Wireless tracking system and method for analyzing an interaction between objects
The present invention provides a solution to determining an interaction between objects through wireless tracking. The present invention utilizes communication devices attached to objects that transmit signals for reception by sensors stationed throughout a facility which forward the signals to an information engine for analysis.
1. A system for determining a business relationship between individuals within a facility, the system comprising:
a plurality of first tags, each of the plurality of first tags attached to a first object, each of the plurality of first tags transmitting a wireless signal;
a plurality of second tags, each of the plurality of second tags attached to a second object, each of the plurality of second tags transmitting a wireless signal;
a mesh network comprising a plurality of plug-in sensors located within the facility and utilized for infrastructure-based real-time location tracking of objects in the facility, each plug-in sensor of the plurality of plug-in sensors communicating with other plug-in sensors of the plurality of plug-in sensors utilizing a wireless communication format, wherein each of the plurality of plug-in sensors operates in a geo-spatially fixed physical location in the facility, the mesh network receiving the wireless signal from each of the plurality of first tags and the mesh network receiving the wireless signal from each of the plurality of second tags; and
an information engine in communication with the mesh network and receiving tracking tag information for each of the plurality of first tags and each of the plurality of second tags, the information engine determining a business relationship between a first object having a first tag of the plurality of first tags and a second object having a second tag of the plurality of second tags, wherein the business relationship is based on at least two of the following plurality of interaction factors comprising a time since a last interaction, an identification of a first object, an identification of a second object, a status of a first object, a status of a second object, a position location of the interaction, and a duration of the interaction, wherein the business relationship is an interaction of a patient with a staff member, an interaction of a patient with an asset, or an interaction of a staff member with an asset, and the information engine analyzes the business relationship to determine a billing charge for services, medical services provided to a patient, or a cleaning event.
2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first object is fixed or mobile and the second object is mobile.
3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first object is a group of objects and the second object is a group of objects.
4. The system according to claim 1 the first object is fixed and the second object is a group of objects.
5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first object is mobile and the second object is a group of objects.
6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first object is a group of mobile objects and the second object is a group of mobile objects.
7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first object is a first person and the second object is a second person and the plurality of factors further comprises a position designation of the first person and a position designation of the second person.
8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first object is a first person and the second object is a second person and the plurality of factors further comprises a number of previous interactions between the first person and the second person within a predetermined time period.
9. The system according to claim 1 wherein each of the first plurality of tags is mounted on a corresponding identification card or is an identification card.
10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of factors further comprises a previous location of the first object, a previous location of the second object and the number of other objects located near the interaction.
11. A method for determining a business relationship between individuals within a facility, the method comprising:
transmitting a wireless signal from a first tag associated with a first person;
transmitting a wireless signal from a second tag associated with a second person;
receiving the wireless signal from the first tag and the wireless signal from the second tag at a mesh network established within the facility, the mesh network comprising a plurality of sensors located within the facility and utilized for infrastructure-based real-time location tracking of objects and individuals in the facility, each sensor of the plurality of sensors communicating with other sensors of the plurality of plug-in sensors utilizing a wireless communication format;
transmitting data from the mesh network to an information engine, the data comprising the wireless signal from the first tag and the wireless signal from the second tag;
determining at the information engine that an interaction is occurring between the first person and the second person based on the signal from the first tag and the signal from the second tag; and
determining at the information engine a business relationship between the first person and the second person based on at least one of a plurality of factors comprising a position location of the interaction, a duration of the interaction, a previous location of the first person prior to the interaction, a previous location of the second person prior to the interaction and a number of other persons at the interaction, wherein the business relationship is an interaction of a patient with a staff member, an interaction of a patient with an asset, or an interaction of a staff member with an asset, and the information engine analyzes the business relationship to determine a billing charge for services, medical services provided to a patient, or a cleaning event.
12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the plurality of factors further comprises a position designation of the first person, a number of previous interactions between the first person and the second person within a predetermined time period, and a position designation of the second person.
13. A system for determining a business relationship between individuals within a facility, the system comprising:
a plurality of peer-to-peer communication devices, each of the plurality of peer-to-peer communication devices associated with an individual person, each of the plurality of peer-to-peer communication devices transmitting a wireless signal;
a plurality of tags, each of the plurality of tags representing a first object, each of the plurality of tags transmitting a wireless signal;
a mesh network comprising a plurality of plug-in sensors located within the facility and utilized for infrastructure-based real-time location tracking of objects and persons in the facility, each plug-in sensor of the plurality of plug-in sensors communicating with other plug-in sensors of the plurality of plug-in sensors utilizing a wireless communication format, the mesh network receiving the wireless signal from each of the plurality of tags and the mesh network receiving the wireless signal from each of the plurality of peer-to-peer communication devices; and
an information engine in communication with the mesh network and configured to receive data from the mesh network, the data comprising the wireless signal from each of the plurality of tags and the wireless signal from each of plurality of peer-to-peer communication devices, the information engine analyzing a business relationship between a first object and an individual person based on at least two of a plurality of factors comprising a position location of the interaction, a duration of the interaction, a previous location of the first person prior to the interaction, a time since a last interaction, identification of a first object, identification of a second object, a status of a first object, a status of a second object, and information for a mobile object within a predetermined distance of the location of the interaction, wherein the business relationship is an interaction of a patient with a staff member, an interaction of a patient with an asset, or an interaction of a staff member with an asset, and the information engine analyzes the business relationship to determine a billing charge for services, medical services provided to a patient, or a cleaning event.
14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the information engine analyzes the interaction to determine a billing charge for services of the first person.
15. The system according to claim 13 wherein the facility is a hospital and the information engine analyzes the interaction to determine medical services provided to a patient.
16. A system for analyzing an action of an individual, the system comprising:
a plurality of tracking devices, each of the plurality of tracking devices associated with an individual person;
a plurality of tags, each of the plurality of tags associated with a mobile object;
a mesh network comprising a plurality of sensors positioned within a facility and utilized for infrastructure-based real-time location tracking of mobile objects and persons in the facility, each sensor of the plurality of sensors communicating with other sensors of the plurality of sensors utilizing a wireless communication format, the mesh network receiving transmissions from at least one of the plurality of tags and at least one of the plurality of tracking devices; and
an information engine in communication with the mesh network, the information engine analyzing an action of a first person based on at least two of a plurality of factors comprising a position location of the action, a duration of the action, a previous location of the first person prior to the action, a time since a last interaction, an identification of a first object, an identification of a second object, a status of a first object, status of a second object, and information for a mobile object within a predetermined distance of the location of the action, wherein the action of the first person is an interaction of a patient with a staff member, an interaction of a patient with an asset, or an interaction of a staff member with an asset, and the information engine analyzes the action of the first person to determine a billing charge for services, medical services provided to a patient, or a cleaning event.
17. The system according to claim 16 wherein the facility is a hospital and the information engine analyzes the action to determine medical services provided to a patient.
18. The system according to claim 16 wherein the information engine analyzes the action to determine a billing charge for services of the first person.