method and apparatus for creating a report

• US 20040168119A1
• Filed: 02/24/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: StructuRad LLC
• Original Assignee: StructuRad LLC
• Inventors: Liu, David, Berman, Gerald Dennis, Gray, Richard Neal
• Application Number:
  US10/374,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20040168119A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/501.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for creating a report on a computer. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, one or more nodes of a decision tree are displayed to a user. Information about the displayed nodes are then received from a user. The information includes at least one selected node. The structured report is converted into a report based on the selected nodes. In another embodiment of the present invention, the structured report is stored in a database that is connected to the computer. In a further embodiment, the structured report is electronically distributed via the Internet. The invention has utility for dynamically creating a structured report that can be accessed instantaneously.

Claims

1. A method of generating an expanded report on a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a report template having one or more nodes to a user, each node having one or more properties that define behavior and appearance of each node in the report template;

receiving from the user one or more selected nodes of the report template; and

generating the expanded report from the selected nodes by converting each of the selected nodes into one or more phrases.

2. The method of claim 1 including the steps of:

creating from the selected nodes a structured report identifying which nodes the user selected; and

storing the structured report to allow the user to search the contents of the structured report.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating includes the steps of:

generating the expanded report dynamically as the user selects the selected nodes; and

displaying the phrases dynamically as the user selects the selected nodes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating includes the steps of:

generating the expanded report dynamically as the user selects selected nodes; and

displaying the phrases dynamically as the user selects the selected nodes;

wherein the phrases are displayed as natural language phrases.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanded report is electronically distributed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanded report is grammatically correct and contains natural language phrases.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the report template is displayed as a hierarchical tree, and wherein the step of generating the expanded report includes the step of ordering the nodes in accordance with at least one of a position of selected nodes in the hierarchical tree, an order in which nodes are selected by the user, or a pre-defined order from a container set.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the report includes the step of generating punctuation and capitalization based at least in part on the properties of the node or a container set rule, the container set rule specifying a sequence one or more of the nodes are to be outputted in the expanded report.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of generating includes the step of outputting a pre-defined conjunction in accordance with at least one of a container set rule and the properties of each node, the container set rule specifying the sequence the information related to one or more of the nodes are to be outputted in the report.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating includes the step of outputting a phrase related to the nodes in singular or plural form based at least in part on the properties of other nodes in the phrase.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the report includes the steps of:

determining whether the selected nodes are to be ordered in accordance with a container set rule or the one or more node properties defining the behavior and appearance of each node;

upon determining that the selected nodes are to be ordered in accordance with the container set rule, creating an expanded report containing data represented by the selected nodes in an order specified by the container set rule; and

upon determining that the selected nodes are to be ordered in accordance with the node properties, performing for each selected node the substeps of;

outputting information represented by one or more child nodes having a node property that indicates the child node prepends the selected node;

outputting information represented by the selected node; and

outputting information represented by the one or more child nodes having a node property that indicates the child node appends the selected node.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a container set rule causes one or more nodes to appear in more than one location in the expanded report.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the nodes are organized in a hierarchical manner, and wherein the step of displaying includes displaying the nodes in the hierarchical manner.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying includes displaying one or more selected nodes and displaying one or more non-selected nodes.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the nodes of a decision tree can be replicated dynamically when the user is selecting nodes, so that a particular subtree can be reused.

16. A method of generating an expanded report on a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a user a selection of a starting template from one or more report templates and one or more previous structured reports, the report templates having one or more nodes representing alternative findings and the previous structured report having one or more nodes previously selected by the user;

receiving from the user one or more selected nodes of the starting template;

generating a structured report from the selected nodes, the structured report identifying the nodes selected by the user; and

generating the expanded report from the selected nodes.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the expanded report is generated dynamically as the user selects the one or more selected nodes.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the expanded report is electronically distributed.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the expanded report is grammatically correct and contains natural language phrases.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the report template is displayed as a hierarchical tree, and wherein the step of generating the expanded report includes the step of ordering the nodes in accordance with at least one of a position of selected nodes in the hierarchical tree, an order in which nodes are selected by the user, or a pre-defined order from a container set.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of generating the report includes the step of generating punctuation and capitalization based at least in part on the properties of the node or a container set rule, the container set rule specifying a sequence one or more of the nodes are to be outputted in the expanded report.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of generating includes the step of outputting a pre-defined conjunction in accordance with at least one of a container set rule and the properties of each node, the container set rule specifying the sequence the information related to one or more of the nodes are to be outputted in the report.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of generating includes the step of outputting a phrase related to the nodes in singular or plural form based at least in part on the properties of other nodes in the phrase.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of generating the report includes the steps of:

determining whether the selected nodes are to be ordered in accordance with a container set rule or the one or more node properties defining the behavior and appearance of each node;

upon determining that the selected nodes are to be ordered in accordance with the container set rule, creating an expanded report containing data represented by the selected nodes in an order specified by the container set rule; and

upon determining that the selected nodes are to be ordered in accordance with the node properties, performing for each selected node the substeps of;

outputting information represented by one or more child nodes having a node property that indicates the child node prepends the selected node;

outputting information represented by the selected node; and

outputting information represented by the one or more child nodes having a node property that indicates the child node appends the selected node.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the nodes of a decision tree can be replicated dynamically when the user is selecting nodes, so that a particular subtree can be reused.

26. A computer program product for providing generating an expanded report on a computer, the computer program product having a medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising:

computer program code for displaying a report template having one or more nodes to a user, each node having one or more properties that define behavior and appearance of each node in the report template;

computer program code for receiving from the user one or more selected nodes of the report template; and

computer program code for generating the expanded report from the selected nodes by converting each of the selected nodes into one or more phrases.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 including:

computer program code for creating from the selected nodes a structured report identifying which nodes the user selected; and

computer program code for storing the structured report to allow the user to search the contents of the structured report.

28. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the computer program code for generating includes:

computer program code for generating the expanded report dynamically as the user selects the selected nodes; and

computer program code for displaying the phrases dynamically as the user selects the selected nodes.

29. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the computer program code for generating includes:

computer program code for generating the expanded report dynamically as the user selects selected nodes; and

computer program code for displaying the phrases dynamically as the user selects the selected nodes, the phrases being displayed as natural language phrases.

30. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising:

computer program code for electronically distributing the expanded report.

31. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the computer program code for generating includes computer program code for generating a grammatically correct and natural language expanded report.

32. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the computer program code for displaying includes computer program code for displaying the report template as a hierarchical tree, and wherein the computer program code for generating the expanded report includes the computer program code for ordering the nodes in accordance with at least one of a position of selected nodes in the hierarchical tree, an order in which nodes are selected by the user, or a pre-defined order from a container set.

33. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the computer program code for generating the report includes computer program code for generating punctuation and capitalization based at least in part on the properties of the node or a container set rule, the container set rule specifying a sequence one or more of the nodes are to be outputted in the expanded report.

34. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the computer program code for generating includes computer program code for outputting a pre-defined conjunction in accordance with at least one of a container set rule and the properties of each node, the container set rule specifying the sequence the information related to one or more of the nodes are to be outputted in the report.

35. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the computer program code for generating includes the computer program code for outputting a phrase related to the nodes in singular or plural form based at least in part on the properties of other nodes in the phrase.

36. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the computer program code for generating the report includes:

computer program code for determining whether the selected nodes are to be ordered in accordance with a container set rule or the one or more node properties defining the behavior and appearance of each node;

upon determining that the selected nodes are to be ordered in accordance with the container set rule, computer program code for creating an expanded report containing data represented by the selected nodes in an order specified by the container set rule; and

upon determining that the selected nodes are to be ordered in accordance with the node properties, computer program code for;

computer program code for outputting information represented by one or more child nodes having a node property that indicates the child node prepends the selected node;

computer program code for outputting information represented by the selected node; and

computer program code for outputting information represented by one or more child nodes having a node property that indicates the child node appends the selected node.

37. The computer program product of claim 26, including computer program code for causing one or more nodes to appear in more than one location in the expanded report in accordance with one or more container set rules.

38. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the computer program code for displaying includes computer program code for displaying the nodes in a hierarchical manner.

39. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the computer program code for displaying includes computer program code for displaying one or more selected nodes and displaying one or more non-selected nodes.

40. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising computer program code for replicating one or more nodes of a decision tree dynamically so that a particular subtree can be reused.

41. A method of creating a structured report, comprising:

at a server computer,

(a) converting a decision tree into an XML document by performing a pre-order tree traversal, wherein the XML document contains one or more nodes;

(b) storing the XML document in a storage device connected to the server computer;

at the client computer,

(c) receiving the XML document from the server computer;

(d) displaying the XML document to a user;

(e) receiving information about the nodes from the user, wherein the information includes at least one selected node;

(f) dynamically creating the structured report by converting the selected node into a meaningful sentence that consists of one or more sentence fragments at the server computer,

(g) receiving the structured report from the client computer;

(h) storing the structured report in the database that is connected to the server computer; and

(i) distributing the structured report electronically.