Methods and apparatus for tracking agents during a procedure

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for improving a procedure based upon wireless determination of a location of agents and equipment during a procedure and quantifying conditions in an environment via automated sensors. The present invention provides apparatus and methods for wireless designation of a position of agents and equipment relative to each other based upon wireless communications amongst multiple wireless transceivers combined with ongoing monitoring of conditions present in a facility. The transceivers may be portions of nodes, and nodes may form self-verifying arrays. A user interface may provide an augmented reality view of positions of all or some the providers and equipment and condition quantifying sensors.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of quantifying agent interaction via a self-verifying array of nodes, the method comprising:
 a) discovering with the self-verifying array of nodes at least a first node, a second node, and a third node, wherein each node of the self-verifying array of nodes comprises at least a respective processor, a respective digital storage, and a respective wireless transceiver;   b) assigning a respective unique identifier to each of the first node, the second node, and the third node;   c) establishing communication between the first node and at least the second node and the third node in the self-verifying array of nodes;   d) generating at least a first set of values from the communication between the first node and at least the second node and the third node in the self-verifying array of nodes;   e) utilizing the first set of values to determine a relative position amongst at least the first node, the second node and the third node;   f) attaching the first node to a reference position in a facility resource, wherein the first node is in the reference position in the facility resource during a time of a procedure;   g) removably attaching the second node to a first agent, and the third node to a second agent, wherein the second node remains attached to the first agent and the third node remains attached to the second agent during the procedure;   h) wirelessly communicating between the first node and the second node, and the first node and the third node during the procedure;   i) referencing the communicating between the first node and the second node, and the first node and the third node during the procedure, generating a respective set of position coordinates indicative of a position of each of the second node; and the third node;   i) referencing the position coordinates indicative of a position of each of the second node; and the third node, determining a position of the first agent and the second agent relative to an item of equipment during the procedure; and   k) track a time of an action involved in the procedure, said action taken by at least one of the first agent and the second agent during the procedure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  additionally comprising the step of communicating the respective set of position coordinates of the first agent and the second agent and a timestamp of the self-verifying array of nodes to a controller. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  additionally comprising the step of communicating an orientation of the first agent and an orientation of the second agent and the time of the action to the controller. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  additionally comprising the step of communicating an instruction relating to the procedure based upon the respective set of position coordinates of the first agent and the second agent. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  additionally comprising the step of quantifying with a first sensor a biologic condition of at least one of the first agent and the second agent. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the biologic condition of at least one of the first agent and the second agent comprises one or more of: a body temperature, a pulse rate, a breathing rate, and a blood pressure reading. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the biologic condition of at least one of the first agent comprises a body temperature and the method additionally comprises the step of denying access to the facility resource based upon the body temperature exceeding a designated range. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  additionally comprising the step of determining that at least one of the first agent and the second agent was in control of the item of equipment, based at least in part upon the respective positions of the first agent and the second agent, and a position of the item of equipment. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  additionally comprising the step of quantifying interaction between the at least one of the first agent and the second agent in control of the item of equipment, said quantification comprising one or more of: physiological data, behavioral data, and environmental factors. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  additionally comprising the step of converting one or both of: actions undertaken and movements to digital values. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5  additionally comprising the step of, based upon the biologic condition quantified, executing an action in a facility. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the action in the facility comprises controlling one or more of lighting, temperature, and sound within the resource. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising depicting, with a display of the controller, a location of each node included in the self-verifying array of nodes and the location of the item of equipment. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising the step of tracking steps included in the procedure being performed in the resource. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the step of indicating on the display a completion of respective steps included in the procedure being performed. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the step of tracking which agent completed the respective completed steps. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of tracking a location of the agent that completed the respective completed steps at the time of completing the respective steps. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  additionally comprising queuing actions to be completed and an agent scheduled to complete respected queued actions. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  additionally comprising the step of determining that an agent scheduled to complete a queued action is not present in the resource. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  additionally comprising a transmitting a wireless communication summoning the agent scheduled to complete a queued action that is not present in the resource.