Remote site management system

• US 20030050792A1
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Yokogawa Medical Systems Limited (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Shiraishi, Toshihito
• Granted Patent: US 6,909,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

For the purpose of providing timely and efficient maintenance services even when a system includes machines that are not covered by maintenance services, in a system comprising a center server (202) for customer management and a client terminal (104) owned by a customer, communicatably connected to each other via a network (50), the client terminal (104) stores management information including lease contract information (S2) and issues an event to the center server (202) in accordance with the content of the collected management information (S14). The center server (202) analyzes the content of the event received from the client terminal (104) (S22) and makes a notice of the content of the analyzed event (S24).

Claims

1. An operation console in a medical imaging system communicatably connected to a center server via a network, comprising:

a management information storing device for storing management information including lease contract information of said operation console; and

an event issuing device for issuing an event to said center server in accordance with the content of said management information.

2. The operation console of claim 1, wherein

said event issuing device comprises a device for deciding from said lease contract information included in said management information whether the remaining lease period is less than a predetermined period, and

issues said event when said remaining lease period is decided to be less than said predetermined period.

3. The operation console of claim 2, wherein

said event issuing device further comprises a device for deciding whether the use period of storage device provided in said operation console exceeds a predetermined period, and

issues said event when said use period is decided to exceed said predetermined period.

4. The operation console of claim 2, wherein

said event issuing device further comprises a device for deciding whether the available capacity of storage device provided in said operation console is decided to be less than a predetermined amount, and

issues said event when said available capacity is less than said predetermined amount.

5. The operation console of claim 2, wherein

said event issuing device further comprises a device for deciding whether the version of an image producing program installed in said operation console is older than a predetermined version, and

issues said event when said version is decided to be older than said predetermined version.

6. The operation console of claim 2, wherein

said event issuing device further comprises a device for deciding whether the operation frequency of a CPU provided in said operation console is less than a predetermined value, and

issues said event when said operation frequency is decided to be less than said predetermined value.

7. The operation console of claim 1, further comprising

a notifying device for making a notice of the content of said management information.

8. A server apparatus communicatably connected to an operation console in a medical imaging system via a network, comprising:

an analyzing device for analyzing management information including lease contract information of said operation console transmitted from said operation console; and

a notifying device for making a notice of the result of the analysis by said analyzing device.

9. The server apparatus of claim 8, wherein said analyzing device comprises a device for deciding from said lease contract information included in said management information whether the remaining lease period is less than a predetermined period.

10. The server apparatus of claim 9, wherein said analyzing device further comprises at least one of:

a device for deciding whether the use period of storage device provided in said operation console exceeds a predetermined period;

a device for deciding whether the available capacity of the storage device provided in said operation console is less than a predetermined amount;

a device for deciding whether the version of an image producing program installed in said operation console is older than a predetermined version; and

a device for deciding whether the operation frequency of a CPU provided in said operation console is less than a predetermined value.

11. A remote site management system comprising a medical imaging system including a gantry apparatus for collecting imaging data of a subject and an operation console for sending instruction signals to said gantry apparatus and producing a medical image based on the imaging data transferred from said gantry apparatus, and a center server communicatably connected to said operation console via a network, wherein

said operation console comprises:

a management information storing device for storing management information including lease contract information of said operation console; and

an event issuing device for issuing an event to said center server in accordance with the content of said management information, and

said center server comprises;

an analyzing device for analyzing the content of said event received from said operation console; and

a notifying device for making a notice of the content of said analyzed event.