Connecting Consumers with Service Providers

• US 20090112623A1
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schoenberg, Roy
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An animated representation of a consumer is enabled to interact with an animated representation of a point of service rendered in a user interface to select characteristics of a medical service provider; the selected characteristics of the medical service provider are received; an available medical service provider is identified based at least in part on the selected characteristics; and a communication channel is provided to establish an electronic, real-time communication between the consumer and the identified medical service provider.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, the method comprising:

enabling an animated representation of a consumer to interact with an animated representation of a point of service rendered in a user interface to select characteristics of a medical service provider;

receiving the selected characteristics of the medical service provider;

identifying an available medical service provider based at least in part on the selected characteristics; and

providing a communication channel to establish an electronic, real-time communication between the consumer and the identified medical service provider.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein enabling the animated representation of the consumer to interact with the animated representation of the point of service comprises sending the animated representation of the point of service to the user interface.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein enabling the animated representation of the consumer to interact with the animated representation of the point of service comprises sending the animated representation of the point of service to a server storing the animated representation of the consumer.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein enabling the animated representation of the consumer to interact with the animated representation of the point of service comprises sending an executable program to the user interface.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the interaction between the animated representation of the consumer and the animated representation of the point of service comprises sending a plurality of queries related to at least one of medical diagnosis and medical treatment.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the animated representation of the point of service is at least partially configurable by the point of service and at least partially controllable by the point of service.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic, real-time communication comprises at least one of a voice-based communication, a video-based communication, or a text-based communication.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing the animated representation of the consumer to the user interface.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein providing the animated representation of the consumer to the user interface comprises sending an executable file to the user interface.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the animated representation of the consumer is provided to the user interface in response to at least one input received from the user interface.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the animated representation of the consumer is at least partially configurable by the consumer and at least partially controllable by the consumer.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing modifications to the animated representation of the consumer, the modifications based at least in part on an input received from the consumer.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the input is received from the consumer during the interaction between the animated representation of the consumer and the animated representation of the point of service on the user interface.

14. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

enable an animated representation of a consumer to interact with an animated representation of a point of service rendered in a user interface to select characteristics of a medical service provider;

receive the selected characteristics of the medical service provider;

identify an available medical service provider based at least in part on the selected characteristics; and

provide a communication channel to establish an electronic, real-time communication between the consumer and the identified medical service provider.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the instructions for causing the computer to enable the animated representation of the consumer to interact with the animated representation of the point of service comprise instructions to send the animated representation of the point of service to the user interface.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the instructions for causing the computer to enable the animated representation of the consumer to interact with the animated representation of the point of service comprise instructions to send the animated representation of the point of service to a server storing the animated representation of the consumer.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the instructions to enable the animated representation of the consumer to interact with the animated representation of the point of service comprise instructions to send an executable program to the user interface.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the interaction between the animated representation of the consumer and the animated representation of the point of service comprises instructions to send a plurality of queries related to at least one of medical diagnosis and medical treatment.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the animated representation of the service provider is at least partially configurable by the service provider and at least partially controllable by the service provider.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the electronic, real-time communication comprises at least one of a voice-based communication, a video-based communication, or a text-based communication.

21. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising instructions to provide the animated representation of the consumer to the user interface.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the instructions to provide the animated representation of the consumer to the user interface comprise instructions to send an executable file to the user interface.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the animated representation of the consumer is provided to the user interface in response to at least one input received from the user interface.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the animated representation of the consumer is at least partially configurable by the consumer and at least partially controllable by the consumer.

25. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising instructions to provide modifications to the animated representation of the consumer, the modifications based at least in part on an input received from the consumer.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the input is received from the consumer during the interaction between the animated representation of the consumer and the animated representation of the point of service on the user interface.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer program product residing on a computer readable medium comprising instructions for causing the processor to;

enable an animated representation of a consumer to interact with an animated representation of a point of service rendered in a user interface to select characteristics of a medical service provider;

receive the selected characteristics of the medical service provider;

identify an available medical service provider based at least in part on the selected characteristics; and

provide a communication channel to establish an electronic, real-time communication between the consumer and the identified medical service provider.