# US 12,602,239 B2 · Systems and methods for resolving an error condition of a medical device

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- Number: US 12,602,239 B2
- Document ID: US12602239B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/495,015
- Filed: 2023-10-26
- Published: 2024-05-02
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2022-10-31
- Assignees: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
- Applicants: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
- Inventors: James D. Voll; Robert Mark Zerhusen; Nishita Vanita Shashikant
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12602239B2

## CPC

- G06F 9/453: {Help systems}
- G16H 40/63: for local operation
- A61G 7/00: Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons (stretchers with facilities for picking up patients or disabled persons A61G1/003)
- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
- G06F 11/327: {Alarm or error message display}
- G06F 16/955: using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
- G06F 16/9554: {by using bar codes}
- G16H 40/60: for the operation of medical equipment or devices
- G16H 40/67: for remote operation
- H04M 1/72415: for remote control of appliances
- G06K 19/06028: {using bar codes}
- G06K 19/06037: {multi-dimensional coding}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- 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)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS

## Abstract

A system and method for resolving an error condition of a medical device includes the medical device, a mobile device, and a host computer. The medical device generates a machine readable code, the machine readable code is read by the mobile device, and the remote computer hosts a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the machine readable code such that the mobile device can access the URL.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a medical device including a control system having (i) a user interface having at least one display and (ii) at least one controller associated with a first functional subsystem, the controller including a first processor and a first memory device, the first memory device including instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the at least one controller to communicate a signal indicating a first error condition for the first functional subsystem to the user interface, the user interface including a second processor and a second memory device, the second memory device including instructions that, when executed by the second processor, cause the user interface to receive the signal indicating the first error condition from the at least one controller associated with a first functional subsystem and in response to the signal indicating the first error condition, generate and display machine readable indicia that is associated with a uniform resource locator (URL) related to the first error condition of the first functional subsystem; and
a remote computer hosting an interactive menu driven webpage associated with the URL associated with the machine readable indicia;
wherein, when the URL is directly accessed by an internet browser when a mobile computing device scans the machine readable indicia, the internet browser displays the menu driven webpage such that a user can interact with the menu driven webpage through the browser, the menu driven webpage operable to provide information specific to the first error condition communicated to the user interface to allow the user to identify and resolve the first error condition.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the medical device is a patient support apparatus.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is operable to receive a second error condition associated with a second functional subsystem of the medical device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface of the medical device is operable to display a help key and, when the help key is activated during the first error condition, the machine readable indicia generated by the user interface is associated with the first error condition.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein prior to activation of the help key, a text box identifying the first error condition is displayed on the user interface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the medical device is a patient support apparatus.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the user interface is operable to receive a second error condition is associated with a second functional subsystem of the medical device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the machine readable indicia includes a quick response (QR) code.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the machine readable indicia includes a bar code.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the machine readable indicia includes text that is both machine readable and man readable.

### Claim 11

A method of resolving an error condition of a medical device comprising:
receiving a signal indicating a first error condition of a first functional subsystem by a user interface of the medical device;
generating a man readable indication of the first error condition in response to the signal on a display of the user interface of the medical device;
in response to an input from a user activating a help function while the first error condition is displayed, the user interface generating a machine readable code indicia and displaying on the display of the user interface of the medical device, the machine readable indicia corresponding to a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the first error condition of the first functional subsystem;
utilizing an optical detector to read the machine readable indicia, the optical detector configured to cause an internet browser to be opened and directed to the URL when the machine readable indicia is scanned;
displaying, through the internet browser, a menu driven webpage associated with the URL; and
providing, through the menu driven webpage, information specific to the first error condition.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the machine readable indicia comprises a quick response (QR) code.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the machine readable indicia includes text that is both machine readable and man readable.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the user interface is operable to receive a second error condition is associated with a second functional subsystem of the medical device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein if no error condition is present, activation of the help function results in a machine readable indicia that directs to a URL associated with a menu driven screen providing general user information for the medical device.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein if no error condition is present, activation of the help function results in a machine readable indicia that directs to a URL associated with a menu driven screen providing general user information for the medical device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the machine readable indicia comprises a quick response (QR) code.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the machine readable indicia includes text that is both machine readable and man readable.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the user interface is operable to receive a second error condition that is associated with a second functional subsystem of the medical device.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the optical detector comprises a smart phone.