Patent Publication Number: US-2009231179-A1

Title: Arrangement, system and method for the wireless control of an apparatus

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Applicant hereby claims foreign priority benefits under U.S.C. § 119 from German Patent Application No. 10 2007 060810.3 filed on Dec. 18, 2007, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to an arrangement, a system and a method for the wireless control of an apparatus, in particular for the wireless control of a medical apparatus. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     By means of the wireless control, in particular an electronically controlled, motor-driven operating table consisting of at least one function module can be remotely controlled and remotely actuated. In use many medical machines and apparatuses require operator actions which can be initiated via an appropriate human-machine-interface (HMI). For an easier operation, for example in the course of a treatment, such as a surgery in an operating room, it can be advantageous to provide the human-machine-interface in addition to a further human-machine-interface firmly connected to the respective medical apparatus or machine or as a sole human-machine-interface in the form of a hand-held instrument, preferably a remote control. With the aid of a remote control, the operation of the respective medical apparatus can take place from a position remote from the apparatus. In the case of wire-connected remote controls, an actuating element required for an operating function can be integrated into the current path of a respective actuator. Dependent on the operating functions to be provided, given a wire-connected remote control a plurality of signal lines are to be provided between the apparatus and the remote operating unit. 
     For remotely controlling an apparatus, further wireless remote controls are known with the aid of which apparatuses can be controlled. Such remote controls generally require an own energy supply, for example by way of batteries or accumulators arranged in the remote control. With the aid of such remote controls, a data exchange generally takes place between the remote control and a receiving unit connected to the control unit of the apparatus. 
     From the document US 2006/020267737 A1 a remote control having an RFID tag is known that can be activated via an activation switch so that the communication with this RFID tag is only possible in the activated state of the activation switch. As a result thereof, an inadvertent read-out of the RFID tag is avoided. With the aid of this remote control an identity control of a person can be performed. However, from this document it is not known to directly perform a control function for controlling an apparatus upon actuation of a switch. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is to provide an arrangement, a system and a method for the wireless control of an apparatus, by means of which the wireless control of the apparatus to be controlled can be performed easily and safely. 
     This object is solved for an arrangement, a system and a method by the subject-matters of the respective independent claims. Advantageous developments of the invention are given in the dependent claims. 
     What is achieved by an arrangement for the wireless control of an apparatus is that a control function for the control of the apparatus can be initiated by actuation of an actuating element in that the transponder transmits respective data to a remotely arranged communication unit connected to a control unit of the apparatus or a communication unit integrated into this control unit so that the control function for the control of the apparatus can be performed. 
     It is particularly advantageous when the arrangement serves for the wireless control of a medical apparatus. According to the invention, medical machines are preferably likewise regarded as medical apparatuses. Preferably, the medical apparatus is an operating table. As an actuating element, preferably a switching element, for example a push button or a reed contact, can be provided. The device is preferably a remote control. 
     As a transponder in particular passive half-active or active transponders are suitable. These can in particular be realized as passive half-active or active RFID tags. The energy supply of the transponders at least with the energy required for the communication with a communication unit can take place via a respective wireless coupling with an energy supply unit, the energy supply unit preferably being a part of the communication unit. As a result thereof, the energy required for the operation of the transponder is supplied to the transponder in a wireless way. The wireless communication between each transponder used for the remote control and at least one communication unit preferably takes place in the UHF transmission band. At least the data transferred from the transponders to the communication unit are encrypted, preferably with the aid of a suitable cryptography method. The device is preferably a hand-held transmitter for the wireless control of the medical apparatus, preferably a wireless remote control. 
     The control function which is initiated by the actuation of one of the actuating elements in particular causes the activation and/or deactivation of a drive, in particular of an adjusting drive and/or a drive for a locking element. 
     It is advantageous to short-circuit the receiving circuit of at least one transponder in one switch position of the actuating element, an energy supply unit transmitting at least the energy required by the transponder for the communication with at least one communication unit to the receiving circuit in an electric, inductive and/or electromagnetic way. By short-circuiting the receiving circuit of at least one transponder it can be determined whether in the communication area of the communication unit at least one transponder has a short-circuited receiving circuit. This can, for example, be determined by an analysis of the energy transferred to the transponders by the energy supply unit. 
     The device according to the invention preferably includes no exchangeable battery and no chargeable accumulator so that the maintenance requirements for the exchange of the batteries and for charging the accumulators can be omitted. Further, the arrangement can be produced easily and cost-efficiently and the interruption-free function is guaranteed as a result of the non-required additional energy sources integrated into the arrangement. 
     As transponders in particular multi-channel transponders are suitable, which optionally communicate via one of the available communication channels with at least one communication unit. As a result thereof, a communication with several transponders can take place simultaneously without the respective communication being affected or blocked by the communication of the further transponders with the communication unit. Thus, collisions in the communication of the transponders with the communication unit are avoided. 
     It is particularly pointed out that the methods specified in the independent claims and the specified system, too, can each be developed with features of individual dependent arrangement claims or, respectively, respective method or system features and/or further features specified in the description in connection with the inventive arrangements or inventive methods. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further features and advantages of the invention result from the following description which in connection with the enclosed Figures explains the invention with reference to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic representation of the top view of an inventive remote control with 14 actuating elements altogether. 
         FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of a transponder unit for use in the remote control according to  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic representation of the transponder units arranged in the remote control according to  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In  FIG. 1  a top view of a remote control  10  is illustrated which has 14 actuating elements  12  to  38  altogether. The actuating elements  12  to  38  are realized as push buttons, each of which is connected to a transponder unit and activates or deactivates this transponder unit upon actuation of the push button and/or influences the information sent from the transponder unit. Special operating functions F 1  to F 8  of an operating table are assigned to the actuating elements  12  to  26 . With the aid of these operating functions, for example, segments of the operating table which are to be actuated can be selected which can then be moved with the aid of the actuating elements  28  to  34 . A selection and/or an adjustment can, for example, be confirmed with the aid of the actuating element  36 . For activation of further functions an actuating element  38  is provided which serves as a shift key and with the aid of which a further control function assigned to the actuating elements  12  to  26  can each time be activated. Alternatively or additionally, the shift key  38  can be used in order to activate the control function of the actuating elements  12  to  36  at all, then, for activation, the control functions assigned to the actuating elements  12  to  36  being activated only when the respective actuating element  12  to  36  and the actuating element  38  are simultaneously activated. As a result thereof, an inadvertent operation by way of unintentional pressing of one of the actuating elements  12  to  36  can be prevented. The additional actuation of the control function with the aid of the actuating element  38  can also only be provided for one further actuating element  12  to  36  or for a part of the actuating elements  12  to  36  and/or be made dependent on further signals and/or information. 
     In  FIG. 2 , a transponder unit  40   a  is illustrated which comprises an antenna formed by a receiving circuit  42 , a power supply circuit  44 , a transponder circuit  46  and a memory  48 . The receiving circuit  42  is implemented like a coil, preferably as a printed circuit, the winding ends of which are electrically connected to the power supply circuit  44  via the switching element  50 . With the aid of the switching element  50 , the circuit between the power supply circuit  44  and the receiving circuit  42  can be short-circuited. With the aid of the switching element  52 , the receiving circuit  42  can be closed. For data transfer, the receiving circuit  42  of the antenna can be electrically connected to the transponder circuit  46  via the switching element  58 . The power supply circuit  44  can be electrically connected to the transponder circuit  46  via the switching element  54 . Further, the power supply circuit  44  can be short-circuited with the aid of the switching element  56 . Signal inputs of the transponder circuit  46  are electrically connected to the switching elements  60 ,  62  so that the transponder circuit  46  can detect the switching states of these switching elements  60 ,  62 . Further, the transponder circuit  46  is connected over a signal line with the memory  48  via the switching element  64 . For the provision of the switching function of an actuating element, only one of the switching elements  50  to  64  is required. However, more than one switching element  50  to  64  can be provided in the transponder unit  40   a , as a result whereof several different control functions can be performed by different information or, respectively, data with corresponding information emitted by the transponder unit  40   a  as a response. 
     In  FIG. 3 , the remote control  10  according to  FIG. 1  is illustrated, the upper cover of the remote control illustrated in  FIG. 1  being removed and the transponder units  40   a  to  40   m  arranged within the housing of the remote control  10  being shown. Each of the transponder units  40   a  to  40   m  is further connected to the switching unit  38 ′ assigned to the actuating element  38  in order to activate the transponder units  40   a  to  40   m  by an actuation of the switching element  38 ′ and/or to effect an alternative control function of the actuating elements  12  to  36 . In the present embodiment the transponder units  40   a  to  40   m  have the same structure as the transponder unit  40   a  according to  FIG. 2 . Further, the transponder units  40   a  to  40   m  are in the present embodiment each formed as 1-bit or multi-bit transponder units, the transponder units  40   a  to  40   m  being formed as passive transponders, preferably as RFID transponders. Preferably, the transponder units  40   a  to  40   m  are formed as multi-channel transponders in order to reduce the collision possibilities upon query of the transponder units  40   a  to  40   m  by a communication unit or, respectively, read unit. Additionally or alternatively to the use of several parallel transmission channels, further anti-collision strategies can be used, in particular to each of the transponder units  40   a  to  40   m  communicating on the same channel a time window can be assigned in which the transponder unit  40   a  to  40   m  transmits data to the read unit after a transmission request by the read unit. In the memory  48 , both the data to be transmitted given different switching states of the switching elements  50  to  64 , in particular given different switching states of the switching elements  60 ,  62 , as well as the keys required for the encryption of such data and used for the cryptographic encryption of data to be sent and/or decryption of received data are stored. 
     Further, it is advantageous to arrange several read units at a distance to one another and to determine each of the angles of at least one transponder unit  40   a  to  40   m  with respect to the read units so that the position of the remote control  10  can be determined by a control unit with the aid of the determined angle information. With the aid of the positions determined, it can be checked whether the remote control  10  is in a suitable distance to the operating table to be actuated with the aid of the remote control  10  and/or to another medical apparatus to be actuated with the aid of the remote control  10 . As a result, inadvertent operations of the operating table or the other medical apparatus can be safely avoided. 
     The remote control  10  can in the same manner be used for further medical apparatuses and machines as well as for non-medical apparatuses and machines and is not restricted to this use. The remote control  10  preferably has no internal energy sources, in particular no exchangeable batteries and no accumulators. However, half-active transponders can be used, to which the energy required for communication with a communication unit is supplied via the receiving circuit of the antenna  42  and the power supply circuit  44 , which however provide the energy required for the operation of the transponder circuit  64  itself by an internal energy source. It is advantageous to use so-called UHF-RFID transponder units or other transponders allowing a sufficient distance between the remote control and the read unit. The safe communication between the remote control  10  or, respectively, the transponder units  40   a  to  40   m  and at least one read unit can be improved by the provision of several read units in the area around the apparatus to be actuated. Preferably, the read areas of the read units arranged in a room overlap one another so that at each point in the room, for example an operating room, a communication between the remote control  10  and the read unit or, respectively, a control unit for the control of the apparatus connected with the read units is possible. The read units can be connected over data lines, preferably a network such as a LAN (local area network) or a wireless data connection such as a WLAN data connection (wireless local network), an infrared data connection, a bluetooth data connection or another suitable network and/or data connection, to the control unit or the control units of the apparatus to be controlled or, respectively, actuated with the aid of the remote control  10 . 
     A unique identification of a remote control and/or an actuating element can in particular be achieved by the header information, the so-called transponder header, transferred to the read device by a transponder unit  40   a  to  40   m . This is particularly helpful when several remote controls  10  are present or, respectively, detected in the area of the at least one read device for detecting the information transferred by the transponder unit  40   a  to  40   m  and/or several transponder units  40   a  to  40   m  having the same function are present or, respectively, detected in the detection area of the at least one read unit. Further, it is likewise possible to transfer information from the read device to the transponder unit  40   a  to  40   m  and store these settings in the transponder unit  40   a  to  40   m  and/or to automatically carry out settings corresponding to this information and to configure the transponder unit  40   a  to  40   m  accordingly. As a result, in particular the coding of at least one transponder unit  40   a  to  40   m  can be adapted to the requirements of the apparatus to be actuated. 
     While the present invention has been illustrated and described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications to this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.