System and method for backup communication over ethernet
View Patent ↗A system and method for providing backup communications over an Ethernet cable are disclosed. A backup communication system (BCS) is provided as part of a networked (TCP/IP) hospital communication system. The BCS is coupled to an Ethernet cable used for normal TCP/IP communications. When TCP/IP communications are interrupted, the BCS receives patient call signals from patient room terminals over a secondary communication mode of the Ethernet cable, and transmits those call signals to a nurses' station. The call signals are transmitted as voltage coded data such as voltage pulses or static levels. The voltage can include call information. 10V can represent a normal patient call, 15V can represent a patient emergency call, and 24V can represent a code call. Information can be relayed back to the room terminals using the same signaling technique. Thus, basic communications can be achieved when TCP/IP communications are unavailable. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
1. A method for providing backup communication, comprising:
determining whether Ethernet communication using an Ethernet gateway coupled to an Ethernet switch and a patient call device is non-functional, the Ethernet gateway, the Ethernet switch, and the patient call device interconnected through a hospital local area network;
receiving, at a backup communication system (BCS) processor coupled to the patient call device, a first call signal from the patient call device; and
transmitting, from the BCS processor, a second call signal to a monitoring device, said second call signal representative of said first call signal;
wherein the first call signal is transmitted on a secondary communication mode of an Ethernet cable, the secondary communication mode being different from a primary communication mode of said Ethernet cable.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary communication mode is a TCP/IP communication mode.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the secondary communication mode employs a common-mode signal on the Ethernet cable.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first call signal comprises voltage-coded data.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the voltage-coded data includes a voltage representative of a predetermined patient event.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, from the monitoring device, a third call signal to a monitoring station, wherein the third call signal is representative of the first and second call signals.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the monitoring station recognizes the third call signal as a predetermined patient event initiated at a patient room associated with the patient call device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second call signals comprise a voltage level selected from the list consisting of: 10V, 15 V and 24 V.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first call signal comprise a voltage level, where a first voltage represents a patient call, a second voltage represents a patient emergency call, and a third voltage represents a code call.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the monitoring device is configured to convert the second call signal to a format recognizable by the monitoring station.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, receiving, at the BCS processor, an analog signal on the Ethernet cable, the analog signal representative of an audio communication from the patient call device.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of (a) impressing a voltage, and (b) passing a current, on one portion of the Ethernet cable and measuring the voltage or current at another portion of the Ethernet cable, where the absence of measured voltage or measured current indicates a malfunction of the Ethernet cable.
13. A system for providing backup communication over an Ethernet cable, comprising:
a backup communication system (BCS) processor for receiving a first call signal from a patient room terminal;
the BCS processor configured to determine whether Ethernet communication using an Ethernet gateway coupled between an Ethernet switch and the patient room terminal is non-functional, the Ethernet gateway, the Ethernet switch, and the patient room terminal interconnected through a hospital local area network;
the BSC processor further configured to transmit a second call signal to a monitoring device, said second call signal representative of the first call signal;
wherein said first call signal is transmitted on a secondary communication mode of an Ethernet cable, the secondary communication mode being different from a primary communication mode of said Ethernet cable.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the primary communication mode is a TCP/IP communication mode.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the secondary communication mode employs a common-mode signal on the Ethernet cable.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first call signal comprises voltage-coded data.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the voltage-coded data includes a voltage representative of a predetermined patient event.
18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the monitoring device is configured to transmit a third call signal to a monitoring station, wherein the third call signal is representative of the first and second call signals.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the monitoring station recognizes the third call signal as a predetermined event initiated at a patient room associated with the patient call device.
20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first and second call signals comprise a voltage level selected from the list consisting of: 10V, 15 V and 25 V.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the first call signal comprise a voltage level, where a first voltage level represents a patient call, a second voltage level represents a patient emergency call, and a third voltage level represents a code call.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the monitoring device is configured to convert the second call signal to a format recognizable by the monitoring station.
23. The system of claim 13 , wherein the BCS processor is configured receive an analog signal on the Ethernet cable, the analog signal representative of an audio communication from the patient call device.
24. The system of claim 13 , the BCS processor configured to recognize the presence or absence of a voltage or a current on the Ethernet cable, where the presence of the voltage or the current indicates the Ethernet cable is functional, and where the absence of the voltage or the current indicates a malfunction of the Ethernet cable.