Systems and methods for medical asset tracking

Abstract

A method and system are provided for reducing latency experienced when configuring a Real-Time Location System (RTLS) (140) to track tagged physical assets (110) of a hospital. The latency may be caused by relying on a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) (160) to create an association between an asset ID and an asset tracking tag (112). This latency can be avoided by using a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) scanner (170) based on an RFID tag coupled to the physical asset. The asset ID (115) can be paired with a BLE tag ID (114) read by a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) reader (177) of the scanner (170). The BLE tag (114) and the asset ID (115) can then be transmitted from the RFID scanner (170) to the RTLS tracking system (140). Therefore, the amount of computational and memory resources consumed by the CMMS (160) can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The implementation schemes of the topics disclosed in this article relate to medical technology inventory management, and more specifically to tracking the location of assets in the medical environment. Background Technology

[0002] In hospitals and healthcare systems, Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) can be used to manage healthcare assets, tracking their location within the healthcare environment. RTLS tracking systems rely on wireless tracking tags physically coupled to the healthcare assets. To associate an asset with the location of a tracking tag, a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) can be used to establish a data association between the tag and the asset ID. Associations can be created manually using software tools provided by the CMMS. However, due to the large volume of transactions in the CMMS, data associations may be uploaded to the RTLS as part of periodic (e.g., nightly) batch processing. Therefore, the RTLS may not receive data associations from the CMMS immediately, resulting in asset tracking delays of more than 24 hours for new assets. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one implementation, the problem described above can be addressed at least in part by a method for managing an inventory of physical assets, the method comprising: receiving identification data of the physical asset scanned by an RFID tag coupled to the physical asset via a radio frequency identification (RFID) scanner; retrieving an asset ID of the asset from the memory of the RFID scanner based on the identification data; receiving data of an asset tracking tag coupled to the physical asset scanned by the RFID scanner, the data including a tag ID of the asset tracking tag; and uploading the association between the asset ID and the tag ID to a real-time location system (RTLS). This method can be applied to monitor the location of medical devices within a hospital.

[0004] In this way, passive RFID tags can be advantageously used to pair physical assets with asset tracking tags without relying on intermediate systems that may cause delays, such as computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) in hospitals. Additionally, the memory, processing, and network resources (e.g., bandwidth) of the CMMS can be reduced, thereby achieving an overall increase in the efficiency of the CMMS and shortening data transmission time within the hospital.

[0005] It should be understood that the above brief description is provided to introduce some concepts further described in the detailed embodiments in a simplified form. This is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is uniquely defined by the claims following the detailed embodiments. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to specific implementations that address any shortcomings pointed out above or in any part of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0006] The invention will be better understood by referring to the following description of non-limiting embodiments, in which:

[0007] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary hospital ecosystem for tracking physical hospital assets is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram of an exemplary hospital system for tracking hospital assets is shown.

[0009] Figure 3 This is a first data flow diagram illustrating an exemplary data flow during a routine process of configuring an RTLS tracking system to track hospital assets, as an example of prior art.

[0010] Figure 4 This is a second data flow diagram illustrating an exemplary data flow during the proposed process of configuring an RTLS tracking system to track hospital assets.

[0011] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a first exemplary method for generating an association between an asset tracking tag and an asset ID for hospital assets in an RTLS tracking system.

[0012] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a second exemplary method for generating an association between an asset tracking tag and an asset ID for hospital assets in an RTLS tracking system.

[0013] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for updating an RTLS tracking system using newly tagged assets.

[0014] Figure 8 This demonstrates how new assets are configured as existing technology. Figure 3 A first exemplary timing diagram of the timing of the first series of events that occur when the routine process is being tracked;

[0015] Figure 9 This indicates when a new asset is configured according to... Figure 4 A second exemplary timing diagram for the timing of a second series of events occurring when the alternative process is being tracked; and

[0016] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for determining the location of an asset using an RTLS tracking system. Detailed Implementation

[0017] In hospitals and healthcare systems, computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) can be used to manage physical medical assets, centralizing and maintaining information about these assets. Real-time location systems (RTLS) can also be used to track the location of medical assets within the healthcare environment. RTLS can rely on wireless tracking tags, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags, which can be physically coupled to the medical assets. RTLS can remotely track the location of medical assets based on signals transmitted by the tags. For this purpose, the association between each medical asset and its corresponding tag can be recorded in the RTLS.

[0018] RTLS can be used in conjunction with CMMS. For example, the association between a medical asset and its corresponding tag can be created in CMMS and subsequently transferred to RTLS. Following standard procedures, when a new asset enters the service, a BLE tag can be attached to it. The BLE tag can be associated with the new asset's ID in CMMS by users of RTLS and / or CMMS. CMMS can then transfer the association between the asset and the BLE tag to RTLS, which can store this association in its tag table (e.g., in a database). After the association is stored, RTLS can receive wireless signals from the BLE tags indicating the asset's location via a network of Bluetooth-enabled receivers installed throughout the hospital environment. Technicians, administrators, or various users can then use RTLS to locate or monitor the asset's position.

[0019] However, CMMS can be used at high levels, where its computational and networking resources can be prioritized for non-RTLS-related operations. To reduce the demand on computational and networking resources, the association between a new BLE tag and an asset ID may not be transferred from CMMS to RTLS immediately or frequently. Instead, the association can be temporarily stored and uploaded to RTLS in periodic batch processing. For example, associations performed during the day may be uploaded to RTLS at night. Therefore, asset tracking for new assets may not be immediate when a tag is added, meaning the tagged asset may not be immediately available to healthcare personnel for patient care.

[0020] To address this issue, this paper proposes a system and method for increasing the efficiency of tagging and tracking physical assets by an RTLS tracking system. Instead of relying on a CMMS to generate the association between physical assets and asset tracking tags, the association can be advantageously created using a radio frequency identification (RFID) scanner based on the RFID tag coupled to the physical asset. Each medical asset may include an RFID tag that identifies the asset. When the RFID tag is scanned by an RFID scanner, the RFID scanner can look up the asset ID of the medical asset stored in the RFID scanner's memory. The RFID scanner may include a BLE reader, and the BLE tag can be read by the BLE reader. The BLE tag and asset ID can be associated using the RFID scanner. The association can then be transferred from the RFID scanner to the RTLS tracking system for storage in the RTLS tracking system's tag table. Contrary to conventional processes, the transfer of the association to the RTLS can be performed in real time, meaning there is no intentional delay. In this way, associations can be generated and recorded in the RTLS tracking system without relying on a CMMS. Therefore, medical assets can be tracked by RTLS without the delays imposed by a CMMS. In addition, the amount of computing and memory resources consumed by CMMS can be reduced, thereby freeing up resources for other tasks, and networking resources consumed in communication between systems in a hospital environment can be reduced.

[0021] See now Figure 1The illustration depicts a hospital environment 100, which includes multiple physical hospital assets 102, an RTLS tracking system 140, and a CMMS 160. Hospital assets 102 may include various sizes of equipment, devices, furniture, computers, scanners, etc. In the depicted example, hospital assets 102 include multiple assets 110, each of which includes an RFID tag 111, an asset tracking tag 112, and an asset ID 115. RFID tag 111 may be a passive RFID tag used for inventorying hospital assets 102. Since RFID tag 111 is inexpensive (e.g., 50 cents), it may be included in all hospital assets 102 according to hospital policy. Asset ID 115 may be a distinct identifier used to identify assets within the CMMS 160. Asset tracking tag 112 may be an active tag capable of transmitting signals to a tag reading device. For this purpose, asset tracking tag 112 may include a transceiver 116 that generates signals. Because of its active components, the asset tracking tag 112 may be more expensive than an RFID tag (e.g., $15 each), and therefore some hospital assets 102 may lack an asset tracking tag 112. The signal may include the tag ID 114 of the asset tracking tag 112. For communication, the asset tracking tag 112 may include a battery 113. The battery 113 may not be removable or rechargeable within the hospital environment 100. In other words, the battery 113 may be integrated and single-use. Therefore, when the charge of the battery 113 drops below a threshold charge, the asset tracking tag 112 may no longer function and may need to be replaced.

[0022] Transceiver 116 may include a short-range wireless communication module for radio frequency (RF) communication with a tag reader. For the purposes of this disclosure, "short-range" is less than about 10 m, while "long-range" is more than about 100 m. In some specific embodiments, "short-range" coverage can be up to about 100 m, but the signal strength may be weak. Examples of wireless RF communication networks include ZigBee, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), WiFi (sometimes called WLAN), LTE, and WiMax. In some embodiments, a CDMA / GMS communication network that can be considered a cellular frequency may be used additionally or alternatively. In another embodiment, a low-power WAN (LP_WAN) network or satellite may be used additionally or alternatively. In the example described herein, the asset tracking tag is a BLE tag that communicates with a BLE reader via a BLE communication protocol. However, it should be understood that other short-range wireless communication protocols and / or networks may be used in other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 2An expanded view 200 of the RTLS tracking system 140, CMMS 160, and RFID scanner 170 is shown. The RTLS tracking system 140, CMMS 160, and RFID scanner 170 can communicate with each other via a wireless network 202 of the hospital environment 100. Network 202 can be in a non-limiting manner including: a wide area network (WAN); a local area network (LAN); the Internet; wired or wireless (e.g., optical, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), radio frequency (RF)) network; a cloud-based computer infrastructure of computers, routers, servers, gateways, etc.; or any associated combination thereof that allows one or more computing devices within the hospital environment 100 to connect to each other. Network 202 may include a public network or a private network associated with a part of a care facility (e.g., a surgical module or department of a hospital), or more broadly, a network that can be used to locate medical devices throughout the hospital or hospital system.

[0024] The RTLS tracking system 140 includes a processor 141, a memory 142, a tag table database (DB) 143, a user interface (UI) 144, and BLE infrastructure 145. The processor 141 can control the operation of the RTLS tracking system 140 in response to instructions stored in the memory 142 and / or control signals received from the UI 144. In some embodiments, the UI 144 may be integrated into the RTLS tracking system 140, whereby a user can interact with, adjust, or select control elements (e.g., buttons, knobs, touchscreen elements, etc.) in the UI 144 to transmit one or more control signals from the UI 144 to the processor 141. In other embodiments, UI 144 is not integrated into RTLS tracking system 140, and the user can interact with, adjust, or select the control element in UI 144 via a user input device such as a mouse, trackball, touchpad, etc., or the user can interact with UI 144 via a separate touchscreen (where the user touches the display of UI 144 to interact with UI 144), or via another type of input device. UI 144 may include a display (e.g., a screen or monitor) and / or other subsystems.

[0025] Processor 141 can execute instructions stored on memory 142 to control RTLS tracing system 140. As discussed herein, memory 142 may include any non-transitory computer-readable medium in which programming instructions are stored. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "tangible computer-readable medium" is explicitly defined as including any type of computer-readable storage device. Exemplary methods and systems may be implemented using coded instructions (e.g., computer-readable instructions) stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), cache, or any other storage medium in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., a prolonged period of time, a permanent, brief instance, for temporary buffering, and / or for caching information). Computer memory of computer-readable storage media as referred to herein may include volatile and non-volatile or removable and non-removable media for storing electronically formatted information (such as computer-readable program instructions or modules for computer-readable program instructions, data, etc., which may be standalone or as part of a computing device). Examples of computer memory may include any other medium that can be used to store information in a desired electronic format and is accessible by at least a portion of one or more processors or computing devices. In various embodiments, memory 142 may include an SD memory card, an internal and / or external hard drive, a USB storage device, or similar modular memory.

[0026] The RTLS tracking system 140 can track the location of multiple assets 110 distributed throughout the hospital environment 100 based on the asset tracking tag 112 of each corresponding asset 110. For this purpose, the tag table DB 143 may include one or more tag tables that store the association between the asset tracking tag 112 and the asset ID 115 of the multiple assets 110. When a user wants to determine the location of an asset 110, the user can enter the asset ID 115 of the asset 110 into the UI 144. The RTLS tracking system 140 can retrieve the tag ID 114 of the asset tracking tag 112 of the asset 110 that is paired with the asset ID 115 from the tag tables of the tag table DB 143. The RTLS tracking system 140 can then locate the asset 110 by determining the location of the asset tracking tag 112 using the BLE infrastructure 145. BLE infrastructure 145 includes multiple Bluetooth-enabled tracking devices positioned throughout the hospital environment 100. These devices are configured to receive radio signals periodically transmitted by various transceivers 116 of asset tracking tags 112 of hospital assets 102. When an asset tracking tag 112 is within range of a tracking device, the tracking device receives a signal from the corresponding transceiver 116 including an asset ID 115 and location information of the asset tracking tag 112. The tracking device can then transmit the location information to an RTLS tracking system 140. The RTLS tracking system 140 can then display the location information to a user via a UI 144.

[0027] CMMS 160 includes a processor 161, a memory 162, a CMMS DB 163, CMMS association tools 164 (e.g., software applications), and a UI 165. The processor 161 and memory 162 may be similar to processor 141 and memory 142, respectively. CMMS DB 163 can store information about each asset 110 of hospital asset 102 for asset management and maintenance purposes. The stored information can be indexed by the asset ID 115 of each asset 110. Users of CMMS 160 can look up information about asset 110 by entering the corresponding asset ID 115 into the UI 165. CMMS 160 can retrieve the information associated with the corresponding asset ID 115 and display that information to the user via the UI 165.

[0028] Service technicians, hospital maintenance personnel, administrators, or various users can use RFID scanner 170 to read RFID tags 111 included at each asset 110. For example, when performing an inventory check of hospital asset 102, RFID tags 111 can be read by RFID scanner 170. RFID scanner 170 includes a processor 171 and a memory 172, which may be similar to the processor 141 and memory 142 of RTLS tracking system 140 and / or the processor 161 and memory 162 of CMMS 160. RFID scanner 170 is supplemented with a scanning application 174, multiple stored asset records 175, a UI 176, and a BLE reader 177. Processor 171 can control the operation of RFID scanner 170 in response to instructions stored in memory 172 and / or control signals received from UI 176. Based on skills and techniques known in the art, scanning application 174 can be used to scan the corresponding RFID tags 111 of asset 110. BLE reader 177 can be used to read the corresponding asset tracking tag 112 of asset 110 (e.g., to receive information from it). Information about asset 110 (including information received from the corresponding asset tracking tag 112) can be stored in asset record 175. The information stored in asset record 175 can be periodically uploaded to CMMS 160 and / or other hospital systems.

[0029] CMMS DB 163 may not store the location information of asset 110. However, according to conventional (e.g., prior art) procedures, CMMS association tool 164 can be used to pair the asset ID 115 of asset 110 with the tag ID 114 of the asset tracking tag 112 of asset 110. Conventional procedures in... Figure 3 Example in.

[0030] refer to Figure 3 Data flow diagram 300 illustrates the information flow during the introduction of a new asset 110 into the hospital environment 100 according to a standard procedure. A similar process may occur when asset tracking tag 112 stops transmitting location information of an existing asset 110. For example, the charge of the battery 113 of asset 110 may drop below the threshold charge used for transmitting location information, or asset 110 may be damaged or become detached from asset 110.

[0031] according to Figure 3The standard procedure described involves service technician 310 performing the pairing of asset ID 115 of new asset 110 with BLE tag ID 304 of BLE tag 302 (e.g., tag ID 114 of asset tracking tag 112). When new asset 110 is introduced into the hospital environment, service technician 310 can physically attach BLE tag 302 to asset 110. Service technician 310 can then open CMMS association tool 164, for example, on service technician 310's laptop or tablet device. Service technician 310 can input asset ID 115 and BLE tag ID 304 of asset 110 into the UI of CMMS association tool 164 to create an asset ID / tag ID pair. CMMS association tool 164 can transmit the asset ID / tag ID pair to RTLS tracking system 140 via wireless network 202 for storage in tag table DB 143. After the asset ID / tag ID pair has been stored in the tag table DB 143, user 320 can use the UI 144 of RTLS tracing system 140 to discover the asset location 330 of asset 110. User 320 can be a technician 310, or a hospital administrator, maintenance worker, etc.

[0032] However, to reduce the consumption of processing resources of processor 161 and network resources (e.g., bandwidth) of network 202, the asset ID / tag ID pairing of new asset 110 may not be immediately transmitted to RTLS tracking system 140. Instead, the asset ID / tag ID pairing of new asset 110 may be temporarily stored in CMMS DB 163. Various new asset ID / tag ID pairs can be aggregated at CMMS 160 in this way and subsequently transmitted to RTLS tracking system 140 in batches periodically. Each batch can be transmitted at times when the consumption of processing resources of processor 161 and network resources of network 202 may be lower (such as at night). This may introduce delays when RTLS tracking system 140 receives new asset ID / tag ID pairs, potentially making it more difficult to determine the location of new assets.

[0033] according to Figure 4 The alternative procedure shown allows for faster and more efficient updating of the RTLS tracing system 140 with new assets. Now refer to... Figure 4The proposed alternative process workflow 400 is illustrated. According to the proposed workflow 400, when a new asset 110 is introduced into the hospital environment 100, a service technician 310 can manually read the RFID tag 111 of the new asset 110 using an RFID scanner 170. The service technician 310 can use a scanning application 174 to scan the RFID tag 111. When the RFID tag 111 is received by the scanning application 174, the scanning application 174 can retrieve the asset ID 115 of the new asset 110 from an asset record 175, which may include asset data previously downloaded from the CMMS 160. The service technician 310 can then use a BLE reader 177 included in the RFID scanner 170 to scan a BLE tag 302. The service technician can retrieve the BLE tag ID 304 from the signal transmitted from the BLE tag 302 to the BLE reader 177. The service technician 310 can then pair the BLE tag ID 304 with the asset ID 115 via a UI 176. When BLE tag ID 304 is retrieved, pairing can be performed automatically. The scanning application 174 can then transmit the asset ID / tag ID pair created by the service technician 310 to the RTLS tracking system 140. Upon receiving the asset ID / tag ID pair at the RTLS tracking system 140, the asset ID / tag ID pair can be stored in the tag table database 143. The user 320 can then query the RTLS tracking system 140 via the UI 144 to determine the asset location 330 of the new asset 110.

[0034] In this way, service technician 310 advantageously bypasses CMMS 160 by creating an asset ID / tag ID pair at RFID scanner 170. By creating the pair on RFID scanner 170 instead of using CMMS association tool 164, the asset ID / tag ID pair can be transmitted to RTLS tracking system 140 when BLE tag 302 is attached to a new asset 110. User 320 can then use RTLS tracking system 140 to immediately determine the location 330 of the new asset 110. Specifically, user 320 can input the asset ID 115 of the new asset 110 into UI 144; RTLS tracking system 140 can retrieve the BLE tag ID 304 associated with asset ID 115 from the tag table in tag table database 143 based on the corresponding asset ID / tag ID pair; RTLS tracking system 140 can use BLE infrastructure 145 to determine the location of the new asset 110 based on BLE tag ID 304; and this location can be displayed to user 320 via UI 144.

[0035] Figure 5 The above reference shows Figure 4The alternative workflow described uses the asset ID of a hospital asset (such as asset 110) and the asset tracking tag of that asset (e.g., Figure 3 and Figure 4 Method 500 for associating (e.g., pairing) BLE tag IDs between asset tracking tags 112 and / or BLE tags 302. Relative to Figures 1 to 4 The system and components described herein represent method 500 and other methods described herein, but it should be understood that the method can be implemented with other systems and / or components without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Method 500 can be executed by a processor of an RFID scanner (such as processor 171 of RFID scanner 170) based on instructions stored in the memory of the RFID scanner (e.g., memory 172). Method 500 can be executed when a user of the RFID scanner (such as a service technician) introduces a new asset into a hospital environment or verifies the proper functioning of BLE asset tracking tags of existing assets within the hospital environment.

[0036] Method 500 begins at 502, wherein method 500 includes receiving asset identification data from a scanned RFID tag on the asset. That is, the asset may have an RFID tag attached to the asset, and a user may be close to the physical location of the asset and manually scan the RFID tag with an RFID scanner.

[0037] At 504, method 500 includes using asset identification data from the scanned RFID tag as a reference to look up the asset ID (e.g., asset ID 115) of the asset in an asset record (e.g., asset record 175) stored in the memory of the RFID scanner. The asset ID can be associated with an asset in the hospital's CMMS (CMMS 160) and can be used to identify the asset for management and / or maintenance purposes. For example, the asset ID can be used as a reference or index to store information in the CMMS about the date the asset was introduced into the hospital environment, the cost of the asset, the manufacturer of the asset, etc. The asset record stored in the RFID scanner can be periodically downloaded from the CMMS and can include a subset of the information stored in the CMMS.

[0038] At 506, method 500 includes determining whether the asset is a new asset or an existing asset within the hospital environment. If information about the asset exists in the asset record, it can be inferred that the asset is an existing asset; otherwise, it can be inferred that the asset is a new asset. If the asset is determined to be an existing asset, method 500 proceeds to 508. If the asset is a new asset, method 500 proceeds to 514.

[0039] At 508, method 500 includes determining whether an alarm has been detected in the asset's asset record. Each asset record may include an alarm indicating that action may need to be taken. For example, the alarm could be "Low Battery," indicating that a BLE tag attached to the asset has a low battery, as determined by a last inspection of the installed BLE infrastructure (e.g., BLE infrastructure 145). This alarm would instruct the user to apply a new BLE tag to the asset.

[0040] If an alert for the asset is detected at 508, method 500 proceeds to 512. At 512, method 500 may include prompting the user to replace the asset's BLE tag. Method 500 then proceeds to 514. Alternatively, if no alert is detected at 508, it can be inferred that the asset's BLE tag is functioning as expected, and method 500 proceeds to 510. At 510, method 500 includes adding a note to the asset record indicating that the asset has been inspected, and method 500 ends.

[0041] At 514, method 500 includes receiving a BLE tag ID from scan data of the barcode of the BLE tag attached to the asset. That is, after scanning the RFID tag of the asset with an RFID scanner, a user can use a BLE reader of the RFID scanner (e.g., BLE reader 177) to scan the BLE tag of the asset. When the BLE tag ID is received, at 516, method 500 includes performing an association between the BLE tag ID and an asset ID retrieved from the asset record. See below for reference. Figure 6 Describe in more detail the association or pairing of BLE tag IDs and asset IDs.

[0042] After creating the association at the RFID scanner, at point 518, method 500 includes uploading the association to the hospital's RTLS tracking system, where the RTLS tracking system can store and use the association to track the location of assets within the hospital environment. Method 500 ends.

[0043] See now Figure 6 This shows the reference above. Figure 4 The alternative workflow described uses the asset ID of the hospital's asset (asset 110) and the asset tracking tag of that asset (e.g., Figure 3 and Figure 4 Method 600 is a method for associating (e.g., pairing) BLE tag IDs between asset tracking tags 112 and / or BLE tags 302. Method 600 can be executed by a processor of an RFID scanner (such as processor 171 of RFID scanner 170) based on instructions stored in the memory of the RFID scanner (e.g., memory 172). Method 600 may be referenced above. Figure 5The method described is part of 500 to be executed.

[0044] Method 600 begins at 602, wherein method 600 includes receiving scan data of a BLE tag via a BLE reader of an RFID scanner. That is, a user of the RFID scanner can physically read the BLE tag via the RFID scanner.

[0045] At 604, method 600 includes verifying the activation of the BLE tag and verifying that BLE message packets are being broadcast by the BLE tag. If it is determined at 604 that the BLE tag is not active or that the BLE tag is not broadcasting BLE message packets (e.g., 604 is no), then method 600 proceeds to 606, where method 600 includes prompting the user to replace the BLE tag. After 606, method 600 ends.

[0046] Alternatively, if it is determined at 604 that the BLE tag is active and the BLE tag is broadcasting BLE message packets (e.g., 604 is yes), then method 600 proceeds to 608. At 608, method 600 includes determining whether the charge of the BLE tag's battery is greater than a threshold charge on which data transmission over the network (e.g., network 202) depends. The battery charge may be included in the information received from the BLE tag when the BLE reader scans the BLE tag. If it is determined at 608 that the battery charge is less than the threshold charge, then method 600 proceeds to 610 (e.g., 606 is no), where method 600 includes prompting the user to replace the BLE tag. After 610, method 600 ends.

[0047] Alternatively, if it is determined at 608 that the charge of the battery is greater than a threshold charge (e.g., 608 is yes), then method 600 proceeds to 612.

[0048] At 612, method 600 includes receiving the association between a BLE tag ID and an asset ID retrieved from the user in method 500. In various implementations, the user can manually create tag ID / asset ID pairings via the UI of an RFID scanner (e.g., UI 176). After 612, method 600 ends.

[0049] See now Figure 7 This shows the reference above. Figure 4 The alternative workflow described uses the asset ID of the hospital's asset (asset 110) for registration at the RTLS tracking system, along with the asset tracking tag of that asset (e.g., Figure 3 and Figure 4Method 700 is a method for associating (e.g., pairing) BLE tag IDs between asset tracking tag 112 and / or BLE tag 302. Method 700 may be executed by a processor of an RTLS tracking system (such as processor 141 of RTLS tracking system 140) based on instructions stored in the memory (e.g., memory 142) of the RTLS tracking system.

[0050] Method 700 begins at 702, wherein method 700 includes receiving BLE tag ID / asset ID pairings from an RFID scanner (RFID scanner 170) via a network. The BLE tag ID / asset ID pairings can be obtained by the RFID scanner via a tracing... Figure 6 Method 600 involves one or more steps to generate it.

[0051] At 704, method 700 includes retrieving the BLE tag date of a BLE tag from previous pairings of BLE tags in the tag table database of the RTLS tracking system. As described above, the tag table database may store multiple associations between assets and BLE tags attached to the assets for location tracking purposes.

[0052] At 706, method 700 includes verifying that the updated BLE tag of the asset has a more recent tag date than the BLE tag data retrieved from a previous pair. If the first date of the updated BLE tag is not later than the second date of the previously recorded BLE tag (e.g., no in 706), method 700 proceeds to 708, where the BLE tag ID / asset ID pair received from the RFID scanner is not updated in the tag table DB of the RTLS tracking system. Alternatively, if the first date of the updated BLE tag is later than the second date of the previously recorded BLE tag (e.g., yes in 706), or if no previously recorded BLE tag pair is detected in the tag table database, method 700 proceeds to 710.

[0053] At 710, method 700 includes registering a pair in the tag table database of the RTLS tracking system. Registering a pair may include registering a new pair for a new asset introduced into the hospital environment, or updating a pair for an existing asset within the hospital environment. For example, the tag table database may contain a pair of asset IDs for an asset (e.g., asset 110) and BLE tag IDs coupled to a first BLE tag of the asset. However, a service technician may detect that the first BLE tag is no longer functional and may replace it with a second BLE tag. When the first BLE tag is replaced, the service technician may update the pair such that the asset ID is associated with the ID of the second BLE tag instead of the first BLE tag. The updated pair may be transmitted to the RTLS tracking system. After 710, method 700 ends.

[0054] Figure 4 The alternative process shown is relative to Figure 3 The advantages of the conventional process shown can be found in Figure 8 and Figure 9 Example shown below. See now. Figure 8 The first timing diagram 800 follows the reference. Figure 3 The general process is described. A first timing diagram 800 is shown, illustrating the timing of events occurring in the hospital when a service technician replaces a non-functional first BLE tag on a hospital asset with a functional second BLE tag, and the asset ID is paired with the BLE tag ID at the RTLS tracking system for asset tracking purposes. The first timing diagram 800 includes five graphs, where time is plotted on a horizontal axis, and significant events are indicated by vertical dashed lines. First graph 802 shows the resource consumption of the hospital's CMMS (e.g., CMMS 160) over time. Second graph 804 indicates the time when the BLE tag replacement occurs. Third graph 806 indicates the time when the BLE tag ID / asset ID pair is transmitted to the CMMS. Fourth graph 808 indicates the time when the BLE tag ID / asset ID pair is transmitted from the CMMS to the RTLS. Fifth graph 810 indicates when asset tracking using RTLS becomes available for the asset.

[0055] At time t0, the inactive first BLE marker does not broadcast the asset's location, and asset tracking is unavailable. Time t0 may correspond to the hospital in the morning, when CMMS resource consumption is low.

[0056] Between time t0 and time t1, CMMS resource usage increased as work was performed during the first day at the hospital. At time t1, the service technician found a non-tracking asset and detected that the first BLE tag was not functioning. The service technician replaced the first BLE tag with a working second BLE tag. When the service technician replaced the first BLE tag with the working second BLE tag, the service technician, based on reference... Figure 3 The described routine process involves creating a pairing of an asset's asset ID with a BLE tag ID in a CMMS software application (e.g., CMMS Association Tool 164).

[0057] At time t2, the asset ID / tag ID pair is transmitted to CMMS. This transmission occurs in the middle of the first day, when CMMS and network resource usage are near their maximum. Due to the high CMMS resource usage, the asset ID / tag ID pair is not immediately transmitted to RTLS. Instead, a delay is imposed at CMMS to avoid overloading CMMS resources.

[0058] At time t3, asset ID / tag ID pairs are transferred to RTLS as part of a batch process that may include multiple asset ID / tag ID pairs. The batch process is performed at night when CMMS resource consumption is low. However, due to the execution of the batch process, CMMS resource usage experiences an increase between time t3 and time t4, as indicated by point 812 on graph 802.

[0059] At time t4, asset ID / tag ID pairs are received at RTLS, and these pairs are stored in RTLS's tag table database. Therefore, asset tracking becomes available for assets after time t4.

[0060] Now go to Figure 9 , showing in reference Figure 4 Following the described alternative process, a second timing diagram 900 describes the timing of events occurring in the hospital when service technicians replace the non-functional first BLE tag of a hospital asset with a functional second BLE tag, and register the asset ID pairing with the BLE tag ID at the RTLS tracking system for asset tracking purposes. The second timing diagram 900 includes four graphs where time is plotted on a horizontal axis, and significant events are indicated by vertical dashed lines. First graph 902 shows the resource consumption of the hospital's CMMS (e.g., CMMS 160) over time. Second graph 904 indicates the time when the BLE tag replacement occurs. Third graph 906 indicates the time when the BLE tag ID / asset ID pairing is transmitted to RTLS. Fourth graph 908 indicates when asset tracking using RTLS becomes available for the asset.

[0061] At time t0, the inactive first BLE marker does not broadcast the asset's location, and asset tracking is unavailable. Time t0 may correspond to the hospital in the morning, when CMMS resource consumption is low.

[0062] Between time t0 and time t1, CMMS resource usage increased as work was performed during the first day at the hospital. At time t1, the service technician found a non-tracking asset and detected that the first BLE tag was not functioning. The service technician replaced the first BLE tag with a working second BLE tag. When the service technician replaced the first BLE tag with the working second BLE tag, the service technician, based on reference... Figure 4 The alternative selection process described and Figure 5 and Figure 6 Methods 500 and 600 respectively create a pairing of the asset ID and the BLE tag ID of the asset via an RFID scanner.

[0063] At time t2, the asset ID / tag ID pair is transmitted to RTLS. When the transmission occurs in the middle of day 1, CMMS resources are not used. Instead, the transmission is performed without delay over the network between the RFID scanner and RTLS.

[0064] At time t3, asset ID / tag ID pairs are received at RTLS, and these pairs are stored in RTLS's tag table database. Therefore, asset tracking becomes available for assets after time t3.

[0065] The second timing diagram 900 (e.g., the disclosed alternative process) can be directly compared with the first timing diagram 800 (e.g., the conventional process). It can be noted that when asset ID / tag ID pairing is performed via an RFID scanner ( Figure 9 ) instead of CMMS ( Figure 8 When the data is transferred to RTLS, the increased consumption of CMMS resources between time t3 and time t4 in the first timing diagram 800 due to the execution of batch processing will not occur in the second timing diagram 900, as indicated at portion 912 of curve 902. In this way, the alternative process described herein can advantageously reduce CMMS resource usage. Furthermore, when using the alternative process, asset tracking becomes available earlier. That is, assets can be tracked earlier. Figure 9 The asset is traceable starting at time t3, not at time t4 in the second time series diagram 900 (which corresponds to the time when the asset would be traceable under the conventional process in the first time series diagram 800). In other words, the amount of time during which the asset is traceable is greater when using the alternative process described herein than when using the conventional process, as indicated by the difference 910 between time t4 and time t3 in the second time series diagram 900.

[0066] Figure 10 A method for determining the location of a hospital asset (asset 110) at an RTLS tracking system is illustrated. Method 1000 can be executed by a processor of the RTLS tracking system (such as processor 141 of RTLS tracking system 140) based on instructions stored in the memory of the RTLS tracking system (e.g., memory 142).

[0067] Method 1000 begins at 1002, where method 1000 includes receiving an asset ID from a user of the RTLS tracking system. The user may be a hospital administrator, a technician, or a different type of user. The user may input the asset ID into the UI of the RTLS tracking system (e.g., UI 144). In some examples, the asset ID may be retrieved from the RTLS tracking system's database based on a description of the asset. For example, the user may perform an asset search in the database based on a description, and may retrieve the asset ID from the database as part of the search results.

[0068] At 1004, method 1000 includes retrieving a BLE tag ID associated with an asset ID from a tag table in a tag table database (e.g., tag table database 143). The tag table database may store tags such as... Figure 5 and Figure 6 The methods described in methods 500 and 600 generate multiple asset ID / BLE tag ID pairings.

[0069] At 1006, method 1000 includes detecting a signal of a BLE tag having a BLE tag ID retrieved from a tag table database. The BLE tag may be coupled to the asset at a physical location. The signal may be periodically broadcast by the BLE tag and received at one or more Bluetooth-enabled devices (e.g., BLE infrastructure 145) deployed at various locations in the hospital environment.

[0070] At 1008, method 1000 includes extracting the asset's location from the signal received by the BLE tag, and at 1010, method 1000 includes displaying the asset's location in the UI of the RTLS tracking system. Method 1000 ends.

[0071] Therefore, this paper proposes a system and method for improving the efficiency of tagging and tracking assets using an RTLS tracking system. Instead of relying on a CMMS to generate the association between physical assets and asset tracking tags (which can impose latency due to resource consumption at the CMMS), the association can be created at the RFID scanner. When an RFID tag attached to an asset is scanned by an RFID scanner, the asset's asset ID can be retrieved from memory and paired with the BLE tag ID of a BLE tag scanned by the RFID scanner's BLE reader. The pairing can then be transmitted from the RFID scanner to the RTLS tracking system without latency for storage in the RTLS tracking system's tag table. By not generating the pairing at the CMMS, the amount of time spent activating asset tracking for new assets can be reduced. The technical effect of generating the pairing at the RFID scanner instead of the CMMS is a reduction in the amount of computational and memory resources consumed by the CMMS.

[0072] This disclosure also provides support for a method for tracking physical assets, the method comprising: receiving an asset ID of an asset from a user of a Real-Time Location System (RTLS) tracking system; retrieving an asset tracking tag ID from an asset ID / tag ID pair of the asset ID stored in a tag table database of the RTLS tracking system; detecting a signal of an asset tracking tag having the asset tracking tag ID, the asset tracking tag being coupled to the asset; extracting the location of the asset from the signal; and displaying the location in a user interface (UI) of the RTLS tracking system, wherein the asset ID / tag ID pair is uploaded to the RTLS from a radio frequency identification (RFID) scanner, the asset ID of the asset ID / tag ID pair is retrieved from the memory of the RFID scanner based on a scanned RFID tag coupled to the asset, and the asset tracking tag ID of the asset ID / tag ID pair is received from the asset tracking tag via a tag reader of the RFID scanner. In a first example of the method, the asset tracking tag is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tag configured to transmit the location data of the asset tracking tag to the RTLS, and the asset tracking tag ID is a BLE tag ID received from the BLE reader of the RFID scanner. In a second example of the method, optionally including the first example, the asset ID / tag ID pair is uploaded to the RTLS in real time without intentional delay. In a third example of the method, optionally including one or more of the first and second examples, the method further includes: verifying the activation of the BLE tag and the broadcast of BLE message packets from the BLE tag before uploading the asset ID / tag ID pair; and, in response to detecting either the BLE tag being inactive or the BLE message packets not being broadcast, displaying a prompt in the RFID scanner's UI for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag. In a fourth example of the method, optionally including one or more or each of the first to third examples, the method further includes: measuring the charge of the battery of the BLE tag before uploading the asset ID / tag ID pair; and displaying a prompt in the UI of the RFID scanner for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag in response to the measured charge being below a threshold charge. In a fifth example of the method, optionally including one or more or each of the first to fourth examples, the method further includes: detecting an alarm associated with the asset when retrieving the asset ID of the asset ID / tag ID pair from the memory of the RFID scanner; and displaying a prompt in the UI of the RFID scanner for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag in response.In a sixth example of the method, one or more or each of the first to fifth examples may be optionally included. The method further includes: after the asset ID / tag ID pair is uploaded to the RTLS: detecting an existing asset ID / tag ID pair for the asset ID; in response to a first date of the BLE tag of the existing asset ID / tag ID pair being prior to a second date of the uploaded asset ID / tag ID pair, replacing the existing asset ID / tag ID pair in the tag table database with the uploaded asset ID / tag ID pair; and in response to a first date of the BLE tag of the existing asset ID / tag ID pair not being prior to the second date of the uploaded asset ID / tag ID pair, not replacing the existing asset ID / tag ID pair in the tag table database with the uploaded asset ID / tag ID pair. In a seventh example of the method, one or more or each of the first to sixth examples may be optionally included, wherein the physical asset is a hospital's medical asset. In the eighth example of the method, one or more or each of the first to seventh examples may be included, wherein the inventory of the medical asset is maintained in the hospital’s computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), and the asset ID / tag ID pair is not created at the CMMS.

[0073] This disclosure also provides support for a method for tracking physical assets, the method comprising: receiving identification data of the physical asset at a radio frequency identification (RFID) scanner, the identification data being scanned from an RFID tag coupled to the physical asset; retrieving an asset ID of the asset from the memory of the RFID scanner; receiving a tag ID of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tag coupled to the physical asset at the RFID scanner based on the identification data, the tag ID being scanned using a BLE tag reader of the RFID scanner; uploading a pair of the asset ID and the tag ID to a Real-Time Location System (RTLS) tracking system; and storing the asset ID / tag ID pair in a tag table database of the RTLS tracking system. In a first example of the method, the physical asset is a hospital asset distributed throughout a hospital environment. In a second example of the method, optionally including the first example, the method further includes: receiving the asset ID of the asset from a user of the RTLS tracking system at the RTLS tracking system; retrieving the tag ID of the asset from an asset ID / tag ID pair associated with the asset ID stored in the tag table database of the RTLS tracking system; detecting a signal of the BLE tag coupled to the asset based on the tag ID; extracting the location of the asset from the signal; and displaying the location in the user interface (UI) of the RTLS tracking system. In a third example of the method, optionally including one or both of the first and second examples, retrieving the asset ID of the asset from the memory of the RFID scanner further includes: detecting an alarm associated with the asset in the memory; and, in response, displaying a prompt in the UI of the RFID scanner for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag. In a fourth example of the method, optionally including one or more or each of the first to third examples, the BLE reader using the RFID scanner receiving the tag ID of the BLE tag coupled to the physical asset at the RFID scanner further includes: verifying the activation of the BLE tag and the broadcasting of BLE message packets from the BLE tag; and, in response to detecting either the BLE tag being inactive or the BLE message packets not being broadcast, displaying a prompt in the UI of the RFID scanner for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag. In a fifth example of the method, optionally including one or more or each of the first to fourth examples, the BLE reader using the RFID scanner receiving the tag ID of the BLE tag coupled to the physical asset at the RFID scanner further includes: receiving the charge of the battery of the BLE tag via the tag reader; and, in response to the charge being below a threshold charge, displaying a prompt in the UI of the RFID scanner for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag.

[0074] This disclosure also provides support for a system for tracking physical assets, the system comprising: a radio frequency identification (RFID) scanner and a real-time location system (RTLS) tracking system, the RTLS tracking system including a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive an asset ID of an asset in the physical asset from a user of the RTLS tracking system; retrieve a tag ID from a tag table database of the RTLS tracking system based on the asset ID; detect a signal of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tag having the tag ID, the BLE tag being coupled to the asset; extract the location of the asset from the signal; and display the location of the asset in a user interface (UI) of the RTLS tracking system, wherein the tag ID is associated with the asset ID in the tag table database, the asset ID / tag ID pair being uploaded from the RFID scanner to the RTLS. In a first example of the system, the asset ID of the asset ID / tag ID pair is retrieved from a second memory of the RFID scanner based on the scanned RFID tag coupled to the asset. In a second example of the system, optionally including the first example, the tag ID of the asset ID / tag ID pair is scanned from the BLE tag via a tag reader of the RFID scanner. In a third example of the system, optionally including one or both of the first and second examples, the RFID scanner includes a second processor, and the second memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the second processor to: detect an alarm associated with the asset in the second memory; and, in response, display a prompt in the RFID scanner's UI for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag. In a fourth example of the system, optionally including one or more, or each of the first to third examples, additional instructions are stored in the second memory that, when executed, cause the second processor to: verify the activation of the BLE tag, the broadcast of BLE message packets from the BLE tag, and the charge of the BLE tag's battery; and detect one of the following: the BLE tag is not activated, the BLE message packets are not broadcast, and the battery charge is below a threshold charge; and, in response, display a prompt in the RFID scanner's UI for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag.

[0075] As used herein, elements or steps listed in the singular and beginning with the word "a" or "an" should be understood to not exclude multiple said elements or steps unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to "an embodiment" of the invention are not intended to be construed as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also include the referenced features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments that "comprise," "include," or "have" elements or multiple elements having a particular characteristic may include additional such elements that do not have that characteristic. The terms "comprise" and "in" are used as concise linguistic equivalents to the corresponding terms "comprising" and "wherein." Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used merely as notations and are not intended to impose numerical requirements or a particular order of position on their objects.

[0076] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also enables those skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any device or system and performing any included methods. The scope of patentability of the invention is defined by the claims, but may include other examples that would occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to fall within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that are not indistinguishable from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements that have minor differences from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for tracking physical assets, the method comprising: At the Real-Time Location System (RTLS) tracking system, the asset ID (1002) of the asset is received from the user of the RTLS tracking system. Retrieve the asset tracking tag ID (1004) from the asset ID / tag ID pair of the asset ID stored in the tag table database of the RTLS tracking system. Detect a signal of an asset tracking tag having the asset tracking tag ID, the asset tracking tag being coupled to the asset (1006). Extract the location of the asset from the signal (1008); and The location (1010) is displayed in the user interface (UI) of the RTLS tracking system. The asset ID / tag ID pair is uploaded to the RTLS from the radio frequency identification (RFID) scanner, the asset ID of the asset ID / tag ID pair is retrieved from the memory of the RFID scanner based on the scanned RFID tag coupled to the asset, and the asset tracking tag ID of the asset ID / tag ID pair is received from the asset tracking tag via the tag reader of the RFID scanner.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the asset tracking tag is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tag configured to transmit the location data of the asset tracking tag to the RTLS, and the asset tracking tag ID is a BLE tag ID received from the BLE reader of the RFID scanner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the asset ID / tag ID pair is uploaded to the RTLS in real time without intentional delay.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: Before uploading the asset ID / tag ID pair, verify the activation of the BLE tag and the broadcast of BLE message packets from the BLE tag (604). In response to either detecting that the BLE tag is not activated or that the BLE message packet is not broadcast, a prompt is displayed in the UI of the RFID scanner for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag (606).

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: Before uploading the asset ID / tag ID pair, measure the charge of the battery of the BLE tag; And in response to the measured charge being below a threshold charge (608), a prompt is displayed in the UI of the RFID scanner for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag (610).

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: When the asset ID with the asset ID / tag ID pair is retrieved from the memory of the RFID scanner, an alarm associated with the asset is detected (508). In response, a prompt is displayed in the UI of the RFID scanner for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag (512).

7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: After the asset ID / tag ID pair is uploaded to the RTLS: Detect existing asset ID / tag ID pairs for the asset ID; In response to the fact that the first date of the BLE tag of the existing asset ID / tag ID pair is before the second date of the uploaded asset ID / tag ID pair (706), the existing asset ID / tag ID pair in the tag table database is replaced with the uploaded asset ID / tag ID pair (710). as well as In response to the fact that the first date of the BLE tag of the existing asset ID / tag ID pair is not before the second date of the uploaded asset ID / tag ID pair, the existing asset ID / tag ID pair in the tag table database is not replaced by the uploaded asset ID / tag ID pair (708).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical asset is a hospital's medical asset.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the inventory of the medical assets is maintained in the hospital’s computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), and the asset ID / tag ID pair is not created in the CMMS.

10. A method for tracking physical assets, the method comprising: Receive identification data (502) of a physical asset at a radio frequency identification (RFID) scanner, the identification data being scanned from an RFID tag coupled to the physical asset; Based on the identification data, retrieve the asset ID of the asset from the memory of the RFID scanner (504). The tag ID (514) of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tag coupled to the physical asset is received at the RFID scanner, the tag ID being scanned using the BLE reader of the RFID scanner; The pairing of the asset ID and the tag ID is uploaded to the Real-Time Location System (RTLS) tracking system (518). as well as The asset ID / tag ID pair is stored in the tag table database of the RTLS tracking system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the physical asset is a hospital asset distributed throughout a hospital environment.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: The asset ID (1002) of the asset is received from the user of the RTLS tracking system at the RTLS tracking system. Retrieve the tag ID of the asset from the asset ID / tag ID pair associated with the asset ID stored in the tag table database of the RTLS tracking system (1004). A signal (1006) for detecting the BLE tag based on the tag ID, the BLE tag being coupled to the asset; Extract the location of the asset from the signal (1008); and The location (1010) is displayed in the user interface (UI) of the RTLS tracking system.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein retrieving the asset ID of the asset from the memory of the RFID scanner further comprises: Detect an alarm (508) associated with the asset in the memory; In response, a prompt is displayed in the UI of the RFID scanner for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag (512).

14. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the tag ID of the BLE tag coupled to the physical asset at the RFID scanner using the BLE reader of the RFID scanner further comprises: Verify the activation of the BLE tag and the broadcast of BLE message packets from the BLE tag (604). In response to either detecting that the BLE tag is not activated or that the BLE message packet is not broadcast, a prompt is displayed in the UI of the RFID scanner for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag (606).

15. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the tag ID of the BLE tag coupled to the physical asset at the RFID scanner using the BLE reader of the RFID scanner further comprises: The charge (608) of the battery marked by the BLE tag is received via the tag reader. And in response to the charge falling below a threshold charge, a prompt is displayed in the UI of the RFID scanner for the user of the RFID scanner to replace the BLE tag (612).

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