Patent ID: 7092376

Claim:
A patient/nurse call system comprising: a plurality of transmitters adapted to be carried by hospital personnel, each transmitter being configured to periodically transmit an identification signal unique to that transmitter; a plurality of patient locations, each of the plurality of patient locations being associated with a patient and including a receiver configured to receive the identification signals from the plurality of transmitters; a master station remote from the patient locations, the master station being configured to receive signals from the receivers to indicate locations of the hospital personnel; a packet based communication network; a plurality of first audio stations coupled to the packet based communication network, a first audio station being located at each patient location and being identified by a unique address, each first audio station including a first processor, a first microphone, a first speaker, and a first converter configured to receive audio signals from the first microphone, to generate voice data in a packet based data stream corresponding thereto, and to transmit the packet based data stream over the communication network, the first converter also being configured to receive a packet based data stream from the communication network, to generate audio signals corresponding thereto, and to transmit the audio signals to the first speaker; and a second audio station located at the master station and coupled to the packet based communication network, the second audio station being identified by a unique address and including a second processor, a second microphone, a second speaker, and a second converter configured to receive audio signals from the second microphone, to generate voice data in a packet based data stream corresponding thereto, and to transmit the packet based data stream over the communication network, the second converter also being configured to receive a packet based data stream from the communication network, to generate audio signals corresponding thereto, and to transmit the audio signals to the second speaker, thereby permitting audio communication between personnel located at the first and second audio stations.