Signal strength monitoring system, signal strength monitoring method, computer program and storage medium
The system integrates location and signal strength data from portable devices to efficiently monitor communication networks in medical facilities, reducing the need for multiple personnel.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NIHON KOHDEN CORP
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-20
AI Technical Summary
Monitoring the signal strength of communication networks within medical facilities requires multiple personnel, as it involves manual patrols and spectrum analyzer checks, which is inefficient.
A system comprising portable medical devices, a transmitting device, an acquisition device, and an integrating device that collects measurement location and time axis information, along with signal strength data, to generate integrated information for efficient monitoring.
Enables efficient monitoring of signal strength within medical facilities with fewer personnel by associating measurement location and signal strength information, allowing a single user to manage network quality effectively.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a signal strength monitoring system and a signal strength monitoring method. Further, the present disclosure also relates to a computer program for causing a computer to execute the signal strength monitoring method and a computer-readable storage medium storing the computer program.
Background Art
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a patient monitoring system including a wireless telemeter that acquires biometric information (e.g., electrocardiogram, blood oxygen saturation, etc.) of a patient and a central monitor that receives the biometric information from the wireless telemeter.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] Incidentally, when biometric information is transmitted from portable medical devices such as wireless telemetry devices to a central monitor, this biometric information is transmitted to the central monitor via communication networks installed within the medical facility, such as the hospital's antenna network or in-hospital network. Therefore, in order to properly transmit biometric information to the central monitor, it is necessary to periodically manage the signal strength of the communication network within the medical facility (for example, the signal strength of antennas and access points installed within the hospital) and maintain a good radio wave environment for the communication network. However, checking the signal strength of the communication network within a medical facility requires at least one person to patrol the hospital carrying portable medical devices and transmitters, and another person to check the signal strength from the portable medical devices using, for example, a spectrum analyzer connected to the central monitor. In other words, it is not possible for one person to check the signal strength of the communication network within a medical facility, and there is room for improvement in this respect.
[0005] This disclosure aims to provide a signal strength monitoring system, a signal strength monitoring method, a computer program, and a storage medium that can efficiently monitor the signal strength of a communication network within a medical facility with a small number of personnel. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] A signal intensity monitoring system according to one embodiment for achieving the above objective is: Portable medical devices that can be carried by the user, A portable transmitting device, which can transmit measurement location information for identifying multiple areas covered by multiple radio transmitters installed within a medical facility and communicating with the portable medical device, and time axis information relating to the time when the user was present at the measurement location corresponding to the measurement location information or the measurement order of the measurement location, An acquisition device that acquires signal strength information relating to the signal strength of the radio transmitter that communicates with the portable medical device, the signal strength information relating to the time axis information, The system includes an integrating device that acquires the measurement position information and the time axis information from the transmitting device, acquires the signal strength information corresponding to the time axis information from the acquisition device, and generates integrated information that associates the measurement position information and the signal strength information based on the time axis information.
[0007] Furthermore, a signal intensity monitoring method relating to one embodiment for achieving the above objective is: A step of obtaining measurement location information for identifying multiple areas covered by multiple radio transmitters installed within a medical facility and communicating with portable medical devices, and time axis information relating to the time when the user was present at the measurement location corresponding to the measurement location information or the measurement order of the measurement location, from a transmitting device that can be carried by the user, The steps include obtaining signal strength information relating to the signal strength of the radio transmitter that communicates with the portable medical device, the signal strength relating to the time axis information, The computer is instructed to perform the following steps: generate integrated information that associates the measurement position information and the signal intensity information based on the time axis information.
[0008] Furthermore, a computer program relating to one aspect for achieving the above objective is: A function to acquire, from a user-portable transmitting device, measurement location information for identifying multiple areas covered by multiple radio transmitters installed within a medical facility and communicating with portable medical devices, and time axis information relating to the time when the user was present at the measurement location corresponding to the measurement location information or the measurement order of the said measurement location, A function to acquire signal strength information relating to the signal strength of the radio transmitter that communicates with the portable medical device, the signal strength information relating to the time axis information, The computer is provided with a function to generate integrated information that associates the measurement position information and the signal intensity information based on the aforementioned time axis information.
[0009] Furthermore, a non-temporary computer-readable medium relating to one aspect for achieving the above objective includes: The above computer program is stored.
[0010] According to the signal strength monitoring system with the above configuration, the integrating device acquires measurement location information and time axis information from the transmitting device, and acquires signal strength information corresponding to the time axis information acquired from the transmitting device from the acquisition device. The integrating device also generates integrated information that associates the measurement location information and signal strength information based on the time axis information. In other words, a user carrying a portable medical device and a transmitting device can simply measure the signal strength of radio waves emitted from multiple radio transmitters installed in a medical facility, and the integrating device will generate integrated information that associates the measurement location information and signal strength information. Therefore, a single user can obtain the information necessary to monitor the signal strength of the communication network within a medical facility. Accordingly, with a signal strength monitoring system with such a configuration, the signal strength of the communication network within a medical facility can be efficiently monitored with fewer personnel. Furthermore, the signal strength monitoring method, computer program, and storage medium with the above configuration can achieve similar effects. [Effects of the Invention]
[0011] According to this disclosure, a signal strength monitoring system, a signal strength monitoring method, a computer program, and a storage medium can be provided that enable efficient monitoring of the signal strength of a communication network within a medical facility with a small number of personnel. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a signal strength monitoring system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an example of information transmitted from the first communication device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a signal strength monitoring method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an example of a map of a medical facility. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a map within a medical facility is represented on coordinates. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a display screen based on display data. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a display screen based on display data. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a signal strength monitoring system according to the second embodiment.
MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0013] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described while referring to the drawings.
[0014] (First Embodiment) The signal strength monitoring system 1 of the first embodiment will be described while referring to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the signal strength monitoring system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The signal strength monitoring system 1 is used, for example, in a medical facility 100 (see FIG. 4) such as a hospital. A plurality of antennas 10 (an example of a radio wave transmitter) are installed in the medical facility 100. For convenience of explanation, one antenna 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the signal strength monitoring system 1 includes a portable medical device 2, a first communication device (an example of a transmission device) 3, a spectrum analyzer (an example of an acquisition device) 4, a second communication device (an example of an integration device) 5, and a receiving device 6.
[0015] The portable medical device 2 can be carried by the user U who patrols within the medical facility 100. The portable medical device 2 can communicate with the antenna 10. The portable medical device 2 is communicably connected to the receiving device 6 via the antenna network (an example of a communication network within a medical facility) 7 and the communication cable 8. Also, the portable medical device 2 is communicably connected to the spectrum analyzer 4 via the antenna network 7 and the communication cable 8. The portable medical device 2 is, for example, a portable medical telemeter for measuring and displaying a patient's biological information. The portable medical device 2 is configured to measure biological information of a patient or the like. Examples of the biological information include blood pressure information, electrocardiogram information, and the like. The portable medical device 2 transmits the biological information to the receiving device 6 via, for example, the antenna network 7 and the communication cable 8.
[0016] The user U is a person who monitors the signal strength of the antenna network 7. For example, by simulating a patient, the user U uses the portable medical device 2 to transmit the biological information obtained from a patient in the medical facility 100 to the receiving device 6 via the antenna 10 and the antenna network 7, thereby monitoring the signal strength of the antenna network 7 (the signal strength of the radio wave transmitted from the antenna 10). In the example shown in FIG. 1, for convenience of explanation, only one portable medical device 2 is illustrated, but the signal strength monitoring system 1 may include a plurality of portable medical devices 2. In this case, for example, each of a plurality of users U carries one portable medical device 2 and patrols within the medical facility 100.
[0017] When the portable medical device 2 transmits acquired biological information, it emits radio waves corresponding to a predetermined channel towards the antenna 10. The emitted radio waves are sent to the spectrum analyzer 4 continuously over time via the antenna 10 and the antenna network 7. The portable medical device 2 also transmits channel information (see Figure 2) to the spectrum analyzer 4 as identification information to distinguish it from other portable medical devices. The channel information is information about the frequency band and corresponds to the frequency used. In the example shown in Figure 2, the frequency used is 425.1 MHz and the channel is 2050.
[0018] Returning to Figure 1, the first communication device 3 will be described. The first communication device 3 is, for example, a portable terminal device for user U, such as a tablet, smartphone, or laptop computer. The first communication device 3 includes memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store computer-readable instructions (computer programs). For example, the memory consists of a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which various computer programs are stored, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) having multiple work areas in which various computer programs executed by the processor are stored. In addition, the memory of the first communication device 3 may store map information related to the map of the medical facility 100 and grid map information, which will be described later. The processor consists of, for example, at least one of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The CPU may consist of multiple CPU cores. The GPU may consist of multiple GPU cores. The processor is configured to, for example, load a specified computer program from various computer programs embedded in the ROM onto the RAM and execute various processes in cooperation with the RAM.
[0019] The first communication device 3 can transmit measurement location information and time information (an example of time axis information) to the second communication device 5, for example, by wireless communication. The measurement location information is information about the location where user U measured the signal strength (hereinafter also referred to as the measurement location). The measurement location corresponds, for example, to the location where user U measured the patient's biological information using the portable medical device 2. The measurement location information includes location identification information associated with a location in the medical facility 100. The location identification information includes, for example, room number information relating to the room number assigned to each room in the medical facility 100, coordinate information for identifying the location of rooms in the medical facility 100 and each point in the medical facility 100 on a grid map described later, and area information such as area numbers assigned to each area in the medical facility 100. User U can use the location identification information to identify the measurement location on a map relating to the medical facility 100. In addition, the measurement location information can be used to identify multiple areas covered by multiple antennas 10 installed in the medical facility 100. Time information refers to information about the time when user U was present at the location where the signal strength was measured (measurement location). The time when user U was present at the measurement location corresponds, for example, to the time when user U measured the patient's biological information using the portable medical device 2, or to the time when the pseudo-signal, which is a test transmission signal, was transmitted. The first communication device 3 acquires measurement location information and time information, for example, when user U touches a specific location on a map displayed on the display unit (not shown) of the first communication device 3 or on a grid map described later. However, the first communication device 3 may also acquire measurement location information and time information, for example, when user U inputs the measurement location and measurement time into the input unit (not shown) of the first communication device 3.
[0020] The spectrum analyzer 4 is communicatively connected to the portable medical device 2 via the antenna network 7 and the communication cable 8. The spectrum analyzer 4 is also communicatively connected to the second communication device 5 via the communication cable 11. The spectrum analyzer 4 obtains signal strength information for each frequency by analyzing the distribution of frequency components contained in the radio wave signal related to the radio waves received by the antenna 10 at each unit time. The spectrum analyzer 4 transmits the signal strength information to the second communication device 5 via the communication cable 11 in response to an input operation to the input unit (not shown) provided in the spectrum analyzer 4.
[0021] The second communication device 5 is, for example, a terminal device such as a tablet, smartphone, or laptop computer. The second communication device 5 includes memory, a processor, a wireless communication unit, and a wired communication unit. The memory of the second communication device 5 may have the same configuration as the memory of the first communication device 3. The memory of the second communication device 5 stores coverage area information related to the respective areas covered by each of the multiple antennas 10. The coverage area information is, for example, table information for associating each antenna 10 with the area covered by each antenna 10. The processor of the second communication device 5 may have the same configuration as the processor of the first communication device 3. The wireless communication unit of the second communication device 5 is configured to communicate with the first communication device 3 by wireless communication means such as Bluetooth®, which can be mutually authenticated. The wired communication unit of the second communication device 5 is configured to communicate with the spectrum analyzer 4 via a communication cable 11, for example, by serial connection.
[0022] The second communication device 5 receives biological information from the receiving device 6 via a communication network installed within the medical facility 100, for example. The second communication device 5 also receives signal strength information from the spectrum analyzer 4 via a communication cable 11. The processor of the second communication device 5, for example, loads a specified computer program from various computer programs embedded in ROM onto RAM, and performs various processes in cooperation with RAM, thereby executing the processes detailed below.
[0023] In this embodiment, a computer-readable medium may be used. A computer-readable medium refers to any type of physical memory (RAM, ROM, etc.) that can store information and data that can be read by a processor. A computer-readable medium can store instructions related to processing performed by one or more processors. The term "computer-readable medium" includes tangible items and excludes carrier waves and transient signals (i.e., it refers to non-transient items). Non-transient computer-readable media include, for example, magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs)). These are ROM, EPROM (Erasable PROM), and Flash ROM.
[0024] The receiving device 6 is, for example, a central monitor. The receiving device 6 is installed, for example, in a nurse station 107 (see Figure 4). The receiving device 6 receives biometric information from the portable medical device 2 via an antenna network 7 and a communication cable 8. The receiving device 6 is configured to display the patient's biometric information received from the portable medical device 2. The receiving device 6 can transmit biometric information to a second communication device 5 via a communication network installed within the medical facility 100.
[0025] The antenna network 7 is configured to use multiple antennas 10 to transmit various types of information, for example, to the spectrum analyzer 4 and the receiving device 6.
[0026] Next, the signal strength monitoring method performed by the signal strength monitoring system 1 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 7. In this embodiment, user U, carrying a portable medical device 2 and a first communication device 3, tours patient rooms 101 to 105, staff station 106, and nurse station 107 within the medical facility 100 illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, and monitors the signal strength of multiple antennas 10 installed in the medical facility 100. The numbers assigned to each room indicate the room number. In this embodiment, user U measures the signal strength at measurement positions P1 to P7 in each room. In this embodiment, antennas 10A to 10G are installed in the medical facility 100. Antenna 10A covers measurement position P1 in patient room 101 (i.e., antenna 10A can communicate at measurement position P1). Antenna 10B covers measurement position P2 in patient room 102. Antenna 10C covers measurement position P3 in patient room 103. Antenna 10D covers measurement position P4 in patient room 104. Antenna 10E covers measurement position P5 in patient room 105. Antenna 10F covers measurement position P6 in staff station 106. Antenna 10G covers measurement position P7 in nurse station 107. In addition, other antennas besides antennas 10A to 10G may be installed in rooms other than patient rooms 101 to 105, staff station 106, and nurse station 107 in the medical facility 100. In this case, user U will also patrol rooms other than patient rooms 101 to 105, staff station 106, and nurse station 107, and monitor the signal strength of other antennas covering measurement positions in those rooms.
[0027] As illustrated in Figure 3, user U saves map information of medical facility 100 to the first communication device 3 (STEP 01). User U saves map information of medical facility 100 to the first communication device 3 by, for example, downloading map information of medical facility 100 stored on a server within medical facility 100 to the first communication device 3. However, user U may also save map information of medical facility 100 to the first communication device 3 by, for example, capturing a map of medical facility 100 with a camera (not shown) provided in the first communication device 3. In this embodiment, the map based on the map information of medical facility 100 stored in the first communication device 3 is the map illustrated in Figure 4. The map information is electronic information that can be stored in the memory of the first communication device 3 in a format such as PDF or JPEG. In this embodiment, medical facility 100 is divided into four areas. Each of the four areas is assigned an area number, from Area A1 to Area A4. Area A1 includes patient rooms 101-103 and staff station 106. Area A2 includes the first day room 108 and machine room 109. Area A3 includes patient rooms 104-105, nurse station 107, lounge 110, equipment room 111, shower room 113, and men's changing room 114. Area A4 includes work corner 112, rest room 115, women's changing room 116, and second day room 117.
[0028] As illustrated in Figure 3, user U performs an input operation to the input unit of the first communication device 3 to overlay the map information of the medical facility 100 stored in the first communication device 3 with grid information such as coordinate information relating to an arbitrary number of rows and columns. Based on this input operation, the first communication device 3 generates grid map information (STEP 02). In this embodiment, the grid map based on the grid map information is the map illustrated in Figure 5.
[0029] As illustrated in Figure 5, the grid map includes coordinates consisting of 7 rows (rows 1 to 7) and 11 columns (columns A to K). While the coordinates illustrated in Figure 5 are grid-like, they could also be point-like, for example. Furthermore, the shape of the grid is not limited to squares; it could be rectangles, circles, or other shapes. In this embodiment, each room is treated as being located in the coordinates where the majority or main part of it is situated. For example, since the majority of patient room 101 is located in grid C1, it is assumed to be located in grid C1. The staff station 106 is assumed to be located in grid A2, which includes the installation location of antenna 10F and measurement location P6.
[0030] As illustrated in Figure 3, user U synchronizes the time of the first communication device 3 and the spectrum analyzer 4 (STEP 03). Specifically, user U accesses an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server, for example, to synchronize the time of the first communication device 3, and then confirms that the time of the first communication device 3 and the time of the spectrum analyzer 4 match. If the time of the first communication device 3 and the time of the spectrum analyzer 4 do not match, user U adjusts the time of the spectrum analyzer 4 to match the time of the first communication device 3.
[0031] User U moves sequentially through patient rooms 101 to 105, staff station 106, and nurse station 107, which are located within the area covered by antennas 10A to 10F installed in the medical facility 100. First, User U moves to, for example, patient room 101 (see Figure 4). As illustrated in Figure 3, once User U moves to patient room 101, they measure the patient's vital signs using the portable medical device 2 (STEP 04). It is preferable that the measurement of the patient's vital signs be performed for a predetermined time or longer, from the viewpoint of properly measuring the signal strength. In addition, the measurement of vital signs may be substituted using waveform generation in demonstration mode instead of actual measurement.
[0032] The portable medical device 2 transmits biological information to the receiving device 6 via antenna 10A, antenna network 7, and communication cable 8. The receiving device 6 then transmits the received biological information to a second communication device 5, for example, via a communication network installed within the medical facility 100. However, the timing of when the receiving device 6 transmits the biological information to the second communication device 5 is arbitrary. That is, the receiving device 6 may, for example, transmit the received biological information to the second communication device 5 sequentially, or it may transmit it all at once to the second communication device 5 after the signal strength measurement is completed. In STEP 04, instead of transmitting the patient's biological information to the receiving device 6, a pseudo-signal may be transmitted to the receiving device 6 via antenna 10A, antenna network 7, and communication cable 8. When transmitting biological information or a pseudo-signal to the receiving device 6, the portable medical device 2 transmits the radio signal related to the radio waves emitted from the portable medical device 2 to the spectrum analyzer 4 via antenna 10A, antenna network 7, and communication cable 8.
[0033] The spectrum analyzer 4 analyzes the radio wave signal received by antenna 10A to obtain signal strength information of antenna 10A corresponding to the time when user U was present at measurement position P1 (STEP 05). Specifically, the spectrum analyzer 4 analyzes the distribution of frequency components contained in the radio wave signal received by antenna 10A, and based on the analysis results, obtains signal strength information regarding the signal strength of antenna 10A corresponding to the measurement time at measurement position P1.
[0034] After User U has finished measuring the signal strength of antenna 10A in hospital room 101, User U displays a grid map on the display unit of the first communication device 3 and inputs the measurement location and measurement time by touching the location on the grid map that corresponds to the measurement location (STEP 06). However, User U may also input the measurement location and measurement time by displaying the map shown in Figure 4 on the display unit of the first communication device 3 and touching the location on the map that corresponds to the measurement location. Alternatively, User U may input the measurement location and measurement time into the input unit provided on the first communication device 3.
[0035] Next, the first communication device 3 determines whether to terminate the signal strength measurement based on the input operation by user U (STEP 07). If the signal strength measurement is to be terminated, for example, user U performs an input operation to terminate the signal strength measurement to the input unit provided in the first communication device 3, and the first communication device 3 determines to terminate the signal strength measurement based on this input operation. However, the first communication device 3 may also determine to automatically terminate the signal strength measurement if, for example, there is no input operation by user U for a predetermined period of time or longer. If the signal strength measurement is to be terminated (YES in STEP 07), proceed to STEP 08; if the signal strength measurement is not to be terminated (NO in STEP 07), return to STEP 04. In this embodiment, signal strength measurements are also performed in patient rooms 102 to 105, staff station 106, and nurse station 107 (NO in STEP 07), so return to STEP 04. For this reason, user U moves to patient rooms 102 to 105, staff station 106, and nurse station 107, and repeats STEP 04 to STEP 06.
[0036] Here, we will describe the measurement of signal strength in patient room 102. Patient room 102 is covered by antennas 10A and 10B. As illustrated in Figure 4, since antenna 10B is closer to the measurement position P2 in patient room 102 than antenna 10A, the radio wave strength of antenna 10B at measurement position P2 is stronger than that of antenna 10A at measurement position P2. For this reason, it is preferable that the biological information acquired by the portable medical device 2 is transmitted from the portable medical device 2 to the receiving device 6 via antenna 10B. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the biological information acquired by the portable medical device 2 at measurement position P2 in patient room 102 is transmitted from the portable medical device 2 to the receiving device 6 via antenna 10B. Note that the measurement of signal strength in patient rooms 103 to 105, staff station 106, and nurse station 107 is the same as the measurement of signal strength in patient room 101, so the explanation is omitted. However, when measuring signal strength at staff station 106 and nurse station 107, a pseudo-signal may be transmitted from the portable medical device 2 to the receiving device 6 via antennas 10F and 10G.
[0037] When User U has finished measuring the signal strength in patient rooms 101-105, staff station 106, and nurse station 107, User U performs an input operation to the input unit of the first communication device 3 to terminate the signal strength measurement. When User U performs an input operation to the input unit of the first communication device 3 to terminate the signal strength measurement (YES in STEP07 in Figure 3), the first communication device 3 generates measurement location information and time information based on each measurement location and time input in STEP06. The first communication device 3 transmits the measurement location information and time information to the second communication device 5 (STEP08).
[0038] Next, user U performs an input operation to the input unit of the spectrum analyzer 4 to transmit the acquired signal strength information from the spectrum analyzer 4 to the second communication device 5. As illustrated in Figure 3, the spectrum analyzer 4 transmits the acquired signal strength information to the second communication device 5 via the communication cable 11 in response to the input operation by user U (STEP 09). The spectrum analyzer 4 may also sequentially transmit the acquired signal strength information to the second communication device 5 via the communication cable 11 each time it acquires signal strength information. In this way, the second communication device 5 acquires the signal strength information.
[0039] The second communication device 5 identifies antennas 10A to 10G that cover each measurement position P1 to P7 based on the measurement position information and coverage area information (STEP 10). The second communication device 5 identifies antenna 10A as the antenna covering measurement position P1. The second communication device 5 identifies antennas 10A and 10B as the antennas covering measurement position P2. The second communication device 5 identifies antenna 10C as the antenna covering measurement position P3. The second communication device 5 identifies antenna 10D as the antenna covering measurement position P4. The second communication device 5 identifies antenna 10E as the antenna covering measurement position P5. The second communication device 5 identifies antenna 10F as the antenna covering measurement position P6. The second communication device 5 identifies antenna 10G as the antenna covering measurement position P7.
[0040] The second communication device 5 generates integrated information (STEP 11) that associates measurement location information and signal strength information based on time information. The integrated information includes, for example, time information, measurement location information, and signal strength information, and is information for displaying in a list the time, location, and signal strength when the signal strength of each antenna 10A to antenna 10G was measured. The measurement location information and signal strength information included in the integrated information are linked based on the time information.
[0041] The second communication device 5 associates signal strength information and biometric information based on time information (STEP 12).
[0042] The second communication device 5 generates display data D1 (see Figure 6) that displays signal strength information for each location in the medical facility 100, based on the measurement location information, time information, and signal strength information (STEP 13). The display image based on the display data D1 is, for example, the display image exemplified in Figure 6. The display data D1 includes information about the room where the signal strength was measured, information about the area to which each room belongs, information about the square on the map to which each room belongs, measurement location information, measurement time information, and information about the measurement result. For example, the signal strength measurement in patient room 101 belonging to area A1 was performed at measurement location P1 at 15:30, and the signal strength was 48 dB.
[0043] In STEP 13, the second communication device 5 determines, based on the measurement location information and the signal strength information, whether the signal strength is below a predetermined value for each measurement location P1 to P7 in the medical facility 100. In this embodiment, two predetermined values are set (a first predetermined value indicating a warning and a second predetermined value indicating caution). The first predetermined value is 30 dB, and the second predetermined value is 40 dB. In other words, the severity of caution is less severe than the severity of a warning.
[0044] The measurement results in this embodiment are illustrated in Figure 6. Therefore, the second communication device 5 determines that the signal strength at measurement positions P1 to P2 and measurement positions P6 to P7 is greater than the second predetermined value. The second communication device 5 determines that the signal strength at measurement position P4 is greater than the first predetermined value, but is less than or equal to the second predetermined value. The second communication device 5 determines that the signal strength at measurement positions P3 and P5 is less than or equal to the first predetermined value. The display data D1 includes distinction information to distinguish between the signal strength information whose signal strength exceeds the first predetermined value but is less than or equal to the second predetermined value, the signal strength information whose signal strength is less than or equal to the first predetermined value, and the signal strength information whose signal strength exceeds the second predetermined value. In this embodiment, hatching is used to distinguish each signal strength information. As illustrated in Figure 6, vertical hatching is applied to the portion of the signal strength where the signal strength is less than or equal to the first predetermined value. Horizontal hatching is applied to the portion of the signal strength where the signal strength exceeds the first predetermined value but is less than or equal to the second predetermined value. Furthermore, the method for distinguishing each signal strength information is not limited to hatching. For example, different colors may be assigned to the portion of the signal strength where the signal strength is less than or equal to a first predetermined value, and to the portion of the signal strength where the signal strength exceeds the first predetermined value but is less than or equal to a second predetermined value.
[0045] The second communication device 5 can also generate display data D2 (see Figure 7) that displays signal strength information for each measurement location P1 to P7 at the medical facility 100, based on measurement location information, time information, and signal strength information generated multiple times on different dates. The display image based on the display data D2 is the display image exemplified in Figure 7. The display image exemplified in Figure 7 shows the measurement results from January 12, 2021, the measurement results from February 21, 2021, and the measurement results from March 22, 2021, arranged in chronological order. In other words, the display image exemplified in Figure 7 shows the measurement results from three different dates arranged in chronological order. Note that the display of "N / A" in the display image exemplified in Figure 7 indicates that no signal strength measurement was performed. Furthermore, the displayed data D2 includes distinction information to differentiate between signal strength information where the signal strength exceeds the first predetermined value but is less than or equal to the second predetermined value, signal strength information where the signal strength is less than or equal to the first predetermined value, and signal strength information where the signal strength exceeds the second predetermined value. Therefore, as illustrated in Figure 7, the portion of the signal strength where the signal strength is less than or equal to the first predetermined value is hatched with vertical lines. The portion of the signal strength where the signal strength exceeds the first predetermined value but is less than or equal to the second predetermined value is hatched with horizontal lines.
[0046] For example, at measurement location P1 in patient room 101, signal strength measurements were taken on January 12, 2021 and March 22, 2021, with measurement results of 10 dB and 48 dB, respectively. Therefore, the signal strength of antenna 10A at measurement location P1 on January 12, 2021, was 10 dB, which is below the first predetermined value, but the signal strength of antenna 10A at measurement location P1 on March 22, 2021, was 48 dB, which exceeds the second predetermined value, indicating that the signal strength has improved. At measurement location P2 in patient room 102, signal strength measurements were taken on January 12, 2021, February 21, 2021, and March 22, 2021, with measurement results of 53 dB, 48 dB, and 44 dB, respectively. Therefore, although the signal strength of antenna 10B at measurement position P2 exceeds the second predetermined value on all measurement days, and thus there is no immediate need to maintain antenna 10B, it can be seen that it is gradually weakening. Maintenance of antennas 10A to 10G would include, for example, repairing faulty parts of antennas 10A to 10G, adjusting the positions of antennas 10A to 10G, or replacing them with other antennas. At measurement position P5 in hospital room 105, signal strength measurements were taken on January 12, 2021, February 21, 2021, and March 22, 2021, with measurement results of 20dB, 15dB, and 10dB, respectively. Therefore, the signal strength of antenna 10E at measurement position P5 is below the first predetermined value on all measurement days, and furthermore, the signal strength is gradually weakening, indicating that antenna 10E needs to be maintained urgently.
[0047] The second communication device 5 can also generate display data for displaying signal strength information and biometric information associated with time information on a display unit (not shown) provided in, for example, the first communication device 3 or the second communication device 5. The display screen based on this display data is, for example, the display screen shown in Figure 6 or Figure 7, with biometric information associated with time information added to it. The added biometric information can be appropriately selected by the user U. By viewing the display image based on this display data displayed on the display unit provided in the first communication device 3 or the second communication device 5, the user U can understand the biometric information and the signal strength at the time the biometric information was measured. The display screen may also display a link for displaying biometric information (e.g., electrocardiogram waveform), or it may display noise levels calculated from the biometric information.
[0048] According to the signal strength monitoring system 1, signal strength monitoring method, computer program, and non-temporary computer-readable medium on which the computer program is stored, the second communication device 5 acquires measurement location information and time information from the first communication device 3, and acquires signal strength information corresponding to the time information acquired from the first communication device 3 from the spectrum analyzer 4. The second communication device 5 also generates integrated information that associates the measurement location information and signal strength information based on the time information. In other words, a user U carrying a portable medical device 2 and the first communication device 3 simply measures the signal strength of radio waves emitted from multiple antennas 10 installed in the medical facility 100, and the second communication device 5 generates integrated information that associates the measurement location information and signal strength information. Therefore, a single user U can obtain the information necessary to monitor the signal strength of the antenna network 7 within the medical facility 100. Accordingly, the signal strength monitoring system 1 allows for efficient monitoring of the signal strength of the antenna network 7 within the medical facility 100 with fewer personnel.
[0049] Furthermore, according to the signal strength monitoring system 1 with the above configuration, the portable medical device 2 and the spectrum analyzer 4 are separate devices. Therefore, user U can monitor the signal strength of the antenna network 7 within the medical facility 100 using the portable medical device 2 with a simple configuration.
[0050] Furthermore, according to the signal strength monitoring system 1 with the above configuration, the second communication device 5 is a different device from the portable medical device 2, the first communication device 3, and the spectrum analyzer 4, so the configuration of the second communication device 5 can be simplified.
[0051] Furthermore, according to the signal strength monitoring system 1 with the above configuration, user U can identify which portable medical device 2 transmitted the biometric information by using channel information as identification information to distinguish between portable medical devices 2 and other portable medical devices. Therefore, for example, even when multiple people measure signal strength using multiple portable medical devices 2, user U can easily recognize which portable medical device 2 was used to measure the signal strength based on the channel information.
[0052] Furthermore, according to the signal strength monitoring system 1 with the above configuration, the second communication device 5 can identify antennas 10A to 10G that cover measurement positions P1 to P7 based on measurement position information and coverage area information. Therefore, user U can identify antennas 10A to 10G that should be measured at a certain measurement position. Also, for example, if the signal strength of antenna 10E that should be measured is below a first predetermined value and the signal strength is weak, user U can determine that antenna 10E should be maintained.
[0053] Furthermore, according to the signal strength monitoring system 1 with the above configuration, the measurement location information includes location identification information (room number information, coordinate information, and area information), so user U can easily understand which location in the medical facility 100 the signal strength information is for.
[0054] Furthermore, with the signal strength monitoring system 1 according to the above configuration, user U can accurately determine measurement locations P1 to P7 on a map. In particular, in this embodiment, since the location identification information includes coordinate information, measurement locations P1 to P7 can be uniquely identified. As a result, user U can monitor the signal strength of the antenna network 7 more accurately and easily.
[0055] Furthermore, according to the signal strength monitoring system 1 with the above configuration, the second communication device 5 determines whether the signal strength is below a predetermined value (in this embodiment, a first predetermined value and a second predetermined value) for each measurement position P1 to P7. Therefore, user U can easily recognize locations where the signal strength is below a predetermined value by using the determination result from the second communication device 5.
[0056] Furthermore, according to the signal strength monitoring system 1 with the above configuration, the second communication device 5 generates display data D2. The display image based on the display data D2 shows the measurement results for three different dates arranged in chronological order. Therefore, by using the display data D2, user U can easily grasp the changes in signal strength at each location (measurement position P1 to measurement position P7).
[0057] Furthermore, according to the signal strength monitoring system 1 with the above configuration, display data D1 and display data D2 include distinction information. Therefore, by using the distinction information, user U can easily distinguish between signal strength information where the signal strength is below a predetermined value and signal strength information where the signal strength exceeds a predetermined value, among the multiple signal strength information displayed.
[0058] Furthermore, according to the signal strength monitoring system 1 with the above configuration, the second communication device 5 associates signal strength information and biometric information based on time information. The second communication device 5 generates display data for displaying the signal strength information and biometric information associated based on time information on a display unit provided in, for example, the first communication device 3 or the second communication device 5. When a display image based on this display data is displayed on the display unit provided in the first communication device 3 or the second communication device 5, the user U can confirm the signal strength information and biometric information associated based on time information as a set. As a result, if biometric information cannot be received properly, the user U can infer whether the cause of the inability to receive biometric information properly is due to the radio wave environment.
[0059] (Second embodiment) Next, the signal strength monitoring system 1A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 8. In this embodiment, components similar to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and parts that overlap in explanation will be omitted as appropriate. The signal strength monitoring system 1A differs from the signal strength monitoring system 1 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a portable medical device 2A instead of the portable medical device 2, and does not include a spectrum analyzer 4. Furthermore, this embodiment also differs from the first embodiment in that the biometric information acquired by the portable medical device 2A is transmitted to the receiving device 6 via an access point AP (an example of a radio transmitter) and an in-hospital network (an example of a communication network within a medical facility) 70. In this embodiment, the signal strength monitoring system 1A performs the signal strength monitoring method illustrated in Figure 3.
[0060] As illustrated in Figure 8, the signal strength monitoring system 1A comprises a portable medical device 2A, a first communication device (an example of a transmitting device) 3, a second communication device (an example of an integrating device) 5, and a receiving device 6.
[0061] The portable medical device 2A comprises memory, a processor, and a wireless communication unit. The portable medical device 2A transmits acquired biological information to the receiving device 6 via the access point AP and the hospital network 70. In the example shown in Figure 8, only one access point AP is shown for illustrative purposes, but in this embodiment, multiple access point APs are installed in place of antennas 10A to 10F in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the biological information acquired by the portable medical device 2A is transmitted to the receiving device 6 via the access point AP that is determined to have the strongest signal strength through roaming. This is because stronger signal strength enables more stable communication. Roaming refers to maintaining a network connection state by starting a communication connection to a different access point when a communication terminal connected to an access point moves outside the communication range of the currently connected access point. However, the portable medical device 2A may start roaming, for example, when the signal strength of the currently connected access point falls below a predetermined value. In this case, the portable medical device 2A connects to the access point AP with the strongest signal strength at the start of roaming.
[0062] The portable medical device 2A communicates with the access point AP to acquire RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) information (an example of signal strength information) indicating the signal strength of the access point AP during communication. Therefore, in this embodiment, the portable medical device 2A is an example of an acquisition device. For this reason, the signal strength monitoring system 1A does not have a spectrum analyzer 4. The portable medical device 2A can log time information, channel information, and RSSI information. Logging is the process of writing various information to memory. In other words, the portable medical device 2A stores various information such as RSSI information in the memory provided in the portable medical device 2A. User U can transmit various information stored in the memory from the portable medical device 2A to the second communication device 5 by performing an input operation to the input unit (not shown) provided in the portable medical device 2A to transmit the various information stored in the memory of the portable medical device 2A to the second communication device 5.
[0063] The hospital network 70 is, for example, an IP network installed within a medical facility. The hospital network 70 is configured to transmit, for example, biological information to the receiving device 6. Although not shown in Figure 8, the hospital network 70 may also include a switching hub. A switching hub is a device that operates at the data link layer of the OSI reference model and has the function of relaying communication between multiple hosts of a repeater hub and the function of decoding the header of an Ethernet® frame at the data link layer.
[0064] Next, the signal strength monitoring method performed by the signal strength monitoring system 1A will be described. The signal strength monitoring system 1A performs the signal strength monitoring method illustrated in Figure 3. Steps 01 to 02 are the same as in the first embodiment.
[0065] In STEP 03, User U synchronizes the time of the portable medical device 2A and the first communication device 3. Specifically, User U accesses an NTP server to synchronize the time of the first communication device 3, and then confirms that the time on the portable medical device 2A and the time on the first communication device 3 are in sync. If the time on the portable medical device 2A and the time on the first communication device 3 are not in sync, User U adjusts the time on the portable medical device 2A to match the time on the first communication device 3.
[0066] User U moves sequentially through patient rooms 101-105, staff station 106, and nurse station 107, which are located within an area covered by multiple access points AP installed in the medical facility 100. First, User U moves to, for example, patient room 101 and measures the signal strength at measurement position P1. At measurement position P1, User U measures the patient's vital signs using a portable medical device 2A (STEP 04). The portable medical device 2A transmits the vital signs to the receiving device 6 via the access point AP, the hospital network 70, and the communication cable 8. The receiving device 6 then transmits the received vital signs to a second communication device 5 via, for example, the communication network installed in the medical facility 100. However, the timing of when the receiving device 6 transmits the vital signs to the second communication device 5 is arbitrary. In addition, in STEP 04, the portable medical device 2A may transmit a pseudo-signal to the receiving device 6 via the access point AP, the hospital network 70, and the communication cable 8 instead of the patient's vital signs.
[0067] When the portable medical device 2A transmits biological information to the receiving device 6, it communicates with the access point AP to obtain RSSI information indicating the signal strength of the access point AP during communication. In other words, the portable medical device 2A obtains signal strength information of the access point AP during communication (STEP 05). This RSSI information is the signal strength information corresponding to each time when user U was present at measurement locations P1 to P7. The portable medical device 2A logs the time information, channel information, and RSSI information.
[0068] Steps 06 to 08 are the same as in the first embodiment. However, in this embodiment, roaming is performed, so if the measurement of signal strength is not terminated (NO in Step 07), the portable medical device 2A will connect to the most appropriate access point AP for transmitting biometric information simply by the user U moving to another room. Therefore, the user U can measure the signal strength of all access point APs that are the target of measurement by visiting predetermined measurement locations (measurement locations P1 to P7) within the medical facility 100.
[0069] User U performs an operation on the input unit of the portable medical device 2A to transmit the acquired RSSI information to the second communication device 5. In response to the input operation by User U, the portable medical device 2A transmits the acquired RSSI information to the second communication device 5, for example, by wireless communication (STEP 09). In this way, the second communication device 5 acquires the RSSI information.
[0070] Steps 10 to 13 are the same as in the first embodiment.
[0071] The signal strength monitoring system 1A, signal strength monitoring method, computer program, and non-temporary computer-readable medium on which the computer program is stored, according to the above configuration, can also achieve the same effects as in the first embodiment.
[0072] Furthermore, according to the signal strength monitoring system 1A with the above configuration, the portable medical device 2A can acquire RSSI information. Therefore, user U can monitor the signal strength of the in-hospital network 70 within the medical facility 100 without having to prepare a spectrum analyzer.
[0073] The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of this disclosure and do not limit it. This disclosure may be modified or improved without departing from its intent.
[0074] In the above embodiment, the first communication device 3 transmits measurement location information and time information to the second communication device 5, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The first communication device 3 may transmit, for example, measurement location information and sequence information relating to the measurement order of the measurement locations (an example of time axis information) to the second communication device 5. Sequence information is information for identifying the temporal order of measurement of signal intensity at each measurement location. Sequence information may include, for example, number information relating to numbers assigned in the order in which the signal intensity was measured, character information relating to characters indicating the measurement order, and symbol information relating to symbols indicating the measurement order.
[0075] In the above embodiment, the second communication device 5 is a terminal device such as a tablet, smartphone, or laptop computer, but it may also be a portable medical device or spectrum analyzer capable of performing the processing that the second communication device 5 performs in the above embodiment. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the signal strength monitoring system 1,1A includes the first communication device 3 and the second communication device 5, but the second communication device 5 is not required. In other words, the first communication device 3 and the second communication device 5 may be the same device. When the first communication device 3 and the second communication device 5 are the same device, the first communication device 3 performs the processing that the second communication device 5 performs in the above embodiment. In these cases, user U can monitor the signal strength of the antenna network 7 or the in-hospital network 70 within the medical facility 100 without providing the second communication device 5.
[0076] In the above embodiment, the biometric information acquired by the portable medical devices 2 and 2A is transmitted from the receiving device 6 to the second communication device 5 via a communication network installed within the medical facility 100. However, the path by which the biometric information is transmitted from the portable medical devices 2 and 2A to the second communication device 5 is not limited to this. For example, the biometric information acquired by the portable medical devices 2 and 2A may be transmitted from the receiving device 6 to the second communication device 5 via wireless communication. Alternatively, the biometric information acquired by the portable medical device 2 may be transmitted to the second communication device 5 via the antenna 10, the antenna network 7, and the communication cable 9 shown by the dashed line in Figure 1. Furthermore, for example, the biometric information acquired by the portable medical device 2A may be transmitted to the second communication device 5 via the access point AP, the hospital network 70, and the communication cable 9 shown by the dashed line in Figure 8.
[0077] In the above embodiment, the display image based on the display data D2 shows the measurement results from three different dates arranged in chronological order, but the arrangement of the measurement results from the three different dates is not limited to this.
[0078] In the above embodiment, the display image based on the display data D2 shows measurement results from three different dates, but it may also show measurement results from two or four or more different dates.
[0079] In the above embodiment, STEP03 is executed after STEP01 and STEP02 have been executed, but it may also be executed before STEP01 and STEP02 have been executed.
[0080] In the above embodiment, user U inputs the measurement location and time after completing the measurement of signal strength in each room, but user U may also input the measurement location and time when starting the measurement of signal strength in each room.
[0081] In the above embodiment, STEP 02 may not be performed. In this case, for example, in STEP 06, user U displays the map illustrated in Figure 4 on the display unit of the first communication device 3, and inputs the measurement location and measurement time at the start of signal strength measurement in each room by touching the location on the map that corresponds to the measurement location.
[0082] In the above embodiment, STEP 12 may not be performed.
[0083] In the above embodiment, each room is assigned a room number, but user U may assign a different serial number to each room. In this case, user U inputs the serial number into the input section of the first communication device 3, for example, before STEP 04 is executed. Based on the input operation by user U, the first communication device 3 stores the serial number information related to the serial number in its memory. As a result, in STEP 08, measurement location information including the serial number information is transmitted to the second communication device 5. In this case, the serial number information can function as location identification information.
[0084] In the above embodiment, two predetermined values (a first predetermined value indicating a warning and a second predetermined value indicating a caution) are set, but only one of the predetermined values may be set, or three or more predetermined values may be set.
[0085] The invention described in the claims initially attached to the application that forms the basis of this divisional application is listed below. The claim numbers listed below are the same as those in the claims initially attached to the application that forms the basis of this divisional application. <Claim 1> Portable medical devices that can be carried by the user, A portable transmitting device, which can transmit measurement location information for identifying multiple areas covered by multiple radio transmitters installed within a medical facility and communicating with the portable medical device, and time axis information relating to the time when the user was present at the measurement location corresponding to the measurement location information or the measurement order of the measurement location, An acquisition device that acquires signal strength information relating to the signal strength of the radio transmitter that communicates with the portable medical device, the signal strength information relating to the time axis information, A signal strength monitoring system comprising: an integrating device that acquires the measurement position information and the time axis information from the transmitting device, acquires the signal strength information corresponding to the time axis information from the acquisition device, and generates integrated information that associates the measurement position information and the signal strength information based on the time axis information. <Claim 2> The signal intensity monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the portable medical device and the acquisition device are separate devices. <Claim 3> The signal intensity monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the portable medical device and the acquisition device are the same device. <Claim 4> The signal strength monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the integrated device is a device different from the portable medical device, the transmitting device, and the acquiring device. <Claim 5> The signal strength monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the integrated device is the same device as the portable medical device, the transmitting device, or the acquiring device. <Claim 6> The signal intensity monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the portable medical device is capable of further transmitting identification information for distinguishing the portable medical device from other portable medical devices. <Claim 7> The signal strength monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the integrated device identifies the radio transmitter covering the measurement position based on the measurement position information and coverage area information relating to each of the plurality of radio transmitters covering each of the areas covered by each of the plurality of radio transmitters. <Claim 8> The signal intensity monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the measurement location information includes location identification information associated with a location in the medical facility. <Claim 9> The signal strength monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein the location identification information is information for identifying the location of each point in the medical facility on the map based on the map information of the medical facility. <Claim 10> The signal intensity monitoring system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the location information includes coordinate information. <Claim 11> The signal strength monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the integrated device determines whether the signal strength is below a predetermined value for each location in the medical facility based on the measurement location information and the signal strength information. <Claim 12> The signal strength monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the integrated device is capable of generating display data in which the signal strength information is displayed for each location in the medical facility, based on the measurement location information, the time axis information, and the signal strength information, which are generated multiple times on different dates. <Claim 13> The signal strength monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein the displayed data includes distinction information for distinguishing between signal strength information in which the signal strength is less than or equal to a predetermined value and signal strength information in which the signal strength exceeds the predetermined value, among a plurality of displayed signal strength information. <Claim 14> The aforementioned portable medical device is capable of measuring the vital signs of patients in the aforementioned medical facility. The signal intensity monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the integrated device associates the signal intensity information and the biological information based on the time axis information. <Claim 15> A step of obtaining measurement location information for identifying multiple areas covered by multiple radio transmitters installed within a medical facility and communicating with portable medical devices, and time axis information relating to the time when the user was present at the measurement location corresponding to the measurement location information or the measurement order of the measurement location, from a transmitting device that can be carried by the user, The steps include obtaining signal strength information relating to the signal strength of the radio transmitter that communicates with the portable medical device, the signal strength relating to the time axis information, A signal intensity monitoring method comprising the step of causing a computer to perform the steps of generating integrated information that associates the measurement position information and the signal intensity information based on the time axis information. <Claim 16> A function to acquire, from a user-portable transmitting device, measurement location information for identifying multiple areas covered by multiple radio transmitters installed within a medical facility and communicating with portable medical devices, and time axis information relating to the time when the user was present at the measurement location corresponding to the measurement location information or the measurement order of the said measurement location, A function to acquire signal strength information relating to the signal strength of the radio transmitter that communicates with the portable medical device, the signal strength information relating to the time axis information, A computer program for enabling a computer to perform the function of generating integrated information that associates the measurement position information and the signal intensity information based on the aforementioned time axis information. <Claim 17> A non-temporary computer-readable medium storing the computer program described in claim 16. [Explanation of symbols]
[0086] 1,1A: Signal strength monitoring system, 2,2A: Portable medical device, 3: First communication device, 4: Spectrum analyzer, 5: Second communication device, 6: Receiving device, 7: Antenna network, 8,9,11: Communication cable, 10,10A~10G: Antenna, 70: In-hospital network, 100 medical facilities, AP: Access point, D1,D2: Display data, P1~P7: Measurement location
Claims
1. Portable medical devices that can be carried by the user, A user-portable transmitting device capable of transmitting measurement location information for identifying multiple areas covered by multiple radio transmitters installed within a medical facility and communicating with the portable medical device, and time axis information relating to the time when the user was present at the measurement location corresponding to the measurement location information or the measurement order of the measurement location, An acquisition device that acquires signal strength information relating to the signal strength of the radio wave transmitter, which is the signal strength of the radio wave signal received from the portable medical device, and the signal strength information relating to the signal strength corresponding to the time axis information, The system includes an integrating device that acquires the measurement position information and the time axis information from the transmitting device, acquires the signal strength information corresponding to the time axis information from the acquisition device, and generates integrated information that associates the measurement position information and the signal strength information based on the time axis information, The integrated device is a signal strength monitoring system capable of generating display data showing a table in which the signal strength information at the user-selected measurement location is displayed in chronological order, based on the measurement location information, the time axis information, and the signal strength information generated multiple times on different dates.
2. The signal strength monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the table displays numerical information indicating the signal strength as the signal strength information.
3. The signal strength monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the displayed data includes distinction information for distinguishing between signal strength information whose signal strength is less than or equal to a predetermined value and signal strength information whose signal strength exceeds the predetermined value, among a plurality of displayed signal strength information.
4. A step of obtaining measurement location information for identifying multiple areas covered by multiple radio transmitters installed within a medical facility and communicating with portable medical devices, and time axis information relating to the time when the user was present at the measurement location corresponding to the measurement location information or the measurement order of the measurement location, from a transmitting device that can be carried by the user, The steps include obtaining signal strength information relating to the signal strength of the radio transmitter, which is the signal strength of the radio wave signal received from the portable medical device, and which corresponds to the time axis information; A step of generating integrated information that associates the measurement position information and the signal intensity information based on the time axis information, A signal strength monitoring method comprising the steps of causing a computer to perform the following: generate display data showing a table in which the signal strength information at the measurement location selected by the user is displayed in chronological order, based on the measurement location information, the time axis information, and the signal strength information, which are generated multiple times on different dates.
5. A function to acquire, from a user-portable transmitting device, measurement location information for identifying multiple areas covered by multiple radio transmitters installed within a medical facility and communicating with portable medical devices, and time axis information relating to the time when the user was present at the measurement location corresponding to the measurement location information or the measurement order of the measurement location, The function acquires signal strength information relating to the signal strength of the radio transmitter, which is the signal strength of the radio wave signal received from the portable medical device, and which corresponds to the time axis information. A function to generate integrated information that associates the measurement position information and the signal intensity information based on the aforementioned time axis information, A computer program for enabling a computer to perform the following functions: generating display data that shows a table in which the signal intensity information at the measurement location selected by the user is displayed in chronological order, based on the measurement location information, the time axis information, and the signal intensity information, which are generated multiple times on different dates.
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