# US 2021/0280321 A1 · Contact tracing systems and methods for tracking of shipboard pathogen transmission > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0280321 A1 - Document ID: US20210280321A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/195,489 - Filed: 2021-03-08 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-09 - Assignees: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. - Applicants: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. - Inventors: Nicholas Weir; Ernesto M. Rubi; Daniel John Altin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210280321A1 ## CPC - G16H 50/80: for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu - G06F 16/2379: {Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing} - G16H 10/65: stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD - G16H 40/63: for local operation - G16H 40/67: for remote operation - H04L 67/30: Profiles - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Contract tracing systems and methods for infectious disease tracking are disclosed. An infectious disease tracking system includes a plurality of user devices, each user device configured to detect, using a wireless communication module, a signal emitted by another one of the plurality of user devices. The user device can determine that a strength of the signal exceeds a predetermined event initiation signal strength threshold corresponding to a physical proximity between users of the devices and can store a contact tracing event record in response to determining that the strength of the signal exceeds the predetermined event initiation signal strength threshold. The user device can transmit the contact tracing event records to a data center where they can be stored and used to identify close contacts when an index case of an infectious disease is identified. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An infectious disease tracking system for a cruise ship, the system comprising: a plurality of user devices, each user device comprising a wireless communication module, one or more processors, and memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to at least: detect, using the wireless communication module, a signal emitted by another one of the plurality of user devices; determine that a strength of the signal exceeds a predetermined event initiation signal strength threshold; store, in the memory, a contact tracing event record in response to determining that the strength of the signal exceeds the predetermined event initiation signal strength threshold; and transmit the contact tracing event record. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 1, wherein storing the contact tracing event record comprises: storing an initial contact tracing event data point including at least a timestamp and an identifier of the other one of the plurality of user devices; updating the contact tracing event record by storing additional contact tracing event data points based on subsequent signals received from the other one of the plurality of user devices; and terminating storage of additional contact tracing event data points. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 2, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to compare strengths of the subsequent signals to an event interruption signal strength threshold, and wherein the storage of additional contact tracing event data points is terminated based at least in part on at least one of the subsequent signals having a strength below the event interruption signal strength threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 3, wherein the storage of additional contact tracing event data points is terminated based on the strengths of the subsequent signals remaining below the event interruption signal strength threshold for at least a predetermined grace period. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 4, wherein the grace period is 90 seconds. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 3, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to at least: suspend the storage of additional contact tracing event data points based on a first one of the subsequent signals having a strength below the event interruption signal strength threshold; and resume the storage of additional contact tracing event data points in response to detecting a second one of the subsequent signals having a strength above the event interruption signal strength threshold prior to the expiration of a predetermined grace period. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 3, wherein the event interruption signal strength threshold is lower than the event initiation signal strength threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 7, wherein the event initiation signal strength threshold is a Received Signal Strength Indicator value of −68 decibel-milliwatts (dBm), and wherein the event interruption signal strength threshold is lower than −68 dBm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 1, wherein the event initiation signal strength threshold comprises a predetermined Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 9, wherein the contact tracing event record comprises a plurality of contact tracing event data points, each contact tracing event data point comprising at least a timestamp and an RSSI value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 9, wherein the event initiation signal strength threshold is −68 decibel-milliwatts (dBm). ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 1, wherein the contact tracing event record indicates at least a duration of a contact tracing event and an identifier of the other one of the plurality of user devices or of a user thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to modify the contact tracing event record to indicate a close contact based on the duration exceeding a predetermined close contact time threshold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 12, wherein the close contact time threshold is one of 5 minutes or 15 minutes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module of each user device is configured to communicate with the wireless communication modules of the other user devices using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wireless access points disposed within the cruise ship and configured to receive the transmitted contact tracing event record. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of wireless access points are configured to communicate with each of the user devices using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 16, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to store a plurality of contact tracing event records and to transmit a set of most recent contact tracing event records to an individual wireless access point of the plurality of wireless access points in response to detecting the individual wireless access point. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of wireless access points is in communication with a server and configured to transmit the received contact tracing event records to the server. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 19, wherein the server is configured to store each contact tracing event record in a data store in association with an identifier of the user device that generated the contact tracing event record or of a user thereof. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 20, wherein the server is further configured to store, in the data store, an association between each contact tracing event record and an identifier of a second user device identified in the contact tracing event record or of a user thereof. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 21, wherein the server is further configured to identify pairs of contact tracing event records generated by different user devices corresponding to a same contact tracing event, based at least in part on timestamps included within the pairs of contact tracing event records. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 22, wherein the server is further configured to perform deduplication based on the identified pairs of contact tracing event records. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 20, wherein the server is further configured at least: receive an identification of a user identified as an index case user of an infectious disease; query the data store, in response to the identification of the user, to determine a set of close contact users having close contact records associated with the index case user; and output a contact tracing result identifying the set of close contact users. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The infectious disease tracking system of claim 1, further comprising: a server; and a plurality of wireless access points disposed within the cruise ship, each wireless access point configured to wirelessly receive the contact tracing event records from the user devices and to transmit the received contact tracing event records to the server; wherein the server is further configured to at least: store the contact tracing event records in a data store; receive an identification of a user identified as an index case user of an infectious disease; query the data store, in response to the identification of the user, to determine a set of close contact users having close contact records associated with the index case user; and output a contact tracing result identifying the set of close contact users.