Video teleconferencing assembly and process

• US 6,449,001 B1
• Filed: 11/18/1998
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GMI
• Original Assignee: Richard A. Powell, William W. Levy
• Inventors: Levy, William W., Powell, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Application Number:
  US09/195,781
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.710, H04/N.714, 345/327, 709/217, 348/15, 348/16, 348/17, 348/10, 348/13, 348/12, 348/6, 348/7, 348/14.01, 348/14.04, 348/14.07, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 348/14.1, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/4.1, 455/3.1, 725/105, 725/86, 370/260-269, 600/300
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13333 Earth satellites
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13337 Picturephone, videotelephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

An assembly and process for video telecommunication between a host site and a remote site for medical applications. The host site and remote site have computer assemblies constructed and arranged to form a computerized video telecommunications system between them. The remote site includes medical apparatus and procedures having visual and/or audio recognition systems whereby training, service, troubleshooting and instrument installation assistance can be conducted from the host site. The video telecommunication system at the host and remote sites include networking software for the communication of audio and visual signals between the sites.

Claims

1. A video telecommunications assembly for providing technical assistance for medical applications from a host site to a remote site comprising:

a) a host site having a computer assembly constructed and arranged to form a computerized video telecommunications system and having technical reference materials, said computer assembly having networking software, a sufficient amount of RAM memory to run said networking software, a hard drive having sufficient memory to run said networking software, having fax sending and receiving capabilities, a microphone, at least one speaker, a video input device, a video monitor, networking bus architecture, and a means to connect said computer assembly to a telecommunications link, wherein said host site provides technical assistance to said remote site, wherein said technical assistance is selected from the group consisting of technical and application troubleshooting, instrument installation assistance, technique monitoring and training, technical training, parts and replacement assistance, instrument and parts identification, instrument performance verification, staff monitoring, client and staff counseling, enhancement of sales and service capabilities, and analyzing chemicals used to generate test resultss for patients and quality control;

b) a remote site having a computer assembly constructed and arranged to form a computerized video telecommunications system equipped with networking software compatible to said host site'"'"'s networking software, a sufficient amount of RAM memory to run said networking software, a hard drive having sufficient memory to run said networking software, fax sending and receiving capabilities, a microphone, at least one speaker, a video monitor, a video input device, a video digitizing means, and a means to connect said computer assembly to said telecommunications link; and

c) a medical application at said remote site, said medical application comprising medical equipment having a recognition system or a laboratory procedure having a recognition system, said recognition system being in view of said video input device of said remote site computer assembly, whereby said recognition system indicates the operating status of said medical application for transmission from said remote site to said host site.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said host site assembly is further comprised of a dedicated ISDN router/hub, a standard ISDN digital telephone line, a TCP/IP network protocol configured for internet connectivity, and an Internet Service Provider relationship.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said video telecommunications link is over the internet.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said host computer assembly is further comprised of a PCI video digitizing card whereby said card enables said host computer assembly to send and receive information concurrently.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said networking bus architecture is a PCI-type bus architecture.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said recognition system is a visual recognition system comprised of a plurality of colored lights.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said video input device is a portable digital video camera.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said video telecommunications assembly has more than one remote site linked to said host site.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said video telecommunications assembly has more than one host site linked to said remote site.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said technical reference materials are comprised of medical application manuals, troubleshooting reference documents, medical applications, and databases for use by a host site technician in assisting remote site personnel with technical procedures.

11. A video teleconferencing process for providing technical support services relating to medical applications between a host site and a remote site comprising the steps of:

a) providing at least one host technical service center equipped with a computer, networking software, a telecommunications link adapted to form a computerized video teleconferencing system and reference materials relating to the medical applications located at the remote site;

b) providing at the remote site, a medical application comprising medical equipment having a recognition system or a laboratory procedure having a recognition system, said recognition system indicating to a technician at the host site status of said medical application;

c) providing at least one computerized video teleconferencing system, set up at the remote site in view of said recognition system of said medical application;

d) contacting said host site from said remote video teleconferencing system to request a teleconferencing session;

e) having a host respond to said remote site request by setting up a video teleconferencing session between said host remote computer system and said remote computer system;

f) providing technical support services by having host technical support personnel interpret the recognition system generated by said medical application at said remote site via said video teleconferencing session and analyzing said recognition system output using said reference materials to provide assistance to said remote site personnel; and

providing technical assistance to said remote site wherein said technical assistance is selected from the group consisting of technical and application troubleshooting, instrument installation assistance, technique monitoring and training, technical training, parts and replacement assistance, instrument and parts identification, instrument performance verification, staff monitoring, client and staff counseling, enhancement of sales and service capabilities, and analyzing chemicals used to generate test results for patients and quality control.

12. The process of claim 11, providing fax sending and receiving hardware and software at said host and remote sites.

13. The process of claim 12, entering into a contract for services to be rendered through the process of faxing the contract from the host site to the remote site, having the party in need of technical support sign said contract, and having the remote site fax the signed copy to the host site.

14. The process of claim 11, wherein said video teleconferencing session is conducted over the internet.

15. The process of claim 11, wherein said reference materials provided include medical equipment manuals, trouble shooting reference documents, sample equipment, or computer databases.

16. The process of claim 11, wherein said recognition system is a visual recognition system comprised of a plurality of lights.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein said visual recognition system is programmed whereby predetermined medical application problems are indicated by the activation of predetermined light patterns.

18. The process of claim 11, wherein said recognition system includes visual indicators relating to medical laboratory consumable reagents.

19. The process of claim 16, wherein said lights are colored LED'"'"'s and include the colors of yellow, green and red.

20. The process of claim 16, wherein said lights are colored and wherein a colored light pattern medical application troubleshooting code is programmed into the computer at the host site.

21. The process of claim 11, wherein all medical applications and laboratory procedures used at the remote sites are programmed into the computer at the host site.

32. The process of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing fax sending and receiving hardware and software at the host site and the remote site.

33. The process of claim 12, further comprising the step of authorizing said telecommunications session by faxing a request for authorization from the host site to the remote site and having the remote site fax a duly signed copy of the request for authorization back to the host site.

34. The process of claim 11, wherein said telecommunications session is conducted over the internet.

35. The process of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing reference materials consisting of medical application manuals, trouble shooting reference documents, sample medical applications, and databases for use by a host site technician.

22. A method of performing technical assistance on medical applications comprising the steps of:

a) forming a contractual relationship between a host technical service center and a remote site having medical applications to provide technical assistance to said remote site,

wherein said technical assistance is selected from the group consisting of technical and application troubleshooting, instrument installation assistance, technique monitoring and training, technical training, parts and replacement assistance, instrument and parts identification, instrument performance verification, staff monitoring, client and staff counseling, enhancement of sales and service capabilities, and analyzing chemicals used to generate test results for patients and quality control;

b) providing personnel at said host site with access to technical service information;

c) providing host site with an audio-visual telecommunications system with capability to communicate with said remote site via a telecommunications link;

d) providing remote site with a audio-visual telecommunications system having audio and visual input devices and having the ability to communicate with said host site via said telecommunications link, whereby said remote site system can be set up within camera range of said medical application;

e) providing a remote site operator having the ability to set up and operate said remote site system, wherein said remote site operator is selected from the group of operators consisting of an employee of said host technical service center, an independent contractor, an employee of an entity having a service agreement with said host technical service center, and an employee of the remote site wherein said remote site has an agreement with said host technical service center to maintain said remote site audio-visual telecommunications system on site; and

wherein said remote operator sets up the system for operation;

f) establishing a telecommunications connection between said host site and said remote site system via said telecommunications link;

g) verifying that said contractual relationship is established;

h) having said host site personnel control the collection of information provided by the remote site system;

i) providing information to said remote site personnel via said audio-video telecommunications system from said host site, said host site using said information collected from said remote site and with information located at said host site providing technical guidance with respect to said medical application; and

j) disconnecting said telecommunications connection.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said audio-visual telecommunications system is a portable system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the host site personnel control the collection of information by asking said remote site operator to manipulate the position of said audio-visual telecommunications system to said medical application with respect to its proximity to said application and the angle of said application for purposes of gaining a different perspective of said application.

25. A video telecommunications assembly to enable a host site of a host technical service center to provide medical applications technical assistance to a remote site, said assembly comprising:

a) a host site computer assembly constructed and arranged to form a computerized audio-video telecommunications system, said host site computer assembly having fax sending and receiving capabilities, an audio input device, an audio output device, a video input device, a video output device, networking software, networking bus architecture, and a means to connect said host site computer assembly to a telecommunications link,

wherein said host site provides technical assistance to said remote site, wherein said technical assistance is selected from the group consisting of technical and application troubleshooting, instrument installation assistance, technique monitoring and training, technical training, parts and replacement assistance, instrument and parts identification, instrument performance verification, staff monitoring, client and staff counseling, enhancement of sales and service capabilities, and analyzing chemicals used to generate test results for patients and quality control; and

b) a remote site computer assembly constructed and arranged to form a computerized audio-video telecommunications system, said remote site computer assembly having fax sending and receiving capabilities, an audio input device, an audio output device, a video output device, a video input device, networking software compatible with said host site computer assembly networking software, networking bus architecture, a video digitizing means, and a means to connect said computer assembly to said telecommunications link; and

said remote site computer assembly further having a remote site operator selected from the group of operators consisting of an employee of the host technical service center, an independent contractor, an employee of an entity having a service agreement with the host technical service center, and an employee of the remote site wherein the remote site has an agreement with the host technical service center to maintain said remote site computer assembly on site.

26. A video telecommunications assembly for providing technical assistance comprising:

a) a host site having a computer assembly and technical reference materials, said computer assembly having networking software, fax sending and receiving capabilities, a microphone, at least one speaker, a video input device, a video monitor, networking bus architecture, and a means to connect said computer assembly to a telecommunications link,

wherein said host site provides technical assistance to said remote site, wherein said technical assistance is selected from the group consisting of technical and application troubleshooting, instrument installation assistance, technique monitoring and training, technical training, parts and replacement assistance, instrument and parts identification, instrument performance verification, staff monitoring, client and staff counseling, enhancement of sales and service capabilities, and analyzing chemicals used to generate test results for patients and quality control;

b) a remote site having a computer assembly constructed and arranged to form a computerized video telecommunications system equipped with networking software compatible with said host site'"'"'s networking software, fax sending a receiving capabilities, a microphone, at least one speaker, a video monitor, a video input device, a video digitizing means, and a means to connect said computer assembly to a telecommunications link;

c) a telecommunications link between said host site and said remote site, whereby said host site provides technical services to said remote site after said host site requests authorization to provide the technical services and the remote site authorizes the technical services; and

d) a medical application at said remote site, said medical application having a recognition system being constructed and arranged to indicate a condition of said medical application.

27. An audio-video telecommunications method to enable a host site of a host technical service center to provide medical applications technical assistance to a remote site, said method comprising the steps of:

a) forming a contractual relationship between the host technical service center and a person needing technical assistance, for the host site to provide technical assistance to the remote site,

wherein said technical assistance is selected from the group consisting of technical and application troubleshooting, instrument installation assistance, technique monitoring and training, technical training, parts and replacement assistance, instrument and parts identification, instrument performance verification, staff monitoring, client and staff counseling, enhancement of sales and service capabilities, and analyzing chemicals used to generate test results for patients and quality control;

b) providing the host site with a computerized audio-visual telecommunications system capable of communicating with the remote site via a telecommunications link;

c) providing the remote site with a computerized audio-video telecommunications system having audio and visual input devices and capable of communicating with the host site via said telecommunications link;

d) providing a remote site operator capable of setting up and operating said remote site system, wherein said remote site operator is selected from the group of operators consisting of an employee of the host technical service center, an independent contractor, an employee of a person having a service agreement with the host technical service center, and an employee of the remote site wherein the remote site has an agreement with the host technical service center to maintain said remote site system on site, and wherein said remote site operator sets up said remote site system for operation;

e) establishing a telecommunications connection between said host site system and said remote site system via said telecommunications link;

f) verifying that said contractual relationship is established;

g) having said host site personnel collect information from said remote site system;

h) communicating technical advice about a medical application to said remote site system from said host site system via said telecommunications link, the host site using information received by said host site system from said remote site system via said telecommunications link to provide said technical advice; and

i) disconnecting said telecommunications connection.

28. An audio-video telecommunications method to enable a host site of a host technical service center to provide medical applications technical assistance to a remote site, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing the host site with a computerized audio-video telecommunications system capable of communicating with the remote site via a telecommunications link,

wherein said host site provides technical assistance to said remote site, wherein said technical assistance is selected from the group consisting of technical and application troubleshooting, instrument installation assistance, technique monitoring and training, technical training, parts and replacement assistance, instrument and parts identification, instrument performance verification, staff monitoring, client and staff counseling, enhancement of sales and service capabilities, and analyzing chemicals used to generate test results for patients and quality control;

b) providing the remote site with a computerized audio-visual telecommunications system capable of communicating with the host site via said telecommunications link;

c) contacting the host site from said remote site system to request a telecommunications session;

d) having the host site request the remote site to authorize said telecommunications session;

e) having the remote site authorize said telecommunications session;

f) having the host site respond to said remote site authorization by setting up a telecommunications session between said host site system and said remote site system via said telecommunications link;

g) communicating information about a medical application to said host site system from said remote site system via said telecommunications link;

h) communicating technical advice about said medical application to said remote site system from said host site system via said telecommunications link; and

i) terminating said telecommunications session.

29. A video telecommunications process for providing medical applications technical support services between a host site and a remote site, said process comprising the steps of:

a) providing at least one host technical service center equipped with a computer, networking software, and a telecommunications link, which are adapted to form a computerized video telecommunications system and reference materials relating to the medical applications located at the remote site;

b) providing at the remote site a medical application having a recognition system whereby said recognition system indicates to a technician at the host site a condition of said medical application;

c) providing at least one computerized video telecommunications system, set up at the remote site whereby said recognition system of said medical application is in view of the video telecommunications system;

d) contacting the host site from the remote video telecommunications system to request a telecommunications session;

e) having the host site respond to the remote site by requesting the remote site to authorize the telecommunications session;

f) having the remote site authorize the telecommunications session;

g) having the host site respond to said remote site authorization by setting up a telecommunications session between said host computer system and said remote computer system;

h) providing technical support services to the remote site by having host site technical support personnel interpret output of said recognition system of said remote site medical application and commentary from remote site personnel via said video telecommunications session and analyze said recognition system output using said reference materials to provide assistance to said remote site personnel; and

wherein said host site provides technical assistance to said remote site, wherein said technical assistance is selected from the group consisting of technical and application troubleshooting, instrument installation assistance, technique monitoring and training, technical training, parts and replacement assistance, instrument and parts identification, instrument performance verification, staff monitoring, client and staff counseling, enhancement of sales and service capabilities, and analyzing chemicals used to generate test results for patients and quality control.

30. A video telecommunications process for providing medical applications technical support services between a host site and a remote site, said process comprising the steps of:

a) providing at least one host technical service center equipped with a computer, networking software, and a telecommunications link, which are adapted to form a computerized video telecommunications system, and reference materials relating to the medical applications located at the remote site;

b) providing at the remote site a medical application having a recognition system, whereby said recognition system indicates to a technician at the host site a condition of said medical application; and

wherein said recognition system is a visual and/or an audio indicator;

c) providing at least one computerized video telecommunications system, set up at the remote site in view of said medical application;

d) contacting said host site from said remote video telecommunications system to request a telecommunications session;

e) having said host site respond to said remote site request by setting up a video telecommunications session between said host computer system and said remote computer system;

f) providing technical support services to the remote site by having host site technical support personnel interpret output of said recognition system of said remote site medical application and commentary from remote site personnel via said video telecommunications session and analyze said recognition system output using said reference materials to provide assistance to said remote site personnel; and

g) wherein said host site provides technical assistance to said remote site, wherein said technical assistance is selected from the group consisting of technical and application troubleshooting, instrument installation assistance, technique monitoring and training, technical training, parts and replacement assistance, instrument and parts identification, instrument performance verification, staff monitoring, client and staff counseling, enhancement of sales and service capabilities, and analyzing chemicals used to generate test results for patients and quality control.

31. An audio-visual telecommunications method for a host site of a host technical service center to provide medical applications technical assistance to a remote site, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing the host site with a computerized audio-visual telecommunications system capable of communicating with the remote site via a telecommunications link,

wherein said host site provides technical assistance to said remote site, wherein said technical assistance is selected from the group consisting of technical and application troubleshooting, instrument installation assistance, technique monitoring and training, technical training parts and replacement assistance, instrument and parts identification, instrument performance verification, staff monitoring, client and staff counseling, enhancement of sales and service capabilities, and analyzing chemicals used to generate test results for patients and quality control;

b) providing the remote site with a computerized audio-visual telecommunications system capable of communicating with the host site via said telecommunications link and a remote site operator selected from the group of operators consisting of an employee of the host technical service center, an independent contractor, an employee of a person having a service agreement with the host technical service center, and an employee of the remote site wherein the remote site has an agreement with the host technical service center to maintain said remote site system on site;

c) contacting the host site from said remote site system to request a telecommunications session;

d) having the host site request the remote site to authorize said telecommunications session;

e) having the remote site authorize said telecommunications session;

f) having the host site respond to said remote site authorization by setting up a telecommunications session between said host site system and said remote site system via said telecommunications link

g) continually communicating information about a medical application to said host site system from said remote site system via said telecommunications link; and

h) continually and interactively communicating technical advice about said medical application to said remote site system from said host site system via said telecommunications session.