Lighting Fixture Wi-Fi Transceiver for Physician Presence Detection
Solution Overview
Problem
Medical appointments are often plagued by long wait times, which negatively impact patient satisfaction and can lead to negative reviews, reducing the efficiency of physician services and patient experience.
Innovation Solution
A lighting system integrated with a Wi-Fi transceiver is used to track the presence of physicians in examination rooms, transmitting wireless signals to connect with devices and log timestamps, allowing for the prediction of potential delays in future appointments and notification of affected patients, thereby optimizing scheduling and reducing wait times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If physicians follow traditional appointment scheduling without real-time tracking, then scheduling simplicity is maintained, but patient wait times increase and satisfaction decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines Wi-Fi transceiver technology with existing lighting fixtures to create an integrated presence detection system. The lighting fixture housing serves as the mounting structure for the Wi-Fi transceiver, merging detection functionality into existing infrastructure rather than adding separate tracking devices throughout the facility.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting fixture serves multiple functions: providing illumination, housing the Wi-Fi transceiver for presence detection, and acting as a signal transmission point for tracking physician location. This multi-functionality reduces the need for dedicated tracking infrastructure.
2Reliability
If real-time physician presence tracking is implemented using Wi-Fi transceivers, then appointment delay prediction improves, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the physician's own mobile device to transmit presence information. The physician's smartphone or tablet acts as the identifier carrier, eliminating the need for separate badges or tracking wearables. The device the physician already carries becomes the tracking identifier.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors Wi-Fi connection status between the lighting fixture transceiver and the physician's device, providing real-time feedback on physician presence. This feedback loop enables automatic detection of appointment delays and triggers notifications to relevant parties.
3Measurement precision
If multiple Wi-Fi transceivers are deployed throughout the facility to improve tracking accuracy, then presence detection reliability improves, but installation complexity and power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The Wi-Fi transceiver is integrated into the lighting fixture, which already has power infrastructure in place. This eliminates the need for separate power wiring for tracking devices and utilizes existing electrical outlets and circuits throughout the facility.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting fixture's electrical infrastructure serves dual purposes: providing illumination power and powering the Wi-Fi transceiver for presence detection. This reduces the need for additional power infrastructure and simplifies installation.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are mechanisms and processes for a lighting system for medical schedule management. According to various examples, an apparatus is provided which comprises a lighting interface configured to connect to a lighting element for illuminating a medical examination room. The apparatus further comprises a power interface coupled to a power source. The apparatus further comprises a Wi-Fi transceiver configured to transmit a wireless signal to connect to a device corresponding to a physician. The wireless signal corresponds to a local area network. The duration of the connection is used to track the presence of the physician in the medical examination room. The Wi-Fi transceiver is tuned to transmit a signal strength corresponding to the size and characteristics of the medical examination room. The apparatus is located in a lighting fixture in the medical examination room. The lighting fixture may be centrally located in the medical examination room.