Patient support device and medical device network

Abstract

To provide a system for automatically detecting medical equipment arranged in a room of a medical facility.SOLUTION: The patient support apparatus has at least a first transceiver and a second transceiver, and the headwall unit has at least a third transceiver and a fourth transceiver. For at least one of the first and second transceivers and at least one of the third and fourth transceivers, the controller determines a first estimate and a second estimate of a distance between the respective transceiver and the medical device. The controller uses the first and second estimates of the distance to determine whether the medical device is located within a threshold distance of the patient support apparatus and / or whether the medical device is located within a predetermined volume of space in the room.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of commonly assigned U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 132,514, filed December 31, 2020, by inventors Alexander Josef Bodurka et al., entitled "Patient Assistance Device and Medical Device Network," U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 154,677, filed February 27, 2021, by inventors Celso Pereira et al., entitled "System for Determining the Location of Patient Assistance Devices and Medical Devices," U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 161,175, filed March 15, 2021, by inventors Krishna Bhimavarapu et al., entitled "Training Device and Patient Assistance Device," U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 193,777, filed May 27, 2021, by inventors Thomas Deeds et al., entitled "System for Associating Medical Device Data," U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 193,777, filed May 27, 2021, by inventors Kirby This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 245,245, filed September 17, 2021, by Neihouser et al., entitled "System for Locating a Patient Assistance Device," U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 245,279, filed September 17, 2021, by inventors Jerald Trepanier et al., entitled "Patient Assistance Device for Monitoring a Patient," U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 245,289, filed September 17, 2021, by inventors Madhu Thota et al., entitled "Communication and Location System for Patient Assistance Devices," and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 306,279, filed February 3, 2022, by inventors Madhu Thota et al., entitled "Communication System for Patient Assistance Devices," the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to patient support devices such as beds, cots, stretchers, recliners, etc. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system for automatically determining the position of a patient support device and / or the device relative to a defined spatial volume within a room in which the device is located. [Background technology]

[0003] Existing hospital beds often have an exit detection system that detects when a patient leaves the bed and notifies a nurse call system that the patient has left the bed. Existing hospital beds also often have a nurse call button and speaker that allows the patient to communicate with a remote nurse using the nurse call system. The bed may send additional signals to the nurse call system and / or to a room interface that routes the signals to one or more room appliances. Such room appliances may include a television, one or more lighting fixtures, a thermostat, etc., and signals sent from the bed may include commands to change one or more functions of these appliances (e.g., television volume or channel, television on / off state, room temperature, etc.). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Devices are often used with a patient resting on a patient support device. These devices typically generate data about the patient that is desirably transferred to an electronic medical record server. To assign that data to the correct patient's medical record, a caregiver typically requires one or more manual steps to associate data from a particular device with a particular patient. In some cases, patient identification information is entered into the device itself, and this identification information is transmitted from the device to an EMR along with other data. This method requires that the transmitted patient data be adequately protected against unauthorized disclosure to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing the patient identification and patient data. The present disclosure is directed to a system that solves past problems related to associating data from medical devices with corresponding patient medical records. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to various embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to a system that solves past problems associated with associating data from medical devices with corresponding patient medical records. Specifically, the present disclosure provides systems and methods for automatically establishing a wireless network of medical devices located within a threshold distance of a patient assistance device and / or within a predetermined spatial volume defined in a room at a medical facility. In some embodiments, the location of the medical device is automatically determined relative to the patient assistance device and / or the predetermined spatial volume, and if the medical device is within the threshold distance and / or spatial volume of the patient assistance device, the medical device is automatically associated with the patient assigned to the patient assistance device. Because neither the patient assistance device nor the medical device need know the patient's identifier, data transmitted from the patient assistance device or medical device to a local server need not contain information that uniquely identifies a particular patient. Instead, the data may include a room and / or bay identifier, and the server receiving the data can use the room and / or bay identifier to associate the data with a particular patient. Thus, the medical device can be automatically assigned to the correct patient without requiring manual steps by a caregiver. Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following written description and accompanying drawings.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system for automatically detecting medical devices located in a room of a medical facility. The system includes a patient support device, a headwall unit, and a controller. The patient support device includes a support surface adapted to support a person, a first transceiver adapted to establish a first wireless communication link with the headwall unit located in a fixed position, and a second transceiver adapted to communicate a first set of wireless signals with medical devices spaced apart from the patient support device and the headwall unit. The first set of wireless signals is adapted to provide a first estimate of the distance between the second transceiver and the medical devices. The headwall unit includes a third transceiver adapted to establish a first wireless communication link with the first transceiver of the patient support device, and a fourth transceiver adapted to communicate a second set of wireless signals with the medical devices. The second set of wireless signals is adapted to provide a second estimate of the distance between the fourth transceiver and the medical devices. The controller is adapted to process the first estimate and the second estimate to determine how far the medical device is from at least one of the patient support device or the volume of space defined in the room.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the controller is located inside one of the headwall unit or the patient support apparatus.

[0008] In some embodiments, at least one of the headwall unit or the patient assistance device has a network transceiver adapted to communicate with a local area network, and the controller is located on a server in communication with the local area network.

[0009] In some embodiments, the headwall unit further comprises a fifth transceiver spaced a known distance from the fourth transceiver. The fifth transceiver is adapted to communicate a third set of wireless signals with the medical device, the third set of wireless signals being adapted to provide a third estimate of the distance between the fifth transceiver and the medical device. In such embodiments, the controller is further adapted to process the third estimate together with the first estimate and the second estimate to determine a distance the medical device is from the patient assist device and / or the volume of space.

[0010] In some embodiments, the patient assist device further comprises a fifth transceiver spaced a known distance from the second transceiver. The fifth transceiver is adapted to communicate a third set of wireless signals with the medical device, the third set of wireless signals being adapted to provide a third estimate of the distance between the fifth transceiver and the medical device. In such embodiments, the controller is further adapted to process the third estimate together with the first estimate and the second estimate to determine how far the medical device is from the patient assist device and / or the volume of space.

[0011] In some embodiments, the controller communicates with an electronic memory that stores a length dimension of the patient assist device, a width dimension of the patient assist device, and a position of the second transceiver of the patient assist device relative to the length and width dimensions. In such embodiments, the controller is adapted to use the length dimension, the width dimension, and the position of the second transceiver to determine how far the medical device is from a boundary of the patient assist device, the length dimension and the width dimension defining the boundary.

[0012] In some embodiments, the controller is adapted to determine an orientation of the patient assist apparatus relative to the medical device.

[0013] In some embodiments, the second transceiver and the fourth transceiver are ultra-wideband transceivers.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second transceiver and the fourth transceiver are Bluetooth Low Energy transceivers.

[0015] In some embodiments, the controller is adapted to determine how far the medical device is from a boundary of the patient assistance apparatus by using at least one of channel condition information or angle of arrival information generated from the first set of wireless signals and the second set of wireless signals.

[0016] In some embodiments, the second transceiver and the fourth transceiver have a first antenna array and a second antenna array, respectively.

[0017] In some embodiments, the controller is adapted to determine whether the medical device can join a network associated with the patient assist device based on whether the medical device is located within a threshold distance and / or spatial volume of the patient assist device.

[0018] In some embodiments, the patient assistance apparatus further comprises a second controller associated with the second transceiver and the headwall unit further comprises a fourth controller associated with the fourth transceiver, In such embodiments, the controller may be adapted to determine whether the medical device is adapted to join the network based on votes received from the second controller and the fourth controller.

[0019] In some embodiments, the controller is adapted to determine whether the medical device can join a network associated with a bay area of ​​the room based on whether the medical device is currently located within a spatial volume defined within the room.

[0020] In some embodiments, the patient assistance device is adapted to forward data received from the medical device to a server.

[0021] In some embodiments, the patient assistance device is further adapted to transmit location information indicating at least one of the medical device being within a threshold distance to the patient assistance device or the medical device being within a defined spatial volume within the room.

[0022] In some embodiments, the system further includes a second headwall unit disposed within the room, the second headwall unit including a fifth transceiver adapted to communicate a third set of wireless signals with the medical device, the third set of wireless signals adapted to provide a third estimate of a distance between the fifth transceiver and the medical device, and the controller further adapted to process the third estimate of distance together with the first and second estimates to determine an extent to which the medical device is separated from at least one of the patient assistance device or a volume of space defined within the room.

[0023] In some embodiments, the first transceiver and the third transceiver are infrared transceivers.

[0024] In some embodiments, the second transceiver and the fourth transceiver are ultra-wideband transceivers, and the patient assistance device further includes a fifth transceiver adapted to communicate with a sixth transceiver mounted on the headwall unit. The fifth transceiver and the sixth transceiver may be Bluetooth® transceivers. In some embodiments, the fifth transceiver and the sixth transceiver are further adapted to communicate a third set of wireless signals and a fourth set of wireless signals with the medical device, respectively, the third set of wireless signals adapted to provide a third estimate of the distance between the third transceiver and the medical device, and the fourth set of wireless signals adapted to provide a fourth estimate of the distance between the fourth transceiver and the medical device. In such embodiments, the controller is further adapted to process the third estimate and the fourth estimate to determine a distance between the medical device and at least one of the patient assistance device or a spatial volume defined within the room.

[0025] In some embodiments, the spatial volume encompasses a bay of a room.

[0026] In some embodiments, the headwall unit further comprises a nurse call cable interface for connecting a nurse call cable between the headwall unit and a nurse call outlet of the nurse call system, and a headwall unit controller adapted to forward patient voice signals received from the patient assistance device to the nurse call outlet.

[0027] In some embodiments, the headwall unit controller is further adapted to receive volume control messages from the patient assistance device and respond to the volume control messages by sending commands to a television receiver in the room to change the volume of the television receiver.

[0028] In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, the patient support device may be one of a bed, a stretcher, a chair, a recliner, or a cot.

[0029] In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, additional transceivers may be placed at known locations within rooms of the medical facility and used to determine whether medical equipment is located within a threshold distance and / or within a predetermined spatial volume of a patient assistance device.

[0030] Before describing the various embodiments disclosed herein in detail, it is understood that the claims are not limited to the operational details or to the structural details and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments described herein may be practiced or performed in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. It is also understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "having" and "comprising" and variations thereof is intended to encompass the subsequently listed items and their equivalents, as well as additional items and their equivalents. Furthermore, enumerations may be used in describing various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumerations should not be construed as limiting the claims to a particular order or number of components. Furthermore, the use of enumerations should not be construed as excluding from the scope of a claim additional steps or components that may be combined with the recited steps or components. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a patient support device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an exemplary caregiver control panel of the patient support device of FIG.

[0033] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of an exemplary patient control panel of the patient support device of FIG.

[0034] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a system that automatically detects the location of medical equipment placed in a room in a medical facility.

[0035] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating some components of the system of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] An exemplary patient support apparatus 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in Figure 1. The particular form of patient support apparatus 20 illustrated in Figure 1 is a bed adapted for use in a hospital or other medical environment, although it is understood that the patient support apparatus 20, in different embodiments, may be a cot, a stretcher, a recliner, or any other structure capable of supporting a patient in a medical environment.

[0037] Generally, the patient support apparatus 20 includes a base 22 having a plurality of wheels 24, a pair of lifts 26 supported on the base 22, a litter frame 28 supported on the lifts 26, and a support deck 30 supported on the litter frame 28. The patient support apparatus 20 also includes a headboard 32, a footboard 34, and a plurality of side rails 36. The side rails 36 are all shown in a raised position in FIG. 1, but are each independently movable to a lowered position such that entry and exit of the patient support apparatus 20 is not impeded by the lowered side rails 36.

[0038] The lifts 26 are adapted to raise and lower the litter frame 28 relative to the base 22. The lifts 26 may be hydraulic actuators, electric actuators, or any other suitable device for raising and lowering the litter frame 28 relative to the base 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the lifts 26 are independently operable to also adjust the tilt of the litter frame 28 relative to the base 22, allowing the litter frame 28 to be placed in a flat or horizontal orientation, a Trendelenburg orientation, or a reverse Trendelenburg orientation. That is, the litter frame 28 has a head end 38 and a foot end 40, the height of each of which can be independently adjusted by the nearest lift 26. The patient support apparatus 20 is designed so that when an occupant lies on it, the occupant's head is positioned adjacent the head end 38 and the occupant's feet are positioned adjacent the foot end 40.

[0039] Litter frame 28 provides structure for supporting support deck 30, headboard 32, footboard 34, and side rails 36. Support deck 30 provides a support surface for a mattress 42 or other soft cushion so that a person can lie and / or sit on support deck 30. The top surface of mattress 42 or other cushion forms a support surface for the occupant.

[0040] The support deck 30 is comprised of multiple sections, some of which are pivotable about generally horizontal pivot axes. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the support deck 30 has at least a head section 44, a thigh section 46, and a foot section 48, all of which are positioned below the mattress 42 and generally form a flat surface for supporting the mattress 42. The head section 44, sometimes referred to as the Fowler section, is pivotable about a generally horizontal pivot axis between a generally horizontal orientation (not shown in FIG. 1) and multiple elevated positions (one of which is shown in FIG. 1). The thigh section 46 and the foot section 48 may also be pivotable about generally horizontal pivot axes.

[0041] In some embodiments, the patient assist apparatus 20 can be modified from that shown to include one or more components adapted to allow a user to expand the width of the patient support deck 30, thereby enabling the patient assist apparatus 20 to accommodate patients of various sizes. When so modified, the width of the deck 30 can be adjusted laterally in any increment, for example, between a first or minimum width, a second or intermediate width, and a third or extended / maximum width.

[0042] As used herein, the term "longitudinal" refers to a direction parallel to the axis between the head end 38 and the foot end 40. The terms "transverse" or "lateral" refer to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and parallel to the surface on which the patient assist device 20 rests.

[0043] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the patient assist device 20 can have other types of construction, such as, but not limited to, that described in U.S. Patent No. 10,130,536, entitled "Patient Assist Device for Use With Bariatric Patients," by Roussy et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In another embodiment, the construction of the patient assist device 20 may be identical or substantially identical to the mechanical construction of the Model 3002 S3 bed manufactured and sold by Stryker Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan. This construction is described in more detail in the Stryker Maintenance Manual for the MedSurg Bed, Model 3002 S3, published in 2010 by Stryker Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In yet another embodiment, the construction of the patient assist device 20 may be identical or substantially identical to the mechanical construction of the Model 3009 Procuity MedSurg bed manufactured and sold by Stryker Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan. This construction is described in further detail in the Stryker Maintenance Manual for the 3009 Procuity MedSurg Bed (Publication 3009-009-002, Rev. A.0), published in 2020 by Stryker Corporation, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

[0044] Those skilled in the art will recognize that patient assist apparatus 20 can be designed using yet other types of structures, such as, but not limited to, those described in commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 7,690,059, issued April 6, 2010, to Lemire et al., entitled "Hospital Bed," and / or commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application No. 2007 / 0163045, to Becker et al., entitled "Patient Handling Apparatus with Local Status Display, One-Touch Fowler Angle Adjustment, and Power-On Alarm Settings," the entire disclosures of both of which are incorporated herein by reference. The overall structure of patient assist apparatus 20 can take yet other forms different from those disclosed in the above documents, so long as the patient assist apparatus includes the functions and features described in detail below.

[0045] The patient support apparatus 20 also includes multiple control panels 54 that allow a user of the patient support apparatus 20, e.g., a patient and / or associated caregiver, to control one or more aspects of the patient support apparatus 20. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the patient support apparatus 20 includes a footboard control panel 54a, a pair of outer siderail control panels 54b (only one of which is visible), and a pair of inner siderail control panels 54c (only one of which is visible). The footboard control panel 54a and the outer siderail control panel 54b are intended for use by a caregiver or other authorized personnel, while the inner siderail control panel 54c is intended for use by a patient associated with the patient support apparatus 20. Each of the control panels 54 includes multiple controls 50 (see, e.g., FIGS. 2-3), although each control panel 54 does not necessarily have the same controls and / or functionality.

[0046] Among other functions, the controls 50 of the control panel 54a may control one or more of the following: a user's ability to change the height of the support deck 30, raise or lower the head section 44, activate and release the brakes on the wheels 24, activate and release the exit detection system 56 (FIG. 5), and communicate with the specific IT infrastructure installed in the healthcare facility in which the patient support apparatus 20 is located, as described in more detail below. One or both of the inner siderail control panels 54c may also include at least one control that allows the patient to call a remotely located nurse (or other caregiver). In addition to the nurse call control, one or both of the inner siderail control panels 54c may also include one or more controls for controlling one or more functions of one or more room appliances located in the same room as the patient support apparatus 20. As described in more detail below, such room appliances may include, but are not necessarily limited to, a television, a reading lamp, and room lighting fixtures. With respect to a television, functions controllable by one or more controls 50 of the control panel 54c may include, but are not limited to, the television's volume, channel, closed captioning, and / or power status. With respect to room lighting fixtures and / or night lights, functions that can be controlled by one or more controls 50 on control panel 54c include the on / off status and / or brightness level of these lights.

[0047] The control panel 54a includes a display 52 (FIG. 2) configured to display a plurality of different screens. Surrounding the display 52 are a plurality of navigation controls 50a-f that, when activated, cause the display 52 to display a different screen. More specifically, when a user presses the navigation control 50a, the control panel 54a displays an exit detection control screen on the display 52 that includes one or more icons that, when touched, control an on-board exit detection system 56 (FIG. 5). The exit detection system 56 is adapted to generate an alert when a patient exits the patient assist device 20. The exit detection system 56 may have any of the same features and functionality as, and / or be constructed in any of the same manner as, the exit detection system disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62 / 889,254, filed August 20, 2019, by inventors Sujay Sukumaran et al., and entitled "Human Assist Device with Adjustable Exit Detection Zone," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0048] When a user presses navigation control 50b (FIG. 2), control panel 54 displays a monitoring control screen that includes a plurality of control icons that, when touched, control an on-board monitoring system integrated into patient assist device 20. Further details of one type of monitoring system that may be integrated into patient assist device 20 are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62 / 864,638, filed June 21, 2019, by inventors Kurosh Nahavandi et al., entitled "Patient Assist Device with Caregiver Reminders," and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16 / 721,133, filed December 19, 2019, by inventors Kurosh Nahavandi et al., entitled "Patient Assist Device with Customizable Movements," the entire disclosures of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0049] When a user presses navigation control 50c, control panel 54a displays a scale control screen including a plurality of control icons that, when touched, control a scale system of patient assist apparatus 20. Such a scale system may have any of the similar features and functions and / or may be configured in any of the similar manners as the scale systems disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62 / 889,254, filed August 20, 2019, by inventors Sujay Sukumaran et al., entitled "Human Assist Apparatus With Adjustable Exit Detection Zone," and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62 / 885,954, filed August 13, 2019, by inventors Kurosh Nahavandi et al., entitled "Human Assist Apparatus With Equipment Weight Recording," the entire disclosures of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0050] When a user presses navigation control 50d, control panel 54, when touched, controls the movement of various components of patient assist apparatus 20, such as, but not limited to, the height of litter frame 28 and the pivoting of head section 44. In some embodiments, the motion control screen displayed on display 52 in response to pressing control 50d may be the same as or similar to position control screen 216 disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62 / 885,953, filed Aug. 13, 2019, by inventors Kurosh Nahavandi et al., entitled "Patient Assist Apparatus with Touch Screen," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0051] When a user presses navigation control 50e, control panel 54a displays a motion lock control screen including a plurality of control icons that, when touched, control one or more motion lockout features of patient assist device 20. Such a motion lockout screen may have any of the motion lockout forms, functions, and structures disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16 / 721,133, filed December 19, 2019, by inventors Kurosh Nahavandi et al., entitled "Patient Assist Device with Customizable Motion," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0052] When a user presses navigation control 50f, control panel 54a displays a menu screen including a plurality of menu icons that, when touched, invoke one or more additional screens for controlling and / or viewing one or more other aspects of patient assist device 20. Such other aspects include, but are not limited to, diagnostic and / or service information, mattress control and / or status information, configuration settings, and other settings and / or information for patient assist device 20. One example of a suitable menu screen is menu screen 100 disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62 / 885,953, filed Aug. 13, 2019, by inventors Kurosh Nahavandi et al., entitled "Patient Assist Device with Touch Screen," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0053] For all of the navigation controls 50a-f (FIG. 2), in other embodiments of the patient assistance device 20, screens other than those specifically mentioned above may be displayed on the display 52 in response to the patient pressing these controls. Accordingly, it is understood that the specific screens discussed above are merely representative of the types of screens that may be displayed on the display 52 in response to a user pressing one or more of the navigation controls 50a-f. Also, while all of the navigation controls 50a-f are shown in the accompanying drawings as dedicated controls located adjacent to the display 52, it is understood that any one or more of these controls 50a-f may alternatively be touchscreen controls displayed in one or more locations on the display 52. ​​Furthermore, while the controls 50a-f are shown herein as buttons, it is understood that any of the controls 50a-f may, or alternatively, be switches, dials, or other types of non-button controls.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows an example of a patient control panel 54c that may be integrated into the patient support apparatus 20 and positioned in a location on the patient support apparatus 20 that is convenient for the patient to access while supported on the support deck 30, such as the inside of one of the side rails 36. The control panel 54c includes multiple controls 50g-t intended to be operated by the patient. When pressed by the patient, the nurse call control 50g sends a signal to the nurse call system, requesting a remotely located nurse to speak to the patient. When pressed by the patient, the Fowler up control 50h raises the Fowler section 44 via an electric actuator mounted on the patient support apparatus 20. When pressed by the patient, the Fowler down control 50i lowers the Fowler section 44 via an electric actuator. When pressed by the patient, the gaiter up control 50j raises the knee section of the support deck 30 via another electric actuator, and the gaiter down control 50k lowers the knee section of the support deck 30 via an electric actuator.

[0055] The volume up control 50l, when pressed by the patient, causes the patient assistance device 20 to send a signal to a television in the room to turn up the volume, and the volume down control 50m, when pressed, causes the patient assistance device 20 to send a signal to the television to turn down the volume. The channel up control 50n, when pressed by the patient, causes the patient assistance device 20 to send a signal to the television to turn up the channel, and the channel down control 50o, when pressed, causes the patient assistance device 20 to send a signal to the television to turn down the channel.

[0056] The mute control 50p, when pressed, causes the patient assistance device 20 to send a signal to the television instructing it to mute or unmute, depending on whether the television is currently muted or unmuted. In other words, the mute control 50p is a toggle control that, when pressed, sends alternating mute and unmute commands to the television.

[0057] Power control 50q is a toggle control that, when pressed, sends a signal to turn the television on or off depending on the television's current power state. Closed caption control 50r is another toggle control that, when pressed, sends a signal to the television to either turn the closed caption feature on or off depending on whether the closed caption feature is currently on or off.

[0058] Control 50s is a toggle control that, when pressed, sends a signal to a first light fixture to either turn on or off depending on the current state of the first light fixture. Control 50t is another toggle control that, when pressed, sends a signal to a first light fixture to either turn on or off depending on the current state of the first light fixture. In some embodiments, the first light fixture is a reading light and the second light fixture is a room light, both of which are located off-board patient assistance device 20.

[0059] It is understood that the number of controls 50 on the control panel 54c, as well as the functions of the controls 50 on the control panel 54c, the layout of the controls 50 on the control panel 54c, and / or other aspects of the control panel 54c can be varied from that shown in FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the control panel 54c is implemented on a pendant controller that includes a cable that plugs into a port on the patient assist device 20. In other embodiments, one or more of the controls 50 on the control panel 54c may be omitted, augmented, and / or divided among other control panels and / or locations. Still other ways of implementing the control panel 54c are possible.

[0060] 4 illustrates a system 108 for determining the location of one or more medical devices 96 relative to a patient support device 20 and / or a spatial volume 98 defined within a room 60 of a typical medical facility 56. The system 108 includes a patient support device 20, one or more headwall units 100, one or more patient support device location transceivers 122, and, in some embodiments, one or more permanent medical device locators 120. The permanent medical device locators 120 are located at known, permanent locations within the room 60. The patient support device location transceivers 122 are integrated into the patient support device 20 and located at known locations on the body of the patient support device 20. As will be described in more detail below, the headwall unit(s) 100, the permanent medical device locators 120, and the patient support device location transceivers 122 are adapted to determine whether a medical device 96 is located within a threshold distance of the patient support device 20 and / or within the spatial volume 98. If so, the medical device is presumed to be associated with the patient assigned to the particular patient assist device 20 .

[0061] As shown in Figure 4, room 60 has a headwall 62 with a conventional communications outlet 64 physically integrated therein. Communications outlet 64 is adapted to receive a nurse call cable 66, the other end of which physically connects to either patient support device 20 (not shown) or wireless headwall unit 100 (shown in Figure 4). As will be explained in more detail below, headwall unit 100 and nurse call cable 66 enable patient support device 20 to communicate with a nurse call system and one or more room appliances located within room 60.

[0062] The communications outlet 64 is electrically coupled to one or more cables, wires, or other conductors 68 that electrically couple to the nurse call system 70 and one or more room appliances, such as a television 72, a room light fixture 74, and / or a reading lamp 78. The conductors 68 are typically located behind the headwall 62 and are not visible. In some healthcare facilities, the conductors 68 may be first coupled to a room interface circuit board that has one or more conductors 68 for electrically coupling the room interface circuit board to the room appliances 72, 74, 78 and / or the nurse call system 70. Additional communications arrangements for coupling the communications outlet 64 to the nurse call system 70 and / or one or more room appliances 72, 74, 78 are possible.

[0063] The room fixtures 72, 74, and 78 are conventional room fixtures typically found in a typical hospital room. Often, the specific brand and model of the television 72 and / or lighting fixtures 74 and 78 will vary from facility to facility and may even vary from room to room within the same facility. Different models and / or brands of television 72, room lighting fixtures 74, and / or reading lights 78 are often controlled differently. For example, a signal input to a first brand of television to change channels may require a first voltage level, while a signal input to a second brand of television to change channels may require a second voltage level. Furthermore, apart from voltage level differences, the sequence of bits and / or other information sent to the television to change channels may vary from brand to brand or model to model. Further aspects of the control of the television 72 and / or lighting fixtures 74 and 78 may vary from brand to brand and / or model to model. Therefore, in order for a patient to properly control the television 72 and / or light fixtures 74, 78 using one of the patient control panels 54c, the patient support apparatus 20 or headwall unit 100 must be properly configured for the particular television 72 and / or light fixtures 74, 78 located in the same room as the patient support apparatus 20.

[0064] Returning to Figure 4, nurse call cable 66 enables patient support device 20 to communicate with nurse call system 70 and / or room appliances 72, 74, 78. A patient supported by patient support device 20 activating a nurse call control (e.g., 50g; see Figure 3) on patient support device 20 wirelessly transmits a signal from patient support device 20 to headwall unit 100, which transmits the signal via nurse call cable 66 to nurse call system 70, which forwards the signal to one or more nurses at a remote location (e.g., one or more nurses at nursing station 76). When the patient activates one or more room appliance controls (e.g., controls 50l-t; see FIG. 3), one or more wireless signals are transmitted to headwall unit 66, which then transmits appropriate signals via nurse call cable 76 to communication outlet 74 and room appliances 72, 74, 78 to change one or more functions of those appliances (e.g., volume, channel, on / off state, etc.).

[0065] As also shown in FIG. 4 , the patient assist device 20 is further configured to communicate with a local area network 80 of the medical facility 56. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , the patient assist device 20 includes a wireless network transceiver 126 ( FIG. 5 ) for wireless communication with the local area network 80. However, it is understood that in some embodiments, the patient assist device 20 is adapted to communicate with the network 80 via a wired connection, such as an Ethernet cable that plugs into an Ethernet port (e.g., an RJ-45-style port, an 8P8C port, etc.) built into the patient assist device 20. In other embodiments, the patient assist device 20 includes a wireless network transceiver, such as, but not limited to, a WiFi transceiver (e.g., IEEE 802.11), for wireless communication with one or more conventional wireless access points 94 of the local area network 80. In yet another embodiment, the patient assist device 20 includes both a wired port for communicating with the network 80 via a wired connection and a wireless connection for communicating with the network 80.

[0066] The patient support devices 20 are configured to communicate with one or more servers on a local area network 80 of the medical facility 56. One such server is a patient support device server 84. In at least one embodiment, the patient support device server 84 is adapted to receive status information from patient support devices 20 located within the medical facility 56 and distribute this status information to caregivers, other servers, and / or other software applications. In some embodiments, the patient support device server 84 is configured to communicate at least a portion of the status data received from the patient support devices 20 to a remote server 86 located geographically remote from the medical facility 56. Such communication may occur through a network appliance 88, such as, but not limited to, a router and / or a gateway, coupled to the Internet 90. The remote server 86 is also coupled to the Internet 90, and the patient support device server 84 is provided with a URL and / or other information necessary to communicate with the remote server 86 via an Internet connection between the network 80 and the server 86.

[0067] As will be described in more detail below, the patient assist device server 84 may also perform additional functions, such as, but not limited to, determining the location of one or more medical devices 96 located within the room 60. Depending on whether the location of the medical device 96 is within a spatial volume 98 defined within the room and / or within a threshold distance of the patient assist device 20, the patient assist device server 84 may be configured to determine whether to allow the medical device 96 to join a wireless network associated with the patient assigned to the patient assist device 20. If joining the network, data from the medical device 96 is automatically associated with the patient assigned to the patient assist device 20. In some embodiments, all or part of this location determination, network control, and / or patient-device association is performed by the server 84. In other embodiments, one or more of these functions may be performed in part or in whole by a controller onboard the patient assist device 20 and / or the headwall unit 100.

[0068] It is understood that the architecture and contents of the local area network 80 will vary from healthcare facility to healthcare facility, and the example shown in FIG. 4 is merely one example of the type of network a healthcare facility may employ. Typically, additional servers 92 will be hosted on the network 80, one or more of which may be adapted to communicate with the patient support device server 84. For example, an electronic health record server is typically present at any healthcare facility and, in some embodiments described herein, communicates with the patient support device server 84 to receive patient data to be recorded in the patient's health record (e.g., weight measurements taken from a scale integrated into the patient support device 20, therapy administered to a patient using a powered mattress 42 mounted on the patient support device 20, data from medical equipment 96 determined to be associated with a patient assigned to the patient support device 20, etc.). The local area network 80 typically allows one or more electronic devices 94 to access the local area network 80 via a wireless access point 82. Such electronic devices 94 include, but are not limited to, smartphones, tablet computers, portable laptops, desktop computers, and other types of electronic devices that include Wi-Fi® capability and are provided with appropriate authentication information (e.g., SSID, password, etc.) to access network 80.

[0069] The headwall unit 100 is adapted to wirelessly receive signals from the patient support device 20 and deliver the signals to the communication outlet 64 in a manner consistent with how the signals would be delivered to the communication outlet 64 if a conventional nurse call cable 66 were directly connected between the patient support device 20 and the communication outlet 64. In other words, the patient support device 20 and the headwall unit 100 cooperate to provide signals to the communication outlet 64 in a manner that is transparent to the communication outlet 64, such that it is impossible to detect whether the outlet 64 is communicating with the patient support device 20 via a wired connection or via a wireless connection between the patient support device 20 and the headwall unit 100 (the latter in wired communication with the outlet 64). In this way, a healthcare facility can utilize the wireless communication capabilities of one or more patient support devices 20 without modifying existing communication outlets 64.

[0070] In addition to transmitting signals received from the patient support device 20 to the communication outlet 64, the headwall unit 100 is adapted to forward signals received from the communication outlet 64 to the patient support device 20. Thus, the headwall unit 100 is adapted to provide two-way communication between the patient support device 20 and the communication outlet 64. Such communication includes, but is not limited to, transmitting command signals from any of the controllers 50 and / or any of the electronic devices 94 to the corresponding room appliances 72, 74, and / or 78. Such communication also includes the communication of audio signals between a person supported by the patient support device 20 and a caregiver located remotely from the patient support device 20. Audio signals received by the headwall unit 100 from a microphone on the patient support device 20 are forwarded to the communication outlet 64, and audio signals received from the communication outlet 64 are forwarded to the speaker on the patient support device 20.

[0071] In some embodiments, the nurse call cable 66 has a conventional 37-pin connector on each end, one adapted to be inserted into the outlet 64 and the other adapted to be inserted into the headwall unit 100. Such a 37-pin connection is one of the most common types of connectors found on existing headwalls in healthcare facilities for connection to the nurse call system 70 and room appliances 72, 74, and 78. Accordingly, the headwall unit 100 and nurse call cable 66 are configured to mate with one of the most common types of communication outlets 64 used in healthcare facilities. However, it is understood that such a 37-pin connector is not the only type of connector, and that the headwall unit 100 can utilize different types of connectors adapted to electrically couple to different types of nurse call cables 66 and / or different types of communication outlets 64. One example of such an alternative communications outlet 64 and cable is disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 819,844, filed Aug. 6, 2015, entitled "Patient Assistance Device with Wireless Headwall Communications," by inventors Krishna Bhimavarapu et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Still other types of communications outlets 64 and corresponding connectors may be utilized.

[0072] The headwall unit 100 (FIG. 4) has an electrical cord 102 with a plug 104 located at its distal end that is adapted to be inserted into a conventional electrical outlet 106. The electrical cord 102 allows the headwall unit 100 to receive power from a mains power source via the outlet 106. It is understood that in some embodiments, the headwall unit 100 is battery powered and the cord 102 is omitted. In yet other embodiments, the headwall unit 100 may be battery operated and have the cord 102 so that the battery source powers the headwall unit 100 in the event of a power outage and / or so that the headwall unit 100 receives power via the outlet 106 in the event of a battery failure.

[0073] In addition to any of the structures and functions described herein, the headwall unit 100 may be configured to transmit location data to the patient assist device 20 that enables the patient assist device 20 and / or the patient assist device server 84 to determine the location of the patient assist device 20 within the healthcare facility 56. Such location determination may be performed in any of the manners disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 9,999,375, issued June 19, 2018, inventors Michael Hayes et al., entitled "Location Determination System and Method," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0074] Headwall unit 100 may also perform additional functions. In some embodiments, headwall unit 100 may perform any of the functions performed by headwall unit 76 disclosed in commonly-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16 / 215,911, filed December 11, 2018, by inventors Alexander Bodurka et al., entitled "Hospital Headwall Communication System," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, headwall unit 100 may additionally or alternatively perform any of the same functions as headwall interface 72 disclosed in commonly-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16 / 193,150, filed November 16, 2018, by inventors Alexander Bodurka et al., entitled "Patient Assistance Device with Position / Motion Sensing," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In yet another embodiment, the headwall unit 100 may additionally or alternatively perform any of the same functions as those performed by the headwall unit 66 disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16 / 217,203, filed December 12, 2018, entitled "Smart Hospital Headwall System," by inventors Alexander Bodurka et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0075] In some embodiments, the headwall unit 100 may be constructed to include any or all of the functionality of the wireless headwall unit disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 819,844, filed Aug. 6, 2015, entitled "Patient Assistance Device with Wireless Headwall Communication," by inventors Krishna Bhimavarapu et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0076] In some embodiments, the headwall unit 100 may be constructed to include any or all of the functionality of the headwall unit disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 026,937, filed May 19, 2020, by inventors Alexander Bodurka et al., entitled "Patient Assistance Device with Headwall Communication," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0077] Additionally, in some embodiments, the patient support device 20 and / or patient support device server 84 may include any or all of the functionality of the patient support device and / or patient support device server described in any of the above-identified commonly-owned U.S. patents and / or U.S. patent applications.

[0078] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of various components of one embodiment of a system 108, including a patient support device 20, a headwall unit 100, a permanent medical device locator 120, and a medical device 96. It is understood that the components depicted in FIG. 5 are not necessarily a complete set, and that the system 108 may additionally include one or more additional permanent medical device locators 120. It is further understood that the internal circuitry of each of these components may include more than that shown in FIG. 5. For example, while the headwall unit 100 is depicted in FIG. 5 as including only a single location transceiver, it is understood that it may include two or more. Similarly, while the patient support device 20 is depicted as including one location transceiver and one optional location transceiver, it may include more than these. Further variations are possible.

[0079] As described above, system 108 is adapted to determine whether one or more medical devices 96 are located within a threshold range of patient assist apparatus 20 or within a predetermined spatial volume 98 ( FIG. 4 ). The predetermined spatial volume may be permanently defined relative to the dimensions of room 60 (and thus fixed) or may be defined relative to patient assist apparatus 20 (and thus movable). If permanently defined, volume 98 typically includes the space defined by a particular bay within room 60. That is, volume 98 encompasses the volume typically occupied by patient assist apparatus 20 when it is in its customary position within room 60. Volume 98 also typically encompasses the relative space surrounding the normal location of patient assist apparatus 20, where medical devices 96 used with a patient of patient assist apparatus 20 reside. While FIG. 4 depicts volume 64 as a generally rectangular volume, it is understood that this is merely one example of a possible shape for volume 64. Other non-rectangular shapes and / or shapes having rectangular portions may also be used with system 108. Volume 98 generally corresponds to the volume of space in which medical devices must be placed to join a patient support device communication network that includes patient support device 20 .

[0080] The headwall unit 100 (FIG. 5) includes an infrared transceiver 110, a Bluetooth® transceiver 112, a headwall unit controller 114, configuration circuitry 116, smart television control circuitry 118, and a headwall interface 128. The headwall unit 100 includes at least one location transceiver 126a that is used in combination with other location transceivers 124 to determine the location of the medical device 96. The infrared transceiver 110 is adapted to communicate with an infrared transceiver 140 of the patient assistance device 20 using infrared rays. The Bluetooth® transceiver 112 is adapted to communicate with a Bluetooth® transceiver 142 of the patient assistance device 20 using RF waves in accordance with conventional Bluetooth® standards (e.g., IEEE 802.14.1 and / or standards maintained by the Bluetooth® Special Interest Group (SIG) of Kirkland, Washington, USA). In some embodiments, transceivers 112 and 142 utilize Bluetooth Low Energy® communication.

[0081] The headwall unit controller 114 is adapted to control the operation of the transceivers 110 and 112, the configuration circuit 116, the TV controller 118, the headwall interface 128, and the position transceiver 124a. The headwall controller 114 and the position transceiver 124a together define an "anchor point." In some embodiments, the position transceiver 124a is an ultra-wideband transceiver. In other embodiments, the position transceiver 124a is a Bluetooth Low Energy transceiver. In yet another embodiment, the position transceiver 124a may be combined with the RF transceiver 112 for use both in communication with the patient assistance device 20 and in determining the distance between itself and the medical device 96. The position transceiver 124a, like all position transceivers described herein, may include an array of antennas used to assist in determining position. The controller 114 of the headwall unit 100 uses the position transceiver 124a to determine the distance between the headwall unit 100 and the medical equipment 96 and the distance between the headwall unit 100 and one or more position transceivers 122 disposed on-board the patient support device 20 in some embodiments.

[0082] The patient assistance device 20 includes a controller 144, a memory 146, and the transceivers 140, 142, 126, and 122. The network transceiver 126 may be a WiFi transceiver or other type of transceiver adapted to communicate with the local area network 90. ​​Each of the position transceivers 122 of the patient assistance device 20 is located at a known location on the patient assistance device 20. The known locations may be stored in the memory 146 and / or elsewhere. The controller 144 uses the position transceivers 122 to determine the distance between each of the transceivers 122 and the medical device 96. These distances may be determined using angle-of-arrival (AoA) information, channel condition information, time-of-flight information, time difference of arrival information, and / or information about signals passing between these transceivers and a transceiver installed on the medical device 96.

[0083] The permanent locator 120 includes a position transceiver 130 and a controller 132. The controller 132, as well as the controller 144 of the patient assist device 20, controls the position transceiver 130 to determine the distance between the locator 120 and the medical device 96. This distance may be determined using time-of-flight measurements, time-of-arrival measurements, angle-of-attack measurements, and / or other measurements that allow for determining relative position.

[0084] The medical device 96 includes a position transceiver 150, a controller 152, and one or more sensors 154 that collect data about the patient assigned to the patient support device 20 in some embodiments. The controller 152, as well as the controllers 114, 144, and 132, controls the position transceiver 150 to determine the distances between the locator medical device 96 and the other position transceivers 124a, 130, and 122 located in the room 60. These distances may be determined in the same manner as described above.

[0085] In at least one embodiment, each of the position transceivers 124a, 122, 130, and 150 is an ultra-wideband transceiver adapted to determine the distance therebetween using time-of-flight and / or other characteristics of signals exchanged therebetween. In other embodiments, each of the transceivers 124a, 122, 130, and 150 is a Bluetooth Low Energy transceiver adapted to determine the distance therebetween using angle-of-arrival and / or channel state information. In some embodiments, each of the transceivers 124a, 122, 130, 150, and / or 150 is implemented as one of the Trimension ultra-wideband modules available from NXP Semiconductors of Austin, Texas. These modules are implemented as Trimension UWB modules utilizing one of the NXP SR150, SR100T, SR040, NCJ29D5, and / or OL23DO chips. Modules manufactured and / or sold by other companies may also be used, including, but not limited to, Decawave DWM1000, DWM10001C, DWM3000 modules (available from Decawave, Dublin, Ireland), Nordic TSG5162 SiP module (available from Tsingoal Technology, Beijing, China), and / or UWB hubs, wands, and / or sensors available from Zebra technologies of Lincolnshire, Illinois. Still other types of UWB modules may be used to implement these location transceivers.

[0086] From knowledge of the distances and the positions of the unchanging headwall unit 100 and the unchanging locator 120 relative to the volume of space 98, the one or more controllers can determine the position of the medical device 96 relative to the defined volume 98. The one or more controllers may include any one or more of the controllers 114, 144, 132, and / or 152, and / or the one or more controllers may include a controller integrated into the server 84 (or another server), as described above. Alternatively or additionally, the one or more controllers can determine the relative position of the medical device 96 with respect to the patient assistance device 20 from the known position information and the known position of the transceiver 122 mounted on the patient assistance device 20. This relative position information may include data regarding the dimensions of the patient assistance device 20 stored in memory 146 or elsewhere. Additionally, the one or more controllers may, in some embodiments, determine the orientation of the patient assistance device 20 with respect to the medical device 96. Each of the position transceivers 124a, 122, 130, 150 and their associated controllers 114, 44, 132, 152 define an "anchor point." Accordingly, each of these anchor points may have an array of antennas.

[0087] One or more of controllers 114, 144, or 132 may control whether a medical device 96 is permitted to join a patient support device communication network based on the distance. It is understood that in some alternative embodiments, networks may be defined based on proximity to a patient support device 20 rather than proximity to a particular bay within a medical facility. The determination of whether a medical device 96 can join one of these networks is further described in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 63 / 132,514, filed December 31, 2020, by inventors Alexander Bodurka et al., entitled "Patient Support Device and Medical Device Network," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0088] Once a medical device becomes part of the patient support device network, the medical device is determined to be associated with the patient assigned to the patient support device 20. Furthermore, in some embodiments, data from the medical device 96 is routed through one or more components of the network (e.g., the patient support device 20, the headwall unit 100, or the permanent locator 120), which assigns the data a non-patient-specific identifier. The non-patient-specific identifier, in some embodiments, corresponds to a particular patient support device 20 or a particular headwall unit 100. The server 84 or another server in the network 80 contains data structures correlating a particular bay within a healthcare facility and / or a particular patient support device 20 to a particular patient. Thus, the server 84 can route the necessary information to the electronic medical record system to correlate the data from the medical device 96 to a particular patient and store it in the collated record for the patient assigned to the patient support device 20. Thus, charting of the data from the medical device 96 can be automated.

[0089] Each of the controllers 114, 144, 132, and 152 can take a variety of different forms. In the illustrated embodiment, each of these controllers is implemented as a conventional microcontroller. However, these controllers can be modified to use various other types of circuitry, alone or in combination with one or more microcontrollers, such as, but not limited to, one or more microprocessors, field programmable gate arrays, systems-on-chips, volatile or non-volatile memory, discrete circuits, and / or other hardware, software, or firmware capable of performing the functions described herein, as known to those skilled in the art. Such components can be physically configured in any suitable manner, such as by mounting on one or more circuit boards, whether combined in a single unit or distributed across multiple units, or by arranging them in any other manner. The instructions followed by the controllers 114, 144, 132, and 152 in performing the functions described herein and the data needed to perform those functions are stored in corresponding memory accessible to the particular controller 114, 144, 132, and 152.

[0090] Various additional modifications and variations may be made to the above-described embodiments beyond those already mentioned herein. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as an exhaustive description of all embodiments, nor should it be construed as limiting the scope of the claims to the specific elements shown or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, but not limited to, any individual element(s) of the described invention may be replaced by an alternative element providing substantially the same functionality or providing other suitable operation. This includes, for example, alternative elements that may be currently known to those of skill in the art and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, including alternative elements that may be recognized by those of skill in the art as alternative elements upon development. For example, any reference to a claim element in the singular using the articles "a," "an," "the," or "said" should not be construed as limiting the element to the singular. The inventions disclosed herein include the following: [Aspect 1] 1. A system for automatically detecting medical devices located in a room of a medical facility, comprising: a patient support device, a headwall unit positioned in a fixed location within a room of the healthcare facility, and a controller; The patient support device includes: (a) a support surface adapted to support a person; (b) a first transceiver adapted to establish a first wireless communication link with the headwall unit located at a fixed location; (c) a second transceiver adapted to communicate a first set of wireless signals with a medical device spaced apart from the patient assistance apparatus and the headwall unit, the first set of wireless signals adapted to provide a first estimate of a distance between the second transceiver and the medical device; and Equipped with The headwall unit is (i) a third transceiver adapted to establish the first wireless communication link with the first transceiver of the patient assistance device; (ii) a fourth transceiver adapted to communicate a second set of wireless signals with the medical device, the second set of wireless signals adapted to provide a second estimate of a distance between the fourth transceiver and the medical device; and Equipped with the controller is adapted to process the first estimate and the second estimate to determine an extent to which the medical device is located from at least one of the patient assistance device or a volume of space defined in the room. [Aspect 2] 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is located inside either the headwall unit or the patient support device. [Aspect 3] 2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the headwall unit or the patient support device has a network transceiver adapted to communicate with a local area network, and the controller is located on a server that communicates with the local area network. [Aspect 4] 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the headwall unit further comprises a fifth transceiver spaced a known distance from the fourth transceiver, the fifth transceiver adapted to communicate a third set of wireless signals with the medical device, the third set of wireless signals adapted to provide a third estimate of the distance between the fifth transceiver and the medical device, and the controller further adapted to process the third estimate together with the first estimate and the second estimate to determine how far the medical device is from the patient assistance device. [Aspect 5] 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient assistance device further comprises a fifth transceiver spaced a known distance from the second transceiver, the fifth transceiver adapted to communicate a third set of wireless signals with the medical device, the third set of wireless signals adapted to provide a third estimate of the distance between the fifth transceiver and the medical device, and the controller further adapted to process the third estimate along with the first estimate and the second estimate to determine how far the medical device is from the patient assistance device. [Aspect 6] 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is in communication with an electronic memory that stores a length dimension of the patient assistance device, a width dimension of the patient assistance device, and a position of the second transceiver of the patient assistance device relative to the length dimension and the width dimension, and the controller is adapted to use the length dimension, the width dimension, and the position of the second transceiver to determine how far the medical device is from a boundary of the patient assistance device, the length dimension and the width dimension defining the boundary. [Aspect 7] 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the patient assistance device further comprises a sixth transceiver spaced a known distance from the second transceiver and the fifth transceiver, the sixth transceiver adapted to communicate a fourth set of wireless signals with the medical device, the fourth set of wireless signals adapted to provide a fourth estimate of the distance between the sixth transceiver and the medical device, and the controller further adapted to process the fourth estimate along with the first estimate, the second estimate, and the third estimate to determine how far the medical device is from the patient assistance device. [Aspect 8] 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is in communication with an electronic memory that stores a length dimension of the patient assistance device, a width dimension of the patient assistance device, a first position of the second transceiver of the patient assistance device, a second position of the fifth transceiver of the patient assistance device, and a third position of the sixth transceiver of the patient assistance device, and the controller is adapted to use the length dimension, width dimension, first position of the second transceiver, second position of the fifth transceiver, and third position of the sixth transceiver to determine how far the medical device is from a boundary of the patient assistance device, wherein the length and width dimensions define the boundary. [Aspect 9] 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is adapted to determine an orientation of the patient support apparatus relative to the medical device. [Aspect 10] 2. The system of aspect 1, wherein the second transceiver and the fourth transceiver are ultra-wideband transceivers. [Aspect 11] 2. The system of aspect 1, wherein the second transceiver and the fourth transceiver are Bluetooth Low Energy transceivers. [Aspect 12] 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is adapted to determine how far the medical device is from a boundary of the patient assistance device by using at least one of channel state information or angle of arrival information generated from the first set of wireless signals and the second set of wireless signals. [Aspect 13] 13. The system of aspect 12, wherein the second transceiver has a first antenna array and the fourth transceiver has a second antenna array. [Aspect 14] 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether the medical device can join a network associated with the patient assistance device based on whether the medical device is located within a threshold distance of the patient assistance device. [Aspect 15] 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the patient support device further comprises a second controller associated with the second transceiver, and the headwall unit further comprises a fourth controller associated with the fourth transceiver, and the controller is adapted to determine whether the medical device is adapted to join the network based on votes received from the second controller and the fourth controller. [Aspect 16] The system of aspect 1, wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether the medical device can join a network associated with a bay area of ​​the room based on whether the medical device is currently located within the spatial volume defined within the room. [Aspect 17] 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient assistance device is adapted to forward data received from the medical device to a server. [Aspect 18] 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the patient assistance device is further adapted to transmit location information indicating at least one of the medical device being within a threshold distance to the patient assistance device or the medical device being within the spatial volume defined within the room. [Aspect 19] 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a second headwall unit disposed within the room, the second headwall unit comprising a fifth transceiver adapted to communicate a third set of wireless signals with the medical device, the third set of wireless signals adapted to provide a third estimate of a distance between the fifth transceiver and the medical device; and the controller further adapted to process the third estimate of distance together with the first estimate and the second estimate to determine an extent to which the medical device is separated from at least one of the patient assistance device or the spatial volume defined within the room. [Aspect 20] The system of claim 1 , wherein the first transceiver and the third transceiver are infrared transceivers. [Aspect 21] 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the second transceiver and the fourth transceiver are ultra-wideband transceivers, and the patient support device further comprises a fifth transceiver adapted to communicate with a sixth transceiver mounted on the headwall unit. [Aspect 22] 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the fifth transceiver and the sixth transceiver are Bluetooth® transceivers. [Aspect 23] 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the fifth transceiver and the sixth transceiver are further adapted to communicate a third set of wireless signals and a fourth set of wireless signals with the medical device, respectively, the third set of wireless signals adapted to provide a third estimate of a distance between the fifth transceiver and the medical device, and the fourth set of wireless signals adapted to provide a fourth estimate of a distance between the sixth transceiver and the medical device, and the controller is further adapted to process the third estimate and the fourth estimate to determine an extent to which the medical device is distant from at least one of the patient assistance device or the spatial volume defined within the room. [Aspect 24] The system of aspect 1, wherein the spatial volume encompasses a bay of the room. [Aspect 25] The headwall unit is a nurse call cable interface for connecting a nurse call cable between the headwall unit and a nurse call outlet of a nurse call system; a headwall unit controller adapted to forward patient voice signals received from the patient assistance device to the nurse call outlet; 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: [Aspect 26] 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the headwall unit is further adapted to receive volume control messages from the patient assistance device and respond to the volume control messages by sending commands to a television receiver in the room to change the volume of the television receiver.

Claims

1. 1. A system for automatically detecting medical devices located in a room of a medical facility, comprising: a patient support device, a headwall unit positioned in a fixed location within a room of the healthcare facility, and a controller; The patient support device comprises: (a) a support surface adapted to support a person; (b) a first transceiver adapted to establish a first wireless communication link with the headwall unit located at a fixed location; (c) a second transceiver adapted to communicate a first set of wireless signals with a medical device spaced apart from the patient assistance apparatus and the headwall unit, the first set of wireless signals adapted to provide a first estimate of a distance between the second transceiver and the medical device; and Equipped with The headwall unit is (i) a third transceiver adapted to establish the first wireless communication link with the first transceiver of the patient assistance device; (ii) a fourth transceiver adapted to communicate a second set of wireless signals with the medical device, the second set of wireless signals adapted to provide a second estimate of a distance between the fourth transceiver and the medical device; and Equipped with the controller is adapted to process the first estimate and the second estimate to determine an extent to which the medical device is located from at least one of the patient assistance device or a volume of space defined in the room.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is located inside one of the headwall unit or the patient support apparatus.

3. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the headwall unit or the patient assistance device has a network transceiver adapted to communicate with a local area network, and the controller is located on a server in communication with the local area network.

4. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the headwall unit further comprises a fifth transceiver spaced a known distance from the fourth transceiver, the fifth transceiver adapted to communicate a third set of wireless signals with the medical device, the third set of wireless signals adapted to provide a third estimate of the distance between the fifth transceiver and the medical device, and the controller further adapted to process the third estimate together with the first estimate and the second estimate to determine how far the medical device is from the patient assistance apparatus.

5. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient assistance device further comprises a fifth transceiver spaced a known distance from the second transceiver, the fifth transceiver adapted to communicate a third set of wireless signals with the medical device, the third set of wireless signals adapted to provide a third estimate of the distance between the fifth transceiver and the medical device, and the controller further adapted to process the third estimate together with the first estimate and the second estimate to determine how far the medical device is from the patient assistance device.

6. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller communicates with an electronic memory that stores a length dimension of the patient assistance device, a width dimension of the patient assistance device, and a position of the second transceiver of the patient assistance device relative to the length and width dimensions, and the controller is adapted to use the length dimension, the width dimension, and the position of the second transceiver to determine how far the medical device is from a boundary of the patient assistance device, the length dimension and the width dimension defining the boundary.

7. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the patient assistance device further comprises a sixth transceiver spaced a known distance from the second and fifth transceivers, the sixth transceiver adapted to communicate a fourth set of wireless signals with the medical device, the fourth set of wireless signals adapted to provide a fourth estimate of the distance between the sixth transceiver and the medical device, and the controller further adapted to process the fourth estimate together with the first estimate, the second estimate, and the third estimate to determine how far the medical device is from the patient assistance device.

8. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is in communication with an electronic memory that stores a length dimension of the patient assistance device, a width dimension of the patient assistance device, a first position of the second transceiver of the patient assistance device, a second position of the fifth transceiver of the patient assistance device, and a third position of the sixth transceiver of the patient assistance device, and the controller is adapted to use the length dimension, width dimension, first position of the second transceiver, second position of the fifth transceiver, and third position of the sixth transceiver to determine how far the medical device is from a boundary of the patient assistance device, wherein the length and width dimensions define the boundary.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is adapted to determine an orientation of the patient assistance apparatus relative to the medical device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second transceiver and the fourth transceiver are ultra-wideband transceivers.

11. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second transceiver and the fourth transceiver are Bluetooth Low Energy transceivers.

12. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is adapted to determine how far the medical device is from a boundary of the patient assistance apparatus by using at least one of channel condition information or angle of arrival information generated from the first set of wireless signals and the second set of wireless signals.

13. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second transceiver has a first antenna array and the fourth transceiver has a second antenna array.

14. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether the medical device can join a network associated with the patient assistance device based on whether the medical device is located within a threshold distance of the patient assistance device.

15. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the patient assistance device further comprises a second controller associated with the second transceiver and the headwall unit further comprises a fourth controller associated with the fourth transceiver, the controller adapted to determine whether the medical device is adapted to join the network based on votes received from the second controller and the fourth controller.

16. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether the medical device can join a network associated with a bay area of ​​the room based on whether the medical device is currently located within the spatial volume defined within the room.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the patient assistance device is adapted to forward data received from the medical device to a server.

18. 20. The system of claim 17, wherein the patient assistance device is further adapted to transmit location information indicating at least one of the medical device being within a threshold distance to the patient assistance device or the medical device being within the volume of space defined within the room.

19. 10. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a second headwall unit disposed within the room, the second headwall unit comprising a fifth transceiver adapted to communicate a third set of wireless signals with the medical device, the third set of wireless signals adapted to provide a third estimate of distance between the fifth transceiver and the medical device; and the controller further adapted to process the third estimate of distance together with the first estimate and the second estimate to determine an extent to which the medical device is located from at least one of the patient assistance device or the volume of space defined within the room.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first transceiver and the third transceiver are infrared transceivers.

21. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the second transceiver and the fourth transceiver are ultra-wideband transceivers, and the patient assistance device further comprises a fifth transceiver adapted to communicate with a sixth transceiver mounted on the headwall unit.

22. 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the fifth transceiver and the sixth transceiver are Bluetooth transceivers.

23. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the fifth transceiver and the sixth transceiver are further adapted to communicate a third set of wireless signals and a fourth set of wireless signals, respectively, with the medical device, the third set of wireless signals adapted to provide a third estimate of a distance between the fifth transceiver and the medical device, and the fourth set of wireless signals adapted to provide a fourth estimate of a distance between the sixth transceiver and the medical device, and the controller is further adapted to process the third estimate and the fourth estimate to determine an extent to which the medical device is distant from at least one of the patient assistance apparatus or the volume of space defined within the room.

24. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the spatial volume comprises a volume occupied by the patient assistance device in the room or a space surrounding the patient assistance device and the medical equipment in the room.

25. The headwall unit is a nurse call cable interface for connecting a nurse call cable between the headwall unit and a nurse call outlet of a nurse call system; a headwall unit controller adapted to forward patient voice signals received from the patient assistance device to the nurse call outlet; The system of claim 1 further comprising:

26. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the headwall unit is further adapted to receive volume control messages from the patient assistance device and respond to the volume control messages by sending commands to a television receiver in the room to change the volume of the television receiver.

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