Method and apparatus for managing personal medical information in a secure manner

• US 20060085347A1
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F Poszat Hu LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Yeohs Data Mgmt LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Yiachos, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records

Abstract

A computer implemented method for managing a person'"'"'s medical information includes receiving a first request to access a first tier of medical information of a given person. The request includes first security information associated with a portable secure medium associated with the given person. Access to the first tier information associated with the medical information of the given person is provided upon authenticating the first request. A second request to access a second tier of the medical information of the given person is received. The second request includes second security information provided to a medical professional or center by a medical record management center. Access to the second tier of information associated with the medical information of the given person is granted upon authenticating the second request.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for managing a person'"'"'s medical information, the method comprising:

receiving a first request to access a first tier of medical information of a given person, the request including first security information associated with a portable secure medium associated with the given person;

providing access to the first tier information associated with the medical information of the given person upon authenticating the first request;

receiving a second request to access a second tier of the medical information of the given person, the second request including second security information associated with a medical professional by a medical record management center; and

providing access to the second tier information associated with the medical information of the given person upon authenticating the second request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request is received after a secure medium assigned the given person has been coupled to a client to communicate with a server that is provided at a remote location from the client.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the secure medium serves as a security key that enables the first request to be processed by the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second request is authenticated only if the first request has been authenticated.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying non-confidential information about the given person without requiring security information input.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the displaying step is performed after the secure medium is coupled to a processing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second requests are authenticated if a secure medium assigned to the given person is connected to a processing device, the processing device being used as a client to communicate with a server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing access to the second tier information includes transmitting the second tier information stored in a server to a client to which a secure medium assigned to the given person is coupled.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the providing access to the second tier information further includes transmitting a decryption key to the client from the server to access the second tier information, the second tier information being transmitted to the client in encrypted form.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a first decryption key to the a client from which the first request has been received once the first request has been authenticated; and

transmitting a second decryption key to the client in response to the second request once the second request has been authenticated

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request is received by a client to which a secure medium assigned to the given person is coupled, the client being used to communicate with a remotely located server, and

wherein the first tier information is stored in the secure medium in encrypted form.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second tier information is stored in the server and transmitted to the client after the second request has been authenticated, the second tier information being transmitted to the client in encrypted form.

13. A portable electronic secure medium for storing medical information, the secure medium being assigned to a given person, the secure medium comprising:

a non-volatile memory device;

non-confidential information on the given person to whom the secure medium is assigned, and first medical information of the given person to be displayed upon first security verification,

wherein the secure medium is configured to function as a security key that initiates a process to access medical records of the given person, and

wherein the secure medium is configured to be coupled to a client device for communication with a remotely located server to obtain an authorization to access the medical records of the given person.

14. The secure medium of claim 13, further comprising:

an executable file to purge medical information downloaded to the client during the process to access the medical records of the given person, the executable file being configured to run when the secure medium that is coupled to the client is de-coupled from the client.

15. The secure medium of claim 13, further comprising:

second medical information of the given person to be displayed upon second security verification that involving an entity in the medical field.

16. A server for managing medical information of users, the server comprising:

a network interface to communicate with clients;

a storage device to store medical information of the users; and

a computer readable medium including

code for receiving a first request to access a first tier of medical information of a given user, the request including first security information associated with a portable secure medium associated with the given user;

code for providing access to the first tier information associated with the medical information of the given user upon authenticating the first request;

code for receiving a second request to access a second tier of the medical information of the given user, the second request including second security information associated with a medical professional; and

code for providing access to the second tier of information associated with the medical information of the given user upon authenticating the second request.