Emergency logon method

• US 7,103,776 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Acuson Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Hall, Frederick M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US10/062,685
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 713/182, 455/404.1, 455/411
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

The preferred embodiments described herein provide a method for emergency logon. In one preferred embodiment, a method for emergency logon is described comprising the acts of providing a logon process that collects identification information and authentication information and provides access when identification information is authenticated by authentication information; receiving a request for emergency logon from an entity; collecting identification information from the entity; and without authenticating the identification information collected from the entity, providing the entity with emergency access. Other preferred embodiments are provided, and each of the preferred embodiments described herein can be used alone or in combination with one another.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating emergency logon for a healthcare provider, the method comprising:

(a) providing a logon process that collects entity identification information and entity authentication information and provides access when entity identification information is authenticated by entity authentication information;

(b) receiving a request for emergency logon from said healthcare provider, different to said entity;

(c) collecting identification information from the healthcare provider; and

(d) without authenticating the identification information collected from the healthcare provider, providing the healthcare provider with emergency access.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(e) alerting an administrator regarding the request for emergency logon.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(e) producing an audit log that is more detailed than an audit log produced when identification information is authenticated by authentication information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency access provided to the healthcare provider in (d) is the same as the access provided when identification information is authenticated by authentication information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency access provided to the healthcare provider in (d) is different from the access provided when identification information is authenticated by authentication information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein emergency access provides read-only access, and wherein access provided when identification information is authenticated by authentication information is not limited to read-only access.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the healthcare provider requests emergency logon by clicking on a displayed emergency logon button.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information collected from the healthcare provider in (c) comprises at least one character.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the information collected from the healthcare provider in (c) comprises biometric information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method for emergency logon is implemented on a computer-based medical information system.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the information collected from the healthcare provider in (c) comprises at least one character.

11. A method for facilitating emergency logon for a healthcare provider, the method comprising:

(a) providing a workstation comprising a logon process that collects entity identification information and entity authentication information and operates in a first operating mode when entity identification information is authenticated by entity authentication information;

(b) receiving a request for emergency logon from said healthcare providers different to said entity;

(c) collecting identification information from the healthcare provider; and

(d) without authenticating the identification information collected from the healthcare provider, operating the workstation in a second operating mode, the second operating mode being different from the first operating mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, in the second operating mode, an administrator is alerted regarding the request for emergency logon.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein, in the second operating mode, an audit log is produced that is more detailed than an audit log produced in the first operating mode.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein, in the second operating mode, read-only access is provided to data;

and wherein, in the first operating mode, access to data is not limited to read-only access.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the healthcare provider requests emergency logon by clicking on a displayed emergency logon button.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the information collected from the healthcare provider in (c) comprises biometric information.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the method for emergency logon is implemented on a computer-based medical information system.

19. A method for facilitating emergency logon for a healthcare provider, the method comprising:

(a) providing a computer-based medical information system comprising a logon process that collects entity identification information and entity authentication information and provides access to medical data when entity identification information is authenticated by entity authentication information;

(b) displaying an emergency logon button;

(c) receiving a selection of the emergency logon button from said healthcare provider, different to said entity;

(d) collecting identification information from the healthcare provider;

(e) without authenticating the identification information collected from the healthcare provider, providing the healthcare provider with read-only access to the medical data; and

alerting an administrator regarding the request for emergency logon.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising;

(g) producing an audit log that is more detailed than an audit log produced when identification information is authenticated by authentication information.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the computer-based medical information system comprises a plurality of workstations, a local area network, a medical information database server, a domain server, and a network server.

22. A system having an emergency logon feature for a healthcare provider, the system comprising:

an application executable on a processing device for;

collecting entity identification information and entity authentication information and providing access when entity identification information is authenticated by entity authentication information;

receiving a request for emergency logon from said healthcare provider, different to said entity;

collecting identification information from the healthcare provider; and

without authenticating the identification information collected from the healthcare provider, providing the healthcare provider with emergency access.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the application executable in the processing device is

for alerting an administrator regarding the request for emergency logon.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the application executable in the processing device is

for producing an audit log that is more detailed than an audit log produced when identification information is authenticated by authentication information.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the emergency access provided to the entity is the same as the access provided when identification information is authenticated by authentication information.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the emergency access provided to the healthcare provider is different from the access provided when identification information is authenticated by authentication information.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein emergency access provides read-only access, and wherein access provided when identification information is authenticated by authentication information is not limited to read-only access.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the healthcare provider requests emergency logon by clicking on a displayed emergency logon button.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the information collected from the healthcare provider comprises at least one character.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the information collected from the healthcare provider comprises biometric information.

31. The system of claim 22, wherein the system comprises a computer-based medical information system.