Method and apparatus for automated staff assignment

• US 20070288285A1
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascom Tateco AB (Ascom Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Ascom Tateco AB (Ascom Holding AG)
• Inventors: Nilsson, Agneta
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• 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: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A method and an apparatus perform automatic assignment in an environment. The apparatus according to one embodiment comprises an event handler for extracting event elements from reports in the environment; an assignment handler for assigning information to the reports, the assignment handler assigning information to the reports by assigning events to the reports using the event elements of the reports, and assigning staff of the environment to the events; and an action handler for generating actions for the events and sending the actions to the assigned staff.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automated staff assignment in an environment, said apparatus comprising:

an event handler for extracting event elements from reports in said environment;

an assignment handler for assigning information to said reports, said assignment handler assigning information to said reports by

assigning events to said reports using said event elements of said reports, and

assigning staff of said environment to said events; and

an action handler for generating actions for said events and sending said actions to said assigned staff.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said assignment handler

assigns said events to said reports from among a plurality of predefined events, and

assigns staff of said environment to said events from among a plurality of predefined staff entities.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an event handler configuration unit for generating a configuration and filters for said event handler.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said event handler uses said filters for extracting said event elements from said reports.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

an event assignment unit for generating administration-defined event information relating to said plurality of predefined events, and administration-defined staff assignment information for said plurality of predefined staff entities.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a duty assignment unit for generating user-defined assignment information using said administration-defined event information relating to said plurality of predefined events, and said administration-defined staff assignment information for said plurality of predefined staff entities.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said assignment handler

assigns said events to said reports using said administration-defined event information, and

assigns staff of said environment to said events using said administration-defined staff assignment information and said user-defined assignment information.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

an action configuration unit for generating administration-defined action configurations for said plurality of predefined events.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

an action handler processing unit functionally connected to said action configuration unit and to said action handler, wherein said action handler processing unit

generates action messages using said event elements of said reports and said administration-defined action configurations, and

sends said action messages to said action handler for inclusion in said actions.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

an assignment handler processing unit functionally connected to said event assignment unit, said duty assignment unit and said assignment handler, said assignment handler processing unit including a database of predefined event elements.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said reports in said environment have a plurality of formats and are transmitted to said event handler through a plurality of protocols.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said event assignment unit, said duty assignment unit and said action configuration unit include graphical interfaces.

13. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

an access rights unit functionally connected to said duty assignment unit, wherein said access rights unit defines access rights of said staff of said environment.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said environment is a hospital environment.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

said reports in said hospital environment are transmitted to said event handler through a plurality of protocols and said plurality of protocols includes a UDP protocol and a TCP protocol, and

said event handler receives reports from UNITE modules of said hospital environment.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said assignment handler is functionally connected to an external event handler and an external action handler.

17. An apparatus for automated assignment in an environment, said apparatus comprising:

an event handler for extracting event elements from reports in said environment;

an assignment handler for assigning information to said reports, said assignment handler assigning information to said reports by

assigning events to said reports using said event elements of said reports, and

assigning systems of said environment to said events; and

an action handler for generating actions for said events and sending said actions to said assigned systems.

18. A method of automatically assigning staff in an environment, said method comprising:

extracting event elements from reports in said environment;

assigning information to said reports, said step of assigning information to said reports including

assigning events to said reports using said event elements of said reports, and

assigning staff of said environment to said events;

generating actions for said events; and

sending said actions to said assigned staff.

19. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 18, wherein said step of assigning information to said reports

assigns said events to said reports from among a plurality of predefined events, and

assigns staff of said environment to said events from among a plurality of predefined staff entities.

20. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

generating a configuration and filters for said step of extracting event elements from said reports.

21. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 20, wherein said step of extracting event elements from said reports uses said filters.

22. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

generating administration-defined event information relating to said plurality of predefined events, and administration-defined staff assignment information for said plurality of predefined staff entities.

23. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

generating user-defined assignment information using said administration-defined event information relating to said plurality of predefined events, and said administration-defined staff assignment information for said plurality of predefined staff entities.

24. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 23, wherein

said sub-step of assigning events to said reports uses said administration-defined event information, and

said sub-step of assigning staff of said environment to said events uses said administration-defined staff assignment information and said user-defined assignment information.

25. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

generating administration-defined action configurations for said plurality of predefined events.

26. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

generating action messages using said event elements of said reports and said administration-defined action configurations, and

including said action messages in said actions for said events.

27. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 26, wherein said sub-step of assigning events to said reports compares said event elements with a plurality of predefined event elements.

28. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 27, wherein said reports in said environment have a plurality of formats, and said step of extracting event elements receives said reports through a plurality of protocols.

29. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

defining access rights of users for said step of generating user-defined assignment information.

30. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 18, wherein said environment is a hospital environment.

31. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 30, wherein said step of extracting event elements

receives said reports through a plurality of protocols, and said plurality of protocols includes a UDP protocol and a TCP protocol, and

receives reports from UNITE modules of said hospital environment.

32. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 18, wherein said steps of extracting event elements from said reports in said environment, assigning information to said reports, generating actions for said events, and sending said actions to said assigned staff are performed in real-time.

33. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 18, wherein said step of sending said actions to said assigned staff

uses priority information relating to said assigned staff, and

generates escalation chains depending on availability of said assigned staff.

34. The method of automatically assigning staff in an environment as recited in claim 18, wherein said step of assigning information to said reports assigns systems of said environment to said events, and said step of sending said actions sends said actions to said assigned systems.