Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/741,937, filed Jan. 15, 2013 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/331,648, filed Dec. 20, 2011, (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,736,447), the entire contents of each being herein and hereby incorporated by reference. The contents of grandparent application Ser. No. 13/331,648 were previously incorporated by reference in the immediate parent application Ser. No. 13/741,937, and are now presented in full below. The entire contents of immediate parent application Ser. No. 13/741,937 are now incorporated by reference in this present application. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to tamper-resistant monitoring systems and methods. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The following patent publications are believed to represent the current state of the art: 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,204,670 and 7,158,030; and 
         [0005]    U.S. Published Patent Application Nos.: 2004/0174264 and 2011/0050411. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The present invention seeks to provide improved tamper-resistant monitoring systems and methods. 
         [0007]    There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a system for monitoring residents of a health care facility including a plurality of a tamper-resistant resident monitoring devices, each of the devices being uniquely associated with a resident of the facility, a multiplicity of device detectors operative to communicate with the monitoring devices and a computer subsystem operative to communicate with the plurality of tamper-resistant resident monitoring devices via the multiplicity of device detectors, and to thereby monitor the residents of the facility. 
         [0008]    Preferably, the monitoring devices are operative to monitor locations of the residents. Preferably, the monitoring devices are operative to monitor health-related parameters of the residents. Preferably, the health-related parameters include heart rate and blood oxygen levels. 
         [0009]    Preferably, the computer subsystem resides on a computer server connected to an enterprise-wide network. Preferably, the enterprise-wide network connects between a plurality of systems for monitoring residents of health care facilities. 
         [0010]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the monitoring devices are operable to be worn by the residents. 
         [0011]    Preferably, the system also includes door controllers operable for controlling magnetic door locking mechanisms which are associated with doors of the facility. Preferably, the system also includes resident location authorization functionality operative to ascertain whether a resident of the facility is authorized to open a particular door of the facility. Preferably, the locking mechanisms are operative to lock or unlock the doors responsive to signals received from the resident location authorization functionality via the door controllers. 
         [0012]    Preferably, the resident location authorization functionality is also operative to ascertain whether a resident of the facility is authorized to operate any of the elevators of the health care facility and to employ an elevator control system of the health care facility to prevent operating of the elevators by residents who are not authorized to operate the elevators. Preferably, the resident location authorization functionality is also operative to employ the elevator control system to allow operating of the elevators by residents who are not authorized to operate the elevators when the residents are accompanied by authorized personnel of the health care facility. 
         [0013]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the monitoring devices include a wristband and a monitoring portion. Preferably, the wristband is tamper-resistantly connected to the monitoring portion. Preferably, the wristband is formed of an electrically conductive material and is galvanically connected to the monitoring portion, thereby creating an electrical circuit through the wristband and the monitoring portion. Preferably, the electrically conductive material includes a conductive thermoplastic elastomer. 
         [0014]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the monitoring device is operative, upon opening of the electrical circuit caused by breaching of the wristband or disconnecting of the wristband from the monitoring portion of the monitoring device, to send a tampering signal to the computer subsystem via at least one of the device detectors, the tampering signal indicating that the monitoring device has been tampered with. Preferably, the computer subsystem is operative, responsive to receiving the tampering signal from the monitoring device, to provide an alert to staff members of the health care facility that the monitoring device has been tampered with. Preferably, the alert includes at least one of an audio alert and a visual alert, and also includes information pertaining to an identity of the resident with whom the monitoring device is associated and information pertaining to a last known location of the resident with whom the monitoring device is associated. Preferably, the computer subsystem is operative, responsive to receiving the tampering signal from the monitoring device, to instruct the door controllers associated with all the doors of the health care facility to employ the magnetic door locking mechanisms to lock the doors and to thereby prevent unauthorized exit of the resident from the health care facility. 
         [0015]    Preferably, the computer subsystem is a portable computer subsystem. Preferably, at least one of the device detectors is integrated into the portable computer subsystem. Preferably, the multiplicity of device detectors are operative to wirelessly communicate with the monitoring devices. Preferably, the computer subsystem is also operative, responsive to a failure to communicate with one of the plurality of tamper-resistant resident monitoring devices, to alert the staff of the health care facility that the resident with whom the monitoring device is associated with is unaccounted for. 
         [0016]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the wristband includes first and second wristband elements, a first end of the first wristband element is tamper-resistantly connected to one end of the monitoring portion, a first end of the second wristband element is tamper-resistantly connected to an opposite end of the monitoring portion, the second wristband element includes a buckle at a second end thereof for accommodating the first wristband element, the buckle includes a buckle pin for insertion to a selectable one of apertures formed in the first wristband element, and is thereby operable for interlinking the first and second wristband elements and the first and second wristband elements are tamper-resistantly locked together by at least one tamper-resistant pin which is irremovable engaged with a pin receiving element via at least one pin aperture formed in the second wristband element. 
         [0017]    Preferably, the monitoring portion includes a distress button operable for signaling the computer subsystem that the resident with whom the monitoring device is associated with is in distress. 
         [0018]    There is also provided in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for uniquely registering a resident of a health care facility including designating a tamper-resistant resident monitoring device to be associated with the resident, employing the device to send a first registration signal to a resident registration system, responsive to receiving the first registration signal, ascertaining that the device is not associated with a resident other than the resident, employing the resident registration system to associate the device with the resident, and employing the device to send a second registration signal to the resident registration system. 
         [0019]    There is further provided in accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for monitoring residents of a health care facility including uniquely associating each of a plurality of tamper-resistant resident monitoring devices with a different resident of the facility, providing a multiplicity of device detectors operative to communicate with the monitoring devices and communicating with the plurality of tamper-resistant resident monitoring devices via the multiplicity of device detectors, thereby monitoring the residents of the facility. 
         [0020]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the monitoring includes monitoring the location of the residents. Preferably, the monitoring includes monitoring health-related parameters of the residents. Preferably, the health-related parameters include heart rate and blood oxygen levels. 
         [0021]    Preferably, the monitoring devices are operable to be worn by the residents. Preferably, the method also includes controlling magnetic door locking mechanisms which are associated with doors of the facility. Preferably, the method also includes ascertaining whether a resident of the facility is authorized to open a particular door of the facility. Preferably, the method also includes locking or unlocking the doors responsive to the ascertaining whether a resident of the facility is authorized to open a particular door of the facility. 
         [0022]    Preferably, the method also includes ascertaining whether a resident of the facility is authorized to operate any of the elevators of the health care facility and employing an elevator control system of the health care facility to prevent operating of the elevators by residents who are not authorized to operate the elevators. Preferably, the method also includes employing the elevator control system to allow operating of the elevators by residents who are not authorized to operate the elevators when the residents are accompanied by authorized personnel of the health care facility. 
         [0023]    Preferably, the monitoring devices include a wristband and a monitoring portion. Preferably, the wristband is tamper-resistantly connected to the monitoring portion. Preferably, the wristband is formed of an electrically conductive material and is galvanically connected to the monitoring portion, thereby creating an electrical circuit through the wristband and the monitoring portion. Preferably, the electrically conductive material includes a conductive thermoplastic elastomer. 
         [0024]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the method also includes, in response to breaching of the wristband or disconnecting of the wristband from the monitoring portion of the monitoring device, sending a tampering signal from said monitoring device via at least one of the device detectors, the tampering signal indicating that the monitoring device has been tampered with. Preferably, the method also includes, in response to breaching of the wristband or disconnecting of the wristband from the monitoring portion of the monitoring device, alerting the staff of the health care facility that the monitoring device has been tampered with. 
         [0025]    Preferably, the alerting the staff of the health care facility includes providing at least one of an audio alert and a visual alert, and also includes providing information pertaining to an identity of the resident with whom the monitoring device is associated and information pertaining to a last known location of the resident with whom the monitoring device is associated. Preferably, the method also includes, in response to breaching of the wristband or disconnecting of the wristband from the monitoring portion of the monitoring device, providing instructions to the door controllers associated with all the doors of the health care facility to employ the magnetic door locking mechanisms to lock the doors and to thereby prevent unauthorized exit of the resident from the health care facility. 
         [0026]    Preferably, the communicating includes wirelessly communicating. Preferably, the method also includes alerting the staff of the health care facility that a resident is unaccounted for, responsive to failure to communicate with a monitoring device associated therewith. 
         [0027]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the wristband includes first and second wristband elements, a first end of the first wristband element is tamper-resistantly connected to one end of the monitoring portion, a first end of the second wristband element is tamper-resistantly connected to an opposite end of the monitoring portion, the second wristband element includes a buckle at a second end thereof for accommodating the first wristband element, the buckle includes a buckle pin for insertion to a selectable one of apertures formed in the first wristband element, and is thereby operable for interlinking the first and second wristband elements and the first and second wristband elements are tamper-resistantly locked together by at least one tamper-resistant pin which is irremovable engaged with a pin receiving element via at least one pin aperture formed in the second wristband element. 
         [0028]    Preferably, the method also includes providing a distress button on the monitoring device, the distress button operable for signaling that the resident with whom the monitoring device is associated with is in distress. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0029]    The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: 
           [0030]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are simplified pictorial illustrations of a system for monitoring residents of a health care facility, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0031]      FIG. 2  is a simplified pictorial illustration of a system for monitoring whereabouts of residents of a health care facility, constructed and operative in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are simplified pictorial illustrations of a system for monitoring whereabouts of residents of a health care facility, constructed and operative in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0033]      FIG. 4A  is a simplified pictorial illustration of a tamper-resistant monitoring device which is part of the system of  FIGS. 1A-3B ; 
           [0034]      FIG. 4B  is a simplified exploded view illustration of the tamper-resistant monitoring device of  FIG. 4A ; 
           [0035]      FIG. 4C  is a sectional illustration taken along line IVC-IVC in  FIG. 4A ; 
           [0036]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are simplified pictorial illustrations of the operation of the system of  FIGS. 1A-4C  in registering a new resident at a health care facility; and 
           [0037]      FIG. 6  is a simplified flowchart indicating steps in the execution of a method for uniquely registering a resident of a health care facility which employs the system of  FIGS. 1A-4C . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0038]    Reference is made to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , which are simplified pictorial illustrations of a system for monitoring residents of a health care facility, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The system of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  preferably comprises a plurality of tamper-resistant resident monitoring devices, each of the devices being uniquely associated with a resident of the facility, a multiplicity of device detectors operative to communicate with the monitoring devices and a computer subsystem operative to communicate with the plurality of tamper-resistant resident monitoring devices via the multiplicity of device detectors, and to thereby monitor the residents of the facility. It is appreciated that the monitoring devices of  FIGS. 1A &amp; 1B  are typically employed to monitor the whereabouts of residents of a health care facility, and may also be employed to monitor and report health-related parameters of the resident such as, for example, heart rate and blood oxygen levels. 
         [0039]    As shown in  FIG. 1A , the system resides on a server  100  located at a nursing home  102 . Server  100  is preferably connected to an enterprise-wide network  104  that connects between similar servers  106  located at other health care facilities which maybe managed jointly with nursing home  102 . A multiplicity of resident location detectors  110  are deployed throughout nursing home  102 , which detectors  110  communicate with a plurality of tamper-resistant resident monitoring devices  112  and with server  100 . Devices  112  are typically worn by each of the residents of nursing home  102 , and preferably include a wristband  114  and a monitoring portion  116 . 
         [0040]    Door controllers  120  are provided for controlling magnetic door locking mechanisms  122  which are associated with doors  124  of nursing home  102 . Locking mechanisms  122  are preferably operative to lock or unlock doors  124  responsive to signals received from server  100  via door controllers  120 . 
         [0041]    As seen in  FIG. 1A , a resident of nursing home  102  wearing a monitoring device  112  approaches a door  124  which he is not authorized to open. A location detector  110  communicating with device  112  ascertains that the resident is in the vicinity of door  124  and communicates the location of the resident to server  100 . Server  100  ascertains that the resident is not authorized to exit door  124 , and therefore sends a signal to door controller  120  associated with door  124  instructing controller  120  to lock door  124 . 
         [0042]    As further shown in  FIG. 1A , responsive to receiving the signal from server  100 , controller  120  employs locking mechanism  122  to lock door  124 , thereby preventing the resident from exiting door  124 . 
         [0043]    It is a particular feature of the present invention that wristband  114  is formed of an electrically conductive material such as, for example, KennElec 9719, commercially available from Kenner Material &amp; System Co., Ltd. of Jhongli City, Taiwan. Wristband  114  is preferably galvanically connected to monitoring portion  116 . Therefore, any breach of wristband  114  or disconnecting of wristband  114  from monitoring portion  116  causes the opening of an electrical circuit and is thereby operative to cause device  112  to signal that it has been tampered with. 
         [0044]    Turning now to  FIG. 1B , it is shown that a resident of nursing home  102  tampers with a device  112  which is fastened to his wrist, and succeeds in removing device  112  from his wrist by disconnecting wristband  114  of device  112  from monitoring portion  116 . As seen in  FIG. 1B , a detector  110  communicating with device  112  detects that device  112  has been tampered with, and sends a notification to server  100  notifying the system of the tampering. Responsive to the notification, server  100  preferably sends a multiplicity of alarm notifications to the staff of nursing home  102 . 
         [0045]    As shown in  FIG. 1B , the alarm notifications include, for example, a message which is sent to a computer  130  of a staff member of nursing home  102 , an alert which appears on a console  132  which is readily visible to staff members of nursing home  102 , and a text message which is sent to a mobile device  134  of a staff member of nursing home  102 . It is appreciated that the alerts may be, for example, any suitable combination of audio and visual alerts, and preferably include information pertaining to the identity of the resident and his last known location. 
         [0046]    Additionally, server  100  preferably sends signals to door controllers  120  associated with all the doors  124  of nursing home  102  instructing controllers  120  to lock doors  124  and to thereby prevent unauthorized exit of the resident from nursing home  102 . 
         [0047]    Reference is now made to  FIG. 2 , which is a simplified pictorial illustration of a system for monitoring whereabouts of residents of a health care facility, constructed and operative in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. The system of  FIG. 2  preferably includes a plurality of tamper-resistant resident monitoring devices, each of the devices being uniquely associated with a resident of the facility and a computer system operative to communicate with the multiplicity of monitoring devices, and to thereby monitor the whereabouts of the residents. 
         [0048]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , an emergency situation, such as a fire at a nursing home  200  forces residents  202  of nursing home  200  to evacuate nursing home  200  to an evacuation area outside of nursing home  200 . Tamper-resistant resident monitoring devices  210  associated with each of residents  202  are preferably fastened to a wrist of each of residents  202  and preferably communicate resident whereabouts with a portable monitoring system  220 . Communication between devices  210  and system  220  is typically of a wireless nature. 
         [0049]    It is a particular feature of this embodiment of the present invention that each of devices  210  located within a predefined range from system  220  is operative to communicate with system  220  and to notify system  220  of the presence of the resident  202  associated therewith within the predefined range. Devices located outside of the predefined range from system  220  will fail to communicate with system  220 , and residents associated therewith are therefore marked by system  220  as being unaccounted for. In the example of  FIG. 2 , two residents of nursing home  200  are reported by system  220  as being unaccounted for. 
         [0050]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , which are simplified pictorial illustrations of a system for monitoring whereabouts of residents of a health care facility, constructed and operative in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention. The system of  FIGS. 3A and 3B  preferably comprises a plurality of tamper-resistant resident monitoring devices, each of the devices being uniquely associated with a resident of the facility, a multiplicity of resident location detectors operative to communicate with the monitoring devices, and a computer system operative to communicate with the multiplicity of resident location detectors, and to thereby monitor the residents of the facility. 
         [0051]    As shown in  FIG. 3A , the system resides on a server  300  located at a nursing home  302 . Server  300  is preferably connected to an enterprise-wide network  304  that connects between servers  306  located at other related health care facilities. A multiplicity of resident location detectors  310  are deployed throughout nursing home  302 , which detectors  310  communicate with a plurality of tamper-resistant resident monitoring devices  312  and with server  300 . Devices  312  are typically worn by each of the residents of nursing home  302 . 
         [0052]    Server  300  also preferably communicates with a central elevator control system of nursing home  302 , and is operative to thereby control elevator doors  322  of elevators  324 , in particular to prevent the closing of elevator doors  322  when a resident who requires accompaniment when riding an elevator  324  enters an elevator  324  without suitable accompaniment. 
         [0053]    As shown in  FIG. 3A , a resident of a nursing home  302  wearing a monitoring device  312  enters an elevator  324 . A location detector  310  located inside elevator  324  and communicating with device  312  ascertains that the resident has entered elevator  324  and communicates the presence of the resident in elevator  324  to server  300 . Server  300  ascertains that the resident is currently the sole occupant of elevator  324  and that he is not authorized to ride elevator  324  without suitable accompaniment. Server  300  therefore sends a signal to the central elevator control system of nursing home  302  instructing the central elevator control system to prevent closure of elevator doors  322 . 
         [0054]    Turning now to  FIG. 3B , it is shown that a resident of nursing home  302  wearing a monitoring device  312  enters elevator  324  together with a member of the nursing home staff who is wearing an electronic tag  326 . A location detector  310  located in elevator  324  and communicating with device  312  ascertains that the resident has entered elevator  324  and communicates the presence of the resident in elevator  324  to server  300 . Location detector  310  also ascertains that the staff member has entered elevator  324  and communicates the presence of the staff member to server  300 . 
         [0055]    Server  300  ascertains that the resident is currently accompanied by the staff member and is therefore authorized to ride elevator  324 . Server  300  therefore sends a signal to the central elevator control system of nursing home  302  instructing the central elevator control system to allow closure of elevator doors  322 . 
         [0056]    Reference is now made to  FIG. 4A , which is a simplified pictorial illustration of a tamper-resistant monitoring device which is part of the system of  FIGS. 1A-3B . The tamper-resistant monitoring device is typically tamper-resistantly fastened about a wrist of an individual being monitored. 
         [0057]    As shown in  FIG. 4A , a tamper-resistant monitoring device  400  comprises a monitoring portion  402  and first and second wristband elements  404  and  406 . A first end  410  of first wristband element  404  is tamper-resistantly connected to one end of monitoring portion  402  and a first end  412  of second wristband element  406  is tamper-resistantly connected to an opposite end of monitoring portion  402 . 
         [0058]    A buckle  420  is provided at a second end of second wristband element  406  for accommodating wristband element  404 . Buckle pin  422  of buckle  420  is provided for insertion to a selectable one of apertures  426  formed in wristband element  404 , and is thereby operable for interlinking first and second wristband elements  404  and  406 . It is appreciated that the first and second wristband elements  404  and  406  are typically interlinked about the wrist of the individual being monitored. 
         [0059]    Two tamper-resistant pins  430  are preferably provided for irremovable snap-in engagement with pin receiving element  432 . As shown in  FIG. 4A , pins  430  are preferably interconnected by pin connecting element  434  located on an outer surface of wristband element  406  and preferably protrude through two pin apertures  436  formed in wristband element  406  to an inner surface of wristband element  406 . Pins  430  are preferably inserted through two of apertures  426  of wristband element  404  upon insertion thereof through buckle  420 , and are then irremovably inserted into pin receiving element  432 . It is appreciated that the snap engagement of pins  430  with receiving element  432  via second and first wristband elements  406  and  404  provides a locking mechanism which is operative to lock wristband elements  404  and  406  together about a wrist of an individual. 
         [0060]    It is a particular feature of the present invention that wristband elements  404  and  406  are formed of an electrically conductive material such as, for example, KennElec 9719, commercially available from Kenner Material &amp; System Co., Ltd. of Jhongli City, Taiwan, and are galvanically connected to monitoring portion  402 . Therefore, breaching of wristband elements  404  and  406 , disconnecting either of wristband elements  404  and  406  from monitoring portion  402 , or disengagement of pins  430  from receiving element  432  causes the opening of an electrical circuit and is thereby operative to cause device  400  to signal that it has been tampered with. 
         [0061]    Reference is now made to  FIG. 4B , which is a simplified exploded view illustration of the tamper-resistant monitoring device  400  of  FIG. 4A . As shown in  FIG. 4B , monitoring portion  402  comprises interconnecting top and bottom housing elements  450  and  452 . Housing elements  450  and  452  preferably houses a distress button  460 , a distress button circuit board  462 , a battery  464 , and a main circuit board  466 . 
         [0062]    Spring rods  470  are preferably inserted through bores  472  formed in first and second wristband elements  404  and  406  and into recesses  474  formed in top housing element  450 , thereby interconnecting wristband elements  404  and  406  and top housing element  450 . Protrusions  476  which are formed in wristband elements  404  and  406  are operative to retain bottom housing element  452  in tight engagement with top housing element  450  upon interconnecting wristband elements  404  and  406  with top housing element  450  using spring rods  470 . 
         [0063]    Tamper-resistant battery mounting brackets  492  are provided for retaining battery  464 . Each of brackets  492  are preferably formed with a resilient retaining flap  494 . 
         [0064]    Reference is now made to  FIG. 4C , which is a sectional illustration taken along lines IVC-IVC in  FIG. 4A . As shown in  FIG. 4C , tamper-resistant battery mounting brackets  492  are tightly inserted into recess  496  formed in housing portion  450  and into recesses  498  formed in wristband elements  404  and  406 . As seen in  FIG. 4C , recesses  496  and  498  are at least partially mutually aligned. 
         [0065]    Upon insertion into recesses  498 , resilient retaining flaps  494  of brackets  492  are preferably lodged into an upper portion of recesses  498  which portion is not aligned with recesses  496 , thereby preventing removal of brackets  492  from recesses  496  and  498 , and thereby tamper-resistantly locking wristband elements  404  and  406  to monitoring portion  402 . It is appreciated that brackets  492  provide a galvanic link between wristband elements  404  and  406  and monitoring portion  402 . 
         [0066]    It is a particular feature of the present invention that brackets  492  are lodged into recess  498  and are thereby tightly retained in wristband elements  404  and  406 . This feature is operative to guarantee that upon attempting to disconnect either of wristband elements  404  and  406  from monitoring portion  402 , at least one of flaps  494  will be torn from corresponding bracket  492 , thereby disconnecting the galvanic link between wristband elements  404  and  406  and monitoring portion  402 , and thereby opening an electrical circuit embodied therewithin. The opening of the electrical circuit is operative to create an electronic signal notifying of the disconnecting of either of wristband elements  404  and  406 . This electronic signal is then preferably transmitted by main circuit board  466  to an external monitoring receiver, such as location detectors  110  of  FIGS. 1A &amp; 1B . 
         [0067]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , which are simplified pictorial illustrations of the operation of the system of  FIGS. 1A-4C  in registering a new resident at a health care facility. The system preferably resides on a server  500  located at a nursing home  502 . Server  500  is preferably connected to an enterprise-wide network  504  which preferably connects between servers  506  located at other related health care facilities. It is appreciated that the registration of a resident at the health care facility includes, inter alia, registering a monitoring device to the resident. It is imperative that each monitoring device be uniquely assigned to one particular resident. 
         [0068]    As shown in  FIG. 5A , John, a new resident at nursing home  502 , is introduced to an administrator of nursing home  502 . The administrator initially records John&#39;s personal details, such as John&#39;s full name, date of birth, and an identification number on the system. The identification number may be any unique identification number, such as a U.S. Social Security number. 
         [0069]    As further shown in  FIG. 5A , the administrator then selects a monitoring device  510  and attempts to register device  510  in the system by first pressing a registration button  512  on device  510 . A first registration signal is then emitted by device  510  and received by at least one of location detectors S 20  which are mounted throughout nursing home  502  and which are connected to the system residing on server  500 . 
         [0070]    Turning now to  FIG. 5B , it is shown that upon receiving the first registration signal, the system notifies the administrator that registration of a particular monitoring device having a particular serial number, such as # 6 , has been attempted. The administrator then reviews a device registration table  530  provided by the system to verify that device # 6  is not registered to any other resident of nursing home  502  or any other related health care facilities. Upon verifying that device # 6  is available, the administrator assigns device # 6  to John by entering John&#39;s personal details into table  530 . 
         [0071]    To complete the registration process of device  510  to John, the administrator once again presses registration button  512  on device  510 . A second registration signal is then emitted by device  510  and received by at least one of location detectors  520  which are mounted throughout nursing home  502  and which are connected to the system residing on server  500 . Upon receiving the second registration signal, the system notifies the administrator that registration of monitoring device # 6  to John has been completed. 
         [0072]    It is a particular feature of the present invention that the registration process described hereinabove, by which the assignment of a monitoring device to a resident is coupled with physical registration signals that are emitted by the device and received by the system, is operative to guarantee that each monitoring device be uniquely assigned to one particular resident. 
         [0073]    It is appreciated that upon discharge of a resident from nursing home  502 , the resident&#39;s details are deleted from table  530 , thereby making the device registered to the discharged resident available for reassignment to a new resident. 
         [0074]    Reference is now made to  FIG. 6 , which is a simplified flowchart indicating steps in the execution of a method for uniquely registering a resident of a health care facility which employs the system of  FIGS. 1A-4C . The method of  FIG. 6  preferably includes designating a tamper-resistant resident monitoring device to be associated with the resident, employing the device to send a first registration signal to a resident registration system, responsive to receiving the first registration signal, ascertaining that the device is not associated with a resident other than the resident, employing the resident registration system to associate the device with the resident and employing the device to send a second registration signal to the resident registration system. 
         [0075]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , upon initializing the registration process of a new resident in step  600 , the personal details of the new resident are typically entered into the system in step  602 . A monitoring device is then selected in step  604  to be registered to the new resident. To initiate the registration of the device to the new resident, a registration button on the selected device is pressed in step  606 , resulting in a first registration signal being emitted from the device and received by the system in step  608 . 
         [0076]    Thereafter, in step  610 , it is verified that the device is not registered to any other resident. If the device is not registered to any other resident, the device is assigned to the new resident in step  612 . Thereafter, in step  614 , the device registration button is pressed once again, resulting in a second registration signal being emitted from the device and received by the system in step  616 , thereby completing the registration of the device to the new resident in step  618 . 
         [0077]    It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art. 
         [0078]    While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Technology Category: 3