IP Library › Granted Patent US 12670987

Granted Patent B2

US 12670987 · App. 18/674,222 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Care provider coverage filter for communication devices

Inventors: Matthew J. Gumbel (Angola, IN); David Holscher (Fort Wayne, IN); Arun Mirchandani (Pleasanton, CA)

Assignee: Stryker Corporation

G16H40/20 G06Q10/1093 G16H40/67 H04W4/08 H04W4/12

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12670987
App. No.: 18/674,222
Granted: Jun 30, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

Embodiments include methods, devices, systems, and non-transitory process-readable storage media for managing care provider coverage in a medical communication system. Some embodiments may include receiving from a first communication device associated with a first user a coverage request defining a coverage period and requesting that a second user associated with a second communication device provide care coverage for the first user, sending a notification of the coverage request to the second communication device including the coverage period and requesting agreement to provide care coverage for the first user, receiving from the second communication device an acceptance of the coverage request, and directing to the second communication device a message sent to the first communication device during the coverage period in response to receiving the acceptance of the coverage request.

Claims (55)

1 . A method for controlling communication in a healthcare communication system, the healthcare communication system including a plurality of caregiver communication devices each associated with a respective caregiver, the plurality of caregiver communication devices including a first caregiver communication device associated with a first caregiver and a second caregiver communication device associated with a second caregiver, the method comprising:

receiving into a computing system, from the first caregiver communication device, a communication-forwarding request that requests forwarding to the second caregiver communication device, for a defined time period, of communications that are directed to the first caregiver communication device; and

based on the communication-forwarding request, the computing system operating for the defined time period in a communication-forwarding mode,

wherein operating for the defined time period in the communication-forwarding mode based on the communication-forwarding request comprises (i) for the defined time period, forwarding to the second caregiver communication device communications directed to the first caregiver communication device and (ii) controlling during the defined time period, based on a priority level of a given one of the communications subject to the forwarding, whether to send the given communication to the first caregiver communication device in addition to forwarding the given communication to the second caregiver communication device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forwarding to the second caregiver communication device a given one of the communications directed to the first caregiver communication device comprises:

receiving into a server device the given communication directed to the first caregiver communication device; and

forwarding the received communication from the server device to the second caregiver communication device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forwarding to the second caregiver communication device a given one of the communications directed to the first caregiver communication device comprises:

receiving into a server device the given communication directed to the first caregiver communication device; and

forwarding the received communication from the server device to the second caregiver communication device rather than sending the received communication to the first caregiver communication device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forwarding to the second caregiver communication device a given one of the communications directed to the first caregiver communication device is conditioned on the given communication being associated with a particular patient.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a given one of the communications directed to the first caregiver communication device is from a sender, and wherein operating for the defined time period in the communication-forwarding mode in response to the communication-forwarding request further comprises:

sending to the sender of the given communication a notification that the communication has been forwarded to the second caregiver communication device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling during the defined time period, based on the priority level of the given communication, whether to send the given communication to the first caregiver communication device in addition to forwarding the given communication to the second caregiver communication device comprises:

making a determination of whether the given communication is urgent;

if the determination is affirmative, then sending the given communication to the first caregiver communication device during the defined time period in addition to forwarding the given communication to the second caregiver communication device; and

if the determination is negative, then forgoing from sending the given communication to the first caregiver communication device during the defined time period.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein operating for the defined time period in the communication-forwarding mode in response to the communication-forwarding request further comprises:

sending to the first caregiver communication device an instruction to mute notifications received by the first caregiver communication device for a duration of the defined time period.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

upon expiration of the defined time period, sending by the computing system to the first caregiver communication device a notification of one or more communications that were forwarded to the second caregiver communication device during the defined time period.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the communication-forwarding request from the first caregiver communication device occurs within a week in advance of a start of the defined time period.

10 . A computing system comprising:

a processor;

non-transitory data storage; and

program instructions stored in the non-transitory data storage and executable by the processor to carry out operations for controlling communication in a healthcare communication system, the healthcare communication system including a plurality of caregiver communication devices each associated with a respective caregiver, the plurality of caregiver communication devices including a first caregiver communication device associated with a first caregiver and a second caregiver communication device associated with a second caregiver, the operations including:

receiving, from the first caregiver communication device, a communication-forwarding request that requests forwarding to the second caregiver communication device, for a defined time period, of communications that are directed to the first caregiver communication device, and

based on the communication-forwarding request, operating for the defined time period in a communication-forwarding mode,

11 . The computing system of claim 10 , wherein forwarding to the second caregiver communication device a given one of the communications directed to the first caregiver communication device comprises:

receiving the given communication directed to the first caregiver communication device; and

forwarding the received communication from the server device to the second caregiver communication device.

12 . The computing system of claim 10 , wherein forwarding to the second caregiver communication device a given one of the communications directed to the first caregiver communication device comprises:

receiving the given communication directed to the first caregiver communication device; and

forwarding the received communication from the server device to the second caregiver communication device rather than sending the received communication to the first caregiver communication device.

13 . The computing system of claim 10 , wherein forwarding to the second caregiver communication device a given one of the communications directed to the first caregiver communication device is conditioned on the given communication being associated with a particular patient.

14 . The computing system of claim 10 , wherein a given one of the communications directed to the first caregiver communication device is from a sender, and wherein operating for the defined time period in the communication-forwarding mode in response to the communication-forwarding request further comprises:

sending to the sender of the given communication a notification that the communication has been forwarded to the second caregiver communication device.

15 . The computing system of claim 10 , wherein controlling during the defined time period, based on the priority level of the given communication, whether to send the given communication to the first caregiver communication device in addition to forwarding the given communication to the second caregiver communication device comprises:

making a determination of whether the given communication is urgent;

if the determination is negative, then forgoing from sending the given communication to the first caregiver communication device during the defined time period.

16 . The computing of claim 10 , wherein operating for the defined time period in the communication-forwarding mode in response to the communication-forwarding request further comprises:

sending to the first caregiver communication device an instruction to mute notifications received by the first caregiver communication device for a duration of the defined time period.

17 . The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the operations additionally include:

upon expiration of the defined time period, sending to the first caregiver communication device a notification of one or more communications that were forwarded to the second caregiver communication device during the defined time period.

18 . The computing system of claim 10 , wherein receiving the communication-forwarding request from the first caregiver communication device occurs within a week in advance of a start of the defined time period.

19 . A non-transitory processor-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a computing system to carry out operations for controlling communication in a healthcare communication system, the healthcare communication system including a plurality of caregiver communication devices each associated with a respective caregiver, the plurality of caregiver communication devices including a first caregiver communication device associated with a first caregiver and a second caregiver communication device associated with a second caregiver, the operations comprising:

based on the communication-forwarding request, operating for the defined time period in a communication-forwarding mode,

20 . The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein controlling during the defined time period, based on the priority level of the given communication, whether to send the given communication to the first caregiver communication device in addition to forwarding the given communication to the second caregiver communication device comprises:

making a determination of whether the given communication is urgent;

if the determination is negative, then forgoing from sending the given communication to the first caregiver communication device during the defined time period.