Patent ID: 6970097

Claim:
A method of locating an item in a facility, the method comprising: positioning a number of room transmitters in multiple areas within a facility; configuring each room transmitter to generate a unique, modulated signature; wherein configuring each room transmitter includes configuring a first room transmitter to send a time varying signal that varies between a first frequency and a second frequency and configuring a second room transmitter to send a time varying signal that varies between a third frequency and a fourth frequency during the same time that the first transmitter sends its time varying signal; wherein configuring each room transmitter includes synchronizing the room transmitters within a room so that each room transmitter sends a unique, time dependent signal; fitting one or more items with a location tag, at least one of the items operable to acquire physiologic data from a patient associated with the item; configuring each location tag to regularly generate a signal having information regarding the identity of the location tag, the physiologic data, and the signature of any room transmitter within a reception range of the respective tag; positioning at least one locating receiver within the facility; determining the likely location and identity of the location tag based on the signal of the location tag; and wherein determining the likely location includes determining the location of the location tag based on the offset of the time varying signals from the first and second room transmitters.