# US 12,770,484 B2 · Mitigating violence in a clinical care environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,770,484 B2 - Document ID: US12770484B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/810,689 - Filed: 2024-08-21 - Published: 2025-03-13 - Granted: 2026-10-20 - Earliest claimed: 2023-09-08 - Assignees: Hill-Rom Services, Inc. - Applicants: Hill-Rom Services, Inc. - Inventors: Autumn S. Thompson; Stacie L. Brough; Kathryn Piston; David E. Quinn; Daniel C. Shirley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12770484B2 ## CPC - G08B 21/02: Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons - A61B 90/90: Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A system for mitigating violence in a clinical care environment. The system detects at least one individual who is exhibiting violent behavior. The system identifies a location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior based on data received from a location tracking system. The system controls operation of a first device based on the location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior, The system generates an alert based on the location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior, the alert communicated to a second device associated with a caregiver in the clinical care environment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for mitigating violence in a clinical care environment, the system comprising: at least one processing device; and a memory device storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to: detect at least one individual who is exhibiting violent behavior within the clinical care environment; identify a location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior based on data received from a location tracking system; control operation of a first device based on the location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior, the first device being a speaker communicatively coupled to a patient bed located within the clinical care environment, the speaker issuing an audible notification for a patient admitted to the patient bed to remain in the patient bed; and generate an alert based on the location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior, the alert being communicated to a second device associated with a caregiver on duty within the clinical care environment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a patient call light positioned outside of a patient room, the patient call light being illuminated to visually indicate an escape route away from the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a lock that is remotely controlled to prevent entry into a patient room, a unit, or a department within the clinical care environment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a tagging device that is configured to attach a tag to the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior, the tag being recognizable by the location tracking system for tracking the location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior within the clinical care environment. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the second device displays an exit path, the exit path generated based on a location of the caregiver, the location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior, and a location of one or more exits within the clinical care environment. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the exit path is updated based on relative changes between the locations of the caregiver, the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior, and the one or more exits within the clinical care environment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the alert displays a distribution of individuals across a visual map of the clinical care environment, the visual map having first visual indicators of locations of one or more exits within the clinical care environment, and a second visual indicator displaying a location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the alert further includes an exit path displayed within the visual map, the exit path being calculated based on a minimum distance between the caregiver and an exit of the one or more exits within the clinical care environment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing device, further cause the at least one processing device to: compare the exit path to the location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior; calculate a distance between the exit path and the location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior; compare the distance to a threshold value; and modify the exit path when the distance is less than the threshold value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing device, further cause the at least one processing device to: calculate a number of individuals within a threshold distance from the exit path; compare the number of individuals within the threshold distance from the exit path to a threshold value; and modify the exit path when the number of individuals within the threshold distance from the exit path exceeds the threshold value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing device, further cause the at least one processing device to: receive audio system data from an audio system; analyze the audio system data to identify threatening language, tones, or behaviors; and detect the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior based on the threatening language, tones, or behaviors. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing device, further cause the at least one processing device to: generate a confidence rating relating to a confidence of correctly identifying the at least one individual who is exhibiting violent behavior based on one or more identification factors. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the alert includes a distribution of safe rooms across a visual map of the clinical care environment, wherein the visual map includes at least one safe room path for guiding the caregiver to the safe room. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing device, further cause the at least one processing device to: track the location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior by coupling a tag to the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior and tracking the location of the tag; wherein the tag is coupled to the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior by firing a projectile; and wherein the projectile is fired from a tagging device fixed in a location within the clinical care environment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing device, further cause the at least one processing device to: generate the alert when at least one of threatening language, tones, or behaviors are identified based on data captured by at least one of an audio system and a camera system located within the clinical care environment. ### Claim 16 A method of mitigating violence in a clinical care environment, the method comprising: detecting at least one individual who is exhibiting violent behavior within the clinical care environment; identifying a location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior based on data received from a location tracking system; controlling operation of a first device based on the location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior, the first device being a speaker communicatively coupled to a patient bed located within the clinical care environment, the speaker issuing an audible notification for a patient admitted to the patient bed to remain in the patient bed; and generating an alert based on the location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior, the alert being communicated to a second device associated with a caregiver on duty within the clinical care environment. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: illuminating a patient call light to identify an escape route away from the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: operating a tagging device to attach a tag to the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior, the tag being recognizable by the location tracking system for tracking the location of the at least one individual who is exhibiting the violent behavior within the clinical care environment.