Patent ID: 8903416

Claim:
A system utilizing near-field communications for monitoring hand sterilization, the system comprising: a plurality of sensors located in a facility; a plurality of near-field communication devices, each of the plurality of near-field communication devices transmitting a beacon signal using a short range communication format receivable by another near-field communication device when the near-field communication devices are within a predetermined distance of each other, and each of the plurality of near-field communication devices transmitting interaction data using a medium range communication format to at least one of the plurality of sensors; a hand sterilization station comprising a hand washing facet activated by an infrared sensor and in communication with a near-field communication device using the short range communication format; and an information engine in communication with the plurality of sensors, the information engine processing the interaction data; wherein a near-field communication interaction is recorded at the near-field communication device when a bearer of a near field communication device of the plurality of near-field communication devices activates the infrared sensor of the hand washing facet during a hand washing event, the recordation of the near-field communication interaction is transmitted to at least one of the plurality of sensors utilizing the medium range communication format and then transmitted to the information engine for storage.