Pairing system for patient support apparatuses

Abstract

A status unit is adapted to provide electrical power to a patient support apparatus and, in some cases, to communicate wirelessly with the patient support apparatus. In order to ensure the status unit is communicatively paired with the correct patient support apparatus, the status unit is adapted to change a voltage of the power supplied to the patient support apparatus in a manner that matches a power pattern, as well as to wirelessly transmit a message to the patient support apparatus that includes the power pattern. The patient support apparatus is adapted to sense the power received from the status unit, determine if it matches the power pattern and, if it does, pair with the status unit. If it does not match the power pattern, the patient support apparatus does not pair with the status unit. The power pattern may include a series of power-off intervals.

Description

PAIRING SYSTEM FOR PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSESBACKGROUND

[0001] The present disclosure relates to patient support apparatuses and status units that communicate with the patient support apparatusesSUMMARY

[0002] According to the various aspects described herein, the present disclosure is directed to a patient support apparatus, a status unit, and / or a system that includes a patient support apparatus and a status unit. The status unit is adapted to wirelessly communicate with the patient support apparatus and to automatically pair therewith. In order to ensure that a particular patient support apparatus communicatively pairs with a particular patient support apparatus, the status unit sends a power pattern to all patient support apparatuses that may be within communication range of the status unit, and recipient patient support apparatuses monitor their power supplies to see if they match the power pattern. Because only one patient support apparatus will be receiving its power from the status unit, it will be the only one that detects the power pattern. That particular patient support apparatus will then send a message to the status unit indicating it detected the power pattern, and that particular patient support apparatus and status unit will therefore pair with each other. Any other status units and / or patient support apparatuses that are within communication range will not pair with that particular patient support apparatus and / or status unit because they will not detect the power pattern and / or receive a message addressed to them that indicates that eh power patter was detected by a patient support apparatus. The system therefore allows patient support apparatuses and status units to automatically and correctly pair with each other without requiring the user to take any specific pairing actions for making such a wireless communication pairing. These and other aspects of the present disclosure will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the following written description and the accompanying drawings.

[0003] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a system is providing that includes a patient support apparatus and a status unit. The status unit includes a first wireless transceiver adapted to communicate with the patient support apparatus; a power outlet adapted to supply power to the patient support apparatus when a power cord is coupled between the power outlet and the patient support apparatus; a power controller adapted to change a voltage of the power supplied to the power outlet in a manner that matches a power pattern; and a first controller adapted to use the first wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus. The patient support apparatus includes a support surface adapted to support a patient thereon; a second wireless transceiver adapted to communicate with the first wireless transceiver; an electrical port adapted to receive the power cord; a sensor adapted to detect a level of voltage received at the electrical port from the power outlet; and a second controller adapted to receive the detected level of voltage from the sensor and compare the detected level of voltage to the power pattern. The second controller is further adapted to wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit if the detected level of voltage matches the power pattern, and to not wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit if the detected level of voltage does not match the power pattern.

[0004] According to other aspects of the present disclosure, the first controller is adapted to randomly generate the power pattern.

[0005] In some aspects, the status unit further includes a second power cord adapted to couple the status unit to an electrical wall outlet, and the status unit is adapted to draw power from the electrical wall outlet when supplying power to the patient support apparatus

[0006] In some aspects, the first and second wireless transceivers are Bluetooth transceivers, and the pairing of the patient support apparatus with the status unit is a Bluetooth pairing.

[0007] In some aspects, the status unit includes a first ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver and the patient support apparatus further includes a second UWB transceiver The first controller is adapted to determine a distance between the patient support apparatus and the status unit using ranging between the first and second UWB transceivers The second controller is further adapted to not wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit if the distance exceeds a threshold

[0008] The first controller, in some aspects, is adapted to use the first wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern in response to a triggering condition, and to not use the first wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern in response to an absence of the triggering condition.

[0009] The status unit, in some aspects, includes an electrical current sensor adapted to detect a level of electrical current flowing out of the power outlet, and the triggering condition is the level of electrical current flowing out of the power outlet exceeding a current threshold.

[0010] In some aspects, the status unit includes a first ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver and the first controller is adapted to determine if a first distance between the status unit and the patient support apparatus or a second distance between the status unit and a second patient support apparatus are less than a threshold. The first controller is adapted to not transmit the power pattern if both the first and second distances are less than the threshold.

[0011] In some aspects, the power pattern includes a sequence of power-off intervals, wherein during each power-off interval the power outlet is adapted to terminate power to the patient support apparatus.

[0012] The power pattern, in some aspects, includes data specifying a duration of each power-off interval.

[0013] In some aspects, the power pattern includes data specifying an amount of time between the power-off intervals

[0014] The power outlet, in some aspects, is adapted to provide alternating current to the patient support apparatus.

[0015] In some aspects, the status unit includes a second power outlet adapted to supply power to the patient support apparatus when a second power cord is coupled between the second power outlet and the patient support apparatus.

[0016] The second power outlet, in some aspects, includes a power contact and a data contact. The power contact is adapted to supply electrical power to a first wire in the second power cord, and the data contact is adapted to communicate data to the patient support apparatus over a second wire in the second power cord.

[0017] The status unit, in some aspects, includes a coupling sensor adapted to detect when the second power cord is coupled to the second power outlet, and the first controller is adapted to not transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus if the coupling sensor detects the second power cord is coupled to the second power outlet.

[0018] In some aspects, the status unit includes a display and the first controller is adapted to receive status data from the patient support apparatus and to display the status data on the display.

[0019] In some aspects, the status unit includes a control adapted to be activated by a user, and the first controller is adapted to transmit a command to the patient support apparatus using the first wireless transceiver in response to the user activating the control. The second controller is adapted to execute the command in response to receiving the command via the second wireless transceiver.

[0020] In some aspects, the patient support apparatus includes a capacitor adapted supply electrical power to the second controller during the power-off intervals

[0021] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a status unit is provided that includes a wireless transceiver, a power outlet, an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver, a power controller, and a controller The power outlet is adapted to supply power to the patient support apparatus when a power cable is coupled between the power outlet and the patient support apparatus. The UWB transceiver is adapted to determine a distance between the patient support apparatus and the status unit The power controller is adapted to change a voltage of the power supplied to the power outlet in a manner that matches a power pattern The controller is adapted to use the wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus if the distance is less than a threshold. The controller is further adapted to not transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus if the distance is greater than the threshold.

[0022] According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, a status unit is provided that includes a wireless transceiver, a power outlet, a power controller, and a controller. The power outlet is adapted to supply power to the patient support apparatus when a power cable is coupled between the power outlet and the patient support apparatus. The power controller is adapted to change a voltage of the power supplied to the power outlet in a manner that matches a power pattern. The controller is adapted to use the wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus. The controller is further adapted to await a response from the patient support apparatus indicating if the patient support apparatus has detected the power pattern on the power cable, to wirelessly pair the status unit with the patient support apparatus if the patient support apparatus has detected the power pattern, and to not wirelessly pair the status unit with the patient support apparatus if the patient support apparatus has not detected the power pattern.

[0023] According to still other aspects of the present disclosure, the controller is adapted to randomly generate the power pattern.

[0024] In some aspects, the status unit includes a second power cord adapted to couple the status unit to an electrical wall outlet, and the status unit is adapted to draw power from the electrical wall outlet when supplying power to the patient support apparatus

[0025] The wireless transceiver, in some aspects, is a Bluetooth transceiver and the pairing of the patient support apparatus with the status unit is a Bluetooth pairing.

[0026] The controller, in some aspects, is adapted to use the wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern in response to a triggering condition, and to not use the wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern in response to an absence of the triggering condition.

[0027] In some aspects, the status unit includes an electrical current sensor adapted to detect a level of electrical current flowing out of the power outlet, and the triggering condition is the level of electrical current flowing out of the power outlet exceeding a current threshold.

[0028] In some aspects, the power pattern includes a sequence of power-off intervals, wherein during each power-off interval the power outlet is adapted to terminate power to the patient support apparatus.

[0029] The power pattern, in some aspects, includes data specifying a duration of each power-off interval.

[0030] The power pattern, in some aspects, includes data specifying an amount of time between the power-off intervals.

[0031] The power outlet, in some aspects, is adapted to provide alternating current to the patient support apparatus.

[0032] The status unit, in some aspects, includes a second power outlet adapted to supply power to the patient support apparatus when a second power cord is coupled between the second power outlet and the patient support apparatus

[0033] The second power outlet, in some aspects, includes a power contact and a data contact. The power contact is adapted to supply electrical power to a first wire in the second power cord, and the data contact is adapted to communicate data to the patient support apparatus over a second wire in the second power cord.

[0034] The status unit, in some aspects, includes a coupling sensor adapted to detect when the second power cord is coupled to the second power outlet, and the controller is further adapted to not transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus if the coupling sensor detects the second power cord is coupled to the second power outlet

[0035] The status unit, in some aspects, includes a display and the controller is adapted to receive status data from the patient support apparatus and display the status data on the display.

[0036] The status unit, in some aspects, includes a control adapted to be activated by a user. The controller is adapted to transmit a command to the patient support apparatus using the wireless transceiver in response to the user activating the control. The command instructs the patient support apparatus to perform a function.

[0037] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a patient support apparatus is provided that includes a support surface, a wireless transceiver, an electrical port, a sensor, and a controller. The support surface is adapted to support a patient thereon. The wireless transceiver is adapted to receive a power pattern from a status unit secured to a fixed location. The electrical port is adapted to receive a power cord coupled to the status unit. The sensor is adapted to detect a level of voltage received at the electrical port from the status unit. The controller is adapted to receive the detected level of voltage from the sensor, compare the detected level of voltage to the power pattern, and perform the following: (a) if the detected voltage level matches the power pattern, to transmit a message via the wireless transceiver to the status unit indicating that the patient support apparatus has detected the power pattern in the voltage received from the electrical port; and (b) if the detected voltage level does not match the power pattern, to not transmit the message via the wireless transceiver to the status unit indicating that the patient support apparatus has detected the power pattern in the voltage received from the electrical port

[0038] According to other aspects of the present disclosure, the controller is further adapted to wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit if the detected level of voltage matches the power pattern, and to not wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit if the detected level of voltage does not match the power pattern.

[0039] In some aspects, the wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver, and the pairing of the patient support apparatus with the status unit is a Bluetooth pairing

[0040] In some aspects, the patient support apparatus includes a first ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver adapted to communicate with a second UWB transceiver onboard the status unit. The controller is adapted to determine a distance between the patient support apparatus and the status unit using ranging between the first and second UWB transceivers, and to not wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit if the distance exceeds a threshold.

[0041] The power pattern, in some aspects, includes a sequence of power-off intervals, wherein during each power-off interval power supplied to the power cord is terminated.

[0042] The power pattern, in some aspects, includes data specifying a duration of each power-off interval.

[0043] The power pattern, in some aspects, includes data specifying an amount of time between the power-off intervals.

[0044] In some aspects, the electrical port is adapted to receive alternating current from the status unit.

[0045] The patient support apparatus, in some aspects, includes a second electrical port adapted to receive power from the status unit via a second power cable

[0046] The second electrical port, in some aspects, includes a power contact and a data contact. The power contact is adapted to receive electrical power from a first wire in the second power cable, and the data contact is adapted to receive data from the status unit over a second wire in the second power cable

[0047] The controller, in some aspects, is adapted to transmit status data to the status unit for displaying on a display of the status unit

[0048] The controller, in some aspects, is adapted to execute a command received from the status unit via the wireless transceiver.

[0049] The patient support apparatus, in some aspects, includes a capacitor adapted supply electrical power to the controller during the power-off intervals.

[0050] The power-off intervals, in some aspects, have a duration of less than 200 milliseconds.

[0051] Before the various aspects of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the claims are not to be limited to the details of operation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The aspects described herein are capable of being practiced or being carried out in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including" and "comprising" and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting the claims to any specific order or number of components. Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scope of the claims any additional steps or components that might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or components.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a patient support apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure;

[0053] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an illustrative caregiver control panel of the patient support apparatus;

[0054] FIG. 3 is a plan view of an illustrative patient control panel of the patient support apparatus;

[0055] FIG. 4 is a system diagram showing a status unit and patient support apparatus in a hallway, as well as an example of network infrastructure of a healthcare facility that may be in communication with patient support apparatus;

[0056] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the patient support apparatus and status unit;

[0057] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of a pairing algorithm that may be followed by the status unit and the patient support apparatus;

[0058] FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating an illustrative power pattern having a sequence of power-off intervals;

[0059] FIG. 8 is a plan view of a pair of patient support apparatuses and status units;

[0060] FIG. 9 is an elevational view of a first example of the status unit;

[0061] FIG. 10 is an elevational view of a second example of the status unit; and

[0062] FIG. 11 is an elevational view of a third example of the status unit.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0063] An illustrative patient support apparatus 20 that may communicate with one or more status units of the present disclosure is shown in FIG 1 Although the particular form of patient support apparatus 20 illustrated in FIG 1 is a bed adapted foruse in a hospital or other medical setting, it will be understood that patient support apparatus 20 could, in different versions, be a cot, a stretcher, a recliner, or any other mobile structure capable of supporting a patient in a healthcare environment

[0064] In general, 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 Patient support apparatus 20 further includes a headboard 32, a footboard 34 and a plurality of siderails 36 Siderails 36 are all shown in a raised position in FIG 1 but are each individually movable to a lower position in which ingress into, and egress out of, patient support apparatus 20 is not obstructed by the lowered siderails 36.

[0065] Lifts 26 are adapted to raise and lower litter frame 28 with respect to base 22. Lifts 26 may be hydraulic actuators, electric actuators, or any other suitable device for raising and lowering litter frame 28 with respect to base 22. In the illustrated version, lifts 26 are operable independently so that the tilting of litter frame 28 with respect to base 22 can also be adjusted, to place the litter frame 28 in a flat or horizontal orientation, a Trendelenburg orientation, or a reverse Trendelenburg orientation. That is, litter frame 28 includes a head end 38 and a foot end 40, each of whose height can be independently adjusted by the nearest lift 26. Patient support apparatus 20 is designed so that when an occupant lies thereon, his or her head will be positioned adjacent head end 38 and his or her feet will be positioned adjacent foot end 40.

[0066] Litter frame 28 provides a structure for supporting support deck 30, the headboard 32, footboard 34, and siderails 36. Support deck 30 provides a support surface for a mattress 42, or other soft cushion, so that a person may lie and / or sit thereon. In some versions, the mattress 42 includes one or more inflatable bladders that are controllable via a blower, or other source of pressurized air In at least one version, the inflation of the bladders of the mattress 42 is controllable via electronics built into patient support apparatus 20. In one such versions, mattress 42 may take on any of the functions and / or structures of any of the mattresses disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent 9,468,307 issued October 18, 2016, to inventors Patrick Lafleche et al., the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Still other types of mattresses may be used.

[0067] Support deck 30 is made of a plurality of sections, some of which are pivotable about generally horizontal pivot axes. In the version shown in FIG. 1, support deck 30 includes at least a head section 44, a thigh section 46, and a foot section 48, all of which are positioned underneath mattress 42 and which generally form flat surfaces for supporting mattress 42. Head section 44, which is also sometimes referred to as a Fowler section, is pivotable about a generally horizontal pivot axis between a generally horizontal orientation (not shown in FIG. 1) and a plurality of raised positions (one of which is shown in FIG. 1). Thigh section 46 and foot section 48 may also be pivotable about generally horizontal pivot axes.

[0068] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that patient support apparatus 20 can be designed with other types of mechanical constructions that are different from what is shown in the attached drawings, such as, but not limited to, the construction described in commonly assigned, U S. Patent No. 10,130,536 to Roussy et al., entitled PATIENT SUPPORT USABLE WITH BARIATRIC PATIENTS, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In another version, the mechanical construction of patient support apparatus 20 may include the same, or nearly the same, structures as the Model 3002 S3 bed manufactured and sold by Stryker Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan. This construction is described in greater detail in the Stryker Maintenance Manual for the MedSurg Bed, Model 3002 S3, published in 2010 by Stryker Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In still another version, the mechanical construction of patient support apparatus 20 may include the same, or nearly the same, structure as the Model 3009 Procuity MedSurg bed manufactured and sold by Stryker Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan This construction is described in greater detail in the StrykerMaintenance Manual for the 3009 Procuity MedSurg bed (publication 3009-009-002, Rev. A.0), published in 2020 by Stryker Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan

[0069] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that patient support apparatus 20 can be designed with still other types of mechanical constructions, such as, but not limited to, those described in commonly assigned, U S Pat No 7,690,59 issued April 6, 2010, to Lemire et al , and entitled HOSPITAL BED; and / or commonly assigned U S Pat publication No 2007 / 0163045 filed by Becker et al and entitled PATIENT HANDLING DEVICE INCLUDING LOCAL STATUS INDICATION, ONE-TOUCH FOWLER ANGLE ADJUSTMENT, AND POWER-ON ALARM CONFIGURATION, the complete disclosures of both of which are also hereby incorporated herein by reference. The overall mechanical construction of patient support apparatus 20 may also take on still other forms different from what is disclosed in the aforementioned references provided the patient support apparatus includes one or more of the functions, features, and / or structures discussed in greater detail below.

[0070] Patient support apparatus 20 further includes a plurality of control panels 54 that enable a user of patient support apparatus 20, such as a patient and / or an associated caregiver, to control one or more aspects of patient support apparatus 20. In the version shown in FIG. 1, 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). Footboard control panel 54a and outer siderail control panels 54b are intended to be used by caregivers, or other authorized personnel, while inner siderail control panels 54c are intended to be used by the patient associated with patient support apparatus 20. Each of the control panels 54 includes a plurality of controls 50 (see, e g., FIG. 2), although each control panel 54 does not necessarily include the same controls and / or functionality.

[0071] Among other functions, controls 50 of control panel 54a allow a user to control one or more of the following: change a height of support deck 30; raise or lower head section 44; activate and deactivate a brake for wheels 24; arm and disarm an exit detection system 130 and / or an onboard monitoring system 132 (FIG. 5); change various settings on patient support apparatus 20; and perform other actions. Still other controls may be included.

[0072] Control panel 54a includes a display 52 (FIG. 2) configured to display a plurality of different screens thereon. Surrounding display 52 are a plurality of navigation controls 50a-f that, when activated, cause the display 52 to display different screens on display 52. More specifically, when a user presses navigation control 50a, control panel 54a displays an exit detection control screen on display 52 that includes one or more icons that, when touched, control an onboard exit detection system 130 (FIG.5). The exit detection system 130 is as adapted to issue an alert when a patient exits from patient support apparatus 20. Exit detection system 130 may include any of the same features and functions as, and / or may be constructed in any of the same manners as, the exit detection system disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application 62 / 889,254 filed August 20, 2019, by inventors Sujay Sukumaran et al. and entitled PERSON SUPPORT APPARATUS WITH ADJUSTABLE EXIT DETECTION ZONES, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Other types of exit detection systems may be included within patient support apparatus 20.

[0073] 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 the onboard multi-component monitoring system 132 (FIG. 5) built into patient support apparatus 20. The onboard monitoring system 132 alerts the caregiver through a unified indicator, such as a light or a plurality of lights controlled in a unified manner, when any one of a plurality of settings and / or components on patient support apparatus 20 are in an undesired state, and uses that same unified indicator to indicate when all of the plurality of settingsand / or components are in their respective desired states. Stated alternatively, monitoring system 132, when armed, monitors a plurality of conditions of patient support apparatus 20 (such as, but not limited to, any one or more of the following: brake status, siderail position, litter frame height, exit detection system 130, A / C cord status, nurse call cable status, etc.) and issues an alert if any one of those conditions are in an undesired state Further details of one type of monitoring system that may be built into patient support apparatus 20 are disclosed in commonly assigned U S patent application serial number 62 / 864,638 filed June 21, 2019, by inventors Kurosh Nahavandi et al and entitled PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS WITH CAREGIVER REMINDERS, as well as commonly assigned U.S. patent application serial number 16 / 721,133 filed December 19, 2019, by inventors Kurosh Nahavandi et al. and entitled PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES WITH MOTION CUSTOMIZATION, the complete disclosures of both of which are incorporated herein by reference Other types of monitoring systems may be included within patient support apparatus 20

[0074] When a user presses navigation control 50c, control panel 54a displays a scale control screen that includes a plurality of control icons that, when touched, control a scale system (not shown) of patient support apparatus 20 Such a scale system may include any of the same features and functions as, and / or may be constructed in any of the same manners as, the scale systems disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application 62 / 889,254 filed August 20, 2019, by inventors Sujay Sukumaran et al. and entitled PERSON SUPPORT APPARATUS WITH ADJUSTABLE EXIT DETECTION ZONES, and U.S. patent application serial number 62 / 885,954 filed August 13, 2019, by inventors Kurosh Nahavandi et al. and entitled PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS WITH EQUIPMENT WEIGHT LOG, the complete disclosures of both of which are incorporated herein by reference. The scale system may utilize the same force sensors and / or other components that are utilized by the exit detection system 130, or it may utilize one or more different sensors and / or other components. Other scale systems besides those mentioned above in the '254 and ‘954 applications may alternatively be included within patient support apparatus 20.

[0075] When a user presses navigation control 50d, control panel 54 displays a motion control screen that includes a plurality of control icons that, when touched, control the movement of various components of patient support apparatus 20, such as, but not limited to, the height of litter frame 28 and the pivoting of head section 44. In some versions, the motion control screen displayed on display 52 in response to pressing control 50d may be the same as, or similar to, the position control screen 216 disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application serial number 62 / 885,953 filed August 13, 2019, by inventors Kurosh Nahavandi et al. and entitled PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS WITH TOUCHSCREEN, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Other types of motion control screens may be included on patient support apparatus 20.

[0076] When a user presses navigation control 50e, control panel 54a displays a motion lock control screen that includes a plurality of control icons that, when touched, control one or more motion lockout functions of patient support apparatus 20. Such motion lockout functions typically include the ability for a caregiver to use control panel 54a to lock out one or more of the motion controls 50 of the patient control panels 54c such that the patient is not able to use those controls 50 on control panels 54c to control the movement of one or more components of patient support apparatus 20. The motion lockout screen may include any of the features and functions as, and / or may be constructed in any of the same manners as, the motion lockout features, functions, and constructions disclosed in commonly assigned U S. patent application serial number 16 / 721,133 filed December 19, 2019, by inventors Kurosh Nahavandi et al. and entitled PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES WITH MOTION CUSTOMIZATION, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Other types of motion lockouts may be included within patient support apparatus 20

[0077] When a user presses on navigation control 50f, control panel 54a displays a menu screen that includes a plurality of menu icons that, when touched, bring up one or more additional screens for controlling and / or viewing one or more other aspects of patient support apparatus 20.

[0078] For all of the navigation controls 50a-f (FIG 2), screens other than the ones specifically mentioned above may be displayed on display 52 in other versions of patient support apparatus 20 in response to a user pressing these controls Thus, it will be understood that the specific screens mentioned above are merely representative of the types of screens that are displayable on display 52 in response to a user pressing on one or more of navigation controls 50a-f It will also be understood that, although navigation controls 50a-f have all been illustrated in the accompanying drawings as dedicated controls that are positioned adjacent display 52, any one or more of these controls 50a-f could alternatively be touchscreen controls that are displayed at one or more locations on display 52. Still further, although controls 50a-f have been shown herein as buttons, it will be understood that any of controls 50a-f could also, or alternatively, be switches, dials, or other types of non-button controls. Additionally, patient support apparatus 20 may be modified to include additional, fewer, and / or different navigation controls from the navigation controls 50a-f shown in FIG. 2.

[0079] FIG. 3 illustrates one example of a patient control panel 54c that may either be integrated into patient support apparatus 20, or that may be integrated into a stand-alone pendant that is communicatively coupled to patient support apparatus 20, either by a cord or wirelessly. As shown in FIG. 3, the patient control panel 54c includes a plurality of controls 50g-t that are intended to be operated by a patient A nurse call control 50g, when pressed by the patient, sends a signal to a nurse call system requesting that a remotely positioned nurse talk to the patient. A Fowler-up control 50h, when pressed by the patient, causes a motorized actuator onboard patient support apparatus 20 to raise Fowler section 44 upwardly. A Fowler-down control 501, when pressed by the patient, causes the motorized actuator to lower Fowler section 44 downwardly. A gatch-up control 50j, when pressed by the patient, causes another motorized actuator to raise a knee section of support deck 30, while a gatch-down control 50k causes the motorized actuator to lower the knee section of support deck 30. The knee section may refer to the joint that couples thigh section 46 to foot section 48.

[0080] A volume-up control 501, when pressed by the patient, causes patient support apparatus 20 to send a signal to an in-room television instructing it to increase its volume, while a volume down control 50m, when pressed, causes patient support apparatus 20 to send a signal to the television instructing it to decrease its volume. A channel-up control 50n, when pressed by the patient, causes patient support apparatus 20 to send a signal to the television instructing it to increase the channel number, while a channel-down control 50o, when pressed, causes patient support apparatus 20 to send a signal to the television instructing it to decrease the channel number.

[0081] A mute control 50p, when pressed, causes patient support apparatus 20 to send a signal to the television instructing it to either mute itself or unmute itself, depending upon whether the television is currently muted or unmuted In other words, mute control 50p is a toggle control that alternatingly sends mute and unmute commands to the television when it is pressed.

[0082] Power control 50q is a toggle control that, when pressed, sends a signal to the television to either turn on or turn off, depending upon the television’s current power status. Closed-captioning control 50r is another toggle control that, when pressed, sends a signal to the television to either turn on its closed-captioning feature or to turn off its closed captioning feature, depending upon whether the closed-captioning feature is currently on or off

[0083] Control 50s is a toggle control that, when pressed, sends a signal to a first light to either turn on or turn off, depending upon the current state of that first light. Control 50t is another toggle control that, when pressed, sends a signal to a second light to either turn on or turn off, depending upon the current state of that second light. In some versions, the first light is a reading light and the second light is a room light, both of which are positioned off-board the patient support apparatus 20 In other versions, instead of being pure toggle switches, controls 50s and / or 50t may gradually increase or decrease the brightness of the reading or room light as long they are held down, and if subsequently turned off and on, they may reset the brightness level to an initial low (or high) intensity level (that the user can adjust by continuing to press down on the corresponding control 50s or 50t.

[0084] It will be understood that not only the number of controls 50 on the control panel of FIG 3, but also the functions of these controls 50, the layout of these controls 50, and / or other aspects of these controls 50 may be modified from what is shown in FIG. 3.

[0085] FIG. 4 illustrates a one example of a communication system 150 integrated into a healthcare facility according to one aspect of the present disclosure. As will be discussed more below, the communication system 150 includes one or more status units 60 and one or more patient support apparatuses 20 that are able to wirelessly communicate with each other. As shown in FIG.4, patient support apparatus 20 is positioned within a hallway 58 of a healthcare facility. Patient support apparatus 20 is configured to communicate with status unit 60 and, in some versions, a conventional local area network 80 of the healthcare facility. Status units 60 are devices that can be positioned at different locations throughout the healthcare facility depending upon the needs and / or situation within the healthcare facility.

[0086] Each status unit 60 is adapted to wirelessly communicate with a nearby patient support apparatus 20 and display information regarding that particular patient support apparatus 20. In some versions, status units 60 may also include one or more controls that allow a user to control one or more functions of the patient support apparatus 20 using status unit 60 (rather than a control or controls on patient support apparatus 20). In some versions of status unit 60, status unit 60 may also act as location beacon by providing a nearby patient support apparatus 20 (and / or other mobile devices within the area) with a unique ID of the status unit 60. Once the patient support apparatus 20 has the unique ID from the status unit 60, either the patient support apparatus 20 can determine its location from the unique ID and / or forward the unique ID to a patient support apparatus server 84 (or a remote server 86), and patient support apparatus server 84 (or remote server 86), can use that unique ID to determine the location of the patient support apparatus 20. Information from the patient support apparatus 20 can then be associated with a particular location within the healthcare facility, and when such information is shared with one or more recipients, the location of the patient support apparatus 20 can be included in the information so that the recipient knows where patient support apparatus 20 is currently located. Also, in some versions, status units 60 may be communicatively coupled to a conventional nurse call outlet and therefore act as a communication conduit between patient support apparatus 20 and a conventional nurse call system. In such versions, the status unit 60 may be wirelessly coupled to the patient support apparatus 20 and coupled by wire to a conventional nurse call outlet.

[0087] As is shown in FIG. 4, patient support apparatus 20 may be configured to communicate with a local area network 80 of the healthcare facility In at least one version, patient support apparatus 20 includes a wireless network transceiver (not shown) that communicates wirelessly with local area network 80. The network transceiver is, in at least some versions, a WiFi transceiver (e.g., IEEE 802.11) that wirelessly communicates with one or more conventional wireless access points 82 of local area network 80 In other versions, the network transceiver may be a wireless transceiver that uses conventional 5G technology to communicate with network 80, one or more servers hosted thereon, and / or other devices In some versions, the network transceivermay include any of the structures and / or functionality of the communication modules 56 disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent 10,500,401 issued to Michael Hayes and entitled NETWORK COMMUNICATION FOR PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Still other types of wireless network transceivers may be utilized.

[0088] Patient support apparatus 20 may be configured to communicate with one or more servers on local area network 80 of the healthcare facility (FIG 4) One such server is a patient support apparatus server 84 Patient support apparatus server 84 is adapted, in at least one version, to receive data from the patient support apparatuses 20 positioned within the healthcare facility and distribute this data to caregivers, other servers, and / or other software applications. Patient support apparatus server 84 may also be configured to determine the location of patient support apparatuses 20 that are positioned adjacent to a status unit 60.

[0089] In some versions, patient support apparatus server 84 may be replaced and / or supplemented by a remote server 86 that is positioned geographically remotely from the healthcare facility. Communication between patient support apparatus server 84 and remote server 86 may take place via a conventional network appliance 88, such as, but not limited to, a router and / or a gateway, which is coupled to the Internet 90. The remote server 86, in turn, is also coupled to the Internet 90, and patient support apparatus server 84 is provided with the URL and / or other information necessary to communicate with remote server 86 via the Internet connection between network 80 and server 86.

[0090] Patient support apparatus server 84 (FIG. 4) may be configured to determine the location of one or more patient support apparatuses 20 and / or other mobile devices. In some versions, patient support apparatus server 84 determines the room number, bay area, hallway, section of a hallway, maintenance area, and / or any other particular location of a patient support apparatus 20.

[0091] It will be understood that the architecture and content of local area network 80 beyond patient support apparatus server 84 and / or remote server 86 will vary from healthcare facility to healthcare facility, and that the example shown in FIG. 4 is a simplified version of the type of network a healthcare facility may be employ. Typically, one or more additional servers 92 will be hosted on network 80 and one or more of them may be adapted to communicate with patient support apparatus server 84 and / or remote server 86 Local area network 80 will also typically be in communication with one or more mobile device 98 (e.g. via WiFi) via access points 82. Patient support apparatus server 84 and / or remote server 86 may be configured to send location information and / or status information to one or more of these mobile devices 98 informing appropriate personnel of the status and / or location of patient support apparatuses 20 and / or other mobile devices. Such mobile devices 98 include, but are not limited to, smart phones, tablet computers, portable laptops, desktop computers, and other types of electronic devices that include a WiFi capability and that are provided with the proper credentials (e.g., SSID, password, etc.) to access network 80 and patient support apparatus server 84

[0092] The additional servers 92 may include a conventional badge server, a conventional EMR server, a conventional Admission, Discharge, and Transfer (ADT) server, and / or a conventional caregiver assignment server. Alternatively, patient support apparatus server 84 and / or badge server 94 may be combined, either partially or wholly, with any one or more of these other servers. Further information about these servers may be found in commonly assigned U.S. patent application serial number 63 / 717,921 filed November 8, 2024, by inventors Lavanya Vytla et al. and entitled PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS WITH EVENT LOGGING, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0093] Turning to FIG. 5, one version of communication system 150 is shown in block diagram format, illustrating several of the internal components of the devices that may be included within system 150, in at least one version As shown in FIG 5, communication system 150 includes a status unit 60 and a patient support apparatus 20 Although FIG 5 depicts the internalcomponents of only a single status unit 60 and a single patient support apparatus 20, it will be understood that more than one patient support apparatus 20 and / or status unit 60 may be included in different versions of communication system 150.

[0094] In the example shown in FIG 5, status unit 60 includes a controller 100, a proximity transceiver 102, a wireless transceiver 104, a power sensor 106, power inlet 108, a first power outlet 110, a second power outlet 112, a unique ID 114, a power controller 116, and a display and / or set of one or more indicators 118 Controller 100 is adapted to communicate with, and control, the other components of status unit 60 in the manners described herein

[0095] Proximity transceiver 102 (FIG. 5) is adapted to detect when patient support apparatus 20 is positioned within a relatively close distance to status unit 60 (e.g. zero to five meters or so, although other distances may be used). This distance determination is carried out via ranging between proximity transceiver 102 and a similar proximity transceiver 152 onboard patient support apparatus 20. When proximity transceiver 102 detects that patient support apparatus 20 is positioned relatively close to status unit 60, the location of status unit 60 can serve as a proxy for the location of patient support apparatus 20, in at least some versions of status unit 60. In other words, in some versions of status unit 60, proximity transceiver 102 is used to determine if patient support apparatus 20 is positioned sufficiently close to the status unit 60 such that the patient support apparatus 20 can be considered to be at the same location as the status unit 60. In some versions of status unit 60, proximity transceiver 102 may be an ultra-wideband transceiver. In other versions, proximity transceiver 102 may be an infrared transceiver or a Bluetooth transceiver (in the latter case, if wireless transceiver 104 is a Bluetooth transceiver, then one of these transceivers 102 or 104 may be omitted to avoid redundant Bluetooth transceivers). In some versions, one or more of the functions of proximity transceiver 102 may be combined with wireless transceiver 140, or vice versa

[0096] Wireless transceiver 104 (FIG. 5) is adapted to communicate with patient support apparatus 20 (and in some versions, a mobile electronic device 98). In some versions, wireless transceiver 104 may be configured to send status data and / or a power pattern to a patient support apparatus 20 that, as will be discussed in greater detail below, is used for automatically pairing the correct patient support apparatus 20 to the status unit 60. In some versions of status unit 60, wireless transceiver 104 may be a Bluetooth transceiver, an infrared transceiver, a ZigBee transceiver, or still another type of transceiver When implemented as a Bluetooth transceiver, wireless transceiver 104 is adapted to communicate with a Bluetooth transceiver onboard one or more patient support apparatuses 20 using RF waves in accordance with conventional Bluetooth standards (e.g., IEEE 802.14.1 and / or any of the standards maintained by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) of Kirkland, Washington, USA). In some versions, wireless transceiver 104 may use Bluetooth Low Energy communications. As will be discussed in greater detail below, wireless transceiver 104 may be configured to communicate unique ID 114 to patient support apparatuses 20 and / or mobile devices 98.

[0097] Power sensor 106 (FIG. 6) is adapted to detect when electrical power is being consumed by a patient support apparatus 20 that has a power cable 70 coupled between status unit 60 and patient support apparatus 20. In other words, status unit 60 is adapted to, in addition to other functions, provide electrical power to patient support apparatus 20. Such electrical power is supplied to patient support apparatus 20 via first or second power outlets 110 or 112. When a cable 70 is coupled between first power outlet 110 and patient support apparatus 20, status unit 60 delivers electrical power to patient support apparatus 20 via first power outlet 110. As will be discussed more below, a user can alternatively couple a power cable 70a between second power outlet 112 and patient support apparatus 20, in which case power is delivered to patient support apparatus 20 via second power outlet 112.

[0098] Power inlet 108 (FIG 6) is adapted to receive an electrical cable 72 that couples status unit 60 to a standard electrical outlet 76 When so connected, electrical cable 72 delivers electrical power to status unit 60 from the mains electricalsupply of the healthcare facility via a standard electrical outlet 76. Power inlet 108 receives this electrical power and uses it to power the internal functions of status unit 60, as well as to deliver it to patient support apparatus 20 via either cable 70 or cable 70a, depending upon whether patient support apparatus 20 is connected to status unit 60 via 1stpower outlet 110 or 2ndpower outlet 112. Thus, power inlet 108 receives electrical power from electrical outlet 76 and supplies it to 1stand / or 2ndpower outlet 110 and / or 112, as well as to the internal components of status unit 60

[0099] In some versions, first power outlet 110 (FIG 5) is adapted to supply alternating current (AC) to patient support apparatus 20, while second power outlet 112 is adapted to provide direct current (DC) to patient support apparatus 20. Further, in some versions, the voltage supplied by first power outlet 110 may match the voltage provided by a conventional electrical outlet 76 (e.g. 120 volts in the United States), while the voltage supplied by second power outlet 112 may be adjusted to a different voltage level. Still further, in some versions, first power outlet 110 does not include a separate data contact for communicating data to patient support apparatus 20, but instead includes only a power contact (or contacts) for delivering power to patient support apparatus 20. Thus, cable 70 may be a conventional power cable that is of the same type used to plug conventional electrical items into a conventional electrical outlet 76. In some versions, cable 70a may be a specialized and / or non-conventional cable that includes one or more power conductors and one or more data conductors.

[0100] Second power outlet 112 (FIG. 5), in some versions, is adapted to include a data contact 120 and one or more power contacts 122 The data contact 120 is adapted to electrically couple to a separate data wire within cable 70a, while the power contact(s) 122 is adapted to couple to one or more separate power wires within the cable 70a. Status unit 60 can therefore communicate by a separate wire with patient support apparatus 20 when cable 70a is coupled therebetween over a separate data line. Cable 70a may be a non-conventional cable that is specifically adapted to couple to patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60 and that is adapted to carry data separately from power.

[0101] ID 114 is an identifier that uniquely identifies a particular status unit 60, thereby allowing it to be distinguished from other status units 60 that may be positioned within the same healthcare facility. Controller 100 is configured to transmit the unique ID 114 to a patient support apparatus 20 during the pairing process with the patient support apparatus 20, and, in some versions, to also transmit the unique ID to a paired patient support apparatus 20 in other messages. The unique ID may therefore server as a form of an address that the patient support apparatus 20 can use when it sends messages back to the status unit 60 and those messages are intended for a particular status unit 60.

[0102] Status unit 60 may also periodically, or in response to an interrogation signal from patient support apparatus or other mobile device, transmit ID 114 to a nearby patient support apparatus 20 and / or other mobile device in order for the location of the patient support apparatus or mobile device to be determined. When patient support apparatus 20 (or the mobile device) receives ID 114, it then either determines its location from the unique ID 114 (using a table that indicates the location of that particular status unit 60), or sends the unique ID 114 to patient support apparatus server 84 (or server 86), which determines the location of the patient support apparatus 20 from the unique ID 114 (using a table that indicates the location of that particular status unit 60). The table is generated by appropriate healthcare workers at the time of, or subsequent to, the installation of status unit 60 at a particular location within the healthcare facility. That is, the appropriate healthcare worker enters the particular location of an installed status unit 60 into one or more of patient support apparatus server 84, patient support apparatus 20, remote server 86, or the status unit 60 itself In some versions, ID 114 may itself indicate a location, such as room 420, or bay 2 of room 511, etc

[0103] As noted, ID 114 may also, or alternatively, be used as a communications address for status unit 60. That is, status unit 60 may include ID 114 within its communications to a particular patient support apparatus 20 and / or other mobile device. When responding to that particular status unit 60, the patient support apparatus 20 and / or mobile device may include the ID 114 (and, as will be discussed more below, a bed ID) in its messages back to status unit 60 In this manner, if there are multiple status units 60 and / or patient support apparatuses 20 positioned within communication range of each other, it is possible for them to specify which particular status unit 60 and / or which particular patient support apparatus 20 they are communicating with Other mobile devices besides patient support apparatuses 20 may similarly use a unique ID for address purposes.

[0104] Power controller 116 (FIG. 5) is adapted to control the power supplied by first power outlet 110 to patient support apparatus 20 when cable 70 is coupled between first power outlet 110 and patient support apparatus 20. As will be discussed in greater detail below, power controller 116 is adapted to deliver power to cable 70 via 1stpower outlet 110 in a manner that matches a power pattern. The power pattern is determined by controller 100 and may specify variations in the power level, as well as the timing, duration, content, and number of such variations In one version of status unit 60, the variations may include power-off intervals that interrupt the power supplied to 1stpower outlet 110 for specified durations of time and at specified intervals. During such power-off intervals, no electrical power is supplied to 1stpower outlet 110 (and thus no electrical power is supplied to patient support apparatus 20 via cable 70 during such power-off intervals). In some versions, controller 100 may be configured to randomly change one or more characteristics of the power pattern so that, in effect, a different power pattern will typically be used each time status unit 60 transmits a power pattern to a patient support apparatus 20. In some versions, the power pattern may utilize one or more of Amplitude Modulation (AM) of the power signal, Frequency Modulation (FM) of the power signal, Phase Modulation (PM), and / or other modulations of the power signal.

[0105] Display / indicators 118 (FIG. 5) may include any conventional display and / or any indicators, such as Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), lights, light-emitting diodes, a touchscreen with icons, etc The display / indicators 118 are adapted to display and / or convey status information regarding a paired patient support apparatus 20. Such status information may include any one or more of the following pieces of information: a battery charge level of the patient support apparatus 20; a state of a brake of the patient support apparatus 20; height information of litter frame 28 (e.g. if litter frame 28 is at a low height); a state of exit detection system (e.g armed, disarmed, sensitivity level, etc.); a state of one or more siderails 36 (e.g. raised, lowered); a state of a monitoring system 132; a state of a communication connection (i.e. whether connected to patient support apparatus server 84 via WiFi); whether nurse call control 50g has been activated by the patient or not; and / or still other information regarding patient support apparatus 20.

[0106] As was noted, data contact 120 and power contact 122 are adapted to communicate data and power, respectively, to patient support apparatus 20 when a cable 70a is coupled between patient support apparatus 20 and the status unit 60. Controller 100 is adapted to use data contact 120 to communicate unique ID 114, or another unique indicator, to patient support apparatus 20 when cable 70a is coupled therebetween. Similarly, patient support apparatus 20 is adapted to transmit its unique ID 144 (FIG. 5) to status unit 60 via cable 70a. In this manner, data port 120 is used forexchanging unique IDs between patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60 These unique IDs are then used as forms of addresses for subsequent wireless communications between status unit 60 and patient support apparatus 20. In other words, controller 100 includes its unique ID and the unique ID of patient support apparatus 20 in its wireless messages to patient support apparatus 20 so that patient support apparatus 20 knows who sent the message, as well as the fact that it is directed to that particular patient support apparatus 20 Patient support apparatus20 does the same in its messages to status unit 60 so that controller 100 is able to determine which patient support apparatus 20 the message originated from, as well as the intended recipient of the message.

[0107] In some versions of patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60, after the exchange of IDs has taken place via cable 70a, patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60 switch to communicating data between themselves wirelessly (e g via wireless transceiver 104 and a similar wireless transceiver 140 onboard patient support apparatus 20) This wireless communication may be maintained until patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60 are unpaired, or otherwise need to be re-paired Such unpairing and / or re-pairing may be required when any one or more of the following occur: (1) cable 70a is uncoupled from patient support apparatus 20 and / or status unit 60; (2) communication via data port 120 with the patient support apparatus 20 is otherwise compromised or non-functional; (3) patient support apparatus 20 moves more than a threshold distance away from status unit 60, as detected by proximity transceiver 102; and / or (4) a control is activated on patient support apparatus 20 and / or status unit 60 that unpairs the two and / or requires them to be re-paired.

[0108] In those situations where patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60 are coupled together via a cable 70 between 1stpower outlet 110 and a 1stpower inlet 134 of patient support apparatus 20, rather than a cable 70a between second power outlet 112 and second power inlet 138, the unpairing of, and / or the need to re-pair, patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60 may be required when any one or more of the following occur: (1) cable 70 is uncoupled from patient support apparatus 20 and / or status unit 60; (2) communication via wireless transceiver 104 and wireless transceiver 140 of patient support apparatus 20 is compromised or non-functional; (3) patient support apparatus 20 moves more than a threshold distance away from status unit 60, as detected by proximity transceiver 102; and / or (4) a control is activated on patient support apparatus 20 and / or status unit 60 that unpairs the two and / or requires them to be re-paired.

[0109] In some versions of status unit 60 and patient support apparatus 20, when a cable 70a is coupled between the status unit 60 and patient support apparatus 20, patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60 may perform all of their data communications over cable 70a and not utilize any wireless data communications (i.e. wireless transceiver 104 and wireless transceiver 140).

[0110] As shown in the version of patient support apparatus 20 of FIG. 5, patient support apparatus 20 includes a controller 126, a memory 128, a 1stpower inlet 134, a power sensor 136, a 2ndpower inlet 138, a wireless transceiver 140, a proximity transceiver 152, and one or more capacitors 142 or other electrical storage devices, as well as display 52, control panels 54, exit detection system 130, and monitoring system 132. Memory 128 may include, among other items, a unique ID 144. 2ndpower inlet 138 includes one or more data contacts 146 and one or more power contacts 148.

[0111] Controller 126 (FIG. 5), as with controller 100 of status unit 60, may take on a variety of different forms. For example, both of these controllers 100, 126 may be implemented as conventional microcontrollers. However, these controllers 100, 126 may be modified to use a variety of other types of circuits— either alone or in combination with one or more microcontrollers— such as, but not limited to, any one or more microprocessors, field programmable gate arrays, systems on a chip, volatile or nonvolatile memory, discrete circuitry, and / or other hardware, software, or firmware that is capable of carrying out the functions described herein, as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such components can be physically configured in any suitable manner, such as by mounting them to one or more circuit boards, or arranging them in other manners, whether combined into a single unitor distributed across multiple subunits The instructions followed by controllers 100, 126 when carrying out the functions described herein, as well as the data necessary for carrying out these functions, are stored in a corresponding memory thatis accessible to that particular controller (e.g. memory 128 for controller 126). In some versions, controllers 100, 126 may include and / or work with one or more microcontrollers that are integrated into, or associated with, the Bluetooth and / or UWB transceiver(s) onboard that particular device (e.g. wireless transceivers 104, 140, and / or proximity transceivers 102, 152).

[0112] Memory 128 (FIG 5) includes unique ID 144 of patient support apparatus 20 Unique ID 144 is transmitted by controller 126 in messages it sends to patient support apparatus server 84 and / or remote server 86, thereby informing the recipient server 84 and / or 86 of the particular patient support apparatus 20 that sent the message Unique ID 144 may also be included with messages sent to status unit 60, as described above. That is, controller 126 may include unique ID 144 with any of the messages it sends to status unit, including messages that are sent via data contact 146 of 2ndpower inlet 138 (if cable 70a is connected) and messages that are sent via wireless transceiver 140. As was previously explained, the inclusion of unique ID 144 in the messages controller 126 transmits enables the recipient device to know which patient support apparatus 20 the message originated from Similarly, controller 126 may include unique ID 114 from status unit 60 in messages it sends thereto (particularly wireless messages) so that any other status units 60 that are not the intended recipient will be able to determine this fact (and so that the intended recipient status unit 60 will know that it is the intended recipient).

[0113] 1stpower inlet 134 (FIG. 5) is adapted to receive one end of cable 70 so that electrical power can be supplied to patient support apparatus 20 from 1stpower outlet 110 of status unit 60. 1stpower inlet 134 receives this electrical power and, in some versions, converts it from alternating current to direct current and / or changes its voltage to one or more levels. 1stpower inlet 134 then distributes the received power to all of the electrical components of patient support apparatus 20, thereby providing the power needed to operate patient support apparatus 20.

[0114] Power sensor 136 is adapted to detect when electrical power is being supplied by cable 70 to patient support apparatus 20. In some versions, power sensor 136 is a voltage sensor that detects a voltage level at power inlet 134 (which will be zero when cable 70 is not connected thereto). In other versions, power sensor 136 may be a current sensor and / or another type of sensor that is capable of detecting one or more electrical characteristics of the power supplied to patient support apparatus 20 via cable 70’s connection to power inlet 134. As will be discussed in more detail below, power sensor 136 is adapted to be able to detect variations in the power supplied to patient support apparatus 20 that match the power pattern implemented by power controller 116. In other words, power sensor 136 is able to detect the power-off intervals and / or other power variations implemented by power controller 116 in the power supplied to patient support apparatus 20 Power sensor 136 reports these power variations to controller 126 and controller 126 compares them to the power pattern transmitted by status unit 60 to patient support apparatus 20. If they match, as will be discussed more below, controller 126 concludes that it is in wireless communication with the same status unit 60 that it is receiving electrical power from via 1stpower inlet 134, and can therefore automatically and wirelessly pair with that particular status unit 60. If the power pattern detected by power sensor 136 does not match the power pattern transmitted wirelessly to patient support apparatus 20 (and received via wireless transceiver 140), the controller 126 concludes that the particular status unit 60 that it is receiving electrical power from (via cable 70 and inlet 134) is not the same status unit 60 that wirelessly sent the power pattern to it. In this case, controller 126 does notwirelessly pair with the status unit 60 that it received the power pattern from. In this manner, controller 126 is able to ensure that it will only wirelessly pair with the same status unit 60 that it is receiving electrical power from, regardless of the fact that more than one status unit 60 may be within wireless communication range of patient support apparatus 20

[0115] Second power inlet 138 is adapted to receive electrical power from status unit 60 when a cable 70a is coupled therebetween. As was noted, cable 70a may be used in lieu of cable 70. In practice, only one cable (either cable 70 or cable 70a) is coupled between patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60. When cable 70a is coupled between patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60, controller 126 is able to determine which specific status unit 60 it is electrically coupled to via data communications over cable 70a (between data contacts 120 and 146) As was noted, this data communication over cable 70a involves exchanging unique IDs 114 and 144 Once these unique IDs are exchanged via cable 70a, wireless pairing and communication between that particular patient support apparatus 20 and that particular status unit 60 can be implemented using IDs 114 and 144. Any other status units 60 and / or patient support apparatuses 20 that are positioned within wireless communication range will not be paired with because those other status units 60 and / or patient support apparatuses 20 will include different IDs 114 and 144 that don't match the ones exchanged over cable 70a.

[0116] Second power inlet 138 (FIG 5) also includes a power contact 148. Power contact 148 is adapted to receive power from the power wire(s) within cable 70a. Second power inlet 138 distributes the electrical power it receives via cable 70a to the electrical components of patient support apparatus 20 in the same manner that 1stpower inlet 134 distributes the electrical power it receives via cable 70 to the electrical components of patient support apparatus 20. Thus, patient support apparatus 20 is able to receive electrical power from both cables 70 and 70a.

[0117] Wireless transceiver 140 (FIG. 5) is adapted to communicate with wireless transceiver 104 of status unit 60. Such communications include, but are not limited to, transmitting status data about patient support apparatus 20 to status unit 60 so that status unit 60 can display such status information using display / indicators 118. In addition, such communications may include the transmission of one or more commands from status unit 60 to patient support apparatus 20. Still further, such communications may include the transmission of unique IDs 114 and 144 so that communication may be implemented between the correct patient support apparatus 20 and the correct status unit 60. Still further, such communications include the transmission of unique ID 114 to patient support apparatus 20 so that the location of patient support apparatus 20 within the healthcare facility may be determined.

[0118] As was noted, patient support apparatus 20 may be configured to transmit the ID 114 it receives from a nearby status unit 60 to patient support apparatus server 84 and / or a remote server 86. When patient support apparatus server 84 and / or remote server 86 receives the ID 114 of a status unit 60 from patient support apparatus 20, the server 84 and / or 86 is able to determine which specific patient support apparatus 20 is positioned in proximity to the specific status unit 60 having that specific ID 114. The server 84 and / or 86 is then able to forward messages to one or more mobile devices 98 and / or stationary computers indicating the status of a patient support apparatus 20, as well as its location within the healthcare facility. In this manner, if a patient has requested help (e.g. nurse call control 50g), an exit alert has gone off, or some other relevant data regarding patient support apparatus 20 has been generated, the server 84 and / or 86 is able to inform appropriate personnel and identify where that particular patient support apparatus 20 is located within the healthcare facility.

[0119] Capacitor(s) 142 (FIG. 5) are adapted to temporarily store electrical power received from cable 70 when the power pattern generated by power controller 116 involves one or more power-off intervals. The inclusion of such power-off intervals would otherwise mean that, absent a charged battery onboard patient support apparatus 20, patient support apparatus 20 would not have any power during the power-off intervals, and would therefore not be able to carry out its analysis of the detected power pattern (detected by power sensor 136) by controller 126 Accordingly, in order to have a source of electrical power for at least controller 126 and power sensor 136 (and, in some versions, still other components of patient support apparatus 20) during power-off intervals,one or more capacitor(s) 142 are included that store electrical power received via cable 70 during the power-on intervals of the power pattern, and that then supply power to patient support apparatus 20 during the power-off intervals of the power pattern. Capacitor(s) 142 therefore supply electrical power to patient support apparatus 20 during any power-off intervals of the power pattern followed by the power delivered via cable 70 It will, of course, be understood that other types of temporary power-supplies may be used to provide power during the power-off intervals besides, and / or in addition to, capacitors 142

[0120] Proximity transceiver 152 (FIG 5) is adapted to communicate with proximity transceiver 102 of status unit 60 As was noted previously, in some versions, proximity transceivers 102 and 152 are UWB transceivers that are adapted to determine their distance from each other and, if the distance is less than a threshold, controller 126 and / or 100 is configured to begin and / or maintain a pairing process between patient support apparatus 20 and the status unit 60 In some versions, the threshold distance for beginning and / or maintaining the pairing process may the same as another threshold distance used for determining the location of patient support apparatus 20. Alternatively, controller 126 may utilize a separate and different threshold distance for determining its location. In either case, once controller 126 determines that patient support apparatus 20 is within a particular threshold distance of a status unit 60, it requests or automatically receives unique ID 114 from the status unit (via wireless or wired communication). Controller 126 then reports its location to patient support apparatus server 84 (via a network transceiver) as corresponding to the location of that particular status unit 60. In some versions, the threshold distance for location-determination is on the order of zero to several meters, although other distances may be used as the threshold. In other versions, proximity transceivers 102 and 152 may be infrared transceivers adapted to perform line-of-sight communications, which is a proxy for proximity. Further details regarding the use of short range infrared communications for location determination are described in commonly assigned U.S. patent 9,999,375 issued June 19, 2018, to inventors Michael Hayes et al and entitled LOCATION DETECTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0121] In still other versions, proximity transceivers 102 and 152 may be Bluetooth or other transceivers that are used to determine the relative position of patient support apparatus 20 to status unit 60. When proximity transceivers 102 and 152 are Bluetooth transceivers, wireless transceiver 104 and 140 may be omitted, in some versions, and the functions of wireless transceiver 104 and 140 may be performed by the proximity transceivers 102, 152, or vice versa.

[0122] When proximity transceivers 102 and 152 are UWB transceivers, and patient support apparatus 20 includes more than one UWB transceiver, each UWB transceiver onboard patient support apparatus 20 is positioned at a known location on patient support apparatus 20. This known location information is stored in memory 128 and / or elsewhere, and may be defined with respect to any suitable frame of reference that is common to patient support apparatus 20 The known location information may include the spatial relationship between the UWB transceivers 152 and / or any other components of patient support apparatus 20. For example, in some versions, the known location information includes the spatial relationship not only between UWB transceivers 152, but also the spatial relationships between UWB transceivers 152 and one or more of the following: the head end 38 of patient support apparatus 20, the foot end 40 of patient support apparatus 20, the sides of patient support apparatus 20, a reference point defined on patient support apparatus 20, the floor, and / or other components and / or landmarks of patient support apparatus 20 In some versions, this location information is used to determine the orientation of patient support apparatus 20 with respect to one or more walls, status units 60, another patient support apparatus 20, and / or another object or structure within the healthcare facility.

[0123] Although not shown in FIG 5, patient support apparatus 20 may also include a microphone (not shown) that is used to detect the voice of the patient when the patient wants to speak to a remotely positioned nurse The patient’s voice isconverted to audio signals by the microphone and controller 126 is adapted to forward these audio signals to a conventional nurse call system, if patient support apparatus 20 is communicatively coupled to such a nurse call system. In some versions, status unit 60 may be coupled to the nurse call system and act as a communication intermediary between the patient support apparatus 20 and the nurse call system In other versions, status unit 60 is not configured to act as such a communication intermediary, and therefore does not play a role in communicating audio signals from a patient to the conventional nurse call system

[0124] It will be understood that one or more of the components of the patient support apparatus 20 shown in FIG 5 may be omitted, supplemented, and / or changed from what is shown therein. For example, patient support apparatus 20, in some versions, may omit any one or more of exit detection system 130, monitoring system 132, display 52, and / or other components. One or more additional components may also, or alternatively, be added to patient support apparatus 20.

[0125] Similarly, it will be understood that one or more of the components of status unit 60 shown in FIG. 5 may be omitted, supplemented, and / or changed from what is shown therein. For example, status unit 60, in some versions, may omit second power outlet 112, one or more display / indicators 118, proximity transceiver 102, and / or other components. One or more additional components may also, or alternatively, be added to status unit 60. In some versions, status unit 60 may include circuitry enabling it to communicatively couple to a conventional nurse call outlet, which is often a 37-pin outlet that enables communications between patient support apparatus 20 and a conventional nurse call system (as well as a reading light, room light, and / or nearby television) to take place. In some versions, status unit 60 may also include any of the features and / or functionality of any of the headwall units 76 disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application serial number 16 / 215,911 filed December 11, 2018, by inventors Alexander Bodurka et al. and entitled HOSPITAL HEADWALL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference Alternatively, or additionally, status units 60 may include any and / or all of the same functionality as, and / or components of, the headwall interface 38 disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent publication 2016 / 0038361 published February 11, 2016, entitled PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES WITH WIRELESS HEADWALL COMMUNICATION, and filed by inventors Krishna Bhimavarapu et al., the complete disclosure of which is also incorporated herein by reference. Still further, status units 60 and / or patient support apparatus 20 may include any of the functionality and / or components of the headwall units 140, 140a and / or patient support apparatuses 20, 20a, and / or 20b disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application serial number 62 / 833,943 filed April 15, 2019, by inventors Alexander Bodurka et al. and entitled PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES WITH NURSE CALL AUDIO MANAGEMENT, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0126] In those versions of status unit 60 that are configured to share unique ID 114 for location-determination purposes, patient support apparatus 20 may be configured to send out an interrogation message in response to one or more triggering actions, and status unit 60, if it is close enough to receive the interrogation message, is configured to respond with its unique ID 114. The triggering conditions for sending out the interrogation message may be varied. In some versions of patient support apparatus 20, the triggering conditions may include any one or more of the following: the activation of a brake onboard patient support apparatus 20, the plugging in of an AC power cord of the patient support apparatus 20 into an electrical outlet; the stopping of movement of the patient support apparatus 20, and / or other triggering conditions.

[0127] In some versions of status unit 60, controller 100 may be configured to periodically send out an interrogation message and / or a message containing its unique ID 114 to any patient support apparatuses 20 that are within communication range In those versions of status unit 60 that utilize one or more UWB transceivers, controller 100 may be configured to first determine therelative distance between itself and a patient support apparatus 20 and, if the distance is less than a threshold, to then send out unique ID 114 to the patient support apparatus 20.

[0128] Apart from sharing unique ID 114 for location-determination purposes, status unit 60 is configured to automatically pair with a patient support apparatus 20 to enable wireless communication therebetween that is specific to the particular patient support apparatus 20 that status unit 60 has paired with One pairing algorithm 160 that may be utilized by status unit 60 and patient support apparatus 20 is shown in FIG 6 It will be understood that the algorithm 160 shown in FIG 6 is illustrated with respect to an example that involves three status units 60a, 60b, and 60c, as well as two patient support apparatuses 20a and 20b. Algorithm 160 may be applied to other situations. Specifically, algorithm 160 may be applied to any situation in which at least one patient support apparatus 20 and at least one status unit 60 is present. It will also be understood that algorithm 160 is utilized when a cable 70 is coupled between a status unit 60 and a patient support apparatus 20, but is not used when a cable 70a is coupled between a status unit 60 and a patient support apparatus 20 (since, in the latter case, the patient support apparatus 20 and status unit can automatically pair with each other via the data wire of cable 70a and there is no danger of them pairing with other status units 60 and / or patient support apparatuses 20 that are within wireless communication range).

[0129] Algorithm 160 (FIG 6) begins at steps 162a and 162b where status units 60a and 60b are not currently paired with any patient support apparatuses 20. At step 162a, status unit 60a sends out periodic ranging signals using proximity transceiver 102. These ranging signals allow proximity transceiver 102 to determine the distance between itself and any in-range patient support apparatuses 20 that include proximity sensor 152. At step 162b, status unit 60b does the same. That is, status unit 60b sends out periodic ranging signals using its proximity transceiver 102. These are detected by the proximity transceivers 152 onboard patient support apparatuses 20a, 20b, and 20c (and any other patient support apparatuses 20 within range of proximity transceiver 102) Proximity transceiver 152 respond to these ranging signals in a manner that allows each status unit 60 to determine the distance between itself and any responding patient support apparatuses 20a, 20b, 20c, etc. Thus, the result of steps 162a and 162b is for controller 100 of each status unit 60 to determine the current distance between itself and one or more nearby patient support apparatuses 20a, 20b, 20c. This distance information is used, in some versions, as a condition for pairing, as will be discussed in more detail below.

[0130] At step 164a, status unit 60a detects that electrical power is being delivered via first power outlet 110. This power delivery is detected by power sensor 106, which reports the detection of patient support apparatus 20 drawing power from 1stpower outlet 110 to controller 100. Controller 100 uses this information as a trigger to generate a random power pattern and send it wirelessly to any patient support apparatuses 20 that are within communication range using wireless transceiver 104, as will be discussed in greater detail below. At step 164b, status unit 60b does the same thing. That is, power sensor 106 of status unit 60b detects that power is being delivered to a patient support apparatus 20 via a cable 70 connection. Power sensor 106 of status unit 60b reports this to controller 100 of status unit 60b, and controller 100 of status unit 60b uses this information as a trigger to generate its own random power pattern and wirelessly send it to any patient support apparatuses 20 that are within communication range.

[0131] At step 166a (FIG. 6), power sensor 136 of patient support apparatus 20b detects that power is being supplied to patient support apparatus 20b via cable 70. This is detected when a caregiver, or other person, physically couples cable 70 between first power inlet 134 of patient support apparatus 20b and a 1stpower outlet 110 of a status unit 60. When power sensor 136 detects this power delivery, it reports it to controller 126 of patient support apparatus 20b At step 166b, the same thing happens to patient support apparatus 20c That is, when a caregiver couples a power cable 70 between first power outlet 110 of a status unit 60 andthe first power inlet 134 of patient support apparatus 20c, power sensor 136 of patient support apparatus 20c detects this supply of power and reports it to controller 126 of patient support apparatus 20c.

[0132] Moving onto step 168b (FIG. 6), controller 100 of status unit 60b generates a random number N and a random number T Controller 100 of status unit 60b uses the random number N to determine how many power-off intervals power controller 116 will impose on the electrical power being supplied to 1stpower outlet 110 (and by extension, whichever patient support apparatus 20 is electrically coupled thereto by cable 70) Controller 100 of status unit 60b uses the random number T to determine the duration of each power-off interval. In some versions, each random number is chosen from a predetermined range. That is, in some versions, controller 100 generates a random number N for the number of power-off intervals, wherein N may range from one to approximately ten, although other upper limits may be used. With respect to random number T, controller 100 may generate this number in a manner such that it will be between limits of approximately 1 millisecond to 200 milliseconds, although other upper and lower limits may be used.

[0133] At step 168A, controller 100 of status unit 60a performs the same operation as was performed by controller 100 of status unit 60b That is, controller 100 of status unit 60a uses the random number N to determine how many power-off intervals power controller 116 will impose on the electrical power being supplied to 1stpower outlet 110 (and by extension, whichever patient support apparatus 20 is electrically coupled thereto by cable 70). Controller 100 of status unit 60a uses the random number T to determine the duration of each power-off interval The random numbers N and T that are generated by controller 100 of status unit 60a are independent of the random number N and T that are generated by controller 100 of status unit 60b. However, controller 100 of status unit 60a may limit the random numbers to the same limits as controller 100 of status unit 60b In other words, controller 100 of status unit 60a may generate a random number N for the number of power-off intervals, wherein N may range from one to approximately ten, although other upper limits may be used, and may also generate a random number T that will be between limits of approximately 1 millisecond to 200 milliseconds, although other upper and lower limits may be used.

[0134] As part of step 168a, after controller 100 of status unit 60a generates random numbers N and T, it sends a wireless message that includes the power pattern it generated to any patient support apparatuses 20 that are within communication range of wireless transceiver 104. That is, the random number N of power-off intervals and the random duration T of each power-off interval define a power pattern. This power pattern is shared wirelessly with any patient support apparatuses 20 that are within reception range. In addition, as part of step 168a, controller 100 instructs power controller 116 to apply the power pattern to the power being delivered to 1stpower outlet 110 (and by extension, to the patient support apparatus 20 coupled thereto via cable 70).

[0135] As part of step 168b (FIG. 6), after controller 100 of status unit 60b generates random numbers N and T, it sends a wireless message that includes the power pattern it generated to any patient support apparatuses 20 that are within communication range of wireless transceiver 104. Due to the random nature of this power pattern, it will most likely be different from the power pattern transmitted by status unit 60a at step 168a. In addition, as part of step 168b, controller 100 of status unit 60b instructs power controller 116 to apply the power pattern to the power being delivered to 1stpower outlet 110 of status unit 60b (and by extension, to the patient support apparatus 20 coupled thereto via cable 70).

[0136] At step 170a, power sensor 136 determines what, if any, power pattern, is included within the power signals delivered to patient support apparatus 20b via cable 70. That is, power sensor 136 monitors the power levels (e.g voltage) of the power being delivered via cable 70 and looks for power-off intervals If it detects a power-off interval, it monitors how long the power-off interval lasts, as well as how many power-off intervals it detects. The total number of power-off intervals, as well as their duration, is then forwarded to controller 126 and controller 126 proceeds to execute step 172a.

[0137] At step 172a (FIG. 6), controller 126 of patient support apparatus 20b compares those power-off interval numbers and durations to any of the power patterns it received wirelessly via wireless transceiver 140 If there is a match, controller 126 concludes that the particular status unit 60 that sent the matching power pattern is the same status unit 60 that patient support apparatus 20b is currently electrically coupled to via power cable 70 If there is no match, then a malfunction has likely occurred and controller 126 concludes that patient support apparatus 20b is not currently electrically coupled via power cable 70 to any status unit 60 from which it received a power pattern (which, in this case, means patient support apparatus 20b will not pair with any status unit 60 until algorithm 160 is re-run).

[0138] When controller 126 of patient support apparatus 20b determines that the power pattern detected by power sensor 136 matches the power pattern received via wireless transceiver 140, it identifies the specific unique ID 114 that was also transmitted with the power pattern This specific ID 114, as noted, identifies which status unit 60 transmitted that particular power pattern. Accordingly, controller 126 then concludes that the status unit 60 having the unique ID 114 that was sent with the matching power pattern is the status unit 60 to which patient support apparatus 20b is electrically coupled. After determining which status unit 60 patient support apparatus 20b is electrically coupled to via cable 70, controller 126 of patient support apparatus 20b proceeds to step 174a, where it automatically pairs with that particular status unit 60.

[0139] Steps 170b and 172b are the same as steps 170a and 170a, except that these steps are carried out by patient support apparatus 20c, rather than patient support apparatus 20b That is, at step 172b (FIG. 6), controller 126 of patient support apparatus 20c compares the power-off interval numbers and durations detected by power sensor 136 to any of the power patterns it received wirelessly via wireless transceiver 140. If there is a match, controller 126 concludes that the particular status unit 60 that sent the matching power pattern is the same status unit 60 that patient support apparatus 20c is currently electrically coupled to via power cable 70. If there is no match, then a malfunction has likely occurred and controller 126 concludes that patient support apparatus 20c is not currently electrically coupled via power cable 70 to any status unit 60 from which it received a power pattern (which, in this case, means patient support apparatus 20c will not pair with any status unit 60 until algorithm 160 is re-run).

[0140] When controller 126 of patient support apparatus 20c determines that the power pattern detected by its power sensor 136 matches the power pattern received via wireless transceiver 140, it identifies the specific unique ID 114 that was also transmitted with the power pattern This specific ID 114, as noted, identifies which status unit 60 transmitted that particular power pattern. Accordingly, controller 126 then concludes that the status unit 60 having the unique ID 114 that was sent with the matching power pattern is the status unit 60 to which patient support apparatus 20c is electrically coupled. After determining which status unit 60 patient support apparatus 20c is electrically coupled to via cable 70, controller 126 of patient support apparatus 20c proceeds to step 174b, where it automatically pairs with that particular status unit 60.

[0141] In some versions of algorithm 160, steps 172a and 172b include an additional sub-step that must be met before patient support apparatuses 20 and status units 60 will automatically pair with each other at step 174. That is, in some versions of algorithm 160, two separate criteria must be met before a patient support apparatus 20 will pair with a status unit 60: (1) the patient support apparatus 20 must detect via power sensor 136 the same power pattern that it received from a particular status unit 60 via wireless transceiver 140, and (2) that particular status unit 60 and the patient support apparatus 20 must be within a threshold distance of each other This threshold distance determination is carried out by proximity transceivers 102 and 152, as discussedThis distance determination can be accomplished without any pairing between patient support apparatus 20 and a status unit 60. Once this distance is determined, controller 126 of patient support apparatus 20 checks to see if the distance is less than a threshold (which may be on the order of zero to several meters). If the distance is less than the threshold, controller 126 proceeds to pair with the status unit 60 at step 174 If the distance is not less than the threshold, controller 126 does not pair with the status unit 60 (which, in some versions, may lead to algorithm 160 being repeated, and / or an error notification occurring)

[0142] At step 174a, patient support apparatus 20b automatically pairs with status unit 60a This automatic pairing involves exchanging communication credentials. Such communication credentials may include a MAC address and / or other information. In some versions, this pairing is a Bluetooth pairing operation and wireless transceivers 104 and 140 are Bluetooth transceivers that pair with each other at step 174a. Once paired, patient support apparatus 20b and status unit 60a communicate with each other wirelessly. As noted, such communication includes patient support apparatus 20b sending data to display and / or indicate (via display / indicators 118) on status unit 60a, and, in some versions, status unit 60a sending one or more commands to patient support apparatus 20b. In the latter case, the status units 60 may include one or more controls, such as dials, buttons, switches, or the like, that are adapted to be activated by a caregiver and that allow the caregiver to control one or more aspects of a paired patient support apparatus 20 via the status unit 60 controls. Thus, in the example shown in FIG. 6, a caregiver could use the controls of status unit 60a to control one or more aspects of patient support apparatus 20b, and a caregiver could use the controls of status unit 60b to control one or more aspects of patient support apparatus 20c.

[0143] Step 174b (FIG. 6) is the same as step 174a, but is applied to patient support apparatus 20c and status unit 60b instead of patient support apparatus 20b and status unit 60a. That is, at step 174b, patient support apparatus 20c automatically pairs with status unit 60b. This automatic pairing involves exchanging communication credentials. Such communication credentials may include a MAC address and / or other information. In some versions, this pairing is a Bluetooth pairing operation and wireless transceivers 104 and 140 are Bluetooth transceivers that pair with each other at step 174b. Once paired, patient support apparatus 20c and status unit 60b communicate with each other wirelessly. Such communication includes patient support apparatus 20c sending data to display and / or indicate (via display / indicators 118) on status unit 60b, and, in some versions, status unit 60b sending one or more commands to patient support apparatus 20c.

[0144] In the example of algorithm 160 shown in FIG 6, patient support apparatus 20a does not pair with any status units 60. This is because, although patient support apparatus 20a will receive the power patterns from both status unit 60a and 60b (via its wireless transceiver 140), power sensor 136 of patient support apparatus 20a will not detect a power pattern (and, indeed, might not detect any power) being delivered to first power inlet 134 that matches either of the power patterns it received wirelessly from status units 60a or 60b. This means that patient support apparatus 20a is not electrically coupled via a cable 70 to either of status units 60a or 60b, and thus it should not pair with either of these status units 60 Algorithm 160 therefore ensures that a patient support apparatus 20 only pairs with the particular status unit 60 from which it is receiving electrical power.

[0145] Patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60 are adapted to automatically unpair from each other in response to one or more triggering conditions. Such triggering conditions may include any one or more of the following: the disconnection of cable 70 between patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60 for more than a threshold amount of time (which may be set, in some versions, to be longer than the longest possible power-off interval); a disconnection or malfunction of the wireless communication between patient support apparatus 20 and the status unit 60; the release of a brake onboard patient supportapparatus 20 (or the release of the brake for more than a threshold amount of time without the brake being re-activated); an unpairing command initiated by a user via one of control panels 54 (or a control on status unit 60); and / or other conditions.

[0146] FIG. 7 illustrates one example of a power pattern 180 that may be generated by a status unit 60 and communicated wirelessly to one or more nearby patient support apparatuses 20, as well as applied by power controller 116 to the electrical power delivered to cable 70 and whichever patient support apparatus 20 has cable 70 coupled to its 1stpower inlet 134 Power pattern 180 includes an X-axis 186 that corresponds to time, a Y-axis 188 that may correspond to voltage, and a power signal 190 indicating the power delivered via cable 70 to a patient support apparatus 20. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the power pattern 180 involves alternating current, although it will be understood that the principles of the present disclosure could alternatively be applied to a direct current power pattern 180. Power pattern 180 includes two power-off intervals 182a and 182b, which are separate by a single power-on interval 184. It will be understood that power pattern 180 may include both greater or smaller numbers of power-off intervals 182 and / or greater or smaller numbers of power-on intervals 184. Still further, in some versions, the power pattern 180 may specify the duration of each power-off interval 182 and / or the duration of each power-on interval 184. Still further, in some versions of power pattern 180, the start time of the first power-off interval 182 may be specified, although this may be omitted in still other versions of power pattern 180. In some versions of status unit 60, each power pattern has a random number of power-off intervals 182 that each last for a random duration. In other versions, the power pattern 180 maybe constant or non-random.

[0147] It will be understood that power pattern 180 may be defined in still other manners besides the example shown in FIG. 7. For example, power-off intervals 182 may be replaced and / or supplemented with intervals of reduced power wherein the power reduction is specified in the power pattern 180 and, in some versions, the duration of the reduced power is also specified. In still other versions, the power pattern 180 may involve amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, and / or phase modulation of the power signal 190. Still other manners of changing the power signal 190 may be used to define the power pattern 180. In sum, any manipulation of the power signal 190 that distinguishes the power signal 190 from the power supplied by the electrical outlet 76 may be used. In some versions, such as where power pattern 180 is randomly generated, the power pattern 180 may also distinguish the power signal 190 supplied from one status unit 60 from the power signal 190 supplied from another status unit 60.

[0148] As was noted previously, power pattern 180 and algorithm 160 are only used when a patient support apparatus 20 is electrically coupled to a status unit via a cable 70, and not via a cable 70a. When a cable 70a is coupled between patient support apparatus 20 and a status unit 60, the patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60 are able to automatically implement step 174 of algorithm 160 without having to perform the other steps of algorithm 160. That is, the patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60 implement step 174 by exchanging communication credentials over the data wire within cable 70a. Because of the data wire (within cable 70a) running between patient support apparatus 20 and status unit 60, there is no danger of patient support apparatus 20 pairing with a status unit 60 other than the one it is physically coupled to via cable 70a. Accordingly, the steps of algorithm 160 other than step 174 may be omitted.

[0149] FIG. 8 illustrates a situation where two patient support apparatuses 20a and 20b are positioned next to two status units 60a and 60b. A first electrical cable 70 is coupled between patient support apparatus 20a and status unit 60a, and a second electrical cable 70 is coupled between patient support apparatus 20b and status unit 60b. Due to the design of algorithm 160, patient support apparatus 20a will automatically pair with status unit 60a and patient support apparatus 20b will automatically pair with status unit 60b, even if both cables 70 are connected at the same, or substantially, the same time In other words, even if one or more caregivers plug in each cable 70 at substantially the same to patient support apparatuses 20a and 20b and status units60a and 60b, algorithm 160 will ensure that patient support apparatus 20a automatically pairs with status unit 60a (and not 60b), and that patient support apparatus 20b will automatically pair with status unit 60b (and not 60a).

[0150] The automatic pairing of patient support apparatus 20a with status unit 60a occurs because, even if both cables 70 are plugged in at substantially the same time (and thus both status units 60a and 60b send out a power pattern 180 at about the same time), the two power patterns 180 will be different Therefore, when patient support apparatus 20a checks to see what power pattern its power sensor 136 detects, it will see that it only matches one of the two power patterns 180 that it received from status units 60a and 60b. The one that matches will be from the status unit 60a that it pairs with. Similarly, when patient support apparatus 20b checks to see what power patterns its power sensor 136 detects, it will see that it only matches the power pattern 180 that it received from status unit 60b, and will therefore automatically pair with status unit 60b and not status unit 60a. This is true even if both patient support apparatuses 20a and 20b are positioned within the threshold distance of both status units 60a and 60b (wherein the threshold distance is the threshold distance necessary for pairing). Algorithm 160 therefore ensure the correct patient support apparatus 20 automatically pairs with the correct status unit 60.

[0151] FIGS. 9-11 illustrates three different versions of status unit 60. It will be understood that that these three different versions are merely illustrative of the forms in which status unit 60 may be implemented, and that status unit 60 may take on a variety of other forms not shown herein. In the example shown in FIG. 9, status unit 60 includes six indicators 118a, 118b, 118c, 118d, 118e, and 118f. Indicator 118a indicates whether patient support apparatus 20 is electrically coupled to status unit 60 via cable 70 or cable 70a. Indicator 118b indicates a current charge state of a battery onboard patient support apparatus 20. Indicator 118c indicates whether exit detection system 130 is issuing an exit detection alert. Indicator 118d indicates whether a brake onboard patient support apparatus 20 is activated or not. Indicator 118e indicators whether litter frame 28 of patient support apparatus 20 is at its lowest height (or at a height below a desired threshold). Indicator 118f indicates whether monitoring system 132 is issuing an alert or not. In some versions, indicator 118c may be changed to indicate whether exit detection system 130 is armed or not, rather than whether it is issuing an alert or not. Similarly, in some versions, indicator 118f may be changed to indicate whether monitoring system 132 is armed or not, rather than whether it is issuing an alert or not. The data necessary for providing the indications 118b-f comes from patient support apparatus 20 after it has been paired with status unit 60. The data necessary for providing indication 118a may come from power sensor 106 onboard status unit 60, or it may come from patient support apparatus 20 (via power sensor 136). The indicators 118 shown in the example of FIG. 9 are merely illustrative examples of indicators that may be incorporated into status unit 60. Different indicators 118, additional indicators 118, and / or fewer indicators 118 may be used with different versions of status unit 60.

[0152] As shown in FIG. 9, status unit 60 is receiving electrical power from a mains electrical outlet via a cable 72. A short cable 70 extends out of status unit 60 from 1stpower outlet 110. In this particular example, the short cable 70 is intended to be coupled to a conventional extension cord that has its other end coupled to patient support apparatus 20. Although not visible in FIG.9, status unit 60 may include a second power outlet 112 (although, in some versions, second power outlet 112 may be omitted).

[0153] FIG. 10 illustrates another version of a status unit 60. In the version shown therein, status unit 60 includes only indicators 118a, 118b, 118c, and 118d. Status unit 60 of FIG. 10 also includes a visible power cable 70a that is capable of transporting both power and data signals. Although not visible in FIG. 10, the status unit 60 shown therein includes a 1stpower inlet 110 for connecting a cable 70 between itself and a patient support apparatus 20 as an alternative to using cable 70a

[0154] FIG. 11 illustrates yet another version of status unit 60. In the version shown therein, status unit 60 includes a display 118g instead of, or in addition to, indicators 118a-f. Display 118 may be a touchscreen or other types of conventional display. Status unit 60 is configured to display on display 118g any of the information indicated by indicators 118a-f and / or still other information and / or controls Status unit 60 of FIG 11 also includes a power / data cable 70a that may be releasably coupled to and status unit 60 In some versions, power / data cable 70a is releasably coupled to status unit 60 by way of magnetic couplers Status unit 60 includes, although not visible, a 1stpower inlet 110 for connecting a cable 70 between itself and a patient support apparatus 20 as an alternative to using cable 70a.

[0155] In any of the various versions of status unit 60 disclosed herein, status unit 60 may be configured to releasably or non-releasably couple to a cable 70a having an apparatus interface and / or facility interface of the type disclosed in commonly assigned PCT patent application WO 2024 / 112845 published May 30, 2024, filed by Stryker Corporation, and entitled SYSTEMS FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSE TO FACILITIES, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Status unit 60 may also be configured to work with other types of cables 70a.

[0156] In some versions of status units 60 and / or patient support apparatuses 20, the location of a patient support apparatus 20 and / or other mobile devices may be determined from wireless communication with multiple status units 60. That is, in some versions of patient support apparatus 20 (or other mobile devices), the location may be determined utilizing triangulation and / or trilateration with more than one status unit 60 and / or with one or more access points 82 of known position via a WiFi transceiver. For example, in at least one version of patient support apparatuses 20, the location of the patient support apparatus 20 may be determined in any of the manners disclosed in commonly assigned Indian patent application serial number 202411097963±filed December 11, 2024, by inventors Celso Pereira et al. and entitled HEALTHCARE FACILITY LOCATION SYSTEM, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0157] When proximity transceivers 102 and 152 are implemented as ultra-wideband transceivers, the UWB transceivers may be configured to determine the distance between themselves using time of flight (TOF) computations. In other versions, the UWB transceivers 102 and 152 may utilize other techniques (e.g., time difference of arrival, two-way ranging, angle of arrival, channel state information, etc.) for determining their distances from each other, either in addition to, or in lieu of, TOF computations. In some versions, UWB transceivers 102 and 152 may also determine an angle between themselves using angular information derived from antenna arrays positions onboard transceivers 102 and 152, or by using other techniques. The position and orientation of each UWB transceiver 152 onboard patient support apparatus 20 (if there is more than one) may be stored in memory 128 and used to determine the position and orientation of patient support apparatus 20 with respect to one or more status units 60 with which it is communicating. Such position and orientation information may be determined using conventional trilateration and / or triangulation techniques, or other techniques.

[0158] In some versions in which proximity transceivers 102 and 152 are UWB transceivers, the UWB transceivers 102 and 152 may be implemented as any of the Trimension™ ultra-wideband modules available from NXP Semiconductors of Austin, Texas. These modules include, but are not limited to, the Trimension™ UWB modules ASMOP1 BOON 1, ASMOP1COOR1, and / or the ASMOP1COOA1, that utilize any of the following chips: the NXP SR150, SR100T, SR040, NCJ29D5, and / or the OL23DO chips. Modules manufactured and / or marketed by other companies may also be used, including, but not limited to, the Decawave DWM1000, DWM10001C, DWM3000 modules (available from Decawave of Dublin, Ireland); the Nordic TSG5162 SiP module(available from Tsingoal Technology of Beijing, China); and / or the UWB hub, wand, and / or sensors available from Zebra technologies of Lincolnshire, Illinois. Still other types of UWB modules may be used.

[0159] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the use of the term “transceiver” throughout this specification is not intended to be limited to devices in which a transmitter and receiver are necessarily within the same housing, or share some circuitry Instead, the term "transceiver” is used broadly herein to refer to both structures in which circuitry is shared between the transmitter and receiver, and transmitter-receivers in which the transmitter and receiver do not share circuitry and / or a common housing. Thus, the term “transceiver” refers to any device having a transmitter component and a receiver component, regardless of whether the two components are a common entity, separate entities, or have some overlap in their structures

[0160] Various additional alterations and changes beyond those already mentioned herein can be made to the abovedescribed embodiments. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments For example, and without limitation, any individual elements) of the described embodiments may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known alternative elements, such as those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development, recognize as an alternative. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.

Claims

1. CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A system comprising a patient support apparatus and a status unit;wherein the status unit includes:(a) a first wireless transceiver adapted to communicate with the patient support apparatus;(b) a power outlet adapted to supply power to the patient support apparatus when a power cord is coupled between the power outlet and the patient support apparatus;(c) a power controller adapted to change a voltage of the power supplied to the power outlet in a manner that matches a power pattern; and(d) a first controller adapted to use the first wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus;wherein the patient support apparatus includes:(i) a support surface adapted to support a patient thereon;(ii) a second wireless transceiver adapted to communicate with the first wireless transceiver;(iii) an electrical port adapted to receive the power cord;(iv) a sensor adapted to detect a level of voltage received at the electrical port from the power outlet;(v) a second controller adapted to receive the detected level of voltage from the sensor, compare the detected level of voltage to the power pattern and perform the following:if the detected level of voltage matches the power pattern, to wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit; andif the detected level of voltage does not match the power pattern, to not wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first controller is further adapted to randomly generate the power pattern.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the status unit further includes a second power cord adapted to couple the status unit to an electrical wall outlet, wherein the status unit is adapted to draw power from the electrical wall outlet when supplying power to the patient support apparatus.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second wireless transceivers are Bluetooth transceivers, and the pairing of the patient support apparatus with the status unit is a Bluetooth pairing.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the status unit further includes a first ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver and the patient support apparatus further includes a second UWB transceiver; the first controller is adapted to determine a distance between the patient support apparatus and the status unit using ranging between the first and second UWB transceivers; and the second controller is further adapted to not wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit if the distance exceeds a threshold6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first controller is adapted to use the first wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern in response to a triggering condition, and to not use the first wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern in response to an absence of the triggering condition7 The system of claim 6 wherein the status unit further includes an electrical current sensor adapted to detect a level of electrical current flowing out of the power outlet, and the triggering condition is the level of electrical current flowing out of the power outlet exceeding a current threshold.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the status unit further includes a first ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver and the first controller is adapted to determine if a first distance between the status unit and the patient support apparatus or a second distance between the status unit and a second patient support apparatus are less than a threshold, and to not transmit the power pattern if both the first and second distances are less than the threshold.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the power pattern includes a sequence of power-off intervals, wherein during each power-off interval the power outlet is adapted to terminate power to the patient support apparatus.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the power pattern includes data specifying a duration of each power-off interval.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the power pattern includes data specifying an amount of time between the power-off intervals.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the power outlet is adapted to provide alternating current to the patient support apparatus13. The system of claim 1 wherein the status unit further includes a second power outlet adapted to supply power to the patient support apparatus when a second power cord is coupled between the second power outlet and the patient support apparatus14. The system of claim 13 wherein the second power outlet includes a power contact and a data contact, the power contact adapted to supply electrical power to a first wire in the second power cord, and the data contact adapted to communicate data to the patient support apparatus over a second wire in the second power cord.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the status unit further includes a coupling sensor adapted to detect when the second power cord is coupled to the second power outlet, and wherein the first controller is further adapted to not transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus if the coupling sensor detects the second power cord is coupled to the second power outlet16. The system of claim 1 wherein the status unit further includes a display and the first controller is further adapted to receive status data from the patient support apparatus and display the status data on the display.17 The system of claim 1 wherein the status unit further includes a control adapted to be activated by a user, and wherein the first controller is adapted to transmit a command to the patient support apparatus using the first wireless transceiver in response to the user activating the control, and the second controller is adapted to execute the command in response to receiving the command via the second wireless transceiver.

18. The system of claim 9 wherein the patient support apparatus includes a capacitor adapted supply electrical power to the second controller during the power-off intervals.

19. A status unit for communicating with a patient support apparatus, the status unit comprising:a wireless transceiver;a power outlet adapted to supply power to the patient support apparatus when a power cable is coupled between the power outlet and the patient support apparatus;an ultra-wideband transceiver adapted to determine a distance between the patient support apparatus and the status unit;a power controller adapted to change a voltage of the power supplied to the power outlet in a manner that matches a power pattern; anda controller adapted to use the wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus if the distance is less than a threshold, the controller further adapted to not transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus if the distance is greater than the threshold20. The status unit of claim 19 wherein the controller is further adapted to randomly generate the power pattern.

21. The status unit of claim 19 further including a second power cord adapted to couple the status unit to an electrical wall outlet, and wherein the status unit is adapted to draw power from the electrical wall outlet when supplying power to the patient support apparatus.

22. The status unit of claim 19 wherein the controller is adapted to perform the following after transmitting the power pattern to the patient support apparatus:await a response from the patient support apparatus indicating if the patient support apparatus has detected the power pattern on the power cable; andif the patient support apparatus has detected the power pattern, to wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit; andif the patient support apparatus has not detected the power pattern, to not wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit23. The status unit of claim 22 wherein the wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver and the pairing of the patient support apparatus with the status unit is a Bluetooth pairing.24 The status unit of claim 19 wherein the controller is adapted to use the wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern in response to a triggering condition, and to not use the wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern in response to an absence of the triggering condition.

25. The status unit of claim 24 further including an electrical current sensor adapted to detect a level of electrical current flowing out of the power outlet, wherein the triggering condition is the level of electrical current flowing out of the power outlet exceeding a current threshold.

26. The status unit of claim 19 wherein the power pattern includes a sequence of power-off intervals, wherein during each power-off interval the power outlet is adapted to terminate power to the patient support apparatus.

27. The status unit of claim 26 wherein the power pattern includes data specifying a duration of each power-off interval.

28. The status unit of claim 26 wherein the power pattern includes data specifying an amount of time between the power-off intervals.

29. The status unit of claim 19 wherein the power outlet is adapted to provide alternating current to the patient support apparatus.

30. The status unit of claim 19 further including a second power outlet adapted to supply power to the patient support apparatus when a second power cord is coupled between the second power outlet and the patient support apparatus.

31. The status unit of claim 30 wherein the second power outlet includes a power contact and a data contact, the power contact adapted to supply electrical power to a first wire in the second power cord, and the data contact adapted to communicate data to the patient support apparatus over a second wire in the second power cord.

32. The status unit of claim 31 further including a sensor adapted to detect when the second power cord is coupled to the second power outlet, and wherein the controller is further adapted to not transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus if the sensor detects the second power cord is coupled to the second power outlet.33 The status unit of claim 19 further including a display, wherein the controller is further adapted to receive status data from the patient support apparatus and display the status data on the display34. The status unit of claim 19 further including a control adapted to be activated by a user, and wherein the controller is adapted to transmit a command to the patient support apparatus using the wireless transceiver in response to the user activating the control, the command instructing the patient support apparatus to perform a function35 A patient support apparatus comprising:a support surface adapted to support a patient thereon;a wireless transceiver adapted to receive a power pattern from a status unit secured to a fixed location; an electrical port adapted to receive a power cord coupled to the status unit;a sensor adapted to detect a level of voltage received at the electrical port from the status unit; a controller adapted to receive the detected level of voltage from the sensor, compare the detected level of voltage to the power pattern, and perform the following:if the detected voltage level matches the power pattern, to transmit a message via the wireless transceiver to the status unit indicating that the patient support apparatus has detected the power pattern in the voltage received from the electrical port; andif the detected voltage level does not match the power pattern, to not transmit the message via the wireless transceiver to the status unit indicating that the patient support apparatus has detected the power pattern in the voltage received from the electrical port.

36. The patient support apparatus of claim 35 wherein the controller is further adapted to wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit if the detected level of voltage matches the power pattern, and to not wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit if the detected level of voltage does not match the power pattern.

37. The patient support apparatus of claim 36 wherein the wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver, and the pairing of the patient support apparatus with the status unit is a Bluetooth pairing.

38. The patient support apparatus of claim 36 further including a first ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver adapted to communicate with a second UWB transceiver onboard the status unit, wherein the controller is adapted to determine a distance between the patient support apparatus and the status unit using ranging between the first and second UWB transceivers, and to not wirelessly pair the patient support apparatus with the status unit if the distance exceeds a threshold.

39. The patient support apparatus of claim 35 wherein the power pattern includes a sequence of power-off intervals, wherein during each power-off interval power supplied to the power cord is terminated.

40. The patient support apparatus of claim 39 wherein the power pattern includes data specifying a duration of each power-off interval41. The patient support apparatus of claim 39 wherein the power pattern includes data specifying an amount of time between the power-off intervals.42 The patient support apparatus of claim 35 wherein the electrical port is adapted to receive alternating current from the status unit43. The patient support apparatus of claim 35 further including a second electrical port adapted to receive power from the status unit via a second power cable.

44. The patient support apparatus of claim 43 wherein the second electrical port includes a power contact and a data contact, the power contact is adapted to receive electrical power from a first wire in the second power cable, and the data contact is adapted to receive data from the status unit over a second wire in the second power cable.

45. The patient support apparatus of claim 35 wherein the controller is further adapted to transmit status data to the status unit for displaying on a display of the status unit.

46. The patient support apparatus of claim 35 wherein the controller is further adapted to execute a command received from the status unit via the wireless transceiver.

47. The patient support apparatus of claim 39 wherein the patient support apparatus includes a capacitor adapted supply electrical power to the controller during the power-off intervals.

48. The patient support apparatus of claim 39 wherein the power-off intervals have a duration less than 200 milliseconds49. A status unit for communicating with a patient support apparatus, the status unit comprising:a wireless transceiver;a power outlet adapted to supply power to the patient support apparatus when a power cable is coupled between the power outlet and the patient support apparatus;a power controller adapted to change a voltage of the power supplied to the power outlet in a manner that matches a power pattern; anda controller adapted to use the wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus, the controller further adapted to perform the following:await a response from the patient support apparatus indicating if the patient support apparatus has detected the power pattern on the power cable; andif the patient support apparatus has detected the power pattern, to wirelessly pair the status unit with the patient support apparatus; andif the patient support apparatus has not detected the power pattern, to not wirelessly pair the status unit with the patient support apparatus.50 The status unit of claim 49 further including an ultra-wideband transceiver adapted to determine a distance between the patient support apparatus and the status unit, and wherein the controller is further adapted to not transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus if the distance is greater than a threshold51. The status unit of claim 59 wherein the controller is further adapted to randomly generate the power pattern.

52. The status unit of claim 49 further including a second power cord adapted to couple the status unit to an electrical wall outlet, and wherein the status unit is adapted to draw power from the electrical wall outlet when supplying power to the patient support apparatus.

53. The status unit of claim 49 wherein the wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver and the pairing of the patient support apparatus with the status unit is a Bluetooth pairing.

54. The status unit of claim 49 wherein the controller is adapted to use the wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern in response to a triggering condition, and to not use the wireless transceiver to transmit the power pattern in response to an absence of the triggering condition.

55. The status unit of claim 54 further including an electrical current sensor adapted to detect a level of electrical current flowing out of the power outlet, wherein the triggering condition is the level of electrical current flowing out of the power outlet exceeding a current threshold.

56. The status unit of claim 49 wherein the power pattern includes a sequence of power-off intervals, wherein during each power-off interval the power outlet is adapted to terminate power to the patient support apparatus.

57. The status unit of claim 56 wherein the power pattern includes data specifying a duration of each power-off interval.

58. The status unit of claim 56 wherein the power pattern includes data specifying an amount of time between the power-off intervals.

59. The status unit of claim 49 wherein the power outlet is adapted to provide alternating current to the patient support apparatus.

60. The status unit of claim 49 further including a second power outlet adapted to supply power to the patient support apparatus when a second power cord is coupled between the second power outlet and the patient support apparatus.61 The status unit of claim 60 wherein the second power outlet includes a power contact and a data contact, the power contact adapted to supply electrical power to a first wire in the second power cord, and the data contact adapted to communicate data to the patient support apparatus over a second wire in the second power cord62. The status unit of claim 61 further including a sensor adapted to detect when the second power cord is coupled to the second power outlet, and wherein the controller is further adapted to not transmit the power pattern to the patient support apparatus if the sensor detects the second power cord is coupled to the second power outlet.

63. The status unit of claim 49 further including a display, wherein the controller is further adapted to receive status data from the patient support apparatus and display the status data on the display.

64. The status unit of claim 49 further including a control adapted to be activated by a user, and wherein the controller is adapted to transmit a command to the patient support apparatus using the wireless transceiver in response to the user activating the control, the command instructing the patient support apparatus to perform a function.

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