Automatic frequency band selection using infrastructure-enabled beaconing
Apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to provide improved, automatic, and dynamic frequency selection for and/or by medical body area network apparatus are disclosed. Certain examples provide a medical body area network apparatus. The example apparatus includes a radio to receive a beacon signal and a processor to process the beacon signal to determine a location of the apparatus. The example processor is configured to at least: when the beacon signal indicates a first location, communicate via a first frequency band; and when the beacon signal indicates a second location, communicate via a second frequency band.
1. A medical body area network apparatus to transmit and receive patient-related data from at least one wearable monitoring device, the apparatus comprising:
a radio to receive a beacon signal; and
a processor to process the beacon signal to determine a location of the apparatus with respect to a healthcare facility, the processor configured to at least:
when the beacon signal indicates a first location inside the healthcare facility, configure at least one device in the medical body area network apparatus to communicate via a first frequency band; and
when the beacon signal indicates a second location outside the healthcare facility, configure at least one device in the medical body area network apparatus to communicate via a second frequency band,
wherein the first frequency band includes the second frequency band.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to process the beacon signal to determine the location of the apparatus based on at least one of a signal strength associated with the beacon signal or an identifier in the beacon signal.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor is to identify a transition between first and second beacons based on first and second received beacon signals.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to further determine the location of the apparatus based on at least one of a control message or a light intensity.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the medical body area network apparatus includes a) a hub including the processor and the radio and b) at least one sensor to monitor a parameter associated with a person.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to notify a control point of a change in location via the radio.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processor is to receive and process a configuration message from the control point in response to the change in location.
8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least implement a method to control a medical body area network device to transmit and receive patient-related data from at least one wearable monitoring device by at least:
processing a beacon signal to determine a location of the medical body area network device with respect to a healthcare facility;
when the beacon signal indicates a first location inside the healthcare facility, configuring at least one wearable monitoring device in the medical body area network device to communicate via a first frequency band; and
when the beacon signal indicates a second location outside the healthcare facility, configuring at least one wearable monitoring device in the medical body area network device to communicate via a second frequency band,
wherein the first frequency band includes the second frequency band.
9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further configure the processor to process the beacon signal to determine the location of the device based on at least one of a signal strength associated with the beacon signal or an identifier in the beacon signal.
10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further configure the processor identify a transition between first and second beacons based on first and second received beacon signals.
11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further configure the processor to further determine the location of the device based on at least one of a control message or a light intensity.
12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further configure the processor to notify a control point of a change in location via the radio.
13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further configure the processor receive and process a configuration message from the control point in response to the change in location.
14. A method to control a medical body area network device to transmit and receive patient-related data from at least one wearable monitoring device, the method comprising:
processing, using a processor, a beacon signal to determine a location of the medical body area network device with respect to a healthcare facility;
when the beacon signal indicates a first location inside the healthcare facility, configuring at least one wearable monitoring device in the medical body area network device to communicate via a first frequency band; and
when the beacon signal indicates a second location outside the healthcare facility, configuring at least one wearable monitoring device in the medical body area network device to communicate via a second frequency band,
wherein the first frequency band includes the second frequency band.
15. The method of claim 14 , further including processing the beacon signal to determine the location of the apparatus based on at least one of a signal strength associated with the beacon signal or an identifier in the beacon signal.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the processor is to identify a transition between first and second beacons based on first and second received beacon signals.
17. The method of claim 14 , further including determining the location of the apparatus based on at least one of a control message or a light intensity.