Systems and methods for automatically managing workflow based on optimization of job step scheduling

• US 20040010539A1
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anthurium Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Janice K. Archbold
• Inventors: Archbold, Janice K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,031,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system is disclosed that includes one or more “HOME”s where there is a (1) “DAD” computer and software system for human User interaction to initiate Jobs (Transcription, Translation, Data Entry, and Transaction Creation) and to utilize voice-mail through real-time voice and tone signal input and (2) “HIS” computer and software system for keeping the databases used to process Jobs and for keeping the statistical records of jobs for analysis, general ledger, payroll and billing. In addition the system includes one or more “MOM”s where there is a software system server on a computer set on the backbone of a global communication network (e.g. Internet) that (1) receives Job packets from its HOMEs, (2) selects Scribes for work (e.g. transcription), (3) generates messages in the form of E-Mail and Voice-Mail to specified users for information or action, (4) updates the status of the Job Record and transferring that updated Record to a SUPERMOM, (5) implements all the details of job processing steps and logic that has been controlled by Human Supervisors. The system may further include a “SUPERMOM” where there is a software system server on a computer set on the backbone of the global computer network (e.g. Internet) that receives Job Packets from MOMs where portions of the job are spread over two or more MOMs; SUPERMOM directs and transfers that job data; receives Job Record updates and maintains a Site for on-line internet job tracking inquiries; SUPERMOM selects Scribes for Jobs that are not able to find an available Scribe within their own MOM'"'"'s HOMEs, collects the statistical and financial data from all the HOMEs, and provides general top level management decision making information.

Claims

1. A system for automatically managing transcription services, comprising:

a transcription computer that receives an audio communication and transcription instructions from an authorized user, and generates a job packet containing a data file representing the audio communication and a set of computer-readable job processing requirements based on the transcription instructions;

a central computer that receives the job packet from the transcription computer, and automatically forwards a job request to a scribe computer associated with a selected scribe, the job request containing the data file representing the audio communication;

wherein the transcription computer and the scribe computer are coupled to the central computer via a global communications network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the scribe computer forwards a completed transcription file to the central computer, and wherein the central computer disposes of the completed transcription file in accordance with the job processing requirements contained in the job packet.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the central computer maintains and stores the list of available scribes.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the central computer receives scribe availability data from the scribe computer, and maintains the list of available scribes based on the scribe availability data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the job packet contains a priority designation associated with the input audio information, and wherein the central computer selects the selected scribe based on the priority designation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the central processing computer generates a set of job steps based on the job processing requirements and tracks a current status of the job based on completion of the job steps.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the central processing computer initiates a next job step based on completion of a current job step.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the central processing computer reinitiates a current job step based on a determination that the current job step has not been completed.

9. A system for automatically managing transcription services, comprising:

a transcription computer that receives an audio communication and transcription instructions from an authorized user, and generates a job packet containing a data file representing the audio communication and a set of job processing requirements based on the transcription instructions; and

a central computer that receives the job packet from the transcription computer, automatically selects a selected scribe from a list of available scribes, and forwards a job request to a scribe computer associated with the selected scribe, the job request containing the data file representing the audio communication;

wherein the transcription computer and the scribe computer are coupled to the central computer via a global communications network.

10. A system for automatically managing work flow, the system comprising:

a local computer that receives job instructions from an authorized user and generates a job packet containing a set of computer-readable job processing requirements based on the job instructions; and

a central computer that

receives the job packet from the local computer,

generates a set ofjob steps that define a job,

forwards to a remote computer a job request associated with at least one of the job steps, the job request requesting performance of the associated job step, and

tracks a current status of the job based on performance of the job steps;

wherein the local computer and the remote computer are coupled to the central computer via a global communications network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the set of job processing requirements includes a priority designation, and wherein the central computer determines whether a current job step has been completed in accordance with the priority designation.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the central computer transmits a status inquiry to the remote computer to determine whether the current job step can be performed in accordance with the priority designation and, if the central computer determines that the current job step can not be performed in accordance with the priority designation, then the central computer forwards the job request to a second remote computer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the central computer changes the priority designation before forwarding the job request to the second computer.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the central computer provides the current status to a user of the system.