Central Priority Advertisement Packet for BLE Connection Handover

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Solution Overview

Problem

The central/peripheral relationship established between medical devices and patient's mobile devices via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) prevents healthcare providers from connecting with medical devices when the patient's mobile device is nearby, hindering data extraction.

Innovation Solution

Broadcasting a 'central priority' advertisement packet by the healthcare provider's device causes the patient's mobile device to temporarily discontinue its connection with the medical device, allowing the healthcare provider's device to establish communication with the medical device.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the patient's mobile device maintains a central/peripheral relationship with the medical device, then continuous data tracking and reporting is improved, but healthcare provider connection and data extraction are prevented

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous data trackingVSAvoidhealthcare provider connection
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically changes the connection state by transitioning the mobile device from a connected central device to a disconnected state during healthcare provider interactions. The mobile device can switch between maintaining continuous connection for data tracking and disconnecting to allow provider access, making the connection behavior adaptive rather than static

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile device proactively disconnects or suspends its connection to the medical device before the healthcare provider attempts to connect, preventing connection conflicts. This preliminary action ensures the provider can establish communication without interference from the patient's device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If the patient's mobile device continuously connects to the medical device for data monitoring, then patient data tracking is improved, but device availability for healthcare providers deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepatient data trackingVSAvoidprovider connection time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile device employs periodic connection and disconnection cycles, maintaining connection during normal patient monitoring periods and suspending connection during scheduled healthcare provider visits. This periodic action allows both continuous data tracking over time and periodic provider access without conflict

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Ease of operation

If Bluetooth Low Energy creates a central/peripheral relationship between mobile device and medical device, then wireless data communication is improved, but connection exclusivity prevents multi-device communication

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewireless data communicationVSAvoidmulti-device communication
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile device temporarily extracts itself from the central/peripheral relationship by disconnecting or suspending its connection to the medical device. This allows the healthcare provider's device to establish a new central/peripheral relationship with the medical device without interference from the patient's mobile device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3583823B1Central priority advertisement
Publication Date: 2024.07.24 PHILIPS HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS INC
  • EP3583823B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3583823B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3583823B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Techniques are disclosed for enabling a first central device to connect with a medical device with an existing connection to a second central device by broadcasting a "central priority" advertisement packet that causes the second central device to discontinue attempts to connect with the medical device (for a period of time), granting the first central device the ability to establish communication with the medical device.