-precise estimate of the asset's location, the user can go directly to the room indicated by the positioning system, in which case the search behavior can simply be going to the location given by the positioning system. However, if the estimate provided by the positioning system for the asset's location includes several rooms, the user's movement to each room in sequence can be simulated. Generally, a model representing the expected degree of finding the asset by the user in the corresponding room can be used to simulate such search behavior.

[0017] As a result of the simulation, an estimate of the time taken and / or the distance covered by the user to obtain the asset can be obtained. Since this estimate may directly depend on the user's initial position and the placement of the asset, in some embodiments, multiple simulations can be performed, for example, for multiple randomly selected positions of the user and the asset, to obtain multiple estimates, which can be averaged, summed, or otherwise converted into a metric quantifying the effectiveness of the positioning system in assisting the user in obtaining the asset. However, in other embodiments, a single time or distance estimate may be sufficient to quantify the effectiveness of the positioning system.

[0018] Advantageously, by the above measures, it is not necessary to question, track, or otherwise involve actual users (such as hospital staff) to obtain such estimates. Thus, users are not disturbed in their work lives. Additionally, such a simulation does not violate user privacy and there are no reporting errors, which might otherwise occur if the estimate depends on the user's reports. The simulation can also allow determination of the effectiveness of a positioning system for a building that does not yet exist or has not yet reached its intended use or for a positioning system that has not yet been installed. The advantage of being able to determine the effectiveness of a positioning system through simulation is that one can easily determine whether the positioning system is worthwhile (e.g., in terms of time saved), or if several positioning systems are available, which one achieves the best trade-off between performance (e.g., time saved) and cost (e.g., technical or financial).

[0019] Optionally, the positioning system is configured to indicate to the user, during use, the rooms having a probability of containing an asset, and wherein the simulation of the use of the positioning system further includes: if the room indicated by the positioning system in the simulation does not contain the asset, simulating the user's search behavior to look for the asset in the neighborhood of the indicated room, wherein the simulation of the search behavior is based on a model representing the expected degree of the user finding the asset in the corresponding room of the building. The positioning system can estimate that a particular room may, or even is likely to, contain an asset. Since there may still be some uncertainty in the estimate, the autonomous search behavior of the user can be simulated, which generally can involve modeling the expected degree of the user finding the asset in the corresponding room of the building. For example, the user can be modeled as having a high expectation of finding the asset in the room indicated by the positioning system, but also having a high expectation of finding the asset in a storage room. By modeling such search behavior, the estimate provided by the simulation may be more realistic. For example, if the storage room is on the way, the user can first visit the nearby storage room before going to the room indicated by the positioning system.

[0020] Optionally, the positioning system is configured to indicate to the user, during use, the rooms if several rooms all have a probability of containing an asset, and wherein the simulation of the use of the positioning system further includes simulating the order in which the user visits these rooms to look for the asset. Some types of positioning systems may only provide a rough estimate of the asset location, such as an estimate including several rooms. In this case, a real user can visit these rooms in a specific order, such as based on the distance of the corresponding room to the user. By modeling such search behavior of the real user, the estimate provided by the simulation may be more realistic.

[0021] Optionally, the computer-implemented method and the processor system are also arranged to access another system data of another positioning system of a different type from the positioning system, and wherein the method further comprises simulating the use of the other positioning system to locate one or more assets in a building and outputting validity data that enables a comparison of the effectiveness of the positioning system in assisting the user to locate the one or more assets in the building and the effectiveness of the other positioning system in assisting the user to locate one or more assets in the building. In the same or a similar manner as obtaining the (one or more) time and / or distance estimates for the first positioning system, (one or more) time and / or distance estimates can be obtained for a second positioning system that is, for example, different from the first positioning system in terms of technology. This enables a comparison between the two positioning systems, for example, to determine whether it is worthwhile to replace an installed positioning system with another (e.g., in terms of performance, and may also be weighted for financial and / or technical costs), or if no positioning system has been installed, to determine which type of positioning system is best (again in terms of performance, but may also be weighted for financial and / or technical costs).

[0022] Optionally, the positioning system and the other positioning system are based on different communication technologies selected from the group consisting of: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, Li-Fi, and infrared. Different types of positioning systems can use different communication technologies to estimate the location of assets. For example, positioning systems are known that provide based on Wi-Fi (in which case Wi-Fi access points can be used as building components), Bluetooth LE (in which case Bluetooth LE beacons can be used as building components), Li-Fi (in which case Li-Fi receivers or transmitters can be used as building components), or infrared (in which case infrared receivers or transmitters can be used as building components). It should be noted that the asset components can be components of the corresponding type, for example, Wi-Fi clients, Bluetooth clients, Li-Fi receivers (e.g., if a Li-Fi transmitter is used as a building component), or Li-Fi transmitters, or infrared receivers (e.g., if an infrared transmitter is used as a building component) or infrared transmitters. In this regard, it is worth noting that other types of positioning systems can also be used and simulated.

[0023] Optionally, the computer-implemented method and the processor system are also arranged to simulate the effectiveness of a user locating one or more assets in a building without using a positioning system, including simulating the user's search behavior based on a model representing the expected degree of finding the assets by the user in the respective rooms of the building. For users who obtain assets without using a positioning system, for example because such a positioning system does not exist in the building, the search for the assets can also be simulated. The results of such simulations can be used as a so-called baseline for simulations involving positioning systems, as they can allow for a comparison between buildings with a positioning system and buildings without a positioning system. Such a comparison can, for example, provide feedback on whether the installation of a positioning system is worthwhile (e.g., in terms of performance, and possibly also weighted for cost).

[0024] Optionally, the model represents the expected degree of finding the assets by the user in the respective rooms based on the room type. In real life, the room type may affect the user's expectation of finding the assets in a particular room. That is, certain types of rooms may be more likely to contain assets than others. By modeling such an expectation of the user, the estimates provided by the simulation may be more realistic.

[0025] Optionally, the room type indicates whether the respective room is designated as a storage room for the assets, and wherein the model represents that the user has a higher expectation of finding the assets in a room designated as a storage room for the assets than in a room not designated as a storage room for the assets. Storage rooms are typically used for storing assets, and thus, in real life, the user's expectation of finding the assets in a storage room may be higher than the expectation of finding the assets in another type of room, such as a hospital ward. By modeling such an expectation of the user, which can in turn be based on real-life probabilities, the estimates provided by the simulation may be more realistic.

[0026] Optionally, the layout planning data includes a data structure representing a labeled graph, wherein the nodes of the graph represent the rooms or corridors of the building, and the nodes are labeled with the respective positions of the rooms or corridors, and / or the edges between the respective node pairs are labeled with the distance or walking time between the rooms or corridors represented by the respective node pairs. To estimate the time spent and / or the distance covered during the search for an asset, it may be relevant to know the relative distance or walking time between the respective rooms and corridors. This can be effectively modeled by a labeled graph as described above. Advantageously, the graph can be easily parsed by a computer and is thus very suitable for use in simulations.

[0027] Optionally, the computer-implemented method and the processor system are also arranged to estimate the time spent in the respective rooms during the search for the asset by the user. In addition to estimating the total time spent and / or the distance covered during the search for the asset, the time spent in the respective rooms can also be simulated and output. This can be used to further quantify the effectiveness of the positioning system.

[0028] In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method that includes performing a computer-implemented method to determine the effectiveness of a positioning system so as to obtain a simulated output, wherein the method further includes adjusting the actual configuration of the positioning system based on the simulated output. The simulated output, for example, is a metric that quantifies the effectiveness of the positioning system and can be used to adjust the configuration of the actual positioning system being simulated to improve the performance of the positioning system.

[0029] Optionally, the adjustment to the actual configuration of the positioning system includes at least one of the following: adjusting the position of one or more building components in the building, and adjusting the density of the building components in the building. For example, based on the simulation, it can be determined that the position of one or more building components (such as Wi-Fi access points) should be adjusted, or the density of the building components in the building should be increased or decreased. In this way, the performance of the positioning system can be improved based on the simulated output.

[0030] Optionally, the method further includes, before adjusting the actual configuration of the positioning system:

[0031] simulating the adjusted configuration of the positioning system;

[0032] comparing the effectiveness of the positioning system with the adjusted configuration with the effectiveness of the positioning system without the adjusted configuration; and

[0033] adjusting the actual configuration of the positioning system based on the result of the comparison.

[0034] The adjusted configuration of the positioning system can be simulated before performing the adjustment on the actual positioning system. In this way, it can be verified whether the adjustment will provide performance, or if the adjustment is associated with cost reduction, the performance will not be reduced to an unacceptable level.

[0035] In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method that includes performing a computer-implemented method to determine the effectiveness of a positioning system so as to obtain a simulated output, wherein the method further includes:

[0036] performing the computer-implemented method to simulate the use of another positioning system or to simulate the user locating one or more assets in the building without using the positioning system;

[0037] Compare the effectiveness of the positioning system with the effectiveness of the other positioning system or the effectiveness of the user when not using a positioning system; and

[0038] Based on the result of the comparison, select and install one of the positioning system or the other positioning system in the real version of the building.

[0039] The other positioning system can be of a different type from the previously mentioned positioning system. For example, the type of positioning technology can be different. The output of the simulation, such as a measure quantifying the effectiveness of the positioning system, can be used to select the other positioning system, for example if the effectiveness of the positioning system is considered insufficient. In a specific example, a positioning system that may have been installed in the real building can be compared with another positioning system that has not been installed in the building. Through simulation, it can be determined in advance whether another ("yet another") positioning system is more effective in helping the user search for assets. Then, the other positioning system can be installed in the building based on the result of the comparison, for example, if the effectiveness of the other positioning system is higher than that of the currently installed positioning system by a sufficient margin. In some examples, the positioning system can also be compared with a baseline, that is, searching for assets without using a positioning system. Also in these examples, it can be determined in advance whether the positioning system is sufficiently effective in helping the user search for assets, and if so, the positioning system can be installed in the building.

[0040] Those skilled in the art will understand that two or more of the above-described embodiments, implementations, and / or alternative aspects of the present invention can be combined in any manner deemed useful.

[0041] Based on this specification, those skilled in the art can perform modifications and variations to the processor system, computer-implemented method, and / or computer program product, which correspond to the described modifications and variations of the other of the entities. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent and be further elucidated with reference to the embodiments and the drawings described by way of example in the following description, wherein

[0043] Figure 1 A processor system for determining the effectiveness of a positioning system in assisting a user in obtaining an asset in a building is shown;

[0044] Figure 2 A layout plan of a part of a building being a hospital is shown;

[0045] Figure 3 A diagram showing the relative positions of rooms and corridors in a part of the building, superimposed on the layout plan, is shown;

[0046] Figure 4 Shows a simulated search path when a user starts from a source room and searches for an asset located in a target room, where the search path is simulated for a baseline scenario where a positioning system is not used or is unavailable;

[0047] Figure 5 Shows a simulated search path when a user uses a positioning system based on Wi-Fi access point triangulation;

[0048] Figure 6 Shows a simulated search path when a user uses a positioning system based on infrared detectors installed in each room;

[0049] Figure 7 Shows a computer-implemented method for determining the effectiveness of a positioning system in assisting a user in obtaining an asset in a building; and

[0050] Figure 8 Shows a non-transitory computer-readable medium including data.

[0051] It should be noted that the drawings are purely schematic and not drawn to scale. In the drawings, elements corresponding to those already described may have the same reference numerals.

[0052] List of reference numerals

[0053] The following list of reference numerals is provided for ease of explanation of the drawings and should not be construed as limiting the claims.

[0054] 20 Data storage device

[0055] 40 Layout planning data

[0056] 42 System data

[0057] 60 Display

[0058] 62 Display data

[0059] 80 User input device

[0060] 82 User input data

[0061] 100 Processor system for simulating a positioning system

[0062] 120 Data storage interface

[0063] 140 Processing subsystem

[0064] 142 - 146 Data communication

[0065] 160 Memory

[0066] 180 User interface subsystem

[0067] 182 Display output interface

[0068] 184 User input interface

[0069] 200 Illustrates the layout plan of rooms and corridors in a building

[0070] 210 Room

[0071] 212 Represents the source room of the user at the initial position

[0072] 214 Target room containing assets

[0073] 216 - 218 Storage room

[0074] 220 Corridor

[0075] 230 Marking map defining the relative positions of rooms and corridors

[0076] 240 Simulated search path (baseline)

[0077] 242 Simulated search path (Wi-Fi)

[0078] 244 Simulated search path (infrared)

[0079] 250 Estimated position of the asset (Wi-Fi)

[0080] 252 Estimated position of the asset (infrared)

[0081] 300 Method for simulating a positioning system

[0082] 310 Access layout planning data

[0083] 320 Access system data

[0084] 330 Simulate a positioning system

[0085] 400 Non-transitory computer-readable medium

[0086] 410 Data representing a computer program Detailed implementation manner

[0087] Figure 1 Illustrates a processor system 100, which is used to determine the effectiveness of a positioning system in assisting a user in obtaining assets in a building. As will be further explained with reference to Figure 2 etc., the positioning system itself ( Figure 1The asset (not shown in the figure) may include asset components provided together with the asset and a plurality of building components provided at known locations in the building. The asset can be positioned within the building based on the asset components being within the communication range of one or more building components, and the positioning system may also include a user interface for enabling a user to obtain an estimated location of the asset.

[0088] Continuing to refer to Figure 1 , the processor system 100 may include a data storage interface 120 to a data storage device 20. The data storage device 20 may be used as a short-term and / or long-term data storage device. For example, the data storage device 20 may store layout planning data 40 and system data 42 as described elsewhere in this specification. In Figure 1 the example, the data storage interface 120 is shown connected to an external data storage device 20. Alternatively, the data storage device 20 may be an internal data storage device of the processor system 100. The data storage interface 120 may be, for example, a hard disk or solid-state disk interface to one or more hard disks and / or solid-state disks. Generally, the data storage interface 120 may be an example of an input interface as described elsewhere in this specification. However, the data storage interface may also take alternative forms, such as a network interface to a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN).

[0089] The processor system 100 is also shown including a processing subsystem 140 that is configured to communicate internally with the data storage interface 120 via data communication 142, communicate internally with the memory 160 via data communication 144, and communicate internally with the user interface subsystem 180 via data communication 146. The memory 160 may be, for example, a volatile memory in which a computer program may be loaded that may cause the processing subsystem 140 to perform the functions described in this specification as being performed by the processing subsystem or generally by the processor system.

[0090] The user interface subsystem 180 can be configured to enable a user to interact with the processor system 100 (e.g., using a graphical user interface) during the operation of the processor system 100 to control and obtain results from the simulation. For this and other purposes, the user interface subsystem 180 is shown to include a user input interface 184 that is configured to receive user input data 82 from a user input device 80 that can be operated by the user. The user input device 80 can take various forms, including but not limited to a computer mouse, a touch screen, a keyboard, a microphone, etc. Generally, the user input interface 184 can be of a type corresponding to the type of the user input device 80, i.e., it can be a user device interface of a type corresponding to the user input device 80. The user interface subsystem 180 is also shown to include a display output interface 182 that is configured to provide display data 62 to a display 60 to visualize the output of the processor system 100. In Figure 1 the example, the display is an external display 60. Alternatively, the display can be an internal display.

[0091] Also as described with reference to Figure 2 etc., the processing subsystem 140 can be configured to access layout planning data and system data as described elsewhere in this specification during the operation of the processor system, and simulate using a positioning system to locate one or more assets in a building, wherein the simulation includes: estimating the time taken or the distance covered by the user to acquire an asset for at least one simulated position of the asset in the building and at least one simulated position of the user and based on the position and layout planning data of building components in the building. Reference will be made to Figure 2 etc. to explain these and other operations of the processor system 100 and their various optional aspects in more detail.

[0092] Typically, the processor system 100 can be embodied as a single device or apparatus, or be embodied in a single device or apparatus. The device or apparatus can be a general-purpose device or apparatus, such as a workstation or a computer, but can also be specialized, such as a patient monitor. The device or apparatus can include one or more microprocessors, which can represent the processing subsystem and can execute appropriate software. The software may have been downloaded and / or stored in a corresponding memory, such as volatile memory like RAM or non-volatile memory like flash memory. Alternatively, the functional units of the processor system (e.g., input interface, user interface subsystem, and processing subsystem) can be implemented in the form of programmable logic (e.g., as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA)) in the device or apparatus. Generally, each functional unit of the processor system 100 can be implemented in the form of a circuit. Note that the processor system 100 can also be implemented in a distributed manner, e.g., involving different devices or apparatuses, e.g., implemented via a cloud server. For example, the distribution can be according to the client-server model, e.g., using a server and a workstation. For example, the user input interface and the display output interface can be part of a workstation, while the processing subsystem can be a subsystem of a server. It is worth noting that various other distributions are also conceivable.

[0093] Figure 2 A layout plan 200 showing a part of a building is presented, showing a number of rooms 210 connected by a corridor 220. In this example and the following examples, the building is a hospital, and the layout plan shows the rooms and corridors within the hospital, e.g., the rooms and corridors on a specific floor or in a specific ward. However, this is not a limitation, as the simulation can also be applied to any other type of building and asset acquisition within a building, such as warehouses, factories, office buildings, commercial stores, etc. The layout plan can involve only a part of the building, such as the above-mentioned floor or ward, but can alternatively involve the entire building.

[0094] The system 100 can access the layout plan 200 in a computer-readable format. In particular, the layout plan 200 can be represented by layout plan data that allows the system 100 to determine the distances between rooms and / or the time taken to walk. For example, as also Figure 3 shown, Figure 2The layout plan 200 can be represented by a diagram 230 showing the relative positions of rooms and corridors in a part of a building. Such a diagram 230 can be generated, for example, based on the coordinates of the rooms within the building. For example, a room can be represented in the diagram 230 by a node labeled with the coordinates representing the position of the room. For example, the coordinates (10, 5) of room 210 represent an x - coordinate of '10' (e.g., in meters or defined in the coordinate system associated with the layout plan) and a y - coordinate of '5'. The coordinates can be derived, for example, from the layout plan, such as from the center of the room, the door of the room, etc. A corridor can be defined by a number of nodes, where each node represents a point in the corridor from which one or more rooms can be accessed. In this way, the distance and / or walking time between rooms can be calculated by traversing from the node representing the source room to the node representing the target room within the diagram, while accumulating the absolute differences in coordinates between consecutive nodes. Instead of, or additionally to, the labeling of the nodes, the edges between node pairs can be labeled with the distance or walking time between the rooms or corridors represented by the corresponding node pairs. In this way, the distance and / or walking time between rooms can be determined by accumulating the distances and / or walking times along the path from the source room to the target room.

[0095] Continuing to refer Figure 3 , the diagram 230 or a similar representation of the layout plan of a building can be obtained, for example, by conversion from a human - readable version of the layout plan using a computer vision software library. Such a conversion can, for example, include manually placing symbols at the expected positions of the nodes. Then, the computer vision library can be used to determine the coordinates of the nodes relative to the layout plan. The side lengths can be used to calculate the distance between two rooms. The distance formula between two points can be used to calculate the length distance, for example, (x,y)=√((x2 - x1) 2 +(y2 - y1) 2 , where x=(x1,x2) and y=(y1,y2) are two connected nodes. The coordinates from the layout plan can be obtained, for example, in pixels. Then, the distance in pixels can be transformed into a distance in meters. In a specific example, 64.5 pixels from the layout plan can correspond to 1 meter in real life. For example, the distance can be transformed into walking time using a formula that expresses walking time as a function of distance divided by speed. For a typical person, a default speed can be chosen as 1.4 meters per second.

[0096] A computer - readable version of the layout plan can be provided by Figure 1System 100 is used to estimate the search time of a user for assets within a building. In the simulation, the user can utilize a positioning system, which is also referred to hereinafter as a real-time positioning system, or simply as an RTLS. This use of the RTLS can, for example, involve simulating the operation of the RTLS and the user having access to the output of the RTLS. The output of the RTLS can include an estimate of the location of the assets estimated by the RTLS. The characteristics of the RTLS can also be simulated by Figure 1 system 100. These characteristics may vary depending on the type of RTLS, in particular according to the technology used by the RTLS to locate assets within the building. For example, a Wi-Fi-based RTLS may only provide approximate asset locations. For instance, the RTLS can indicate multiple adjacent rooms as potential locations of the asset, while an infrared technology-based RTLS can indicate the exact room. These differences or the corresponding characteristics of a particular RTLS in general can be taken into account in the simulation as they may affect the search time of the user. To this end, the simulation can utilize system data that can indicate the type and configuration of the RTLS. For example, the system data can define the location within the building of the building components of the RTLS, such as the location of the access points of a Wi-Fi-based RTLS and the location of the infrared detectors of an infrared-based RTLS.

[0097] Figure 4FIG. 240 shows a simulated search path of a user searching for an asset located in a target room 214 starting from a source room 212, where the search path is simulated for a baseline scenario where a positioning system is not used or is unavailable. Thus, such a baseline scenario may involve a user (such as a healthcare professional) searching for an asset without knowing the location of the asset. It is possible to simulate the user starting the search at the source room 212 and then deciding which room to visit next at each step of the search path. For example, the user may decide which room to visit next based on a trade-off between the distance to a particular unvisited room and the expectation that the room contains the asset. Such a trade-off may be defined as a ratio of the expectation of finding the asset in the room divided by the distance to the room. The expectation may be defined, for example, as a floating point number in the range of 0.0 to 1.0, where an expectation of 0.0 indicates that the user determines that the room does not contain the asset, and an expectation of 1.0 indicates that the user determines that the room contains the asset. As also described in other parts of this specification, the expectation may depend on, for example, the room type. In this ratio, the distance to an unvisited room may be calculated based on the graphical representation of the layout plan as described in other parts of this specification, for example, by summing the lengths of all the edges that are part of the search path. The ratio for each room reachable from the current room may be calculated, and the user may be stimulated to visit next the room with the highest ratio. The baseline scenario may be simulated to obtain a quantification of the search effectiveness in that baseline scenario, such as a metric. Examples of the quantification are the average search time or distance, which may be obtained by simulating the search for different pairs of source and target rooms and then averaging the simulated outputs (such as the search time) to obtain the average search time or averaging the search distances to obtain the average search distance.

[0098] In Figure 4 a specific example of, the user starts from the source room 212, then leaves the source room 212 and enters a corridor, from which two opposite rooms and an adjacent room are accessed, and then continues down the corridor to access storage rooms 216, 218, and finally accesses and searches for the asset in the target room 214.

[0099] Figure 5 FIG. 242 shows a simulated search path of a user when utilizing an RTLS based on Wi-Fi access point triangulation. It can be seen that the search path 242 of the user involves the user moving directly towards the approximate location of the target room 214, because the RTLS can provide the user with an estimated location of the asset. Due to the limited accuracy of the Wi-Fi-based RTLS, the estimated location may include several rooms. For example, the RTLS may indicate to the user four rooms within a circle 250. The user may access the rooms until the asset is found. In Figure 5 a specific example of, it is shown that the user finds the asset in the last visited room, i.e., the target room 214.

[0100] Figure 6 shows a simulated search path 244 of a user when using RTLS, where RTLS is based on infrared detectors installed in each room. In such an example, RTLS can indicate only one room to the user, i.e., the room where the asset is detected. This detection is Figure 6 symbolically shown by a circle 252 in. Thus, the user can walk along the shortest path 244 to the target room 214. For example, such a shortest path can be calculated by applying Dijkstra's algorithm to the graph representation of the layout plan.

[0101] Continuing to refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , for two types of RTLS, search quantification can be obtained, such as the average search time or search distance. For a specific ward in a hospital, this may result in the following estimates of the average search time (in seconds) and average search distance (in meters):

[0102] Scenario Average search time Average search distance 1. Without RTLS( Figure 4 ) 658.43 seconds 165.8 meters 2. Using Wi-Fi RTLS( Figure 5 ) 254.26 seconds 103.96 meters 3. Use IR RTLS( Figure 6 ) 118.61 seconds 82.05 meters

[0103] Generally, in simulations, the search behavior of a user can be simulated based on a model that represents the expected degree of finding an asset in the corresponding room of a building. For different types of users, the modeling of such search behavior may vary. For example, in a hospital, a nurse can search for an asset based on the above ratio between the expected degree of finding an asset in a room divided by the distance to the room. Thus, this ratio can represent an example of the modeling of the above search behavior. However, different from a nurse, a biomedical engineer may have a list of the last known positions of the assets, which are usually correct but not always. Thus, a biomedical engineer can search for an asset by accessing the last known position of the asset recorded in the list, and if the asset is not there, continue to search in the same way as a nurse. It should be understood that various other aspects of the search behavior can also be simulated. For example, the time spent searching for an asset in each room can be simulated. The time spent can be adjustable, e.g., as a parameter in the simulation.

[0104] Typically, in a simulation, various parameters can be adjustable. For example, the walking speed can be adjustable, and the simulation can use this speed to convert between distance and walking time. For example, the default value of the walking speed can be 1.4 meters per second. Another example is that the search time for each room can be adjustable. For example, the default value of the search time for each room can be 60 seconds. Yet another example is that the accuracy of Wi-Fi triangulation can be adjustable, for example, by defining a parameter representing the radius of the approximate position of an asset after triangulation. For example, the default value of the radius can be 10 meters. Additionally, the user's expectation of finding an asset in a room can be adjustable in the simulation and, in some examples, can depend on the room type. For example, in a hospital, the expectation of finding an asset in a storage room may be higher than the expectation of finding an asset in a ward. Thus, the expectations of finding an asset in the storage room and the ward can be adjusted separately. For example, for the storage room, the default value of the expectation can be 0.7, and for the ward, the default value of the expectation can be 0.3. Here, the corresponding numbers can be understood as the probability that the room contains the asset according to the user's expectation.

[0105] In some examples, the actual configuration of the RTLS can be adjusted based on the output of the simulation. For example, such an adjustment can involve adjusting the position of one or more building components of the RTLS, such as by moving a Wi-Fi access point or an infrared detector. Another example is that the density of building components in a building can be adjusted based on the output of the simulation, such as by increasing or decreasing the density of the building components. Such an adjustment can be performed after the simulation, where the positioning system is simulated with its unadjusted current configuration and the adjusted configuration. The current configuration can be used as a baseline scenario for comparison with the adjusted configuration. Then, the actual configuration of the RTLS can be adjusted based on the result of the comparison, for example, if the effectiveness of the positioning system with the adjusted configuration is better than that of the positioning system without the adjusted configuration, or if the degradation is limited considering a reduction in complexity or cost.

[0106] Figure 7 A block diagram of a computer-implemented method 300 is shown, which is used to determine the effectiveness of a positioning system in assisting a user in obtaining an asset in a building. Method 300 can correspond to Figure 1The operation of the processor system 100. However, this is not a limitation as the computer-implemented method 300 can also be performed using another system, apparatus, or device. The method 300 is shown as including accessing 310 layout planning data as described in other parts of this specification in an operation titled "Access Layout Planning Data"; and accessing 320 system data 320 as described in other parts of this specification in an operation titled "Access System Data". The method 300 is also shown as including simulating 330 in an operation titled "Simulate Location System" using a location system to locate one or more assets in a building, where the simulation includes: estimating the time taken or the distance covered by a user to obtain an asset for at least one simulated location of the asset and at least one simulated location of the user in the building and based on the location and layout planning data of building components in the building. It should be understood that, generally, Figure 7 the operations of the method 300 can be performed in any suitable order, e.g., sequentially, simultaneously, or a combination thereof, and where a specific order is required, e.g., by input / output relationships. The operations can also be performed as part of other operations.

[0107] The method can be implemented on a computer as a computer-implemented method, dedicated hardware, or a combination of both. Also as Figure 8 shown, instructions (e.g., executable code) for a computer can be stored on a transient computer-readable medium or a non-transient computer-readable medium 400, e.g., in the form of a series 410 of machine-readable physical markings and / or as a series of elements having different electrical (e.g., magnetic) or optical characteristics or values. The executable code can be stored in a transient or non-transient manner. Examples of computer-readable media include memory devices, optical storage devices, integrated circuits, servers, online software, etc. Figure 8 A memory device 400 is shown.

[0108] Examples, embodiments, or alternative features, whether indicated as non-limiting or not, should not be construed as limiting the claimed invention.

[0109] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the present invention, and those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed in parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The use of the verb "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those recited in the claim. The indefinite article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. When an expression such as "at least one" precedes a list or group of elements, it means all elements or any subset of elements selected from the list or group. For example, the expression "at least one of A, B, and C" should be understood to include only A, only B, only C, both A and B, both A and C, both B and C, or all of A, B, and C. The present invention can be implemented by hardware including several different elements and by a suitably programmed computer. In a device claim enumerating several means, several of these means can be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not mean that a combination of these measures cannot be advantageous.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method (300) for determining the effectiveness of a positioning system to assist a user in obtaining an asset in a building, wherein, The positioning system includes an asset component provided together with the asset and a plurality of building components provided at known locations in the building, wherein the asset can be positioned based on the asset component being within the communication range of one or more of the building components, wherein the positioning system includes a user interface for enabling the user to obtain an estimated location of the asset, and wherein the method includes: Accessing (310) layout planning data, wherein the layout planning data indicates the relative positions of rooms (210) and corridors (220) in the building; Accessing (320) system data, wherein the system data indicates the type and configuration of the positioning system, and wherein the configuration indicated by the system data includes at least the positions of the building components in the building; Simulating (330) the use of the positioning system to locate one or more assets in the building, wherein the simulation includes: for at least one simulated location of the asset in the building and at least one simulated location of the user and based on the positions of the building components in the building and the layout planning data, estimating the time taken or the distance covered by the user to obtain the asset, wherein the positioning system is configured to indicate to the user, during use, a room having a probability of containing the asset, and wherein the simulation of using the positioning system further includes: if the room indicated by the positioning system in the simulation does not contain the asset, simulating the search behavior of the user to search for the asset in the neighborhood of the indicated room, wherein the simulation of the search behavior is based on a model representing the expected degree of the user finding the asset in the corresponding room of the building.

2. The method (300) according to claim 1, wherein The positioning system is configured to indicate the room to the user during use if several rooms have a probability of containing the asset, and wherein the simulation of using the positioning system further includes simulating the order in which the user accesses the rooms to search for the asset.

3. The method (300) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising accessing other system data of another positioning system different from the positioning system, and wherein, The method further includes simulating the use of the other positioning system to locate the one or more assets in the building and outputting effectiveness data that can compare the effectiveness of the positioning system in assisting the user to locate the one or more assets in the building with the effectiveness of the other positioning system in assisting the user to locate the one or more assets in the building.

4. The method (300) according to claim 3, wherein, The positioning system and the other positioning system are based on different communication technologies selected from the group consisting of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, Li-Fi, and infrared.

5. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1-4, further includes simulating the effectiveness of the user in locating one or more assets in the building without using the positioning system, including simulating the search behavior of the user based on a model representing the expected degree of the user finding the asset in the corresponding room of the building.

6. The method (300) according to claim 5, wherein The model represents the expected degree for the user to find the asset in the corresponding room based on the room type.

7. The method (300) according to claim 6, wherein, The room type indicates whether the corresponding room is designated as a storage room for the asset, and wherein the model represents that the user has a higher expectation of finding the asset in a room designated as a storage room for the asset than in a room not designated as a storage room for the asset.

8. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The layout planning data includes a data structure representing a labeled graph, wherein the nodes of the graph represent rooms or corridors in the building, and wherein: The nodes are labeled with the corresponding positions of the rooms or corridors, and / or The edges between corresponding node pairs are labeled with the distance or walking time between the rooms or corridors represented by the corresponding node pairs.

9. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1-8, further comprising estimating the time spent in the corresponding room during the search for the asset by the user.

10. A method, comprising: Performing the method (300) according to any one of claims 1-9 to obtain the output of the simulation of the positioning system; And Adjusting the actual configuration of the positioning system based on the output of the simulation.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The adjustment to the actual configuration of the positioning system includes at least one of the following: adjusting the positions of one or more building components in the building, and adjusting the density of the building components in the building.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising, before adjusting the actual configuration of the positioning system: Simulating the adjusted configuration of the positioning system; Comparing the effectiveness of the positioning system with the adjusted configuration with the effectiveness of the positioning system without the adjusted configuration; and Adjusting the actual configuration of the positioning system based on the result of the comparison.

13. A method, comprising: Performing the method (300) according to any one of claims 1-10 to obtain the output of the simulation of the positioning system; Performing the method (300) according to any one of claims 1-10 to simulate the use of another positioning system or to simulate the user locating one or more assets in the building without using a positioning system; Comparing the effectiveness of the positioning system with the effectiveness of the other positioning system or the effectiveness of the user without using a positioning system; and Based on the result of the comparison, selecting and installing one of the positioning system and the other positioning system in the actual version of the building.

14. A transient or non-transient computer-readable medium (400), the computer-readable medium comprising data (410) representing a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a processor system to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-9.

15. A processor system (100) for determining the effectiveness of a positioning system to assist a user in obtaining an asset in a building, wherein, The positioning system includes an asset component provided together with the asset and a plurality of building components provided at known locations in the building, wherein the asset can be positioned based on the asset component being within the communication range of one or more of the building components, wherein the positioning system includes a user interface for enabling the user to obtain an estimated location of the asset, and wherein the processor system includes: An input interface (120) for accessing: Layout planning data (40), wherein the layout planning data indicates the relative positions of rooms and corridors in the building; and System data (42), wherein the system data indicates the type and configuration of the positioning system, and wherein the configuration indicated by the system data includes at least the locations of the building components in the building; A processing subsystem (140) for simulating the use of the positioning system to locate one or more assets in the building, wherein the simulation includes: estimating the time taken or the distance covered by the user to obtain the asset for at least one simulated location of the asset in the building and at least one simulated location of the user and based on the locations of the building components in the building and the layout planning data, wherein the positioning system is configured to indicate to the user, during use, a room having a probability of containing the asset, and wherein the simulation of the use of the positioning system further includes: if the room indicated by the positioning system in the simulation does not contain the asset, simulating the search behavior of the user to look for the asset in the neighborhood of the indicated room, wherein the simulation of the search behavior is based on a model representing the expected degree of the user finding the asset in the corresponding room of the building.

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