Indicator apparatus for healthcare communication system
AssigneeHill-Rom Services, Inc.
InventorsRichard J. Schuman, Williams F. Collins, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An indicator apparatus is configurable for use in a healthcare communication system, such as a nurse call system. The indicator apparatus includes a visual indicator. The visual indicator is operable to selectively display one or more colors in response to calls received by the healthcare communication system.
Claims18
A control for an indicator apparatus of a patient-nurse communication system, configured to:
- receive a plurality of call parameters from the patient-nurse communication system, the call parameters comprising an indicator of a location at which a call to the patient-nurse communication system originated and an indicator of a call type associated with the call;
- determine a notification type based on one or more of the call parameters, the notification type being audio, visual, or a combination thereof;
- determine, based on the call parameters and the notification type, a sound file selected from a plurality of sound files to be output by the indicator apparatus in response to the call;
- and
- send a control signal to the indicator apparatus, the control signal comprising data relating to the selected sound file.
A method for controlling an indicator apparatus of a patient-nurse communication system, the method embodied in a computing device coupled to the patient-nurse communication system, the method comprising:
- receiving electrical signals from the patient-nurse communication system indicative of at least one color to be displayed by a multi-color light source of the indicator apparatus;
- determining at least one parameter relating to a call from a call-originating device of the patient-nurse communication system;
- identifying at least one color to be illuminated by the light source based on the at least one parameter;
- and
- sending an electrical signal to the light source to illuminate the at least one selected color in response to the call;
- wherein the indicator apparatus comprises a speaker, and the method comprises selecting a sound file in response to a call from the call-originating device of the patient-nurse communication system and sending an electrical signal to the indicator apparatus to play the sound file through the speaker in response to the call.
An indicator apparatus for a patient-nurse communication system, comprising:
- an indicator housing;
- a plurality of visual indicators supported by the indicator housing, the visual indicators being configured to selectively illuminate in response to signals received from a call-originating device of the patient-nurse communication system;
- a slot defined by the indicator housing, wherein the slot is configured to receive a visual indicator in a plurality of different orientations;
- and
- a speaker and electrical circuitry to play a sound file through the speaker in response to a call from the call-originating device of the patient-nurse communication system, wherein the sound file to be played is variable depending on a call type.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.