Location detection system for a patient handling device

A location detection system for a facility, comprising;

• a patient handling device having a support surface for supporting a patient and being mobile for positioning at a location in the facility,
• a processing station remote from said patient handling device for determining the location of said patient handling device,
• a first locating device associated with said patient handling device for transmitting a first unique location identifier to said processing station, and
• a second locating device associated with said patient handling device for transmitting a second unique location identifier from said patient handling device to said processing station wherein said first unique location identifier corresponds to a first area of the location and said second unique location identifier corresponds to a second sub-area of said first area.

A location detection system for a facility, comprising;

• a patient handling device having a support surface for supporting a patient and being mobile for positioning at a location in the facility,
• a processing station remote from said patient handling device for determining the location of said patient handling device,
• a first locating device associated with said patient handling device for transmitting a first unique location identifier to said processing station, and
• a second locating device associated with said patient handling device for transmitting a second unique location identifier from said patient handling device to said processing station wherein said first unique location identifier corresponds to a first area of the location and said second unique location identifier corresponds to a second area of the location different than said first area, including a magnet fixed relative to said patient handling device at the location wherein said second locating device is further defined as a hall effect sensor for detecting said magnet to determine said second area.

A location detection system for a facility, comprising;

• a patient handling device having a support surface for supporting a patient and being mobile for positioning at a location in the facility,
• a processing station remote from said patient handling device for determining the location of said patient handling device,
• a first locating device associated with said patient handling device for transmitting a first unique location identifier to said processing station, and
• a second locating device associated with said patient handling device for transmitting a second unique location identifier from said patient handling device to said processing station wherein said first unique location identifier corresponds to a first area of the location and said second unique location identifier corresponds to a second area of the location different than said first area,
• a communication module in electronic communication with said second locating device and said processing station for transmitting said second unique location identifier from said second locating device to said processing station, wherein said patient handling device has a unique ID and said first locating device communicates both said unique ID and said first location identifier to said processing station and said communication module communicates both said unique ID and said second location identifier to said processing station such that said processing station can correlate said first unique location identifier and said second unique location identifier to said patient handling device to determine said first and second areas of said patient handling device.

A method of detecting a location of a patient handling device having a support surface for supporting a patient and adapted to be transported throughout a facility, comprising;

• transporting the patient handling device to a location in the facility,
• transmitting a first unique location identifier to a processing station,
• determining a first area location of the patient handling device from the first unique location identifier, and
• transmitting a second unique location identifier from the patient handling device to the processing station wherein the first unique location identifier corresponds to a first area of the location and the second unique location identifier corresponds to a second sub-area of the first area.