System and method for backup communication over ethernet

Abstract

A system and method for providing backup communications over an Ethernet cable are disclosed. A backup communication system (BCS) is provided as part of a networked (TCP/IP) hospital communication system. The BCS is coupled to an Ethernet cable used for normal TCP/IP communications. When TCP/IP communications are interrupted, the BCS receives patient call signals from patient room terminals over a secondary communication mode of the Ethernet cable, and transmits those call signals to a nurses' station. The call signals are transmitted as voltage coded data such as voltage pulses or static levels. The voltage can include call information. 10V can represent a normal patient call, 15V can represent a patient emergency call, and 24V can represent a code call. Information can be relayed back to the room terminals using the same signaling technique. Thus, basic communications can be achieved when TCP/IP communications are unavailable. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.