Integrated guardianship information system

• US 6,973,462 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Florida Atlantic University (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: Florida Atlantic University (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Dattero, Ronald, Thabit, Bryan, Galup, Stuart D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fernandes, Cheryl
• Application Number:
  US10/115,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/204, 707/6, 707/104.1, 705/1, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An integrated guardianship system. The system can include a Clerk of the Court system for processing ward data and guardianship data; a guardian background investigation system communicatively linked to the Clerk of the Court system over a computer communications network; and, at least one database for storing ward, guardianship and background data, wherein the ward, guardianship and background data can be accessed by an authorized system communicatively linked to the computer communications network. Notably, the guardian background investigation system can conduct background investigations of guardians based on guardian data electronically provided by the Clerk of the Court system over the computer communications network. The background investigations, in turn, can produce guardian background data. Finally, the guardian background investigation system can electronically provide the guardian background data to the Clerk of the Court system over the computer communications network.

Claims

1. A method for processing a legal guardianship in a computer communications network comprising:

capturing guardianship data from at least one guardianship form, said guardianship data comprising ward data and guardian data;

electronically transmitting said ward data and guardian data over the computer communications network to a guardian background investigator, said background investigator conducting a background investigation based on said guardian data, said background investigation producing background investigation data;

electronically receiving over the computer communications network said background investigation data from said guardian background investigator;

electronically processing said ward data, guardian data, and background investigation data to create a guardianship plan in a guardianship file; and

,

storing said guardianship file in a fixed storage in the computer communications network which can be accessed by a client computer communicatively linked to the computer communications network when said client computer is authorized to access said guardianship file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

third capturing audit data relating to said ward data, guardian data and guardianship plan; and

,

adding said audit data to said guardianship file.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing an audit tickler to automatically trigger an audit in response to at least one of detecting a pre-determined pattern within said audit data and a predetermined schedule.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating said guardianship file for evaluation during and after background investigation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electronically transmitting said ward data and guardian data over the computer communications network to a background investigation system;

performing electronic data analysis on said ward and guardian data with said background investigation system; and

electronically transmitting reports of said electronic data analysis to said guardian background investigator.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

electronically transmitting said ward data and guardian data over the computer communications network to a background investigation system;

said background investigation system monitoring updates to the guardianship file for evaluation during and after a formal background investigation; and

electronically transmitting results from said monitoring to said guardianship file.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising electronically transmitting said data analysis to a Clerk of the Court.

8. An integrated guardianship system comprising:

a guardianship information system provided by a Clerk of the Court for processing ward data and guardianship data;

a guardian background investigation system communicatively linked to said guardianship information system over a computer communications network, said guardian background investigation system conducting background investigations of guardians based on guardian data electronically provided by said Clerk of the Court via said guardianship information system over said computer communications network, said background investigations producing guardian background data, said guardian background investigation system electronically providing said guardian background data to said Clerk of the Court via said guardianship information system over said computer communications network; and

,

at least one database for storing said ward, guardianship and background data, wherein said ward, guardianship and background data can be accessed by an authorized system communicatively linked to said computer communications network.

9. A system for processing a legal guardianship in a computer communications network, comprising:

a data capture device for capturing guardianship data from at least one guardianship form, said guardianship data comprising ward data and guardian data;

a transmitting device for electronically transmitting said ward data and guardian data over the computer communications network to a guardian background investigator, said background investigator conducting a background investigation based on said guardian data, said background investigation producing background investigation data;

a receiving device for electronically receiving over the computer communications network said background investigation data from said guardian background investigator;

a guardianship information system for electronically obtaining said guardianship data from said data capture device and for electronically obtaining said background investigation data from said receiving device, said guardianship information system processing said guardianship data and said background investigation data to create a guardianship plan; and

a data storage device for storing said ward data, guardian data, background investigation data, and said guardianship plan in a guardianship file;

wherein said guardianship file is accessed from said data storage by an authorized client computer communicatively linked to the computer communications network.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising an audit system comprising an audit data generator configured to generate audit data based upon said guardianship file, and an audit tickler configured to automatically trigger an audit upon detecting a pattern within said audit data.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising an audit system comprising an audit data generator configured to generate audit data based upon said guardianship file, and an audit tickler configured to automatically trigger an audit at predetermined intervals.

12. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program for processing a legal guardianship in a computer communications network, said computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

capturing guardianship data from at least one guardianship form, said guardianship data comprising ward data and guardian data;

electronically transmitting said ward data and guardian data over the computer communications network to a guardian background investigator, said background investigator conducting a background investigation based on said guardian data, said background investigation producing background investigation data;

electronically receiving over the computer communications network said background investigation data from said guardian background investigator;

electronically processing said ward data, guardian data, and background investigation data to create a guardianship plan in a guardianship file; and

,

storing said guardianship file in a fixed storage in the computer communications network which can be accessed by a client computer communicatively linked to the computer communications network when said client computer is authorized to access said guardianship file.

13. The machine readable storage of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

third capturing audit data relating to said ward data, guardian data and guardianship plan; and

,

adding said audit data to said guardianship file.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 13, further comprising the step of providing auditing tickler to automatically trigger an audit in response to at least one of detecting a pre-determined pattern within said audit data and predetermined schedule.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 12, further comprising updating said guardianship file for evaluation during and after said background investigation.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

electronically transmitting said ward data and guardian data over the computer communications network to a background investigation system;

performing electronic data analysis on said ward and guardian data with said background investigation system; and

electronically transmitting reports of said electronic data analysis to said guardian background investigator.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

electronically transmitting said ward data and guardian data over the computer communications network to a background investigation system;

said background investigation system monitoring updates to the guardianship file for evaluation during and after a formal background investigation; and

electronically transmitting results from said monitoring to said guardianship file.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 16, further comprising the step of electronically transmitting said results to a Clerk of the Court.