US 11,791,055 B2
Discriminating patient care communications system
Stephen R. Embree, Chapel Hill, NC (US); Frederick C. Davidson, Apex, NC (US); Theophile R. Lerebours, Cary, NC (US); Phillip Maloney, Raleigh, NC (US); Bruno J. Filliat, Cary, NC (US); David M. Girardeau, Pittsboro, NC (US); Christian Saucier, Raleigh, NC (US); Kelly F. Walton, Cary, NC (US); Joshua P. Lingenfelser, Fuquay-Varina, NC (US); Benjamin E. Howell, Fuquay-Varina, NC (US); Bradley T. Smith, Raleigh, NC (US); Laura A. Hassey, Raleigh, NC (US); Stephen N. Moore, Apex, NC (US); and Britten J. Pipher, Raleigh, NC (US)
Assigned to Hill-Rom Services, Inc., Batesville, IN (US)
Filed by Hill-Rom Services, Inc., Batesville, IN (US)
Filed on Jun. 7, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/434,544.
Application 16/434,544 is a division of application No. 15/498,426, filed on Apr. 26, 2017, granted, now 10,360,787.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/332,223, filed on May 5, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2019/0287385 A1, Sep. 19, 2019
Int. Cl. G16H 80/00 (2018.01); H04L 67/12 (2022.01); G16H 40/63 (2018.01); G08B 25/12 (2006.01); H04L 69/18 (2022.01)
CPC G16H 80/00 (2018.01) [G08B 25/12 (2013.01); G16H 40/63 (2018.01); H04L 67/12 (2013.01); H04L 69/18 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A patient care communications system for communication with a hospital network of a care facility, the system comprising:
a plurality of communications hubs including at least one communications hub installed within a room of the care facility, the room equipped with a first nurse call communications system as a preferred nurse call communications system and at least two communications hubs arranged within another room of the care facility, the other room equipped with a second nurse call communications system that is different from the first nurse call communications system as a non-preferred nurse call communications system, each of the preferred and non-preferred nurse call communications systems configured for operation as standalone nurse call communications systems operating independently from each other, and
a number of patient care devices each including communication circuitry configured to communicate signals with at least one of the plurality of communication hubs,
wherein a first of the at least two communications hubs arranged within the other room of the care facility equipped with the non-preferred nurse call communications system is in communication with the non-preferred nurse call communications system and a second of the at least two communications hubs is in communication with the hospital network of the care facility apart from the non-preferred nurse call communications system, wherein the first of the at least two communications hubs is blocked against independent communication with the hospital network and is configured to communicate with the hospital network only through the second of the at least two communications hubs.