US 11,684,526 B2
Patient support apparatuses with navigation and guidance systems
Michael Joseph Hayes, Kalamazoo, MI (US); Krishna Sandeep Bhimavarapu, Kalamazoo, MI (US); Daniel Vincent Brosnan, Kalamazoo, MI (US); Aaron Douglas Furman, Kalamazoo, MI (US); Jonathan David Campbell, Coral Springs, FL (US); Thomas Alan Puvogel, Kalamazoo, MI (US); James K. Galer, Byron Center, MI (US); and Jason A. Vanderplas, Kalamazoo, MI (US)
Assigned to Stryker Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI (US)
Filed by Stryker Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/355,374.
Application 17/355,374 is a continuation of application No. 16/549,541, filed on Aug. 23, 2019, granted, now 11,051,999.
Application 16/549,541 is a continuation of application No. 15/185,067, filed on Jun. 17, 2016, granted, now 10,406,045, issued on Sep. 10, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/182,911, filed on Jun. 22, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2021/0378887 A1, Dec. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. A61G 1/02 (2006.01); A61G 7/015 (2006.01); A61G 1/013 (2006.01); A61G 7/05 (2006.01); A61G 7/018 (2006.01); G05D 1/02 (2020.01); B60K 31/00 (2006.01); G01C 21/20 (2006.01)
CPC A61G 1/0281 (2013.01) [A61G 1/013 (2013.01); A61G 1/02 (2013.01); A61G 1/0275 (2013.01); A61G 7/015 (2013.01); A61G 7/018 (2013.01); A61G 7/05 (2013.01); A61G 7/0528 (2016.11); B60K 31/0008 (2013.01); G01C 21/206 (2013.01); G05D 1/0223 (2013.01); G05D 1/0248 (2013.01); G05D 1/0289 (2013.01); A61G 2203/22 (2013.01); G05D 1/024 (2013.01); G05D 1/0257 (2013.01); G05D 2201/0206 (2013.01); Y10S 901/01 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A patient support apparatus system comprising:
a patient support apparatus having a frame, wheels, a support surface, a navigation system, a wireless transceiver, and a control system adapted to transmit data from the navigation system and a unique identifier corresponding to the patient support apparatus; and
a remote device adapted to receive the data and to determine an estimated time of arrival of the patient support apparatus at a particular destination within a healthcare facility based upon the data,
wherein the remote device is further adapted to perform the following: keep track of a current location of a plurality of patient support apparatuses; keep track of an availability of the plurality of patient support apparatuses for transporting patients; and determine, out of the plurality of patient support apparatuses, the closest currently available one to a selected location.