System and methods for providing a healthcare industry trade show via internet

• US 20050165624A1
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brown H. Stephen, John S. Shelton
• Original Assignee: Brown H. Stephen, John S. Shelton
• Inventors: Brown, H. Stephen, Shelton, John S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,941,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• 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

A system or method for providing a 3-D virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet including at least one server computer for collecting, assembling, storing, correlating, or otherwise processing information desired by a participant of the healthcare industry, and at least one other computer used by the participant of the healthcare industry connected via internet or intranet to conduct transactions with other participants or exhibitors of the healthcare industry trade show. Other embodiments include means for leaving any facility or any activity in progress and then return to at the same location, timing to continue without starting from the beginning of the visit or activity, means for creating a 3-D virtual Continuing Education facility, and means for disseminating FDA permitted off-label product promotions which are scientific and educational in nature to medical community as delivered by independent third parties in the formats of clinical trials, special studies, and grand rounds.

Claims

1. A system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet, comprising:

at least one server computer for collecting, assembling, storing, correlating, or otherwise processing information desired by participants of the healthcare industry; and

at least one other computer used by any one of said participants of the healthcare industry connected via internet or intranet to said at least one personal or network computer to conduct transactions via said healthcare industry trade show,

wherein the connection between said at least one personal or network computer and said at least one other computer is further facilitated via any communication vehicles at the option of any one of said participants of the healthcare industry, and

said server computer includes at least one of;

means for creating 3-D visual representations of facilities of said healthcare industry trade show and for supporting different browsers of said at least one other computer to view said 3-D visual representations; and

means for an attendee to sign off any facility or any activity in progress and then return to said facility or activity to resume the visit or activity at the same location, timing to continue visit the facility or resuming the activity without starting from the beginning of the visit or activity.

2. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes means for playing per-recorded corresponding information when a selected one of displayed facilities is being shown.

3. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes means for providing and displaying a menu icon for bringing out a menu bar or calling up a Concierge menu screen, said menu bar or menu screen having bottom for browse, search, bookmark, or ask for recommendation, or to view facilities visited by an Attendee previously.

4. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes means for updating displayed information in said healthcare industry trade show by revising from said at least one other computer.

5. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes means for linking at least one keyword, or paragraph, or article in displayed information to a on-line information source to thereby synchronizing contents thereof.

6. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes means for collecting and displaying most frequented browsed articles, class, lecture, booth, room, or hall by predetermined categories or sub-categories of said participants of the healthcare industry.

7. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes means for collecting and displaying recommended articles, class, lecture, booth, room, or hall by predetermined categories or sub-categories of exhibitors which sponsor virtual booths in said healthcare industry trade show.

8. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes means for collecting and displaying a number of 3-D virtual posters with visual, self-explanatory presentations of recent research findings interesting to participants of the healthcare industry in a 3-D virtual poster room.

9. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 8, wherein said poster room is predetermined to designate for a particular subject matter by said healthcare industry trade show or is organized and assembled for an attendee on demand.

10. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 8, wherein said server computer further includes means for reducing or increasing the number of 3-D virtual posters in the poster room based upon a request by an attendee.

11. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 8, wherein said server computer further includes means for changing the 3-D virtual posters in the poster room based upon a search requested by an attendee

12. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes data mining means for developing in-depth attendee information based upon preliminary information provided by the attendee during registration, additional personal information available from other sources, and Attendee'"'"'s visiting history of said healthcare industry trade show.

13. A system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet, comprising:

at least one server computer for collecting, assembling, storing, correlating, or otherwise processing information desired by participants of the healthcare industry; and

at least one other computer used by any one of said participants of the healthcare industry connected via internet or intranet to said at least one personal or network computer to conduct transactions via said healthcare industry trade show,

wherein the connection between said at least one personal or network computer and said at least one other computer is further facilitated via any communication vehicles at the option of any one of said participants of the healthcare industry, and

said server computer includes means for creating a 3-D virtual Continuing Education facility for providing continuing education to said participants of the healthcare industry.

14. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 13, wherein said server computer further includes means for determining behavioral outcomes as a result of attending a Continuing Educational activity by comparing surveyed attend’

behavior before and after attending the activity.

15. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 13, wherein said server computer further includes means for playing per-recorded corresponding speech when a selected 3-D classroom or lecture hall is being shown.

16. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 13, wherein said server computer further includes means for generating and displaying a sub-screen for showing a presentation outline of said speech of an on-going class or lecture.

17. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 13, wherein said server computer further includes means for manipulating said outline to be scroll up or down for different slides or screenshots in conjunction with recorded speech corresponding with each slide or screenshot.

18. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 13, wherein said server computer further includes means for providing and displaying a menu icon for bringing out a menu bar or calling up a Concierge menu screen, said menu bar or menu screen having bottoms for browse, search, bookmark a class or lecture, or ask for recommendation, or to view classes or lectures taken by an Attendee previously.

19. A system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet, comprising:

at least one server computer for collecting, assembling, storing, correlating, or otherwise processing information desired by participants of the healthcare industry; and

at least one other computer used by any one of said participants of the healthcare industry connected via internet or intranet to said at least one personal or network computer to conduct transactions via said healthcare industry trade show,

wherein the connection between said at least one personal or network computer and said at least one other computer is further facilitated via any communication vehicles at the option of any one of said participants of the healthcare industry, and

said server computer includes means for collecting and disseminating FDA permitted off-label product promotions which are scientific and educational in nature to medical community as delivered by independent third parties in the formats of clinical trials, special studies, and grand rounds.

20. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 19, wherein said disseminating is initiated by a manufacturer of the off-label product or requested by an attendee of said healthcare industry trade show.