Methods and apparatus for facilitating execution of context sharing applications in an environment with a less than fully enabled context manager

• US 20050084105A1
• Filed: 10/07/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sentillion Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Fusari, David, Morwood, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/213
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades

Abstract

Method and apparatus for use in a computer system comprising a plurality of applications that share a context and a context manager (CM) to manage the context, wherein the context comprises at least first and second subjects and wherein the CM is configured to enable the plurality of applications to share the first subject but not the second subject. The method and apparatus facilitate execution of the plurality of applications by providing an interface between the CM and the plurality of applications that enables each of the plurality of applications to set the second subject; and by maintaining values for the second subject separately for the plurality of applications so that the second subject is not shared among the plurality of applications.

Claims

1. In a computer system comprising a plurality of applications that share a context and a context manager (CM) to manage the context, wherein the context comprises at least first and second subjects and wherein the CM is configured to enable the plurality of applications to share the first subject but not the second subject, a method of facilitating execution of the plurality of applications, the method comprising acts of:

(a) providing an interface between the CM and the plurality of applications that enables each of the plurality of applications to set the second subject; and

(b) maintaining values for the second subject separately for the plurality of applications so that the second subject is not shared among the plurality of applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subject is a user subject that identifies a user of the plurality of applications and that, when shared, enables single sign on for the plurality of applications, and wherein the second subject is a different subject.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the context comprises a plurality of subjects that includes the first and second subjects, and wherein the CM is configured to prevent the plurality of applications from sharing any of the plurality of subjects other than the user subject.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second subject is a user subject that identifies a user of the plurality of applications, and wherein the first subject is a different subject.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the context comprises a plurality of subjects that includes the first and second subjects, and wherein the CM is configured to enable the plurality of applications to share all of the plurality of subjects other than the user subject.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the CM is configured to manage sharing of the first subject according to the CCOW standard.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (a) comprises an act of providing an interface between the CM and the plurality of applications that enables each of the plurality of applications to get a value for the second subject.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (b) is performed by the CM.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the act (b) comprises an act of maintaining, in the CM, values for the second subject separately for the plurality of applications.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second subject is a secured subject.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the secured subject requires privileges to enable an application to set the secured subject, and wherein the act (a) comprises an act of providing each of the plurality of applications with sufficient privileges to set the secured subject.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second subject is an unsecured subject

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of applications relate to a clinical healthcare environment, and wherein the context comprises a plurality of subjects that includes a patient subject.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of subjects further comprises an encounter subject and an observation subject.

15. At least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions for execution in a computer system comprising a plurality of applications that share a context and a context manager (CM) to manage the context, wherein the context comprises at least first and second subjects and wherein the CM is configured to enable the plurality of applications to share the first subject but not the second subject, the instructions, when executed, performing a method of facilitating execution of the plurality of applications, the method comprising acts of:

(a) providing an interface between the CM and the plurality of applications that enables each of the plurality of applications to set the second subject; and

(b) maintaining values for the second subject separately for the plurality of applications so that the second subject is not shared among the plurality of applications.

16. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first subject is a user subject that identifies a user of the plurality of applications and that, when shared, enables single sign on for the plurality of applications, and wherein the second subject is a different subject.

17. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the context comprises a plurality of subjects that includes the first and second subjects, and wherein the CM is configured to prevent the plurality of applications from sharing any of the plurality of subjects other than the user subject.

18. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second subject is a user subject that identifies a user of the plurality of applications, and wherein the first subject is a different subject.

19. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the context comprises a plurality of subjects that includes the first and second subjects, and wherein the CM is configured to enable the plurality of applications to share all of the plurality of subjects other than the user subject.

20. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the CM is configured to manage sharing of the first subject according to the CCOW standard.

21. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the act (a) comprises an act of providing an interface between the CM and the plurality of applications that enables each of the plurality of applications to get a value for the second subject.

22. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the act (b) is performed by the CM.

23. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the act (b) comprises an act of maintaining, in the CM, values for the second subject separately for the plurality of applications.

24. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second subject is a secured subject.

25. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the secured subject requires privileges to enable an application to set the secured subject, and wherein the act (a) comprises an act of providing each of the plurality of applications with sufficient privileges to set the secured subject.

26. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the second subject is an unsecured subject.

27. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of applications relate to a clinical healthcare environment, and wherein the context comprises a plurality of subjects that includes a patient subject.

28. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the plurality of subjects further comprises an encounter subject and an observation subject.

29. A context manager (CM) for use in a computer system comprising a plurality of applications that share a context, the context manager comprising:

at least one processor programmed to manage the context, wherein the context comprises at least first and second subjects, and wherein the at least one processor is programmed to;

enable the plurality of applications to share the first subject but not the second subject;

provide an interface between the CM and the plurality of applications that enables each of the plurality of applications to set the second subject; and

maintain values for the second subject separately for the plurality of applications so that the second subject is not shared among the plurality of applications.

30. The context manager of claim 29, wherein the first subject is a user subject that identifies a user of the plurality of applications and that, when shared, enables single sign on for the plurality of applications, and wherein the second subject is a different subject.

31. The context manager of claim 30, wherein the context comprises a plurality of subjects that includes the first and second subjects, and wherein the at least one processor is programmed to prevent the plurality of applications from sharing any of the plurality of subjects other than the user subject.

32. The context manager of claim 29, wherein the second subject is a user subject that identifies a user of the plurality of applications, and wherein the first subject is a different subject.

33. The context manager of claim 32, wherein the context comprises a plurality of subjects that includes the first and second subjects, and wherein the at least one processor is programmed to enable the plurality of applications to share all of the plurality of subjects other than the user subject.

34. The context manager of claim 29, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to manage sharing of the first subject according to the CCOW standard.

35. The context manager of claim 29, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to provide an interface between the CM and the plurality of applications that enables each of the plurality of applications to get a value for the second subject.

36. The context manager of claim 29, further comprising at least one storage element, and wherein the at least one processor is programmed to separately maintain, in the at least one storage element, values for the second subject for the plurality of applications.

37. The context manager of claim 29, wherein the second subject is a secured subject.

38. The context manager of claim 37, wherein the secured subject requires privileges to enable an application to set the secured subject, and wherein the at least one processor is programmed to provide each of the plurality of applications with sufficient privileges to set the secured subject.

39. The context manager of claim 29, wherein the second subject is an unsecured subject

40. The context manager of claim 29, wherein the plurality of applications relate to a clinical healthcare environment, and wherein the context comprises a plurality of subjects that includes a patient subject.

41. The context manager of claim 41, wherein the plurality of subjects further comprises an encounter subject and an observation subject.