IP Library Granted Patent US 12,334,213
Granted Patent B2
US 12,334,213 · App. 17/710,422 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Generating care facility maps

Inventor: Davin Dhatt (Bothell, WA)
Assignee: FUJIFILM SONOSITE, INC.
G16H40/40A61B8/4281A61B8/4433A61B8/4472A61B8/56A61B8/565G01C21/383G06V10/764G16H40/20A61B8/465A61B8/467
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,334,213
App. No.
17/710,422
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some embodiments, a system generates a map of a care facility. The system comprises one or more sensors coupled to a computing device and configured to generate sensor data corresponding to locations inside the care facility. The computing device is configured to: determine, for the locations, features of the care facility based on the sensor data; and generate, based on the features, the map of the care facility that includes the locations.

Claims (48)

1. A system to generate a map of a care facility, the system comprising:

one or more sensors coupled to a computing device and configured to generate sensor data corresponding to at least one of an ultrasound machine and an ultrasound utility station inside the care facility; and

the computing device configured to:

determine, for the at least one of the ultrasound machine and the ultrasound utility station, features of the care facility based on the sensor data;

and generate, based on the features, the map of the care facility that includes

locations of the ultrasound machine and the ultrasound utility station within the care facility, wherein the features include feature vectors corresponding to the locations, and the computing device is implemented to generate the map including to generate, with a neural network implemented at least partially in hardware of the computing device, an image based on the feature vectors.

2. The system as described in claim 1 , wherein the computing device includes at least one of an ultrasound machine and an ultrasound utility station configured to charge the ultrasound machine.

3. The system as described in claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more sensors include a camera;

the sensor data includes the image generated by the camera; and

the computing device is implemented to determine the features including to generate, with a neural network implemented at least partially in hardware of the computing device, a feature list based on the image.

4. The system as described in claim 1 , wherein the computing device is implemented to communicate the image to an asset tracking application implemented on an additional computing device.

5. The system as described in claim 1 , wherein the computing device is implemented to generate the map with a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm.

6. The system as described in claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include a quick response (QR) reader configured to read a QR code displayed in the care facility, and the sensor data includes data read by the QR reader from the QR code.

7. The system as described in claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include a time-of-flight (ToF) camera configured to generate the image and at least one distance from the ToF camera to an object in the image, and the sensor data includes the image and the at least one distance.

8. The system as described in claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more sensors include a camera configured to generate the image of a sign displayed in the care facility, the sign including text;

the computing device includes a character reader configured to extract the text from the image; and

the features include the text.

9. The system as described in claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more sensors include a camera configured to generate the image of a symbol displayed in the care facility;

the computing device includes a classifier configured to determine a classification of the symbol; and

the features include the classification.

10. The system as described in claim 9 , wherein the classification includes at least one of a hazardous material, a biohazard material, an X-ray, a nurse station, a patient room, an emergency department, and a pharmacy.

11. The system as described in claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include an ultrasonic sensor configured to generate the image that is an ultrasound image of an object in the care facility, and the features include a distance from the ultrasonic sensor to the object.

12. A computing device implemented to generate a map of a care facility, the computing device comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor configured to, upon execution of the instructions:

receive, from one or more sensors coupled to the computing device, sensor data corresponding to at least one of an ultrasound machine and an ultrasound utility station inside the care facility;

determine, for the at least one of the ultrasound machine and the ultrasound utility station, features of the care facility based on the sensor data; and

generate, based on the features, the map of the care facility that includes locations of the ultrasound machine and the ultrasound utility station within the care facility, wherein the features include feature vectors corresponding to the locations, and the computing device is implemented to generate the map including to generate, with a neural network implemented at least partially in hardware of the computing device, an image based on the feature vectors.

13. The computing device as described in claim 12 , wherein the processor is implemented to:

generate, at a current location of the computing device in the care facility, a current feature vector based on the sensor data corresponding to the current location; and

determine the current location on the map based on the current feature vector.

14. The computing device as described in claim 12 , wherein the care facility includes a first transceiver in communication with a second transceiver of the computing device, and the sensor data includes at least one of a signal strength of the communication and a round trip delay of the communication.

15. The computing device as described in claim 12 , wherein the processor is implemented to:

receive, from an additional computing device, additional features for the locations; and generate the map based on the additional features.

16. The computing device as described in claim 15 , wherein the processor is implemented to share the features with the additional computing device.

17. The computing device as described in claim 12 , wherein the processor is implemented to:

receive, from an additional computing device, additional features for additional locations inside the care facility; and

generate the map based on the additional features, the map including the additional locations.

18. A method implemented by a computing device to generate a map of a care facility, the method comprising:

receiving, from one or more sensors coupled to the computing device, sensor data corresponding to at least one of an ultrasound machine and an ultrasound utility station inside the care facility;

determining, for the at least one of the ultrasound machine and the ultrasound utility station, features of the care facility based on the sensor data; and

generating, based on the features, the map of the care facility that includes locations of the ultrasound machine and the ultrasound utility station within the care facility, wherein the features include feature vectors corresponding to the locations, and the computing device is implemented to generate the map including to generate, with a neural network implemented at least partially in hardware of the computing device, an image based on the feature vectors.

19. The method as described in claim 18 , further comprising:

broadcasting an audio request or displaying a visual request to receive a user input indicative of at least one of the locations; and

receiving the user input indicating the at least one of the locations.

Continuity (2)
Continuation 17693089 · Mar 11, 2022
Related Publication 20230290492A1 · Sep 14, 2023
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