Abstract: System and method for dynamically re-directing communications sessions destined for a particular entity in a communications system, each communications session being associated with at least one predefined route. Location information indicative of a current location of the particular entity is obtained and applied to a predefined set of conditional routing rules associated with the particular entity. This rules-based processing generates a routing result, on the basis of which the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity is dynamically updated.

Abstract: System and method for determining location-enhanced presence information for a particular entity subscribed to a communications system. Location information indicative of a current location for the particular entity is obtained, as well as presence information indicative of a current activity status of the particular entity within the communications system. A combination of the current location and current activity status of the particular entity is applied as a condition to a set of conditional rules associated with the particular entity, for determining current location-enhanced presence information for the particular entity.

Abstract: A method of requesting assistance for a medical event occurring in a hospital. The method comprises receiving data regarding a location of the medical event; receiving data regarding a type of the medical event; receiving data regarding at least one wirelessly detectable tag, each one of the at least one wirelessly detectable tag being associated with a respective one of at least one clinician; determining a location of each clinician within the hospital based at least in part on the data regarding the at least one wirelessly detectable tag; identifying at least one particular clinician as being eligible to provide assistance, based at least in part on the location of the medical event, the type of the medical event, and the respective location of each clinician; and performing an action to cause requesting of assistance for the medical event from each particular clinician.

Abstract: Providing power management to sensing nodes in a sensor network may include a plurality of sensing nodes, each sensing node connected through a power management device to an external power source, such as a powered node of another network, for managing power from the external power source to the sensing node. Multiple power management devices allow for a sensor network of fixed or mobile wireless sensing nodes or sensor gateways to make use of power from an external source such as an another network. An intelligent power management device connected to at least one of the sensing nodes may provide for power policy management.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for providing power management to sensing nodes in a sensor network. A system may include a plurality of sensing nodes, each sensing node connected through a power management device to an external power source, such as a powered node of another network, for managing power from the external power source to the sensing node. Beneficially, a plurality of power management devices allow for a sensor network of fixed or mobile wireless sensing nodes or sensor gateways to make use of power from an external source such as an another network e.g. an existing emergency lighting system or other similar powered building system. Thus for example, a sensor or group of sensing nodes and their associated power management devices may be integral with or co-located in proximity to powered nodes of these other networks.

Abstract: A method of controlling RF interference in a healthcare establishment. The method comprises receiving data regarding a wirelessly detectable tag associated to a first piece of equipment within the healthcare establishment; determining whether the first piece of equipment is positioned relative to a second piece of equipment within the healthcare establishment such that an RF interference constraint is violated, based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag; and responsive to the RF interference constraint being violated, causing a variation in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment. In this way, wireless communication equipment can be used in the healthcare establishment without deleterious effects on sensitive medical equipment.

Abstract: A method of communicating in a healthcare establishment. The method comprises receiving data indicative of a desire to communicate with a target clinician; receiving data regarding a wirelessly detectable tag associated with the target clinician; determining a location of the target clinician within the healthcare establishment based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag; applying an unavailability policy to obtain an outcome indicating whether the target clinician is available for communication, the unavailability policy being a function of the location of the target clinician; and responsive to the outcome indicating that the target clinician is available for communication, performing an action to cause communication with the target clinician. In this way, time and effort will not be spent attempting to communicate with clinicians that are not considered to be available, even though they may be registered for duty.

Abstract: According to a first broad aspect, the present invention seeks to provide a method of managing a session with an HIS. The method comprises receiving data regarding a wirelessly detectable tag associated with a first terminal; determining whether the first terminal is positioned relative to a second terminal such that a terminal proximity condition is satisfied based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag, wherein one of the first terminal and the second terminal supports a session with the HIS; responsive to the terminal proximity condition being satisfied, providing an opportunity for signaling of an intent to transfer at least a portion of the session from the one of the terminals to the other of the terminals; and responsive to detection of an intent to transfer at least a portion of the session, transferring the at least a portion of the session, thereby to cause the at least a portion of the session to be supported by the other terminal.

Abstract: A method of managing access to a healthcare information system of a healthcare establishment communications network. The method comprises receiving data regarding a wirelessly detectable tag associated with a clinician; determining whether the clinician is positioned relative to a terminal of the healthcare establishment communications network such that a proximity condition is satisfied based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag; responsive to the proximity condition being satisfied, providing an opportunity for authentication of the clinician; and responsive to successful authentication of the clinician, establishing a session for the clinician between the terminal and the healthcare information system. The ability to detect proximity of clinician facilitates the process by which the clinician may access the healthcare information system, while the requirement for authentication of the clinician minimizes the risk of data being made available to an unauthorized party.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for providing power management to sensing nodes in a sensor network. A system may include a plurality of sensing nodes, each sensing node connected through a power management device to an external power source, such as a powered node of another network, for managing power from the external power source to the sensing node. Beneficially, a plurality of power management devices allow for a sensor network of fixed or mobile wireless sensing nodes or sensor gateways to make use of power from an external source such as an another network e.g. an existing emergency lighting system or other similar powered building system. Thus for example, a sensor or group of sensing nodes and their associated power management devices may be integral with or co-located in proximity to powered nodes of these other networks.

Abstract: System and method for dynamically reconfiguring communications session routing in a communications system, each communications session being destined for a particular entity and being associated with at least one predefined route. Location information indicative of a current location for the particular entity is obtained and applied, in combination with at least one other type of information affecting routing of communications sessions to the particular entity, to a predefined set of conditional routing rules associated with the particular entity. This rules-based processing generates a routing result, on the basis of which the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity is dynamically updated. The at least one other type of information affecting routing of communications sessions to the particular entity may include presence information, location-enhanced presence information, entity profile information and administrative information.

Abstract: System and method for dynamically re-directing communications sessions destined for a particular entity in a communications system, each communications session being associated with at least one predefined route. Location information indicative of a current location of the particular entity is obtained and applied to a predefined set of conditional routing rules associated with the particular entity. This rules-based processing generates a routing result, on the basis of which the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity is dynamically updated.

Abstract: System and method for determining location-enhanced presence information for a particular entity subscribed to a communications system. Location information indicative of a current location for the particular entity is obtained, as well as presence information indicative of a current activity status of the particular entity within the communications system. A combination of the current location and current activity status of the particular entity is applied as a condition to a set of conditional rules associated with the particular entity, for determining current location-enhanced presence information for the particular entity.

Abstract: A method of communicating in a healthcare establishment. The method comprises receiving data indicative of a desire to communicate with a target clinician; receiving data regarding a wirelessly detectable tag associated with the target clinician; determining a location of the target clinician within the healthcare establishment based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag; applying an unavailability policy to obtain an outcome indicating whether the target clinician is available for communication, the unavailability policy being a function of the location of the target clinician; and responsive to the outcome indicating that the target clinician is available for communication, performing an action to cause communication with the target clinician. In this way, time and effort will not be spent attempting to communicate with clinicians that are not considered to be available, even though they may be registered for duty.

Abstract: A method of managing access to a healthcare information system of a healthcare establishment communications network. The method comprises receiving data regarding a wirelessly detectable tag associated with a clinician; determining whether the clinician is positioned relative to a terminal of the healthcare establishment communications network such that a proximity condition is satisfied based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag; responsive to the proximity condition being satisfied, providing an opportunity for authentication of the clinician; and responsive to successful authentication of the clinician, establishing a session for the clinician between the terminal and the healthcare information system. The ability to detect proximity of clinician facilitates the process by which the clinician may access the healthcare information system, while the requirement for authentication of the clinician minimizes the risk of data being made available to an unauthorized party.

Abstract: According to a first broad aspect, the present invention seeks to provide a method of managing a session with an HIS. The method comprises receiving data regarding a wirelessly detectable tag associated with a first terminal; determining whether the first terminal is positioned relative to a second terminal such that a terminal proximity condition is satisfied based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag, wherein one of the first terminal and the second terminal supports a session with the HIS; responsive to the terminal proximity condition being satisfied, providing an opportunity for signaling of an intent to transfer at least a portion of the session from the one of the terminals to the other of the terminals; and responsive to detection of an intent to transfer at least a portion of the session, transferring the at least a portion of the session, thereby to cause the at least a portion of the session to be supported by the other terminal.

Abstract: A charger for electrically charging a plurality of mobile terminals of a healthcare establishment communications network. The charger comprises a plurality of charging stations, each charging station receiving a respective one of the mobile terminals and electrically charging the respective terminal; an input for receiving an indication of potential retrieval of one of the terminals from the charger; and a terminal suggestion unit coupled to said input, said terminal suggestion unit being operative to physically suggest a particular one of the terminals to be retrieved from the charger in response to reception at said input of an indication of potential retrieval of one of the terminals from the charger. In this way, the convenience with which a clinician may pick a terminal from the charger is enhanced. Various additional security features may be provided to prevent information from becoming displayed on the selected terminal until successful authentication by the clinician.

Abstract: A method of controlling RF interference in a healthcare establishment. The method comprises receiving data regarding a wirelessly detectable tag associated to a first piece of equipment within the healthcare establishment; determining whether the first piece of equipment is positioned relative to a second piece of equipment within the healthcare establishment such that an RF interference constraint is violated, based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag; and responsive to the RF interference constraint being violated, causing a variation in RF power transmitted by at least one of the first piece of equipment and the second piece of equipment. In this way, wireless communication equipment can be used in the healthcare establishment without deleterious effects on sensitive medical equipment.

Abstract: A method of requesting assistance for a medical event occurring in a hospital. The method comprises receiving data regarding a location of the medical event; receiving data regarding a type of the medical event; receiving data regarding at least one wirelessly detectable tag, each one of the at least one wirelessly detectable tag being associated with a respective one of at least one clinician; determining a location of each clinician within the hospital based at least in part on the data regarding the at least one wirelessly detectable tag; identifying at least one particular clinician as being eligible to provide assistance, based at least in part on the location of the medical event, the type of the medical event, and the respective location of each clinician; and performing an action to cause requesting of assistance for the medical event from each particular clinician.

Abstract: A system for detecting potentially suspicious motion of a piece of equipment in a healthcare establishment. The system comprises a first functional entity adapted to determine a set of authorized clinicians associated with the piece of equipment; a second functional entity adapted to determine, based at least in part on data regarding wirelessly detectable tags associated with the authorized clinicians and the piece of equipment, when the piece of equipment is in motion and satisfies a remoteness condition with respect to a subset of the authorized clinicians; and a third functional entity adapted to signal potentially suspicious motion of the piece of equipment in response to the piece of equipment being in motion and satisfying the remoteness condition with respect to the subset of the authorized clinicians. In this way, it may be possible to thwart an attempted theft of equipment.