# US 10,768,615 B2 · System and method for automated hospital beds > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,768,615 B2 - Document ID: US10768615B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/904,542 - Filed: 2018-02-26 - Published: 2019-08-29 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-26 - Applicants: Sanskar Agrawal; Sanskriti Agrawal - Inventors: Sanskar Agrawal; Sanskriti Agrawal - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768615B2 ## CPC - G16H 40/20: for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms - A61B 5/6892: {Mats} - A61B 5/742: {using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339)} - A61B 5/7475: {User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick} - A61G 7/0528: {Steering or braking devices for castor wheels} - B66B 1/2408: {where the allocation of a call to an elevator car is of importance, i.e. by means of a supervisory or group controller} - B66B 1/3461: {between the elevator control system and remote or mobile stations} - G01C 21/005: {with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching (G01C21/30 takes precedence)} - G01C 21/206: {specially adapted for indoor navigation} - G01G 19/445: {in a horizontal position} - G05D 1/0027: {involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00)} - G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)} - G05D 1/0217: {in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria} - G05D 1/0238: {using obstacle or wall sensors (G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93)} - G05D 1/0276: {using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle (involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058)} - A61G 7/08: Apparatus for transporting beds - A61G 2203/16: Touchpads - A61G 2203/18: by patient's head, eyes, facial muscles or voice - A61G 2203/20: Displays or monitors - A61G 2203/22: for automatically guiding movable devices, e.g. stretchers or wheelchairs in a hospital - A61G 2203/30: characterised by sensor means - A61G 2203/40: for distance - A61G 2203/44: for weight - G01G 19/52: Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture (with walking sticks A45B3/08) - G05D 1/0225: {involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay (parking aids B62D15/027)} - G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures - G08G 9/02: Anti-collision systems - G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue - G10L 2015/223: {Execution procedure of a spoken command} - H02J 7/50: acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61G: TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS (appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk A61H3/00); OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES (embalming corpses A01N1/00) - B66B: ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS ({apparatus for raising or lowering persons on theatrical stages or the like A63J5/12} ; funicular railbound systems with rigid ground-supported tracks and cable traction, e.g. cliff railways, B61B9/00; arrangements of ammunition handlers in vessels B63G3/00; hoists, lifts, or conveyors for loading or unloading in general B65G; braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels B66D; ship-lifting devices E02C; garages for many vehicles with mechanical means for lifting vehicles E04H6/12; hoists for feeding ammunition or projectiles to launching apparatus or to loading mechanisms F41A9/00) - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract The present invention is directed toward a system and method for effectively managing, transporting, and taking care of patients in a hospital facility. Primarily this is done through the use of an automated bed with corresponding controls and devices installed within the facility. Precautionary fail safes are implemented such that any medical profession can override the system should an error be detected. Constant monitoring and control of all automated beds may occur from a centralized system. These systems and methods will allow for better allocation of hospital resources, providing much more efficient care to all patients. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for patient management in a facility comprising: a plurality of beds each comprising: at least two wheels; at least one motor connected to said wheels; a controller in electronic communication with said motor; and a plurality of bed sensors; a plurality of wall sensors installed within the facility; a database; software instructions stored in said database; a processor; said processor adapted to execute the software instructions to send a signal to the controller causing the at least one motor to move the bed; said wall sensors adapted to detect the plurality of beds and transmit real-time bed location data to the processor; said bed sensors adapted to detect physical objects near the bed and transmit real-time obstruction data to the processor; said processor adapted to execute the software instructions to: analyze bed location data and obstruction data; and route the bed by sending a new signal to the controller; and wherein said bed automatically stops when an obstruction is detected by said bed sensors. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein: said processor is adapted to receive a user input requesting a bed movement; and said processor executes the software instruction to send a signal to the controller causing the at least one motor to move the bed in accordance with the received request. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a unique identifier associated with each bed; a schedule stored within said database associated with at least one identified bed; and said processor adapted to execute the software instructions to send a signal to the controller of the associated bed causing the at least one motor to move the bed in accordance with the schedule. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a unique identifier for each sensor; and said processor is adapted to receive an error identifying a malfunctioning sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a rechargeable battery installed within the plurality of beds; a plurality of charging pads installed within the facility; a retractable connection device installed on the bed; and said retractable connection device adapted to contact the charging pads. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5 wherein: said rechargeable battery provides power to at least one bed component; said database further comprises an essential or non-essential designation for each bed component; and said plurality of beds further comprises an emergency stop button adapted to disengage power for all non-essential bed components. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: at least one display monitor attached to each bed; and said processor adapted to display patient information on said at least one display monitor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a voice receiver installed in the plurality of beds; biometric information of facility personnel stored within said database; and said processor adapted to analyze voice commands and execute software instruction to implement the voice commands. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a unique identifier associated with each bed; a schedule stored within said database associated with at least one identified bed; said schedule comprising at least one automated bed activity; said processor adapted to receive an override input from a user; and said processor adapted to halt all scheduled automated bed activities upon receiving said override input. ### Claim 10 A system of patient management in a hospital facility comprising: a plurality of beds each comprising: at least two wheels; at least one motor connected to said wheels; at least one compartment with an electronic lock; a weight sensor; a rechargeable battery; and at least one display monitor; a plurality of charging pads installed within the facility; a database storing: software instructions; a unique identifier for each bed; patient information; and a unique identifier for each personnel; a processor; said processor adapted to execute the software instructions to: remotely control bed transportation; and automatically route an unused bed for charging based on the weight sensor and patient information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 further comprising: a plurality of wall sensors installed within the facility; a plurality of bed sensors installed on each bed; said wall sensors adapted to detect the plurality of beds and transmit real-time bed location data to the processor; said bed sensors adapted to detect physical objects near the bed and transmit real-time obstruction data to the processor; said processor adapted to execute the software instructions to: analyze bed location data and obstruction data; and reroute the bed by sending a new signal to the controller. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein: said plurality of wall sensors are installed such that all area of each facility hallway and each facility room is covered by at least two wall sensors. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 further comprising: an elevator installed within said facility; said processor adapted to execute software instructions to at least cause: said elevator to ascend or descend to a designated floor; said elevator to open after arriving at said designated floor; said bed to enter the elevator; and said elevator to ascend or descend to a different floor after said bed has entered the elevator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 further comprising: at least one medical monitoring device connected to said bed; said at least one medical monitoring device adapted to transmit patient information to said processor; and said processor adapted to execute software instructions to display said patient information on said at least one display monitor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein: said at least one display monitor further comprises a touch screen; and said processor is adapted to receive a user input from said touch screen. ### Claim 16 A method of transporting a bed with wheels in a hospital facility comprising: installing a plurality of wall sensors in said facility; installing a plurality of bed sensors on said bed; assigning a unique identifier to each bed; connecting at least one motor to the wheels, said motor adapted to receive a signal from a processor; sending a signal from the processor to the motor to cause the identified bed to move based on wall sensor and bed sensor location; storing a schedule for an identified bed within a database; and sending a signal from the processor to the motor to cause the identified bed to move in accordance with the schedule. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising: transmitting from said bed sensors to said processor obstruction information; and halting bed movement upon identifying an obstruction.