Workstation configuration and selection method and apparatus

• US 7,162,439 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Panelli, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/747,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,209 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 705 2- 3, 705/10, 705/37, 706 46- 47
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

A system and method for providing a radiological imaging workstation system customer with a recommended radiological imaging workstation and/or radiological imaging workstation configuration. The recommended radiological imaging workstation being established by a customer'"'"'s responses to a plurality of questions. The system has a product selector file and a product configuration file. The product selector file provides a query page with the plurality of questions to be answered by the customer. The product configuration file having a plurality of predicted system values. A Java applet being used to compare the customer'"'"'s responses to the plurality of questions to the predicted values. The product configuration file supplying a results page with the recommended system.

Claims

1. A computer system coupled to a network to enable a radiological imaging workstation supplier to provide a customer with information for a recommended radiological imaging workstation, the computer system comprising:

an application server to direct a query page to the customer via the network, wherein the query page comprises a plurality of questions designed to enable the computer system to determine a recommended radiological imaging workstation based on the customer'"'"'s responses to the plurality of questions, the radiological viewing workstation enabling an operator to view images produced by imaging systems of different modalities, further wherein at least one of the plurality of questions establishes the imaging software to be recommended;

a comparison program to receive a completed query page from the customer and compare the customer'"'"'s responses in the completed query page to a plurality of predicted responses to the plurality of questions, a predicted response corresponding to a radiological imaging workstation configuration; and

a server to provide a results page to the customer via the network, the results page providing the customer with a recommended radiological imaging workstation,

wherein the information stored in the computer system is stored in a product configuration file, wherein the product configuration file contains data on specific configurations of radiological imaging workstations,

wherein the specific configurations of radiological imaging workstations is determined by a sales history of specific configurations of radiological imaging workstations.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the modalities of imaging systems is a computed tomography (CT) system.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the modalities of imaging systems is a magnetic resonance imaging (MR) system.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a product selector file, wherein the product selector file contains the plurality of questions for supplying the query page.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the product selector file is written in extensible markup language (XML).

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the query page is written in Java script.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the query page comprises a link to a help page, wherein the help page provides information to assist a customer answer at least one of the plurality of questions.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein each question has an associated link to a help page, wherein the help page provides information to assist a customer answer each of the plurality of questions.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein a product selector file populates the results page with a specific radiological imaging workstation configuration that matches the customer'"'"'s responses in the completed query page.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the results page is written in Java script.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein a specific configuration of a radiological imaging workstation comprises software packages.

12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the product selector file is written in extensible markup language (XML).

13. A computer system coupled to a network to assist a customer to select a radiological imaging workstation from among a plurality of radiological imaging workstations, the computer system comprising:

an application server coupled to a network, the application server directing a customer to files stored in the computer system;

a product selector file written in a markup language and stored in the computer system, the product selector file defining a plurality of questions designed to elicit data from a customer to determine a single radiological imaging workstation to recommend to the customer from among a plurality of radiological imaging workstations, wherein the product selector file provides the plurality of questions to a query page for delivery to a customer;

a program that operates to determine a recommended radiological imaging workstation for the customer by comparing data provided by the customer via the plurality of questions to radiological imaging workstation data stored in the computer system; and

a product configuration file written in a markup language and stored in the computer system, the product configuration file holding the radiological imaging workstation data used by the program, wherein the program populates a results page with a specific radiological imaging workstation configuration that matches a customer'"'"'s responses to the plurality of questions on the query page.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the radiological imaging workstation data comprises data relating to specific configurations of radiological imaging workstations.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the specific configurations of radiological imaging workstations is determined by a sales history of specific configurations of radiological imaging workstations.

16. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the product selector file is written in extensible markup language (XML).

17. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the product configuration file is written in extensible markup language (XML).

18. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein each question is a multiple-choice question.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, further comprising a help file written in a markup language and containing information regarding each choice in at least one multiple-choice question.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the help file is written in hypertext markup language (HTML).

21. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the application server is a Java class.

22. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the program is a Java applet.

23. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the query page is written in a Java script language.

24. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the results page is written in a Java script language.

25. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein a recommended computer system comprises software.

26. A computer system coupled to a network to assist a customer to select a radiological imaging workstation from among a plurality of radiological imaging workstations, the computer system comprising:

an application server coupled to a network, the application server directing a customer to files stored in the computer system;

a product selector file written in a markup language and stored in the computer system, the product selector file defining a plurality of questions designed to elicit data from a customer to determine a single radiological imaging workstation to recommend to the customer from among a plurality of radiological imaging workstations, wherein the product selector file provides the plurality of questions to a query page for delivery to a customer;

a program that operates to determine a recommended radiological imaging workstation for the customer by comparing data provided by the customer via the plurality of questions to radiological imaging workstation data stored in the computer system; and

a product configuration file written in a markup language and stored in the computer system, the product configuration file holding the radiological imaging workstation data used by the program, wherein the radiological imaging workstation data comprises data relating to specific configurations of radiological imaging workstations, wherein the specific configurations of radiological imaging workstations is determined by a sales history of specific configurations of radiological imaging workstations.

27. A computer system coupled to a network to enable a radiological imaging workstation supplier to provide a customer with information for a recommended radiological imaging workstation, the computer system comprising:

an application server to direct a query page to the customer via the network, wherein the query page comprises a plurality of questions designed to enable the computer system to determine a recommended radiological imaging workstation based on the customer'"'"'s responses to the plurality of questions, the radiological viewing workstation enabling an operator to view images produced by imaging systems of different modalities, further wherein at least one of the plurality of questions establishes the imaging software to be recommended;

a comparison program to receive a completed query page from the customer and compare the customer'"'"'s responses in the completed query page to a plurality of predicted responses to the plurality of questions, a predicted response corresponding to a radiological imaging workstation configuration; and

a server to provide a results page to the customer via the network, the results page providing the customer with a recommended radiological imaging workstation,

wherein the information stored in the computer system is stored in a product configuration file, wherein the product configuration file contains data on specific configurations of radiological imaging workstations,

wherein a product selector file populates the results page with a specific radiological imaging workstation configuration that matches the customer'"'"'s responses in the completed query page.

28. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the modalities of imaging systems comprise magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), radio fluoroscopy (RF), ultrasound, or computed radiography (CR), or combinations thereof.

29. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the query page comprises questions relating to a performance or promotional system option, a single monitor or multiple monitors option, an archive option, a filming capability option, a memory option, a network option, or a software option, or a combination thereof.

30. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the query page comprises questions relating to a filming capability.

31. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein the question relating to the filming capability include an analog filming option and a digital filming option.

32. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the query page comprises questions relating to software options including a volume analysis software package, a dental software package, a volume rendering software package, a navigation software package that allows an operator to navigate through 3D images, a navigation plus volume rendering software package, a CT perfusion software package, a CT vessel analysis package, a fusion software package to compare 3D images from CT and MR systems, a MR tool package to mathematically andlor statistically analyze dynamic data sets, a CV flow software package, a mass analysis software package, a Real Time Image Processing (RTIP) software package, an X-ray analysis software package, an X-ray vessel analysis software package, a reconstruction software package, or a 3D X-ray software package, or a combination thereof.

33. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

a medical imaging workstation selector disposed on a computer-readable medium, wherein the medical imaging workstation selector is configured to obtain customer input from a query page having questions relating to configuration options for a medical imaging workstation;

wherein the medical imaging workstation selector is configured to compare the customer input with data on specific configurations of medical imaging workstations, wherein the specific configurations are determined, at least in part, by a sales history of specfic configurations of medical imaging workstations; and

wherein the medical imaging workstation selector is configured to populate a results page with a specfic medical imaging workstation configuration based on the customer input and the data on specfic configurations, and

wherein the specfic configurations of medical imaging workstations comprise a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, a computed tomography (CT) system, a positron emission tomography (PET) system, a radio flu oroscopy (RF) system, an ultrasound system, or a computed radiography (CR) system, or a combination thereof.

34. The system as recited in claim 33, wherein the configuration options comprise a performance or promotional system option, a single monitor or multiple monitors option, an archive option, a filming capability option, a memory option, a network option, or a software option, or a combination thereof.

35. The system as recited in claim 33, wherein the configuration options comprise a filming capability option.

36. The system as recited in claim 35, wherein the filming capability option comprises an analog filming option and a digital filming option.

37. The system as recited in claim 33, wherein configuration options comprise a software option including a volume analysis software package, a dental software package, a volume rendering software package, a navigation software package that allows an operator to navigate through 3D images, a navigation plus volume rendering software package, a CT perfusion software package, a CT vessel analysis package, a fusion software package to compare 3D images from CT and MR systems, a MR tool package to mathematically and/or statistically analyze dynamic data sets, a CV flow software package, a mass analysis software package, a Real Time Image Processing (RTIP) software package, an X-ray analysis software package, an X-ray vessel analysis software package, a reconstruction software package, or a 3D X-ray software package, or a combination thereof.